Election reforms subject of round table discussion in Belgrade
(OSCE)Gerard Stoudmann, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (right), and Stefano Sannino,
OSCE
Head of Mission, open a round table on election reform,
Belgrade,
17 April 2002. (OSCE) Photo details
BELGRADE, 17 April 2002 - A round table on election reforms was organized today by the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSid) with the participation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
The meeting was opened by the Head of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador Stefano Sannino and the Director of ODIHR, Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann.
Participants of the round table, that also included political parties' representatives, representatives of the Serbian Parliament, the Republican Secretariat for Legislation and experts of various national and international NGOs, discussed CeSID's recently published proposal for legislation concerning the election of members of the Republican Parliament, members of municipal assemblies as well as of the Serbian President.
"While the OSCE does not favour one specific model of election legislation over another, the OSCE Mission does consider the proposals of CeSID as an important contribution to the debate on a new electoral law", said Ambassador Sannino at the opening of the meeting. He specified that CeSID in its proposals had paid attention to a number of issues that need to be included in a new electoral framework, such as the establishment of election commissions, access to media and the role of national and international observers.
The Director of ODIHR, while indicating that the success of elections is not only dependent on the underlying legislation, characterized election legislation as a "developing process, that should however not be tinkered with too close to the holding of elections". According to Ambassador Stoudmann, "even in long-standing democracies, the electoral framework needs to be updated from time to time".
Both the OSCE Mission and the ODIHR welcomed CeSID's work as a sign of the involvement of civil society in the process.
The meeting was opened by the Head of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador Stefano Sannino and the Director of ODIHR, Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann.
Participants of the round table, that also included political parties' representatives, representatives of the Serbian Parliament, the Republican Secretariat for Legislation and experts of various national and international NGOs, discussed CeSID's recently published proposal for legislation concerning the election of members of the Republican Parliament, members of municipal assemblies as well as of the Serbian President.
"While the OSCE does not favour one specific model of election legislation over another, the OSCE Mission does consider the proposals of CeSID as an important contribution to the debate on a new electoral law", said Ambassador Sannino at the opening of the meeting. He specified that CeSID in its proposals had paid attention to a number of issues that need to be included in a new electoral framework, such as the establishment of election commissions, access to media and the role of national and international observers.
The Director of ODIHR, while indicating that the success of elections is not only dependent on the underlying legislation, characterized election legislation as a "developing process, that should however not be tinkered with too close to the holding of elections". According to Ambassador Stoudmann, "even in long-standing democracies, the electoral framework needs to be updated from time to time".
Both the OSCE Mission and the ODIHR welcomed CeSID's work as a sign of the involvement of civil society in the process.