Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 5 June 2009 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE Participating States.

OSCE Special Co-ordinator heads to Albania for pre-election visit

COPENHAGEN, 5 June 2009 - The OSCE Special Co-ordinator for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Albania is undertaking a pre-election visit to Albania early next week.

Wolfgang Grossruck (Austria), Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, was appointed Special Co-ordinator by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, to lead the OSCE short-term OSCE observer mission at the elections on 28 June.

During the visit on Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Grossruck will meet with government and parliamentary leaders as well as with the team of ODIHR long-term observers.

As Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term observers, Mr. Grossruck, an experienced election observer, will deliver the preliminary statement on behalf of the OSCE at a press conference in Tirana on the day after the elections.

On 3 June, Mr Grossruck visited the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. He was briefed on ODIHR's human rights activities and on the preparations for the observation mission to Albania. He welcomed the support offered by ODIHR and its team in Albania.

The OSCE preliminary post-election statement delivered by Mr. Grossruck will be based on the facts gathered by the OSCE parliamentarians, the short term observers seconded to the OSCE by the participating States, and the ODIHR's long term observers. The OSCE mission also expects to work closely with election observers from other parliamentary assemblies.