What's wrong with the international organizations

Honestly, I never understood and fully accepted the idea of rotation of the chairmanship-in-office, either it is about the famous UN Human Rights Commissions, where the champions of oppressions as Libya, Iran or Cuba were the proud chiefs despite their deep despise about such issues.

But the UN is not, by far, the only place where such abnormalities can happen. Take, for instance the case of the OSCE, an organization fighting for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ukraine, the president during 2013, announced today its agenda. An important player in the region, mainly in solving the Transdniestr conflict, Ukraine is at the same time a country with a problematic democratic record. What about the NATO member Turkey, where in the last years the human rights situation deteriorated permanently? Or the EU and NATO member Hungary from where you can read almost daily news about the far right?

Democracy is mostly an idea and from the practical point of view we must rather talk about various democratic options and solutions instead that a single democratic standards. But, at least from the theoretical point of view, democracy is always endangered by corruption, racism and lack of proper separation of the powers. 

The current institutional system stressing the equal rights of the countries only because they are countries is not only unfair but counterproductive and diminishes the legitimacy of the entire institutional system as such.

The Turkish-Armenian game, played in Washington D.C.

A new stage in the dispute between Turkey and Armenia, concerning the issue of the genocide, was played this week in Washington D.C., after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted a nonbinding resolution calling the mass killing of Armenians by the Turkish military, at the beginning of the last century a genocide. Turkey already condemned this move, who is risking to endangered the delicate equilibrium between Ankara and Yerevan, after an aparent opening in the second half of the last year.

The resolution was discussed as well in the Senate, in 2007, but given the need of Turkey's support for the war in Iraq by the then W. Bush administration stopped a further materialization of the decision. Both Barrack Obama and Hillary R. Clinton were supportive of the resolution.

The Turkish-Armenian agreement, signed in Switzerland, October 2009, was not fully supported by Armenian community, benefiting of a powerful and influential profile in Washington D.C..

Today, OSCE's Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh isssued a statement calling the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaidjan to settle the conflict, position welcomed by Turkey.

The reconciliation process between the two countries is still extremely long and impredictable. Serious efforts, in the frame of the so-called Track II Diplomacy were made in the last dozen of years for making a dialogue possible. One of the most important issues established last year was the possibility to let the historians to discuss about such an high identity impact issue as the problem of the genocide. In this way, the politicians and diplomats are able to think about the present and the future. A very hard task, for societies where very often politicans are historians and made history focusing on the past.

The decision of the House do not add nothing to this process and complicate a situation that, in fact, was already volatile. Maybe it is a signal sent to Turkey - as long as, for example, this resolution was permanently on the agenda in the last two years but not voted - who is facing various setbacks in terms of coherent engagement regarding European and international politics.

OSCE media freedom representative deplores latest imprisonments of journalists for defamation in Azerbaijan, calls for urgent reform

VIENNA, 14 October - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti condemned today recent criminal defamation trials in Azerbaijan which resulted in the conviction of five journalists, with two receiving prison sentences. Haraszti said he had expressed his concern about the convictions in a letter to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

"These convictions have exacerbated the legal persecution of media workers in Azerbaijan in the recent years. There are five imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan, the highest number in the OSCE region," he said.Chief editor Sardar Alibayli and correspondent Faramaz Allahverdiyev of Nota newspaper lost an appeal in Baku on 8 October, and must serve sentences of three months' imprisonment for defamation. Another correspondent of Nota, Ramiz Tagiyev, was sentenced to six months suspended imprisonment for the same offence.In a separate case, a Baku court convicted the chief of Fanat.az website, Zahid Azamat, and a staff member, Natig Mukhtarly, for defamation. They were sentenced to six months and one year of corrective labour respectively."I call on your Government to review the latest sentences against the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, which in no case has approved imprisonment of journalists for professional mistakes," said Haraszti in the letter to Minister Mammadyarov.

"I ask the Government of Azerbaijan to start the reform process to decriminalize defamation completely. It is high time that Azerbaijan stopped launching such discreditable cases once and for all."

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/40750.html

OSCE Chairman welcomes 'historic' accord between Armenia, Turkey

ATHENS, 11 October 2009 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou, welcomed today the signing of an agreement between Armenia and Turkey to normalize ties. "I welcome the historic agreement to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, and commend the effort and political will both leaders have invested to overcome differences and work towards a more secure and stable region, which is in all our interests," Papandreou said.

The accords were signed in Zurich on 10 October following months of Swiss-mediated talks. A roadmap for normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia was agreed in April. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 because of its war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Papandreou was sworn in as Greece's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on 6 October. The Foreign Minister of the country holding the Chairmanship serves as the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office.

-- For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/40640.html

More about the agreement

Voice of America

Azerbaijan's criticism

Mediators and Observers meet on Transnistria conflict

VIENNA, 6 October- Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, released the following statement today on behalf of the Mediators and Observers in the Transnistria settlement process (the "3+2"):

"Representatives of the Mediators and Observers in the Transnistria Settlement Negotiations process - the Russian Federation, Ukraine, OSCE, U.S. and EU - the '3+2' - met in Vienna, Austria, on 6 October under the auspices of the OSCE Chairmanship. Ambassador Christopoulos, the Chairperson-in-Office's Special Representative, convened the meeting.

The Mediators and Observers reaffirmed their commitment to helping the Sides find a just and durable political settlement to the Transnistria conflict based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and an agreed status for Transnistria that upholds OSCE principles and commitments. They called on both Sides to renew serious negotiations towards that goal.

The Mediators and Observers discussed recent political events in Moldova and expressed their readiness to continue to work closely with both Sides.

The Mediators and Observers called on both Sides to renew the work of the Joint Experts' Working Groups on Confidence-Building Measures. The Mediators and Observers supported plans for an OSCE-sponsored seminar on Co-operation between the Law Enforcement Bodies of both Sides."

Missile defence developments give new impetus to Corfu Process which aims at promoting confidence and trust among OSCE partners, says OSCE Chairperson

ATHENS, 19 September 2009 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, noting U.S. President Barack Obama's announced plans for missile defence in Europe, expressed hope that this development would give new impetus to the Corfu Process, the OSCE-anchored, wide-ranging strategic dialogue aiming at restoring confidence and trust among all OSCE partners."The process that we launched at our meeting of OSCE foreign ministers on Corfu last June - the Corfu Process - aims at restoring confidence and trust, alleviate tensions and increase the joint capabilities to address the new and outstanding security challenges of 21st century Europe. I am confident that these latest developments will give new impetus to the Chairmanship's efforts to advance the ongoing dialogue among participating States within the framework of the Corfu process," Bakoyannis said.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/39625.html

OSCE media freedom representative calls on Azerbaijan to improve media freedom, hopes detained bloggers may be released soon

BAKU, 10 September 2009 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, criticized the continued imprisonment of media workers in Azerbaijan on "trumped-up charges" and called for the repeal of recently imposed restrictive media regulations, but added that he hoped statements made by the authorities in meetings signal that these trends will be reversed. "The case of the two bloggers, Emin Abdullayev (Milli) and Adnan Hajizade, charged with hooliganism, demonstrates that law enforcement has not yet given up producing undue accusations against critically-minded media workers," said Haraszti following meetings in Baku. He also referred to the cases of Eynulla Fatullayev and Ganimat Zahidov, whom he visited in prison. The two are Azerbaijan's best known independent newspaper editors who are serving long prison terms on charges such as terrorism, tax evasion and hooliganism.During his visit Haraszti, together with Ambassador Bilge Cankorel, the Head of OSCE Office in Baku, met Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public and Political Issues Department of the Presidential Administration, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyevand and Commissioner for Human Rights Elmira Suleymanova."In my meetings with officials, I was assured that defamation will soon be decriminalized. I was also encouraged to hear that the presidential administration shares my concerns about the bloggers' case. I welcome these statements, and hope that Abdullayev and Hajizade may be released soon," Haraszti said.

"For Azerbaijan to improve its media freedom record, law enforcement should be firmly instructed to protect journalists instead of endangering them through harassment and trumped-up charges."Haraszti stressed that urgent improvement was also needed regarding the ban imposed earlier this year on the BBC, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America from accessible FM waves, which gravely diminishes pluralism, and to new media law amendments which gave the government extended rights to interfere with the press.Haraszti also urged authorities to release imprisoned journalists and publicly disclose information on the state of the investigation into the 2005 murder of investigative journalist Elmar Huseynov.

During his visit to Baku, Haraszti and Ambassador Cankorel also presented the Azerbaijani edition of the Media Self-regulation Guidebook, published by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/39507.html

OSCE Chairperson welcomes progress in talks between Turkey and Armenia as contribution to regional stability

ATHENS, 1 September 2009 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, today welcomed Turkey and Armenia's joint statement announcing that they plan to start talks aiming to normalize bilateral relations, saying such a development would contribute to regional stability. "The establishment of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia would be a positive step not just for the South Caucasus region, but also beyond," Bakoyannis said. "I warmly welcome this positive step toward normalization of ties between two OSCE participating States."Bakoyannis called on both sides to build on the positive momentum achieved in the Swiss-led talks.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/39343.html

Improvement in Albania’s election process, but violations persist, observers say

The conclusions of the PA OSCE monitoring mission.
Narrow elections results

The European elections - The Europeans are making choices

When, what, and why?
Information for the media and for the voters

The nationalist movements are getting more votes and support, the expected success of the anti-immigration Dutch party being an example in this respect:

WSJ

Times on-line

Le Figaro

Anxious moments, waiting for the results in the Czech Republic and Ireland.

Media reports about candidates and general apathy.

Also, for the first time ODIHR is deploying a monitoring mission to 15 of the 27 EU countries.

In terms of e-politics, Europe is still at the beginning of a long way to catch up with the US.

Mediators and Observers meet on Transnistria conflict

OSCE
Press Release
April 28


Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, released the following statement today on behalf of the Mediators and Observers in the Transnistria settlement process (the "3+2"):

"The Mediators and Observers in the Transnistria settlement process (the Russian Federation, Ukraine, OSCE, the United States and the European Union), meeting in Vienna on 28 April under the chairmanship of Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, noting the recent situation in Moldova, reiterated the relevant statements made previously by their respective authorities, and agreed on the necessity of the early renewal of political negotiations in the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Transnistria Settlement Process (the "5+2").

The Mediators and Observers stressed the importance of further direct contacts between the Sides at all levels, including in the Joint Expert Working Groups on Confidence-building Measures, and called for the re-activation of the work of these groups. They supported a prospective seminar on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in the Military Field to be organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Greek OSCE Chairmanship.

The Mediators and Observers looked forward to visiting the region and meeting with the leaderships of the Sides in the coming months."



For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/37390.html

For further information contact:

Martin Nesirky - Spokesperson
Press and Public Information Section
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43 1 514 36 6150 (office) +43 664 859 08 26 (mobile)
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6105
E-mail: spokesperson@osce.org

OSCE media freedom representative welcomes release of imprisoned journalists, urges legal reform in Azerbaijan

OSCE Press Release
April 21

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, welcomed today the pardoning by Azerbaijan's Parliament of two imprisoned journalists and the release of a third by a court, and expressed hope that the country will soon bring its handling of defamation cases into line with European standards, as suggested recently by President Ilham Aliyev.

On 9 April, Mirza Sakit Zahidov, a prominent satirical poet and a journalist with the oppositional newspaper Azadliq was released, and the libel conviction of the Tezadlar weekly editor Asif Marzili was annulled. On 11 April, Ali Hasanov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Ideal was also released. The three had been serving prison terms on different charges.

In a letter sent yesterday to President Aliyev, Haraszti noted with satisfaction the president's statement that described the new libel conviction as not in line with European standards and urged avoiding imprisonment of journalists in the future.

"Your positive intentions could only bear fruit if they are transformed into a legal reform," Haraszti continued. He proposed that Azerbaijan undertake a renewed effort to decriminalize defamation.

In the letter, Haraszti also expressed his concern regarding two recently passed laws, on the mass media and on television and radio broadcasting. He asked President Aliyev to send the still unsigned Broadcasting Law back to Parliament for a review so it could be adapted to international standards and commitments.

"I hope that the recent positive trend of releasing journalists would soon affect also the fate of the remaining imprisoned journalists - Eynulla Fatullayev, Ganimat Zahidov and Mushfiq Huseynov," Haraszti said.



For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/37290.html

For further information contact:

Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43 1 514 36 6800 (office)
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6802
E-mail: pm-fom@osce.org

Twitter Revolution in Republic of Moldova: the third day

- The border points between Romania and Republic of Moldova have been closed the last night. Many Romanian and foreign journalists were not allowed to cross the border.

- The Romanian ambassador in Kishinew was declared persona non grata. The same happened with the minister counselor of the Romanian embassy. Moldova announced the introduction of the visa system for Romanian citizens. The announcement was made by president Vladimir Voronin for the Russian press agency Ria Novosti. The same Voronin in another declaration for Ria Novosti accused again Romania of involvement in the protests from Kishinew. In addition, Voronin warned that the use of force against the protesters will be took into consideration. The Romanian MoFA considered those claims are unacceptable.

- Most part of the declarations and media reports are transmitted via the Russian media, mostly the declarations of Moldovian officials.

- Children from schools and highschools in Kishinew are forbidden to leave the school compounds.

- In the central square from Kishinew around 1.000 young people are continuing the protests. The number decreased in the afternoon to 00/

- The Russian minister of Foreign Affairs, Serghei Lavrov, stated the claims for reorganization of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova are "groundless".

- Russian media: Serghei Mocanu, leader of the opposition, is under arrest.

See also:

Following the violent protests in Moldova , Eastern Europe experts at the European Council on Foreign Relations have issued the following media statements (April 7):

Andrew Wilson, senior policy fellow, says:

" Moldova 's violent 'Twitter revolution' is totally different from the peaceful protest of Ukraine 's Orange Revolution. This time the crowd are not angry at a stolen election, but at the growing corruption of the ruling Communist Party, its recent turn towards Russia and an imminent economic crisis."

Nicu Popescu, policy fellow, says:

" Moldova may be small, but the survival of its democracy matters for the whole of Europe . Javier Solana must immediately travel to Chisinau to mediate between politicians and protestors before any further blood is shed."

Read more:

Andrew Wilson has published widely on the politics of the European neighbourhood, and on previous "coloured revolutions" .

Nicu Popescu is a Moldovan, and has written extensively on the politics of his country. He holds a doctorate in International Relations from the Central European University in Budapest , Hungary , and co-wrote the Moldova chapter of Nations in Transit 2006 (Freedom House).

Wilson and Popescu are the authors of a forthcoming ECFR policy report comparing the European and Russian Neighbourhood Policies.

For press enquiries:

Andrew Wilson : E: andrew.wilson@ecfr.eu; T: +44 7920 421 066

Nicu Popescu : E: nicu.popescu@ecfr.eu; T: +44 7795 312 467

For all other press queries please send an email to press@ecfr.eu

About ECFR:

Launched in October 2007, the European Council on Foreign Relations is a pan-European think tank and advocacy group, co-chaired by Martti Ahtisaari, Joschka Fischer and Mabel van Oranje. (www.ecfr.eu)

James Clasper
Media Advisor
European Council on Foreign Relations
5th Floor, Cambridge House
100 Cambridge Grove
London
W6 0LE

Tel: +44 (0)20 7031 1623
Mob: +44 (0)7951 936 556
E: press@ecfr.eu
W: www.ecfr.eu

OSCE Mission to Moldova condemns post-election violence and appeals to all sides for restraint

CHISINAU, 7 April 2009 - The Head of the OSCE's Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Philip Remler, condemned today's outbreak of violence in the Moldovan capital following Sunday's parliamentary elections and urged all political sides to do their utmost to de-escalate the situation.

"Violence is not compatible with democratic values. We strongly urge all to refrain from any violent actions, which we unreservedly condemn. We call on the authorities and all political forces to exercise restraint and to urge others to show restraint as well," he said.

Sunday's parliamentary elections were observed by a joint mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The joint mission's statement and preliminary findings can be found here: http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2009/04/37142_en.pdf

The OSCE Mission to Moldova will continue to monitor the protest in line with its mandate.

ODIHR is following the post-election situation according to its normal procedures.

Backroom Deals Can't Solve Transdniester Dispute

Vlad Spanu
RFE/RL
March 20

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met in Moscow this week with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and the head of the unrecognized breakaway region of Transdniester, Igor Smirnov. The final statement of the tripartite talks contains no legal commitments, but the meeting itself could have negative political implications for Moldova.

The joint statement praised the Russian-commanded peacekeeping troops -- the same forces that Moldovan Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan told an OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in December 2004 were stationed on Moldovan territory "against the political will of the Moldovan constitutional authorities in defiance of unanimously recognized international norms and principles."

The statement, however, does express a joint desire by the three leaders that the peacekeeping force be placed under a mandate from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Three Agendas

Each of the three men went into the March 18 meeting with his own agenda. Voronin, who wanted the meeting most, was eager for a photo-op with Medvedev, who is the second-most-popular politician in Moldova after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, ahead of Moldova's April 5 parliamentary elections. Voronin's Communist Party counts heavily on the votes of ethnic Russians and on those of ethnic Moldovans whose jobs depend on Russia.

Medvedev, for his part, was seeking to rehabilitate Russia's reputation in the wake of August's war with Georgia, to show the world that Moscow can play a mediating role as a good neighbor. But in doing so, Russia has downplayed the 5+2 negotiating format (which includes the European Union, the United States, the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine, in addition to Moldova and Transdniester) and pushed Moldova toward direct talks with Tiraspol under the Kremlin's auspices.

As for Smirnov, he is always ready to participate in whatever meetings in whatever format Moscow dictates. He is a Russian citizen who was sent to Moldova in 1987 in order to foment and lead a separatist movement to counterbalance the nationalist movement that was emerging in Chisinau. And he accomplished this task brilliantly.

The separatist protest on the eastern side of the Nistru River culminated in an armed uprising that turned into a bloody conflict in the summer of 1992. Moldova's central leadership and armed forces were weak and soon yielded to Russian-backed troops and security forces. The Moldavian Trans-Nistrian Republic (MTR), also called Transnistria or Transdniester, was born.

Participant Or 'Guarantor'?

When a cease-fire agreement was signed on July 7, 1992, by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Moldovan President Mircea Snegur, it seemed clear that Russia and Moldova were the two parties to this conflict. This interpretation was reinforced by a 2004 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights and by a 2006 study of the conflict by the New York City Bar Association titled "Thawing a Frozen Conflict: Legal Aspects of the Separatist Crisis in Moldova."

Nevertheless, Moscow has insisted that its pawn, the Tiraspol government, not Russia, was a party to the conflict. As in the cases of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia declared itself a "mediator" in Moldova, later elevating itself to the status of "guarantor of the peace." Russia has used all its available political and economic levers to compel Moldova to accept these terms.

Every time Moldova made concessions in the dispute, Russia consolidated its position. In 1994, Moldova accepted a Russian proposal on "synchronization" that would have made a Russian troop withdrawal contingent on a status agreement for the secessionist region. In 1997, the so-called Primakov memorandum (named after its promoter, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov) introduced the concept of a "common state," which was ultimately interpreted differently by all parties and led to no solutions.

The so-called Kyiv document of 2002, proposed by Moscow, stipulated the federalization of Moldova, a concept that was renewed in 2003 with the infamous Kozak memorandum (named for Dmitry Kozak, an aide to then Russian President Putin). That proposal was rejected by Voronin at the last minute under the pressure of street protests in Chisinau and on advice from the EU and the United States.


Moldova In 3-D


In 2004, nongovernmental Moldovan experts, working with Western analysts, offered an alternative plan for a federated Moldova. Called the "3-D strategy" (decriminalization, demilitarization, and democratization), this document has gained broad support in Moldova.

The plan called for strengthening the then-existing five-party negotiating format (Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE, plus Moldova and Transdniester) with a 3+1+3 format (Russia, Ukraine, and Romania plus Molodova plus the EU, the United States, and the OSCE), thereby including the West and excluding Transdniester.

It also called for a border-monitoring mission along the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, a supervising authority, and an international civil provisional administration that would implement postconflict recovery plans.

The 3-D strategy was used by the Moldovan parliament to formulate three resolutions on the conflict that were adopted in June 2005 and the law on the basic principles of the special status of the localities on the eastern bank of the Nistru, which was adopted in July 2005. That year, Ukraine became actively involved in the negotiating process, putting forward its own plans and initiatives.

These, however, largely focused on democratization (through elections in Transdniester), which was counterproductive since the processes of decriminalization and demilitarization were stalled. As a result, any elections held could hardly be considered democratic.

Since 2005, both the United States and the EU have also stepped up their involvement, notably with the opening of the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in December 2005.


Western Interest

Russia reluctantly accepted the West at the negotiating table, a reluctance driven by Moscow's view that the former Soviet republics form a special sphere of interest for Russia. Moscow also was unwilling to concede that after Romania joined NATO and the EU, Moldova had more in common with the West than with Russia, with which it does not have a common border.

When Moldova and Ukraine began implementing customs regulations in accordance with international norms in 2006, Russia responded by applying economic sanctions against Moldova. Moscow imposed an embargo on the importation of Moldovan wines and agricultural goods, an action that not only harmed Moldova, but also was a setback for Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

No matter what government takes power after the April 5 elections in Moldova or who the new parliament selects as president, Moldova clearly needs to, as they say these days, push the reset button in relations with Russia.

Chisinau will have to stick solidly to the principles of international norms and agreements and push for Moscow to fulfill the commitments it has made within the framework of international organizations. It must reject a negotiating format that has no transparency for Moldova's Western partners.

The meeting in Moscow yesterday was a mistake -- it was wrong for Moldova to leave the room where its friends and neighbors were seated in order to deal with Russia behind the scenes. And most importantly, the 3-D strategy must remain Moldova's overarching framework for resolving the Transdniester dispute.

Vlad Spanu is the president of the Moldova Foundation in Washington. He served as a senior Moldovan diplomat between 1992 and 2001 and co-authored, with Andrei Brezianu, "The Historical Dictionary of Moldova." The views expressed in this commentary are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL

Montenegro's elections met almost all international standards, but further democratic development is needed, observers say

OSCE Press Release


PODGORICA, 30 March 2009 - Yesterday's parliamentary elections in Montenegro met almost all international commitments and standards, but the process again underscored the need for further democratic development, the international election observation mission concluded in a statement issued today.

Overall, the elections were organized professionally, and political parties were able to present their programmes to voters freely. The voting and counting process was evaluated highly positively by the observers, with very few incidents reported.

The observers noted, however, that lack of public confidence remained a key challenge, as frequent allegations of electoral fraud and a blurring of state and party structures created a negative atmosphere among many voters. Other challenges include the need to harmonize and reform the electoral framework, lack of adequate legal redress, and insufficient critical reporting by most broadcast media.

"I have long watched Montenegro's political and economic development, both before and after its independence. In those years, the country has made steady democratic progress and election day yesterday was truly impressive. There is no doubt in my mind that these elections further strengthened Montenegro's democracy", said Roberto Battelli, Head of the delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observer mission.

"The organization of the elections was remarkably efficient. But to gain legitimacy and build confidence among the entire electorate, especially among voters supporting those who lost the elections, the winners have to be more inclusive, pluralistic and fair", said Andreas Gross, Head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"These elections were very well organized. But democracy also needs high public trust in its institutions. It is therefore important to strengthen confidence in the electoral process, in particular by investigating in a serious way persisting allegations of fraud and implementing long-standing recommendations. This is particularly important in the context of Montenegro's further democratic development and the process of European integration", said Artis Pabriks, Head of the long-term election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR).

For further information contact:

Klas Bergman, OSCE PA, mobile: +45 60 10 83 80, klas@oscepa.dk

Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR, mobile: + 382 67 554 366 or +48 603 683 122, jens.eschenbaecher@odihr.pl

Bogdan Torcatoriu, PACE, mobile: +33 662 27 65 23, bogdan.torcatoriu@coe.int

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/37036.html

SCE welcomes agreement on security mechanisms at Geneva discussions on Georgia

OSCE Press Release

GENEVA, 18 February 2009 - The OSCE welcomes the agreement reached today in Geneva on working-level mechanisms to tackle security-related incidents in the region and said it stands ready to assist in making the measures work effectively.

"This is a vital step forward," said Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. "The OSCE stands ready to assist to make these mechanisms work effectively."

He and the other two co-chairs - Ambassador Johan Verbeke of the UN and Ambassador Pierre Morel of the EU - agreed with the participants that the next meeting would be in Geneva in the spring, at a date to be determined.

The mechanisms will involve weekly meetings - or more frequent if needed - to handle disputes and incidents on the ground. There will also be a 24-hour hotline.

The discussions today and yesterday took place in two parallel working groups; one looking at security and stability in the region and the other at humanitarian questions including internally displaced persons and refugees.

Christopoulos noted all participants appreciate the OSCE's role in helping to ensure the resumption last month of natural gas supplies to Tskhinvali.

"This is recognition of the role the OSCE can continue to play to build trust and security in the region," the Ambassador said. He said the OSCE was working with equal resolve to help restore potable and irrigation water supplies to the region and helping interested parties resolve other humanitarian questions.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/36333.html

For further information contact:

Martin Nesirky - Spokesperson
Press and Public Information Section
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43 1 514 36 6150 (office) +43 664 859 08 26 (mobile)
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6105
E-mail: spokesperson@osce.org

OSCE media freedom watchdog urges Czech President to veto criminal provisions curtailing media freedom

OSCE Press Release
February 11

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today called on Czech President Vaclav Klaus to veto the draft criminal code and request Parliament to change provisions that threaten media freedom.

Haraszti objected to the code's provision that could sentence journalists to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to five million crowns for the publication of conversations wiretapped by the police. He also criticized the code for failing to decriminalize defamation.

On 5 February, the Czech Chamber of Deputies approved the new Criminal Code with a new ban on disclosing conversations wiretapped by the police unless they were used as evidence in court, despite the Senate's opposition.

"The provision does not acknowledge several international media freedom standards," Haraszti wrote in a letter to the President. "It does not allow for sanctions to be lifted in cases where the published information turns out to be of public importance. Without such a clause, there can be no efficient fight, inter alia, against corruption."

Haraszti was also critical of the draft law's failure to differentiate between the liability of state officials who leak information and the liability of civilians, including journalists.

"Unfortunately, such lack of differentiation is still widespread in post-Communist democracies. Democratization should remove this remnant of past enslavement of the citizen to the state," he added.

"Without disclaimers securing society's right to receive and distribute legitimate public-interest information, the Criminal Code can make media freedom insecure, and judiciary will not protect the fearless debate of important subjects," he wrote.

In addition, he expressed disappointment that the Criminal Code missed the unique opportunity to decriminalize defamation during this legislative reform, and argued that such cases should be dealt with in civil, not criminal, courts.

"A 21st-century Criminal Code in Europe should not preserve crimes that have proven to be incompatible with the modern concept of free speech," Haraszti warned. "They are also at odds with the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights, and even with the practice of the Czech Constitutional Court."

Haraszti asked President Klaus to request that the Czech Parliament revise the Criminal Code to bring its amendments in line with European media freedom standards and OSCE commitments.

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Georgia separatists warn may block U.N. monitors

Christian Lowe and Conor Sweeney

Reuters

February 10

Georgia's separatist Abkhazia region said on Tuesday it will not allow United Nations ceasefire monitors to continue working in its territory unless the mission's name is changed to reflect separatists' desire for independence'

But, Western diplomats in Moscow said Russia and not Abkhazia would have the decisive say in whether the mandate for the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) is renewed. Abkhazia objects to the reference to Georgia.

Separatist foreign minister Sergei Shamba said the new mandate -- to replace one which expires on February 15 -- must change the mission's name to reflect the separatists' assertion that Abkhazia is an independent state.

"If it (the new mandate) does not correspond to our proposals we will not allow them in. We will not allow the U.N. mission in Georgia into Abkhazia," Shamba told Reuters in a telephone interview.

In New York, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters a group of key countries had drafted a resolution extending the mandate for four months. The Security Council was expected to pass it later this week, he said.

Western governments say the U.N. mission plays a central role in preventing new hostilities between separatist and Georgian forces, who are locked in a tense standoff after Abkhaz forces drove out Tbilisi's troops in fighting in the 1990s.

This week's dealings at U.N. headquarters in New York over the mandate are seen by many observers as a test of Russia's willingness to work with the international community after it angered many Western states with its war with Georgia last year.

Georgia said it wanted the mandate left unchanged and would not accept a mission that undermined its territorial integrity.

"In my opinion, Abkhazia is bluffing," Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister on Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili told Reuters.

Uncertain future

For years there has been consensus on the need for the U.N. observer mission but last year's war -- and Russia's subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and the second breakaway region of South Ossetia as independent -- have made its status more precarious.

Russia last year blocked the renewal of the mandate for an Organization for Security and Cooperation observer mission in South Ossetia, saying the mandate had to be changed to acknowledge the region's statehood.

The final deadline to agree on the OSCE mission's mandate falls on February 18. The OSCE said on Tuesday two of its monitors were briefly detained in South Ossetia.

But one Western diplomat in Moscow who is familiar with the talks said the U.N. mission was different.

"For Russia, it will be more difficult to boot out the U.N., when it also says the U.N. should be the core forum where international disputes should be handled," he said.

Russia and Nicaragua are the only states to have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent.

See also:

OSCE - Concerns over the detaining of unarmed monitors

RFE/RL - A Day in the Life of Russia's Collective Unconscious

'Synergy, symmetry, strategy' - Greek OSCE Chair pledges to be honest broker, forge stronger ties among States in time of challenge

VIENNA, 15 January 2009 - The OSCE is well placed to address Europe's changing geopolitical challenges in a time marked by crises, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, said today in her first address to the Organization's 56 participating States.

She also reiterated the 2009 Greek OSCE Chairmanship's commitment to ensuring the continuation of the OSCE's field presence in Georgia.

"Greece assumes the OSCE Chairmanship at a time when the quest for security in our region has become ever more complex," Bakoyannis told the OSCE Permanent Council. "In these circumstances, I believe the OSCE remains a vital point of reference within the UN framework. The OSCE is the only regional forum that encompasses the wider Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions. It is also rooted in a unique, ambitious concept of security based upon shared values, agreed commitments and the fundamental dignity of the individual."

She called the crisis in Georgia "both a challenge and an opportunity".

"This crisis has shaken us out of our complacency, and reminded us that our job is not done. It therefore provides us with the opportunity to look afresh at the mechanisms we have created, to re-dedicate ourselves to the full implementation of our agreed commitments, and to consider new ways to build indivisible security," she said.

Bakoyannis also underscored the urgent need to find consensus on continuing the OSCE's work in Georgia: "The future of the OSCE presence in Georgia requires our special attention. It is evident that the situation on the ground and throughout the region requires more OSCE presence, not less. The OSCE has a long tradition of imaginative and flexible solutions, but these can only work if there is good will and political courage on all sides."

Pledging the Chairmanship's commitment to acting as an honest broker, Bakoyannis said that Greece was ready to continue discussions on the future of European security.

Bakoyannis outlined the Chairmanship's priorities for the year, based on the cornerstones of "synergy, symmetry and strategy", including the peaceful resolution of the region's protracted conflicts and enhancing the legal status of the OSCE.

Priorities in the politico-military dimension of the OSCE's work include promoting implementation of OSCE commitments on counter-terrorism as well as border security and policing, including enhancing engagement with Afghanistan, an OSCE partner country.

In the economic and environmental dimension, the Chairmanship will focus on the challenges of migration as well as addressing the security aspects of environmental challenges, especially climate change. "Greening the OSCE" - promoting environmental sustainability within the Organization - will also be a focus.

Bakoyannis said the Chairmanship's priorities for the human dimension of security would be strengthening rule of law in the region, as well as gender equality and mainstreaming.

She also emphasized the OSCE's role in ensuring that the global financial crisis does not threaten stability and security in its region. Addressing energy concerns, Bakoyannis reminded participating States of their commitment, adopted in 2003 in Maastricht, calling for "a predictable, reliable, economically acceptable, commercially sound and environmentally friendly energy supply".

Greece took over the one-year Chairmanship of the Organization on 1 January, succeeding Finland. Kazakhstan will follow in 2010.

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