OSCE Chairperson-in-Office issues statement on FRY elections

VIENNA, 25 September 2000 - In reaction to yesterday's elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said it was clear that the people of Yugoslavia expressed their strong desire for change that will permit them to embrace democracy and rejoin Europe.

"All available information points to a clear lead by the Democratic Opposition of Serbia's Vojislav Kostunica in the first round," said Ms. Ferrero-Waldner. "Claims of victory by pro-Milosevic forces are not credible."

"These elections were far from democratic," she said. "But despite reports of widespread fraud and intimidation, the will of the people for change has been overwhelming. The large number of voters in Serbia who turned out is proof of that. I call on the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to recognize the overriding will of the people to embrace democracy and rejoin Europe."

The Chairperson-in-Office expressed her dismay that the Federal Election Commission has been holding sessions behind closed doors after expelling all representatives of opposition parties and even members of the Serbian Radical Party.

She noted that according to reports, over 70% of the electorate in Serbia turned out to cast their ballot. In Montenegro, on the other hand, the turnout was only up to 25%. In Kosovo, UNMIK information indicates that no more than 45,000 voters participated in the poll. Throughout election day, there were reports of intimidation and of serious irregularities, including ballot stuffing and exclusion of opposition representatives from polling station commissions.

Ms. Ferrero-Waldner also pointed out that the months leading to election day were characterised by harassment of and attempts to suppress the independent media, by the persecution and intimidation of non-governmental organisations, and by the disappearance of former President of Serbia Ivan Stambolic on 25 August.

The Chairperson-in-Office reminded that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) had previously reported that the laws and environment for these elections provided considerable scope for manipulation. The Government of Belgrade controlled the entire process, from the formation of election commissions to the tabulation of election results. The authorities' decision to bar the local non-governmental organisation Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) from monitoring the process, their extreme limitations on international journalists, and their refusal to invite the OSCE to observe the elections further increased the opportunity for fraud. Under these conditions, she recognised the courage of CeSID members and other domestic observers who managed to monitor the process and report their findings.

A more detailed report by ODIHR on Preliminary Findings and Conclusions on these elections can be found on the OSCE website at: www.osce.org/odihr.

For further information contact the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: (+ 43-1) 514 36 180 or e-mail: info@osce.org