Serbian gov't aware of ODIHR mission's conclusions, awaits final report

BELGRADE - The Serbian government said on Thursday it was aware of preliminary conclusions by an ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) international election observation mission and added that it awaited the mission's final report on the December 17 early parliamentary elections in Serbia.

"Serbian authorities stand fully ready to provide explanation for questions raised, engage in further advancement of the electoral environment and continue the work with OSCE/ODIHR on implementation of their recommendations. This dedication demonstrates the commitment of the Republic of Serbia to strengthen its democratic institutions and the principles of good governance," the government said in an official statement.

"Serbian authorities have demonstrated a consistent and committed approach in implementation of recommendations from previous ODIHR election reports. Such efforts include large-scale activities after the 2020 parliamentary elections, the 2017 presidential elections and the 2016 early parliamentary elections," the government also said.

It said 14 recommendations had been fully implemented and that 14 others had been implemented for the largest part, with 29 partly implemented.

This progress indicates Serbia's unwavering commitment to improvement of electoral conditions and strengthening of rule of law and democratic processes, in cooperation with the EU, OSCE/ODIHR and other relevant partners, it said.

"The Government of Serbia and the relevant authorities await the ODIHR Election Observation Mission's final report on the 2023 early parliamentary elections," the statement noted.