SCE observers to monitor first Czech direct presidential polls

Prague, Jan 8 (CTK) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is sending a mission to monitor the first Czech direct presidential election, the Foreign Ministry said on its website, adding that the six-member mission comprises representatives of Italy, Macedonia, Canada, Poland and Spain.

OSCE monitors examine the course and legislative level of elections, political parties' confidence in the regularity of elections, and the openness and freedom of the media.

The OSCE accepts countries' invitations and sends in its missions in selected cases.

"The forthcoming monitoring mission...to the Czech Republic is relatively small. It has been motivated mainly by the fact that the direct presidential election is being held for the first time in history," Karel Srol, from the Foreign Ministry's press department, told CTK Tuesday.

The OSCE mission will work out a report assessing the Czech election and possibly issue recommendations on how to improve the election legislative and procedure. The recommendations are not binding on Prague.

OSCE observers visited the Czech Republic during the mid-2010 general elections last time. They also monitored the elections to the EP in the Czech Republic in 2009.

The Czech presidential election have also drawn interest of Belarussian NGOs, professors and students. A Belarussian mission will come to the Czech Republic within a project focusing on election monitoring, that has been supported by the Lithuanian NGO Belarus Watch.

Belarussians will monitor more that 100 election wards across the Czech Republic.