EU delegation comments on election campaign and elections in Serbia

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The delegation of the European Union (EU) in Serbia has stated that the EU is closely monitoring the election campaign ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia and that free, fair and transparent elections, conducted in accordance with international standards, are necessary for Serbia to fulfill the democratic criteria for progress towards EU membership.

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The EU delegation stated that the authorities and all relevant actors in the country are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and that all political leaders should contribute to a peaceful and democratic environment.

The EU recalls the long-standing recommendations of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to improve the electoral process in Serbia and adds that the citizens of Serbia expect a campaign that respects political pluralism and freedom of expression and is devoid of misinformation, inflammatory rhetoric and violence.

It is added that the EU is committed to providing support to Serbia on its path to accession and that this includes, "the right of citizens to make a decision freely and based on information, equal conditions for all election participants, equal access to the media, safety of journalists, an encouraging environment for civil society and a clear separation of the state and the party".

The EU delegation assesses that the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media should systematically monitor violations of media rules and react to them.

"The EU has the same expectations and calls on the authorities in Serbia to ensure protection of all election participants, domestic and foreign journalists, as well as domestic and international observers, during the entire campaign and election process," the statement said.

Concern is expressed over several reported incidents of violence, which "have no place in the election process and require a quick, transparent and credible institutional response in order to bring those responsible to justice".

It is added that the EU also expects all competent institutions to react quickly in cases of possible irregularities during the campaign and on election day, as well as to consider complaints in a timely manner at all stages of the election process.

The EU delegation welcomed the deployment of the long-term election observation mission of the OSCE/ODIHR at the invitation of the competent authorities, as well as the invitation to the European Parliament to observe the elections, and the contribution of local observers to preserving the integrity of the election process.

Parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for October 25.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)