OSCE urges reform of Serbian election legislation

BELGRADE, 8 May 2001 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia met with representatives from the Serbian election administration, NGOs and international experts in Belgrade Tuesday to launch a discussion in Serbia about the reform of the election legislation.

"We welcome the political will demonstrated by the Serbian authorities today to address the shortcomings identified by the ODIHR during last year's parliamentary elections and to bring the electoral framework fully into line with international commitments for democratic elections," said ODIHR Director Gérard Stoudmann.

"While acknowledging the in-country expertise available in Serbia, the OSCE stands ready to assist the authorities with improving the election legislation," added Ambassador Stefano Sannino, Head of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In its final report on last year's Serbian parliamentary election, the ODIHR stated that the election was largely in line with OSCE commitments, but also noted a number of shortcomings in the electoral framework. The final report's list of recommendations for improvements served as a basis for today's discussions.



Background papers for discussion include the ODIHR final report on the 23 December 2000 parliamentary elections in Serbia, the assessment of the Laws on Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in the Republic of Serbia, Guidelines for Reviewing a Legal Framework for Elections, and Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process. These documents can be found on the ODIHR website at /odihr

For further information, please contact Stella Ronner, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, + (381-11) 3672 425, or Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR Spokesperson, +48-4563173 or +48-603683122 (mobile).