SKOPJE, 6 June 2011 – Yesterday’s early parliamentary elections were competitive, transparent and well-administered throughout the country, but certain aspects such as the blurring of the line between state and party require further attention, the international observers concluded in Skopje today. On election day, voters were able to freely express their choice in a peaceful atmosphere, despite some irresponsible claims of irregularities by

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE 6 June 2011 Macedonia's ruling conservatives have won snap polls promising further economic and political reforms that would speed up Skopje's entry into the EU and NATO, preliminary results showed Monday. The VMRO-DPMNE-dominated coalition of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski won just over 39 percent of the vote while its main rival, the leftist SDSM grouping, took 33 percent, preliminary results issued by the state electoral

REUTERS 6 June 2011 By Kole Casule SKOPJE, June 6 (Reuters) – Macedonia's conservative ruling party was looking for coalition partners on Monday after it won in Sunday elections but fell short of a majority to govern a country which is struggling to improve its economic outlook. The main task of the new government, expected to be formed by the end of July, will be to revive the economy, fight unemployment and poverty, and speed up the Balkan

COPENHAGEN, 27 May 2011 – The chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee today strongly criticised the sentencing of two more candidates in Belarus’ December 2011 election. Yesterday’s conviction of Nikolai Statkevich and Dmitry Uss follows the 14 May imprisonment of Andrei Sannikov. “Yesterday’s sentencing adds further insult to injury and demonstrates a serious lack of regard for political dialogue. Three out of nine

Pia Christmas-Moeller speaks at a pre-election briefing in Ankara. COPENHAGEN, 25 May 2011 – Pia Christmas-Moeller (Denmark) has been appointed the head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly election observation mission in Turkey – the first time the Assembly has sent a delegation to observe elections in the country. The country is holding parliamentary elections 12 June. “Turkey’s dynamic progress has made it a major economic and political player

COPENHAGEN, 16 May 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today criticized the authorities of Belarus following the sentencing of opposition presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov to five years in prison on charges of rioting in connection with demonstrations after the December 19 presidential election. “In no democracy does the winner throw the loser in jail,” President Efthymiou said. “As if the December crackdown on