- OSCE Mission in Kosovo condemns desecration of Jewish cemetery

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 2 December 2011 - Acting Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Edward P. Joseph, condemned today the recent desecration of the Jewish Cemetery in Prishtinë/Priština, calling on law enforcement to investigate, and the municipality to repair the damage.

Nazi swastikas were painted over a majority of the fifty tombstones, and a message “Jews out” was written in broken German on the foot of the central memorial monument.

"As the leading international human rights organization in Kosovo, the OSCE wholeheartedly condemns this disgraceful act. To damage or desecrate the graveyard of any community is a contemptible insult and expression of hate. To do so in this manner, towards a community whose members were hunted down for extermination within living memory is an obscenity.

"The swift condemnation issued by members of the Kosovo government is an encouraging rebuttal to this smear on democracy in Kosovo. It is our hope that law enforcement will likewise act responsibly by bringing the perpetrators to justice, and that the municipality with quickly remove the contemptible symbols of hate left by the perpetrators."

"The OSCE stands for tolerance, coexistence and mutual respect. We will not hesitate to call for justice wherever those norms are threatened,” said Joseph.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is a mandated with human rights protection and promotion, democracy building and public safety development.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/kosovo/85709

- Despite lack of level playing field in Russian elections, voters took advantage of right to express choice, observers say

MOSCOW, 5 December 2011 – Despite the lack of a level playing field during the Russian State Duma elections, voters took advantage of their right to express their choice, the international observers concluded in a statement issued today (attached).

The observers noted that the preparations for the elections were technically well-administered across a vast territory, but were marked by a convergence of the state and the governing party, limited political competition and a lack of fairness.

Although seven political parties ran, the prior denial of registration to certain parties had narrowed political competition. The contest was also slanted in favour of the ruling party: the election administration lacked independence, most media were partial and state authorities interfered unduly at different levels. The observers also noted that the legal framework had been improved in some respects and televised debates for all parties provided one level platform for contestants.

On election day, voting was well organized overall, but the quality of the process deteriorated considerably during the count, which was characterized by frequent procedural violations and instances of apparent manipulations, including serious indications of ballot box stuffing.

“Yesterday’s elections proved that the Russian people can form the future of this country by expressing their will despite many obstacles. However, changes are needed for the will of the people to be respected. I particularly noticed the interference of the state in all levels of political life, the lack of necessary conditions for a fair competition and no independence of the media. I honour the effort of the Russian people to shape their democratic future in line with our common commitments,” said Petros Efthymiou, the Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission and Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation.

“This result shows that voting can make a real difference in Russia, even when the playing field is slanted in favour of one party. However, any election needs an impartial referee – and until now, it has not had one. This needs to change. Yesterday, Russia showed that it is technically able to organize fair elections – now it is up to the parties to use this opening for real politics and make it a reality,” said Tiny Kox, Head of the delegation of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

“These elections were like a game in which only some players are allowed on the pitch, and then the field is tilted in favour of one of the players. Although the choice was limited and the competition lacked fairness, voters were able to come out and have their voices heard,” said Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, the Head of the Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/odihr/85753

- Croatia’s parliamentary elections held in pluralistic and transparent manner, although space remains for improvement

ZAGREB, 5 December 2011 – The parliamentary elections held on 4 December in Croatia took place in a pluralistic environment and were administered in a professional and transparent manner, but further steps should be taken to improve the process, the limited election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a preliminary report issued today.

“The elections are another sign of a genuine and concerted effort by the Croatian authorities and other electoral stakeholders to provide voters with transparent democratic elections,” said Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, the head of the mission.

“Although improvements to the legal framework are still needed, and issues related to the voter list and relative constituency sizes should be addressed, the steps taken in relation to shortcomings identified by past missions have been positive.”

Electoral contestants were able to conduct their activities freely in a campaign that was measured and focused on issues such as the economy and unemployment. The media provided voters with access to a plurality of views.

The State Election Commission performed their duties in a professional and transparent manner, and was trusted and considered impartial by the majority of stakeholders. The elections were administered efficiently, despite a tight election calendar, the report finds.

While the report states that the legal framework provides a sound basis for the conduct of democratic elections, it notes that consolidation and harmonization of legal provisions would benefit the process.

It also states that the equality of the vote was undermined by significant variations in the sizes of electoral constituencies. Although most stakeholders expressed confidence in the accuracy of voter lists, some raised concerns over the high number of registered voters relative to preliminary results from the 2011 census.

New campaign finance regulations enhanced the transparency and accountability of this process, but certain issues require further attention, the report states. The areas requiring attention include pre-campaign expenditures, disclosure of commercial discounts and the efficacy of sanctions.

The few complaints and appeals filed during these elections were processed in a transparent and timely manner. Voting on election day in the limited number of polling stations visited by the limited election observation mission was conducted in an orderly and transparent manner.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/odihr/85764

- Joint Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries and the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan

VILNIUS, 6 December 2011 - On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Vilnius, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Minister for European Affairs of France Jean Leonetti) and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian reaffirmed the importance of reaching a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Recalling the November 2008 Moscow Declaration, as well as their countries’ statements at the OSCE Ministerial Council meetings in Helsinki (2008) and Athens (2009) and at the OSCE Summit in Astana (2010), the five Heads of Delegation agreed on the need to continue the negotiating process in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group and to improve the climate for making progress towards a peaceful settlement. As one of the steps in this direction, they agreed that further efforts should be made to work on the details of the mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations, which resulted from the joint statement of Presidents Aliyev, Sargsian, and Medvedev at the March 2011 Sochi summit.

Noting the May 2011 statement of their Presidents at Deauville, which urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to finalize the Basic Principles for the Peaceful Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, the Heads of Delegation of the Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries expressed regret that the parties have been unable to take this decisive step. The three Heads of Delegation reiterated that there can be no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and that the United Nations Charter, the Principles of the Helsinki Final Act, and the elements outlined in the joint statements of their Presidents at L’Aquila in July 2009 and Muskoka in June 2010 offer the way for all sides to move beyond the unacceptable status quo to reach a peaceful settlement. In light of the intensive negotiations conducted since the 2007 OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid, including at the highest level, the three Heads of Delegation urged the parties to give further careful consideration to the proposals that the Co-Chair countries have provided to them.

The Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Co-Chair countries, including the personal engagement of Presidents Medvedev, Obama, and Sarkozy, in assisting their countries to reach a framework for a comprehensive peace settlement. They informed the Heads of Delegation of the Co-Chair countries that their Presidents are ready to meet again jointly in the near future under the auspices of the Co-Chair countries to continue their direct dialogue, building upon recent experience, on how to bring peace, stability, and prosperity to their peoples.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/mg/85838

Vilnius Ministerial Council concludes with decisions to strengthen responses to conflicts and transnational threats, engagement with Afghanistan and other Partner countries ***

VILNIUS, 7 December 2011 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, highlighted the progress achieved at the Vilnius Ministerial Council and urged the 56 OSCE participating States to build on the decisions taken and address the challenges raised at the meeting, which concluded today.

“Over the past days Vilnius has been home to a vital debate on the security challenges that we face in our 56 States and in neighbouring regions,” he said. “I am not only referring to the decisions we as foreign ministers have taken, but also to the civil society activists who have travelled from as near as neighbouring Belarus and as far as North Africa, to meet with government officials and each other, to provide their views and recommendations for taking the work of the OSCE forward.”

“Together we have made progress at the Ministerial Council in providing direction for the OSCE’s future endeavours. The discussions here have also shown how much work there remains to make the vision of a free, democratic, common and indivisible Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community a reality.”

The OSCE Foreign Ministers took decisions on enhancing OSCE capabilities in early warning, early action, dialogue facilitation and mediation support, and post-conflict rehabilitation. Decisions were also taken on addressing transnational threats, promoting equal opportunity for women in the economic sphere, strengthening the transport dialogue, the role of the OSCE in facilitating UN Security Council Resolution 1540, dealing with small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition, and on issues relevant to the Forum for Security Co-operation. A declaration on combating all forms of human trafficking was agreed.

Ažubalis also welcomed decisions to enhance engagement with OSCE Partners for Co-operation. “We have taken a decision to strengthen our engagement with our Partner country Afghanistan. This is particularly critical as we near the drawdown of international forces from the country,” he said.

“We have also decided to further enhance our interaction with the Partner for Co-operation countries. This decision will underpin the OSCE’s efforts to support our Partners in responding to developments in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Ažubalis emphasized the need to build on momentum to address protracted conflicts in the region: “I am particularly proud that the Transdniestrian settlement process is back on track, with the resumption of official talks. I am hopeful that we will be able to achieve further progress here, as well as in the South Caucasus, through the Geneva Discussions and the Minsk Group. I firmly believe that the recent progress in the Transdniestrian settlement process, after some six years, gives us reason to hope and to redouble our efforts.”

“Now we look to Ireland to build on the progress we have achieved here in Vilnius and to lead our work next year, including in the human dimension of the OSCE’s work. I can assure my fellow Minister and future Chairperson that he will have Lithuania’s full support,” said Ažubalis, adding that he hoped the OSCE would welcome Mongolia as the 57th participating State soon.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/cio/85990