News and press releases

Tirana, 15 May 2023 – Albania’s 14 May local elections were generally well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the country’s key political forces, but the process was characterized by continued polarization between the two main political parties in the country and deep divisions among the opposition, the international observers said in a statement today. Contestants could campaign freely, but issues of importance for local communities barely featured in the campaigns. Cases of the misuse of public resources at both the national and local levels, allegations of pressure on voters and public sector workers, in particular, and of vote-buying were of concern, the observers said.

ANKARA, 15 May 2023 – Characterized by a high turnout, Türkiye’s general elections were well-managed and offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives, but the current president and the ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage. Continued restrictions on fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression hindered the participation of some opposition politicians and parties, as well as civil society and independent media, international observers said in a statement today.

Today the OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur Professor Hervé Ascensio presented his findings to the OSCE Permanent Council, collected in his report entitled ‘Report on the serious threat to the OSCE human dimension in Belarus since 5 November 2020’.

United States mid-term elections The November mid-term congressional elections were competitive and professionally managed, with voters actively taking part. Candidates could campaign freely, but the tone was highly polarized and the campaign negatively impacted by harsh rhetoric. In many cases,

PODGORICA, 5 May 2023- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 11 June early parliamentary elections in Montenegro, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism mission of experts undertaken by Professor Veronika Bílková, Dr. Cecilie Hellestveit and Dr. Elīna Šteinerte presented their findings to the OSCE Permanent Council on 4 May 2023, collected in the report entitled ‘Report on Violations and Abuses of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, related to the Forcible Transfer and/or Deportation of Ukrainian Children to the Russian Federation’.

TASHKENT, 1 May 2023 – Uzbekistan’s constitutional referendum was technically well prepared and widely promoted as a move to enhance various rights and freedoms, but it took place in an environment that fell short of genuine political pluralism and competition, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.