Serbia's local elections were
well-run, with freedoms of expression and assembly respected,
but the ruling party's dominance and opposition fragmentation
reduced their competitiveness, while allegations of widespread
pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public
resources favoured the ruling coalition, according to
international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in a statement issued
today.
"While these elections were well run, we nonetheless
witnessed a dominance of the ruling party and misuse of public
resources," said Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, head of the ODIHR
election observation mission. "I very much welcome the creation
of the working group for working on the implementation of
ODIHR's recommendations to improve the election process. But now
all members from across the political spectrum must show
commitment to moving forward, not just for the benefit of one
election or one party, but for the future of all citizens,"
Zannier noted.
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