OSCE says US did not invite midterm monitors

The OSCE said Wednesday that its monitors had not been invited to the US midterm elections in November, calling the decision unprecedented and “regrettable.”

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said these would be the first US federal elections since it began observing in the country for which it had not received an invitation.

The office said the decision was “not in line with the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating states.” The United States is an OSCE member.

OSCE parliamentary assembly president Pere Joan Pons said the decision followed more than two decades in which the United States had welcomed OSCE observers to federal elections.

“This decision represents a significant departure from an established democratic practice,” Pons said.

The OSCE said it has observed 12 US federal elections since 2002, including six midterm elections. The Vienna-based body has 57 members from Europe, Central Asia and North America and observes elections as part of its work.

US President Donald Trump's administration has criticised how the OSCE handles its mission and has urged the organisation to reduce its budget.