OSCE PA to observe Russian Presidential Elections

COPENHAGEN, 28 February 2012 – President Petros Efthymiou has announced that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly will observe the Russian presidential elections on 4 March.

Efthymiou, who led the observation mission to Russian Duma elections in December, made the decision after a discussion with heads of national delegations at the Assembly’s Winter Meeting.

He nominated Vice-President Tonino Picula (Croatia) to lead the observation mission, which will be comprised primarily of the Assembly’s Bureau.

OSCE Chair-in-Office and Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore has appointed Mr. Picula Special Co ordinator to head the short-term OSCE observer mission in a letter to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou.

Picula recently led the OSCE short-term observer mission to Kazakhstan, and previously led an observation mission to Moldova. He served as the Foreign Minister of Croatia from 2004 2008 and currently serves on the Foreign Policy Committee of the Croatian Parliament.

In accordance with the 1997 Co-operation Agreement between the OSCE PA and the OSCE/ODIHR, Picula will deliver the post-election statement on behalf of the OSCE in Moscow. The observation mission will assess the elections for their conformity with the OSCE commitments as stated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document, to which the Russian Federation has subscribed.

This 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.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.