Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Report: Unfair Election Conditions, Irregularities Marr Serbian Elections

Elections in Serbia (BETAPHOTO/Milan Obradovic)

The last Serbian polls, held on Dec. 17, were marred by unfair conditions, procedural irregularities and frequent allegations of the organisation and transportation of voters to support the ruling party in local elections, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation, Stefan Schennach, said in a report on the Serbian election on Jan. 19.

The authors of the draft report, which will be discussed at the next PACE session in Strasbourg, on Jan. 22, cautioned with concern that numerous irregularities and flaws were repeated, reflecting deeply rooted issues that the authorities in Serbia should address as soon as possible.

In the report the authors urge the authorities in Serbia to adopt meaningful and credible amendments to electoral legislation to prevent organized voter migration and secure independent and supervisory institutions. They also said that the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) and the Anti-Corruption Agency should take a pro-active role in securing fair election conditions.

As a PACE rapporteur, Schennach underlined that unfair conditions, procedural irregularities and frequent allegations of the organisation and transportation of voters to support the ruling party in local elections had marred the December elections in Serbia, even though the polls offered voters a choice between different political alternatives, and the freedoms of expression and assembly were generally respected.