Early Parliamentary Elections, 29 March 2009

Following an invitation from Montenegro's Speaker of Parliament, ODIHR deployed an election observation mission on 26 February to observe the early parlimentary elections in Montenegro  on 29 March.

Headed by Artis Pabriks of Latvia, the mission included 16 core team experts and 14 long-term observers from 21 OSCE participating States. The mission was based in Podgorica, with LTOs deployed to seven regional centres for the duration of the mission.

For election-day observation, the mission joined efforts with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Together, they deployed some 189 short-term observers from 41 OSCE participating States.

According to the mission's final report: "The 29 March 2009 early parliamentary elections in Montenegro met almost all OSCE and Council of Europe commitments, although the process again underscored the need for further democratic development. Public confidence was noted as a key challenge, as were the frequent allegations of electoral fraud and a blurring of state and party structures that created a negative atmosphere among many voters."

Previous elections

ODIHR has deployed 13 missions in Montenegro since 1997, most recently the presidential election of 6 April 2008.
The EOM and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro operate separately under their specific mandates.