VIENNA — A coalition of Western nations has condemned Tajikistan for failing to accredit election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), leading to the cancellation of an independent monitoring mission for the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
“We deeply regret that the authorities of Tajikistan have not accredited OSCE/ODIHR election observers in a timely manner, nor made assurances that they would do so,” Canadian Ambassador to the OSCE Véronique Pepin-Hallé said Thursday in Vienna.
Speaking on behalf of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada, Pepin-Hallé said the decision denied Tajik citizens an impartial assessment of their elections and undermined democratic commitments.
“Prolonged uncertainty surrounding accreditation undermines the integrity of the process,” she said.
The group called on Tajikistan to engage with OSCE’s election monitoring body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and fulfill its commitments to democratic standards.
