OSCE Mission to Skopje helps raise accountability for election crimes

July 12, 2006 - (OSCE) A project to assess the commitment and capacity of State institutions to prosecute and punish perpetrators of election-related crimes was launched in Skopje today.

It will be implemented by the OSCE-supported non-governmental Coalition All for Fair Trials.

"We welcome the improvements that have been made towards meeting and applying international standards during the 2006 parliamentary elections," said Ambassador Carlos Pais, Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"However, the observation reports noted numerous incidents of election-related crimes, both during the campaign and on election day itself. Conducting genuinely democratic elections, including addressing irregularities when they occur, is crucial. All incidents must be thoroughly investigated in a transparent and unbiased manner, in full accordance with the rule of law, and those found guilty dealt with appropriately."

Trajce Pelivanov, the Coalition's President, added: "We will assess the reasons behind the discrepancies between the number of irregularities observed by the domestic monitoring group MOST and the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, and the significantly lower number of criminal charges instigated so far. The Coalition monitors will follow how courts apply the new stricter penal provisions for crimes against the election and voting."

The project will further improve co-operation between civil society and State institutions, such as the Interior Ministry, Public Prosecution offices and the trial courts, and strengthen public trust and confidence in the judicial system.

An analytical report with recommendations, based on the results of the project, will be presented to State authorities and other interested parties with a view to further improving the electoral processes.

From: http://www.osce.org/