OSCE Chairman condemns shooting incident in Serbian snap local election

BRUSSELS, 11 September 2006 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, expressed his concern today about the violence surrounding snap local elections in Novi Pazar, Serbia, and condemned the killing of one of the election candidates, Ruzdija Durovic.

"I condemn the violence during the local elections in Novi Pazar," Minister De Gucht said. "As we await the results of the investigation, I hope that the leaders of political parties that participated in those elections will exercise restraint and ensure security in Novi Pazar."

The Chairman-in-Office said the crime should be urgently investigated.

"I hope the law enforcement agencies will do their utmost to bring those responsible to justice swiftly," he said. "To build on the progress achieved in Sandzak over the past years, there is a clear need for local self-governance bodies to start working again."

Ruzdija Durovic of the "List for Sandzak" was shot dead on 10 September outside a polling station. The Novi Pazar Police apprehended two men and are searching for other alleged participants in the incident. Snap elections on 10 September in Novi Pazar, in the Sandzak region of Serbia, followed the 7 April decision of the Serbian government to disband the Municipal Assembly.