Belgrade, March 2, 2022 - The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) has accredited 6 international election experts and 10 Long Term Observers to the upcoming Early Parliamentary Elections, which will be held on April 3rd, 2022 in Serbia. Additionally, ENEMO plans to accredit the mission to observe the upcoming Presidential Elections as well. This was stated during the press conference held at the Media Centar.
ENEMO’s IEOM will observe, assess and report on key findings related to its observation of the overall electoral process, including respect of fundamental human and political rights but also the conduct of election management bodies, voter registration, campaigning by electoral contestants, complaints and appeals, gender equality, media conduct, and other crucial aspects of the electoral process. The mission also plans to observe the voting process during the Election Day. The mission will issue an Interim Report approximately two weeks before Election Day, a Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions on April 4, 2022 and a Final Report two to three months after the elections.
Mr. Pierre Peytier, Head of the Mission stated: “ENEMO operates in full compliance with international standards for election observation. The top priorities for the mission are objectivity, impartiality and trustworthiness of the information collected by our observers. All ENEMO observers have signed the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation”. Furthermore, he added: “We are in Serbia to assess the electoral process according to international standards for democratic elections and Serbian national legislation, as well as provide recommendations for potential areas of improvement in our final report. We strongly hope that elections will be held in line with international standards and that, on that assumption, our presence here will help increase the trust of the Serbian citizens in elections and state institutions”.
Additionally, Mr. Peytier said that the ENEMO mission counts on an Election Administration Analyst and REC observer, one Election Campaign Analyst, one Legal Analyst, and one Media Analyst to follow all key aspects of the electoral process. “Both Core Team analysts and LTOs will have local assistants on the ground helping them conduct their observation. We are confident that the mission will be very successful, in line with previous ENEMO missions. Through observing and reporting on the crucial aspects of these elections, ENEMO’s mission aims to ensure the respect of the free will of voters”, he explained.
Furthermore Mr. Peytier, added: “All ENEMO reports and conclusions to be presented to the public will be evidence-based through observers’ findings, which will focus on all key aspects of the electoral process”. ENEMO works in close cooperation with domestic and international observation missions whose observation methodology meets international standards.
Deputy Head of the Mission, Mrs. Maja Milikic said: “ENEMO observers will meet with different relevant stakeholders, civil society and media representatives for a comprehensive overview of the electoral process”. She stated: “This is the thirty-ninth observation mission of ENEMO and the second one in Serbia. ENEMO’s International Election Observation Mission to Serbia 2022 for the Presidential and Early Parliamentary Elections is financially supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)”.
Press release in Serbian language is available here: Serbian_Pressrelease02March.pdf
