Newsroom
OSCE Mission to maintain neutral position on Serbian presidential elections
BELGRADE 7 October 2003
BELGRADE, 7 October 2003 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, today stressed that the OSCE Mission's position regarding the upcoming Serbian presidential election on 16 November 2003 was both neutral and impartial.
"As I stressed to Serbian presidential candidate Professor Micunovic yesterday, the OSCE Mission will maintain a fully neutral stance regarding the upcoming presidential elections," he said.
"In line with this policy, in my conversation with Professor Micunovic, I did not voice an opinion on whether the elections will be successful, or whether elections will greatly impact upon the stability or instability in the country."
He said the OSCE Mission acknowledged the slating of presidential elections and hoped that the elections would be democratic and fair.
To this end, the OSCE, through the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) was considering sending an election observation mission, in order to monitor the election process.
Ambassador Massari said that, in order to ensure fully democratic elections, the OSCE Mission hoped the composition of municipal election commissions was multi-party in nature, and not simply representative of the political parties that are forwarding presidential candidates.
"In addition to underlining that the OSCE Mission will not take a public stance vis-a-vis the presidential elections, I voiced disappointment that the 50 per cent threshold had not been amended before the slating of elections as previously recommended by ODIHR", he added.
The OSCE Mission has also taken the decision not to engage in a "get out and vote" campaign, as participation in the elections is a matter only for the citizens of Serbia.
"As I stressed to Serbian presidential candidate Professor Micunovic yesterday, the OSCE Mission will maintain a fully neutral stance regarding the upcoming presidential elections," he said.
"In line with this policy, in my conversation with Professor Micunovic, I did not voice an opinion on whether the elections will be successful, or whether elections will greatly impact upon the stability or instability in the country."
He said the OSCE Mission acknowledged the slating of presidential elections and hoped that the elections would be democratic and fair.
To this end, the OSCE, through the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) was considering sending an election observation mission, in order to monitor the election process.
Ambassador Massari said that, in order to ensure fully democratic elections, the OSCE Mission hoped the composition of municipal election commissions was multi-party in nature, and not simply representative of the political parties that are forwarding presidential candidates.
"In addition to underlining that the OSCE Mission will not take a public stance vis-a-vis the presidential elections, I voiced disappointment that the 50 per cent threshold had not been amended before the slating of elections as previously recommended by ODIHR", he added.
The OSCE Mission has also taken the decision not to engage in a "get out and vote" campaign, as participation in the elections is a matter only for the citizens of Serbia.