OSCE to Monitor Montenegro’s Elections

As the deadline for submission of electoral lists in Montenegro nears, OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights announces it will oversee the elections.Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, the head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, said that 12 observers would monitor the elections, before and on the day of the vote, and that they would remain in Montenegro until the end of October.The observer mission will follow the entire electoral process, the work of electoral administration, minority participation, the resolution of any disputes, and the role of the media in the election campaign.

As observers, the ODIHR delegation “will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting,” or count votes on the election day.

Montenegro’s early general elections have been called for October 14, at the initiative of the ruling coalition, which seeks a fresh mandate for the country’s EU accession talks which started at the end of June.

The deadline for submission of the electoral lists in September 19.