RIK turns down U.S., UK monitoring

RIK has rejected requests from U.S. and UK embassy officials to monitor the upcoming elections. Twelve members of Republic Election Commission (RIK), from the Democratic Party, G17 Plus, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Hungarian Coalition, voted in favor of officials from the American and British embassies monitoring the ballot. RIK turns down U.S., UK monitoring Seven members, from the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Socialists Party of Serbia, voted against, while Serb Radical Party officials abstained. The required majority for the motion to pass was 14. RIK will allow 26 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the January 20 elections. It was also decided to allow Slovak observers to participate provided the government agrees with the decision, since the Slovak request arrived after the deadline. The government earlier supported the idea of U.S. and U.K. embassy officials monitoring the elections. RIK will hold a meeting to further discuss the issue today at 5 p.m. "Serbia has nothing to hide" Minister for Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic said on Friday that Serbia has no reason whatsoever to hide its election procedure from anyone, "because it is in keeping with the highest democratic standards." Speaking in reaction to RIK’s refusal to grant members of the embassies of Great Britain and the United States of America permission to monitor the presidential elections, Markovic said it was his opinion that anyone who wanted to be assured of the propriety of electoral processes in Serbia should be allowed to do so. "Our elections are fair, open and democratic, in spite of the shortcomings of the electoral register, which are minor," he told a press conference. In the minister’s opinion, Serbia has no reason to hide its electoral procedure from anyone, or to forbid anyone from taking part in the monitoring of these elections. "We do indeed have democratic processes in society and we are proud of them, and whoever wants to see this for themselves should be permitted to do so," Markovic concluded.

RIK turns down U.S., UK monitoring

Seven members, from the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Socialists Party of Serbia, voted against, while Serb Radical Party officials abstained.

The required majority for the motion to pass was 14.

RIK will allow 26 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the January 20 elections.

It was also decided to allow Slovak observers to participate provided the government agrees with the decision, since the Slovak request arrived after the deadline.

The government earlier supported the idea of U.S. and U.K. embassy officials monitoring the elections.

RIK will hold a meeting to further discuss the issue today at 5 p.m.

"Serbia has nothing to hide"

Minister for Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Marković said on Friday that Serbia has no reason whatsoever to hide its election procedure from anyone, "because it is in keeping with the highest democratic standards."

Speaking in reaction to RIK’s refusal to grant members of the embassies of Great Britain and the United States of America permission to monitor the presidential elections, Marković said it was his opinion that anyone who wanted to be assured of the propriety of electoral processes in Serbia should be allowed to do so.

"Our elections are fair, open and democratic, in spite of the shortcomings of the electoral register, which are minor," he told a press conference.

In the minister’s opinion, Serbia has no reason to hide its electoral procedure from anyone, or to forbid anyone from taking part in the monitoring of these elections.

"We do indeed have democratic processes in society and we are proud of them, and whoever wants to see this for themselves should be permitted to do so," Marković concluded.