2001 press releases

Finnish MP to Lead OSCE Election Observer Mission in Belarus (August 23, 2001)

COPENHAGEN, 23 August 2001 (OSCE) - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Kimmo Kiljunen MP (Finland) will lead the OSCE Observers for the Presidential Elections in Belarus on Sunday 9 September 2001. Mr. Kiljunen will act as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mr. Mircea Dan Geoana, leading the Mission and delivering the preliminary post election statement on Monday 10 September 2001. Mr. Kiljunen, Member of the Finnish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, is also Chair of the Assembly's Working Group on Moldova.

The Election Observation Mission includes 40 OSCE PA parliamentarians from countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Rom ania, Spain, Sweden, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the United Kingdom as well as parliamentarians from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The OSCE Election Observation Mission to Belarus is a joint effort between the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The Parliamentary Assembly will also co-ordinate its activities with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament which will function as a parliamentary troika and provide the political leadership of the Election Observation Mission. The OSCE Observation Mission will assess the conduct of the elections, the political campaign and the role of the media.