OSCE elections body opens observation mission to Serbia

WARSAW/BELGRADE, 7 January 2008 - The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) opened a limited election observation mission today for the presidential election in Serbia on 20 January.

Headed by Nikolai Vulchanov of Bulgaria, the mission consists of a core team of nine international experts in Belgrade and 12 long-term observers deployed across the country. Members of the core team and long-term observers are drawn from 18 OSCE participating States.

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 performance of the election administration and relevant government bodies, and the resolution of election-related disputes.

Observers will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting, or tabulation procedures on election day, but they will visit several polling stations across the country to follow the procedures.

The observation mission and the OSCE Mission to Serbia operate separately under their specific mandates.