OSCE begins observation ahead of elections in Croatia

WARSAW/ZAGREB, 31 October 2007 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, has deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission to Croatia to observe the parliamentary elections scheduled for 25 November 2007.

The mission, headed by Vadim Zhdanovich of the Russian Federation, consists of ten international staff based in Zagreb and ten long-term observers to be deployed across the country.

The mission will assess the electoral process in terms of its compliance with OSCE commitments for democratic elections, other international standards, and national legislation. It will focus on the election campaign, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of election administration and relevant government bodies, and resolution of election-related disputes.

The mission does not intend to carry out a systematic or comprehensive observation on election day, but the observers plan to visit several polling stations across the country to follow procedures.

The OSCE/ODIHR will issue a final report approximately two months after the completion of the election process.

The ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Mission to Croatia operate separately under their specific mandates.