The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) refused to attend the elections in Azerbaijan due to the looseness of its structure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.
"The absence of a legal framework is a systemic problem of the OSCE. The structure that exists sequentially is subject to tests due to its looseness," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.
He recalled that the states are obliged to invite observers, including those from the OSCE, and it doesn’t matter how many observers will arrive. Lavrov pointed out that it’s not the OSCE's fault, but those who prefer to keep it like that, because it is easy to be manipulated.
Earlier, the OSCE press office released a statement by the ODIHR Director, Michael Link, saying that no observer mission will be sent for the parliamentary elections on November 1.
