U.S. State Department: Authorities in Serbia Should Investigate OSCE Allegations about Elections

U.S. State Department (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

The U.S. Department of State has called on authorities in Serbia to cooperate with the OSCE mission in investigating claims about election irregularities, stressing that violence against journalists, observers and election officials was "unacceptable."

The State Department said in a written response to a question from the Voice of America about recent protests in Belgrade that became violent on Dec. 24 that the U.S. was focused on cooperating with Serbia on strengthening democratic government and rule of law, improving regional cooperation, continuing economic growth and speeding up Serbia's progress on the path to membership in the European Union, adding that the future of Serbia was in the West.

The legitimacy of democratic processes, the State Department's written response states further, depends on transparency and the readiness of all participants to accept the electoral will.

The statement also said that the U.S. noted with concern ODIHR's findings that the elections had been disrupted by many procedural flaws, pressure on public officials and abuse of public resources, and that those factors, together with the systemic advantages of the ruling party, had created unfair conditions, adding that the U.S. urged Serbia to work closely with the OSCE to address these concerns.

The statement also said that parties should report incidents of election irregularities through the appropriate legal channels.