Croatian elections transparent and show further progress, OSCE observers find

ZAGREB, 26 November 2007 - The 25 November parliamentary elections in the Republic of Croatia were administered transparently, professionally and represented further progress in fully meeting OSCE commitments for democratic elections, according to the initial conclusions of the Limited Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The conclusions, released today, said the campaign took place in a competitive and pluralistic environment and the media generally provided voters with sufficient information about the contestants and their campaign activity. Nevertheless, some issues remained, including with respect to the legislative framework and its implementation, and the short timeframe for election preparations.

"We recognise the efforts of the authorities to conduct the elections in a professional and inclusive manner," said Vadim Zhdanovich, who headed the mission. "We note the confidence displayed by the voters, political parties and non-governmental organisations in the electoral process."

The OSCE mission included 21 electoral experts, including 10 long-term observers who arrived October 30. The mission did not carry out a comprehensive observation on election day, but the observers visited a number of polling stations to follow procedures.

For the full statement, please see the link to the right.