ODIHR opens observation mission for referendum in Skopje

SKOPJE, 27 August 2018 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a referendum observation mission (ROM) for the 30 September referendum in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the country’s authorities.

The mission is led by Ambassador Jan Petersen and consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Skopje and 20 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two from 5 September. In addition, ODIHR will request that OSCE participating States provide 250 short-term observers, who will arrive several days before the referendum.

The mission will assess the referendum for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as with national legislation. Observers will closely monitor voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the referendum administration and relevant government bodies, referendum-related legislation and its implementation, and the resolution of referendum-related disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign.

In the course of its observation, the mission will meet with representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community.

On referendum day, observers will monitor the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

The mission will publish an interim report in the course of its work. The day after the referendum, a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be issued at a press conference. ODIHR will issue a final report on the observation approximately two months after the end of the referendum process.

The ODIHR referendum observation mission and the OSCE Mission to Skopje operate separately and independently under their own mandates.

For further information, please visit www.osce.org/odihr/elections/fyrom/390806 or contact Marek Mracka, Media Analyst, at + 389 72 443 647 (Skopje mobile), or at marek.mracka@odihr.mk

or

Thomas Rymer, ODIHR Spokesperson, at +48 609 522 266 (Warsaw mobile), or at thomas.rymer@odihr.pl.