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WORLD NEWS Saturday 19 September 2020
AP Exclusive: Pandemic shrinking Europe's monitor of U.S. vote

By WILLIAM J. KOLE group also has publicly
Europe's largest security or- criticized the Electoral Col-
ganization said Friday that lege system in the U.S., say-
it has drastically scaled ing it "does not provide for
back plans to send as equality of vote" like a pop-
many as 500 observers to ular vote would do.
the U.S. to monitor the Nov. Even if observers were
3 presidential election and granted access, many U.S.
now will deploy just 30 be- states don't allow them,
cause of the coronavirus and others leave it to the
pandemic. discretion of local elections
The Organization for Secu- officials. Only California,
rity and Cooperation in Eu- Missouri, New Mexico and
rope — which has observed Washington, D.C., expressly
U.S. elections since 2002 but allow international moni-
is better known for monitor- tors.
ing voting in countries such Calls have been mounting
as Belarus or Kyrgyzstan for extra scrutiny of Novem-
— has spent months trying ber's election — and not
to figure out how to safely just with domestic observ-
keep tabs on an election ers, as the Carter Center
it worries will be "the most intends to do.
challenging in recent de- "The United States touts
cades" as Americans pick In this Nov. 2, 2004, file photo, parliamentarians Goran Lennmarker, right, of Sweden and Stavros itself as the democratic
Evagorow, of Cyprus, observe the American voting process as voters cast their ballots at Robbin-
a president in the throes of sdale City Hall in Robbinsdale, Minn. The two men are members of the Organization for Security model that nations around
a global health crisis. and Cooperation in Europe. the world should emulate.
The use of mail-in voting is Associated Press But if America really wants
expected to increase in to be the exemplar of de-
many states this year, with ed the Vienna-based orga- tions caused by the CO- midterm elections — the mocracy, then it should
voters seeing that as a nization to pare that back VID-19 pandemic are cre- first since the 2000 presiden- prove its elections are, in
safer alternative to casting to 30 observers, spokesper- ating challenges," Andrusz tial election recount that fact, free and fair, and let
ballots in-person during the son Katya Andrusz told The said in an email. The 30 are left the outcome unclear the world watch," The Bos-
pandemic. Although Presi- Associated Press. expected to head to the for weeks, raising ques- ton Globe said in an edito-
dent Donald Trump has Suddenly, what was going U.S. early next month and tions among America's al- rial last month.
claimed that an increase in to be Europe's largest-scale will stay through Nov. 3, she lies about the integrity of its In a July report expressing
mail ballots could lead to a U.S. election monitoring ef- said, adding that none of electoral politics. concern about the U.S.
rigged election, there has fort ever has become one the observers is from Russia. Typically, the organization vote, the OSCE said the 400
been no evidence of wide- of its smallest. The OSCE Last March, the U.S. mission sends a small delegation short-term observers would
spread fraud involving vot- sent 49 observers for the to the OSCE had requested months before an election include some who would
ing by mail in the U.S. 2018 midterms and about observers, as all countries to do a "needs assessment," be focused solely on media
The OSCE's mission origi- 400 for the 2016 presidential belonging to the group, in- but that was conducted coverage in the days and
nally was to have involved election. cluding Russia, are obligat- remotely in early June "due hours leading up to the
100 long-term and 400 "While we had planned to ed to do. The organization's to the global health emer- vote. It was unclear Friday
short-term observers to the send a full-fledged elec- Office for Democratic Insti- gency and restrictions on whether the trimmed-down
U.S. starting this month, but tion observation mission, tutions and Human Rights cross-border travel," offi- "limited observation mis-
health concerns and re- the safety fears as well as has deployed monitors for cials said. sion" would include a me-
strictions on travel prompt- continuing travel restric- U.S. voting since the 2002 The European security dia monitoring element.q
Indian military admits wrongdoing in 3 Kashmir killings

By AIJAZ HUSSAIN soldiers of killing them in a by the police," Kalia said
Associated Press staged gunbattle. in a statement, without ex-
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — In On July 18, the Indian army plaining how the military
a rare admission of wrong- said its soldiers killed three had identified the three
doing, the Indian military "unidentified Pakistani ter- men.
on Friday said its soldiers rorists" in the southern Shopi- Kalia said an army investi-
in Kashmir exceeded their an area. About a month gation showed the soldiers
legal powers in the killings later, three Kashmiri fami- had exceeded the powers
of three local men it had lies in Rajouri identified the granted to them under the
described as Pakistani ter- victims as their missing rela- Armed Forces Special Pow-
rorists. tives using photographs of ers Act.
Col. Rajesh Kalia, an In- the bodies that circulated "Consequently, the com-
dian army spokesman, on social media, and filed petent disciplinary author-
said police are investigat- a complaint with police. ity has directed to initiate
ing whether the men were Police ordered an investi- disciplinary proceedings
actually involved in mili- gation, and the results have under the Army Act against
tancy. He said the victims not yet been released. those found prima facie In this Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, file photo, a relative of a missing
have now been identified "Their DNA report is await- answerable," Kalia said. Kashmiri wears a scarf asking for the Armed Forces Special Pow-
as residents of Rajouri dis- ed. Their involvement with "Indian Army is commit- ers Act (AFSPA) to be repealed as he participates in a silent pro-
test organized by Association of Parents of Disappeared People
trict whose families had terrorism or related activi- ted to ethical conduct of (APDP), in Srinagar, India.
filed a complaint accusing ties is under investigation operations."q Associated Press