Head of Delegation of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Azay Guliyev made a statement on the results of the Oct. 16 parliamentary election in Montenegro during a press conference held in Podgorica on Oct. 17, the Montenegrin Dan newspaper (www.dan.co.me) reports.

The delegation included almost 50 people, primarily members of parliament from across the OSCE region, said Guliyev in his statement.

“The elections have shown the aspiration of people of Montenegro to be fully engaged in building stable and democratic future of their country,” he noted. “Voters were provided with ample choice. However, the improvements in election administration and media professionalism would benefit future elections.’’

Speaking more specifically on the election administration, Guliyev said the State Election Commission met all legal deadlines.

However, despite the increased operational capacity it failed to deliver the expected degree of professionalism at the leadership level, he added.

With respect to the media, the head of the delegation noted that the landscape proved pluralistic and ensured multiple views.

The environment, however, remains politically polarized, said Guliyev, adding that it also lacks in-depth investigative reporting and editorial independence, and this limits qualitative information available to voters.

“I was also pleased to observe engagement and enthusiasm of many young people at the polling stations yesterday,” he said. “In my view, this proves to what extent young people are engaged in contributing to the democratic development of their country.”

The head of delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly concluded his statement by expressing his deep and sincere gratitude to the authorities and people of Montenegro for their warm welcome and cooperation.