Palmer: U.S. Hopes Opposition Will Not Boycott Next Elections | Beta Briefing

Palmer: U.S. Hopes Opposition Will Not Boycott Next Elections

Source: Beta/Voice of America
Archive / News | 02.08.19 | access_time 12:38

Matthew Palmer during last visit to Belgrade (Betaphoto/Milos Miskov)

The U.S. is hoping that the opposition in Serbia will give up its intention to boycott the next elections and that an agreement on election conditions will be reached with the ruling parties, Matthew Palmer, State Department assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affair, has said.

After a meeting of representatives of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party with the opposition and civil society organizations at the Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences, brokered by the Open Society Foundation Serbia, Palmer has told Voice of America he believes that there exist many issues in relation to equal election conditions in Serbia.

“Certainly, if the opposition believes that the conditions are not fair, there is room for an open dialogue, an open debate on the issue. We hope that an agreement will be achieved and a way found for all political parties to run in the elections” so that Serbia’s citizens could exercise freedom of choice.

He noted that elections were much better with all political parties running, adding it was important to enable Serbia’s citizens to have the right to real choice.

Palmer also said that Washington hoped to see two sides achieve an agreement and that the opposition would run in the elections as they had been constantly encouraged to do that by the U.S.

Palmer denied media allegations about his engagement in organizing the meeting between representatives of the ruling coalition and the opposition at the Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences.

“Absolutely no. They do not need mediators, those are political parties and leaders who know well and understand well each other. This issue has been long discussed in Belgrade and there is really no need for the engagement of the U.S.” or any other international stakeholder, Palmer noted.

Palmer said he encouraged a dialogue between the ruling coalition and the opposition, adding it was important that the opposition found a way to run in the elections.

“We encourage them to express their concerns and present the outstanding issues which need to be resolved, it is an important element of the democratic process,” Palmer noted.

Asked to comment on the allegations by certain experts in Washington that a draft settlement agreed between the Serbian and Kosovo presidents, Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, was already in place, and that a way was now being sought on how “to sell the settlement” to the public, Palmer said he had not seen any draft settlement or agreement pending signature, if such document existed.

Speaking about the media situation in Serbia, Palmer said he had discussed the matter with officials at levels in Belgrade.

“It is something Serbia needs to resolve to make progress on its EU path,” he said, adding that the EU would be closely watching the media situation in Serbia to ensure it was fair, balanced, unbiased, and that the opposition was provided access to media outlets. “So, it is important for Serbia’s EU future,” he stressed.

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