ODIHR opens observation mission for referendum in Skopje
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a referendum observation mission (ROM) for the 30 September referendum in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the country’s authorities.
The mission is led by Ambassador Jan Petersen and consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Skopje and 20 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two from 5 September. In addition, ODIHR will request that OSCE participating States provide 250 short-term observers, who will arrive several days before the referendum.
The mission will publish an interim report in the course of its work. The day after the referendum, a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be issued at a press conference. ODIHR will issue a final report on the observation approximately two months after the end of the referendum process.
The ODIHR referendum observation mission and the OSCE Mission to Skopje operate separately and independently under their own mandates.
Sources:
OSCE