News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Lack of equal opportunities, one-sided media coverage and limitations on fundamental freedoms created unlevel playing field in Turkey’s constitutional referendum, international observers say
Publishing date: 17 April 2017
ANKARA, 17 April 2017 – The 16 April constitutional referendum in Turkey was contested on an unlevel playing field, and the two sides in the campaign did not have equal opportunities, the international observers concluded in a statement released today. While the technical aspects of the process were well administered, voters were not provided with impartial information about key aspects of the reform, and limitations on fundamental freedoms had a negative effect, the statement says.
OSCE Secretary General meets Albania’s Defence Minister
Publishing date: 7 April 2017
OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier met Albania’s Minister of Defence Mimi Kodheli on 7 April 2017 during her bilateral visit to Austria...
Legal and technical reforms bring improvements in well administered Armenian elections, but process tainted by credible information of vote-buying and pressure on voters, international observers say
Publishing date: 3 April 2017
YEREVAN, 3 April 2017 – The 2 April parliamentary elections in Armenia were well administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected. Despite welcomed reforms of the legal framework and the introduction of new technologies to reduce electoral irregularities, the elections were tainted by credible information about vote-buying, and pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. This contributed to an overall lack of public confidence and trust in the elections, the statement says...
OSCE Mission in Kosovo information on collection of votes operation
Publishing date: 31 March 2017
PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 31 March 2017- The OSCE Mission in Kosovo will conduct a collection of votes operation, opening four collection centres with associated branches throughout Kosovo, with OSCE staff presence, on Sunday, 2 April 2017, in the context of the Serbian Presidential Elections...
OSCE/ODIHR experts discuss electoral recommendations in Poland
Publishing date: 29 March 2017
Elections experts from ODIHR met with electoral stakeholders in Warsaw on 28 March to present the final report of ODIHR’s election assessment mission for the 25 October 2015 parliamentary elections in Poland.
Contestants in Bulgarian elections could reach out to voters freely, but a number of previous recommendations remain to be addressed, international observers say
Publishing date: 27 March 2017
SOFIA, 27 March 2017 – Contestants in Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections could reach out to voters freely, while the low-key campaign was generally characterized by public disillusionment with politics and election weariness, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. The legal framework is largely conducive to holding democratic elections, and amendments since the 2014 elections addressed some previous recommendations for improvements, but further efforts are needed, the statement says...
OSCE PA’s Sanchez Amor and Bekkevold to lead election observers in Armenia
Publishing date: 24 March 2017
COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2017 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia and provide leadership for the OSCE’s short-term observer mission...