Chair Cardin Calls for Free and Fair Elections, Responsible Oversight in Serbia Ahead of December 17 Elections

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement calling for free and fair elections and expressing confidence in independent European and civil society groups’ oversight ahead of early elections in Serbia, which are scheduled for December 17. The statement comes after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed concerns about the upcoming elections.

“I am deeply concerned by troubling reports of what the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has described as ‘unprecedented levels… of incitement to fear and attacks on the opposition’ in advance of Sunday’s parliamentary election in Serbia. Free and fair elections are the foundation of a representative and democratic country. I am pleased that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly will be monitoring Serbia’s upcoming parliamentary and local elections alongside independent civil society groups with the same objective. I have full confidence in the OSCE and civil society missions’ commitment to supporting Serbian democracy, and that they will report with fairness about their compliance with international obligations for election conduct.

“The OSCE has noted challenges in past Serbian elections relating to unbalanced media, pressure on government employees, campaign finance concerns, inappropriate use of administrative resources, and violation of voters’ right to a secret ballot.

“The United States, Europe, and our democratic partners must continue to support the kinds of oversight efforts that are critical to ensuring that the Serbian people are able to participate in the free, fair, and open process they deserve. The Serbian government has a responsibility to ensure its institutions respect the will of the Serbian electorate.”

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