Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Early Parliamentary Elections, 5 June 2011: Final Report

Following the receipt of an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and based on the recommendation of the Needs Assessment Mission, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the 5 June early parliamentary elections. The elections were assessed for compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, and domestic legislation. For election day observation, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM joined efforts with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions issued on 6 June concluded that "the early parliamentary elections were competitive, transparent, and well-administered throughout the country, although certain aspects require attention." These include measures to ensure an adequate separation of state and party structures, a thorough voter list audit, and clarification of certain provisions in the Electoral Code. On election day, voters were able to freely express their choice in a peaceful atmosphere, despite some irresponsible claims of irregularities by political parties...