OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva COPENHAGEN, 5 November 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today expressed concern about the recent uptick in violence in eastern Ukraine and called on all parties to the conflict to do their utmost to promote conditions conducive to a political settlement. “I am concerned by the increase in violence over the last days in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Donetsk oblast, and

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Ignacio Sanchez Amor speaks to a reporter alongside OSCE PA Delegation Head Margareta Cederfelt at a polling station in Ankara, 1 November 2015. ANKARA, 2 November 2015 – The 1 November early parliamentary elections in Turkey offered voters a variety of choices. At the same time, the challenging security environment, particularly in the southeast of the country, coupled with a high number of violent incidents,

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Ignacio Sanchez Amor and OSCE PA Delegation Head Margareta Cederfelt in Ankara, 29 October 2015. ANKARA, 29 October 2015 – The OSCE Special Co-ordinator for observation of the early parliamentary elections in Turkey, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), and the Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation of observers, Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden), visited the center, east and west of the country this week in

Isabel Santos, Chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions COPENHAGEN, 27 October 2015 – The Azerbaijani government’s crackdown on independent and critical voices has a particularly damaging effect ahead of the country’s 1 November parliamentary elections, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s democracy and human rights Chairperson, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), said today. “Citizen election-observer

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Ignacio Sanchez Amor (left) and OSCE PA Delegation Head Margareta Cederfelt COPENHAGEN, 19 October 2015 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming early parliamentary elections in Turkey and provide leadership for the OSCE's short-term observer mission. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ivica Dacic has designated Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Kent Harstedt (center) and OSCE PA Delegation Head Jim Walsh (right) speak to a reporter at a polling station in Minsk, 11 October 2015. MINSK, 12 October 2015 – The 11 October election once again indicated that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections. This underscores the need for the political will to engage in a comprehensive reform process, the