OSCE PA, ODIHR to lead observation of Parliamentary Elections in Serbia

COPENHAGEN, 24 December 2003 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, has appointed OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Ihor Ostash (Ukraine) as his Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE Observation Mission for the parliamentary elections in Serbia on 28 December 2003.

The OSCE Election Observation Mission is a joint effort between the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The ODIHR deploys long term observers in the field several weeks before election day, as well as short-term observers seconded by OSCE participating States, and provides the framework for the deployment of the short term parliamentary observers. The OSCE PA also works in close co-operation with the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

The OSCE PA Observer Team includes Vice-President Gert Weisskirchen (Germany) as well as parliamentarians from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

On 29 December Vice-President Ostash will deliver the preliminary post-election statement along with other officials, including the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and the ODIHR.

The OSCE Observation Mission will assess the conduct of the elections, the political campaign and the role of the media.