COPENHAGEN, 30 March 2011 – The OSCE PA observation mission to Kazakhstan this week will include more than 80 participants from 26 countries. The delegation to observe the country’s 3 April early presidential election will be led by Tonino Picula (Croatia), Rapporteur of the PA’s First General Committee on Political Affairs and Security.

OSCE Chair-in-Office and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis appointed Mr. Picula Special Co-ordinator to head the short-term OSCE observer mission in a letter to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou.

Mr. Picula recently led the OSCE short-term observer mission in Moldova. He served as the Foreign Minister of Croatia from 2004-2008 and currently serves on the Foreign Policy Committee of the Croatian Parliament.

In accordance with the 1997 Co-operation Agreement between the OSCE PA and the OSCE, Mr. Picula will deliver the post-election statement on behalf of the OSCE in Astana. Walburga Habsburg Douglas (Sweden) and Matteo Mecacci (Italy) are serving as deputy heads of the observation mission, which will assess the elections for their conformity with the OSCE commitments as stated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document, to which Kazakhstan has subscribed.