News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE PA Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus Chair Kent Harstedt responds to Belarusian announcements on election reform
Publishing date: 29 April 2016
COPENHAGEN, 29 April 2016 – Kent Harstedt (MP, Sweden), Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Chair of its Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, had a mixed reaction to the statement of Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina following the press conference with the head of state on 27 April...
Serbia elections offered voters variety of choices and respected fundamental freedoms, but playing field was not level, international observers say
Publishing date: 25 April 2016
BELGRADE, 25 April 2016 – The 24 April early parliamentary elections in Serbia offered voters a variety of choices and fundamental freedoms were respected, although there was biased media coverage, an undue advantage for incumbents and a blurring of the distinction between state and party activities, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. The election administration performed its duties efficiently and generally enjoyed the trust of electoral stakeholders, they said...
OSCE/ODIHR final report on Slovakia’s parliamentary elections recommends reviewing limitations on right to stand and introducing provisions prohibiting misuse of administrative resources
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 5 March 2016 parliamentary elections in Slovakia notes that the legal framework was amended, resulting in a number of improvements. It recommends, however, that limitations on the right to stand for election should be reviewed and that citizens should be allowed to run as independent candidates to ensure full compliance with OSCE commitments. The report recommends introducing provisions prohibiting the misuse of administrative resources.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier stresses importance of ODIHR’s work during visit to headquarters in Warsaw
Publishing date: 19 April 2016
WARSAW, 19 April 2016 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, today visited the headquarters of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in the context of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Office...
OSCE Mission to Montenegro clarifies role with regard to upcoming elections
Publishing date: 4 April 2016
PODGORICA, 4 April 2016- In response to articles carried in various media outlets, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro would like to clarify its role regarding the upcoming elections. While the Mission has contracted an international senior-level expert to advise the State Election Commission (SEC) on their technical preparations for the parliamentary elections anticipated for this autumn, the Mission does not observe elections...
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly marks 25 years of dialogue
Publishing date: 1 April 2016
COPENHAGEN, 1 April 2016 – On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) congratulated the thousands of parliamentarians involved in the OSCE PA for their immense contributions to the OSCE process and people since 1991...
OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Publishing date: 31 March 2016
SKOPJE, 31 March 2016 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission (EOM) for the early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, scheduled for 5 June. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the authorities...