Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 28 April 2010 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

Soares appointed to lead OSCE observers to UK elections

COPENHAGEN, 28 April 2010 - OSCE PA President Joao Soares (Portugal) has been appointed Special Co-ordinator by the Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, to lead OSCE short-term observers to the parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom on 6 May.

The parliamentary leadership delegation includes a number of Members of the Assembly's Bureau and Heads of Delegations. The London and Manchester areas will be the focus of their observation.

The parliamentarians will be briefed in the two days prior to the elections by representatives of the major political parties, as well as local media representatives and analysts.

It is the first time the British government has invited the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe a British election and follows the UK's 2006 Electoral Administration Act, which specifically introduced provisions for observers to be accredited to attend polling stations and the vote count and observe other electoral processes without advance notice.

PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver (United States) and Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen (Denmark) will be part of the OSCE PA delegation.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has observed over 100 elections since December 1993, involving over 3,200 parliamentarians.