Newsroom
Head of Mission visits Out-of-Country Voter Centre in Sarajevo
SARAJEVO 25 October 2000
SARAJEVO, 25 October 2000 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina today invited the press to tour the OSCE Out-of-Country-Voter (OCV) Co-ordination Centre. The OCV Branch has been tasked with organizing and conducting November 2000 general elections for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who currently reside outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 73 countries around the world.
This is a process that in the past was conducted through the OCV Office in Vienna and support offices around the world. Since the municipal elections in April of this year, the entire process of voter registration and verification of ballots from voters residing abroad has been relocated to the OCV Co-ordination Centre established in Sarajevo. These are the first general elections in which all out-of-country voters will cast their ballots by mail. As of December 1999 voter registration for BiH citizens residing abroad was also entirely conducted by mail.
"In order to be counted, a by-mail ballot must arrive at the Out-of-Country Voter office in Sarajevo by 10 November," said Ambassador Robert L. Barry, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. "By-mail voters should therefore consider the mail delivery time that is needed from their place of residence to the closest out-of-country Voter mailbox. It is important for BiH citizens worldwide to use this chance to decide on the future of their country, even if they are momentarily living abroad."
The ballot kits were mailed worldwide on 4 October and sent to FRY by truck on 10 October. The first returned ballots arrived in Sarajevo on 13 October. So far 24,000 returned ballots have been received. The verification process began on 16 October, and thus far 11,000 secrecy envelopes have been processed. Eight international supervisors have been employed for the duration of the verification process. An additional 74 national staff members have been hired to watch the process - this number will rise to 100 in the final stages of the process.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina calls upon representatives of political parties to register and observe the transparency of the OCV counting process. Information on the OCV procedures are posted on the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina web site at www.oscebih.org.
For additional information or help please call the OSCE Help Line Sarajevo: ++387/(0) 33 - 292 - 405/ 407 Monday to Saturday 08:00 - 20:00 CET
For more information please call OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sanela T. Becirevic at ++387/(0) 33-92-338 or ++387/(0) 66-134-758
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
This is a process that in the past was conducted through the OCV Office in Vienna and support offices around the world. Since the municipal elections in April of this year, the entire process of voter registration and verification of ballots from voters residing abroad has been relocated to the OCV Co-ordination Centre established in Sarajevo. These are the first general elections in which all out-of-country voters will cast their ballots by mail. As of December 1999 voter registration for BiH citizens residing abroad was also entirely conducted by mail.
"In order to be counted, a by-mail ballot must arrive at the Out-of-Country Voter office in Sarajevo by 10 November," said Ambassador Robert L. Barry, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. "By-mail voters should therefore consider the mail delivery time that is needed from their place of residence to the closest out-of-country Voter mailbox. It is important for BiH citizens worldwide to use this chance to decide on the future of their country, even if they are momentarily living abroad."
The ballot kits were mailed worldwide on 4 October and sent to FRY by truck on 10 October. The first returned ballots arrived in Sarajevo on 13 October. So far 24,000 returned ballots have been received. The verification process began on 16 October, and thus far 11,000 secrecy envelopes have been processed. Eight international supervisors have been employed for the duration of the verification process. An additional 74 national staff members have been hired to watch the process - this number will rise to 100 in the final stages of the process.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina calls upon representatives of political parties to register and observe the transparency of the OCV counting process. Information on the OCV procedures are posted on the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina web site at www.oscebih.org.
For additional information or help please call the OSCE Help Line Sarajevo: ++387/(0) 33 - 292 - 405/ 407 Monday to Saturday 08:00 - 20:00 CET
For more information please call OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sanela T. Becirevic at ++387/(0) 33-92-338 or ++387/(0) 66-134-758
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.