Training programme prepares over 3,500 police officers for Macedonian parliamentary elections
An OSCE/ODIHR police training programme helped improve security standards during election time. (OSCE) Photo details
SKOPJE, 16 August, 2002 - More than 3,500 police officers have completed a training course on how to ensure security in line with international policing practices during the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
"As a result of this project, we hope that the police are now better prepared to effectively provide a secure environment for the elections in full accordance with relevant international standards and national legislation", said Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which is one of the organizers of the programme. "This will also help to increase the level of public confidence in the electoral process and the role of the law enforcement authorities."
The training programme focused on the role and responsibilities of the police during the electoral process. The training improved the participants' ability to handle election-related situations, including crowd control during election campaign rallies and securing polling stations on election day in accordance with the provisions of national legislation. The programme's extensive training manual will be used in the future to pass on these skills to other members of the police force.
The project was initiated by the Ministry of Interior in co-operation with several international organizations including the OSCE Spillover Mission to Skopje. On behalf of the European Union, the European Agency for Reconstruction provided funding for two police trainers, contributed by ODIHR, and for the publication of a training manual.
"As a result of this project, we hope that the police are now better prepared to effectively provide a secure environment for the elections in full accordance with relevant international standards and national legislation", said Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which is one of the organizers of the programme. "This will also help to increase the level of public confidence in the electoral process and the role of the law enforcement authorities."
The training programme focused on the role and responsibilities of the police during the electoral process. The training improved the participants' ability to handle election-related situations, including crowd control during election campaign rallies and securing polling stations on election day in accordance with the provisions of national legislation. The programme's extensive training manual will be used in the future to pass on these skills to other members of the police force.
The project was initiated by the Ministry of Interior in co-operation with several international organizations including the OSCE Spillover Mission to Skopje. On behalf of the European Union, the European Agency for Reconstruction provided funding for two police trainers, contributed by ODIHR, and for the publication of a training manual.