Two Norwegian members of parliament, Per-Olav Lauvstad (socialist left party) and Peter Skovholt Gitmark (conservatives) were special guests during the 4th round of the round table meeting Political Dialogue 2006 organised by the OSCE Spillover mission in co-operation with the Foreign Ministry of the Kingdom of Norway. The round-table brought together political parties, local and foreign experts, as well as representatives of civil society to discuss strengthening of capacity of political parties as a response to new challenges. The roundtable also discussed modalities of co-operation and good will among the parties to promote free and fair elections.
07/06/2006 ::
Topics raised in Ohrid:
- How can political parties contribute to the conduct of elections in accordance with international standards and OSCE commitments?
- What are the problems of vulnerable groups in the election process and how can they be better protected in casting their vote under free, fair and equal conditions?
- How do political parties address changes in society? How can political parties stimulate these changes?
- How can the dialogue among political parties and Europe be fostered?
About Political Dialogue 2006:
The OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to contribute to better elections and is therefore organizing a series of six regional roundtables under the title “Political Dialogue 2006”. The roundtables will focus on the role and responsibilities of the political parties in the forthcoming election process and their role in the development of the democracy and society especially in the view of the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the country. In the frame of this project one roundtable will be organized in each of the 6 regional election districts to facilitate a countrywide dialogue among political parties, national and international experts and the civil society with the aim to develop and strengthen the political parties’ capacity to fulfil the new demands and cooperate with each other for better elections.
Posted by: Roger Bruland