ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Croatia's February 7 second round of a presidential election has confirmed its progress in complying with obligations stemming from membership in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
OSCE's election monitoring mission said in a preliminary report on Tuesday. The report points out the voting and the counting of ballots was once again carried out in a peaceful and orderly manner, and that voters were given the possibility to freely express their political will. Electoral commissions carried out their tasks professionally and in keeping with regulations. The report further says the two candidates who won the majority of the vote in the first electoral round on January 24 continued with a dynamic campaign in equal conditions, and that Croatian Radio-Television was neutral, balanced, and objective in covering their activities. Candidates' representatives and non-p
ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Croatia's February 7 second round of a
presidential election has confirmed its progress in complying with
obligations stemming from membership in the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), OSCE's election
monitoring mission said in a preliminary report on Tuesday.
The report points out the voting and the counting of ballots was
once again carried out in a peaceful and orderly manner, and that
voters were given the possibility to freely express their political
will. Electoral commissions carried out their tasks professionally
and in keeping with regulations.
The report further says the two candidates who won the majority of
the vote in the first electoral round on January 24 continued with a
dynamic campaign in equal conditions, and that Croatian Radio-
Television was neutral, balanced, and objective in covering their
activities.
Candidates' representatives and non-party observers, as well as
foreign observers and representatives of seven Croatian non-
governmental organisations were enabled to supervise the work of
electoral commissions', the report says.
The OSCE singles out the success of GONG, an NGO organising citizens
in supervising voting, for succeeding in engaging a large number of
observers for the third time in a little over a month.
Irregularities noticed at some polling stations related to
equipment which was insufficiently adequate to guarantee privacy
during voting and for the sealing of ballot boxes, while some
polling stations were located on inadequate premises.
According to OSCE observers, the National Electoral Commission had
eliminated problems noticed in the first round of the presidential
poll and during parliamentary elections, primarily by replacing
all members of 18 electoral commissions in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
where serious oversights were noticed. Oversights in the run-off
were considerably fewer, so OSCE observers assessed progress was
made in the voting in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) ha mm