The Council of Europe (CoE) Congress of Local and Regional Authorities said on Thursday that it is sending an 11-member mission to observe the Serbian elections on April 3.

The deployment on Election Day will be preceded by preparatory meetings on 1 and 2 April with representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, the Republic Electoral Commission, members of the Serbian Delegation to the Congress and the Secretary General of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, the press release said.

It added that meetings are also scheduled with the diplomatic corps based in Belgrade, candidates for the Mayor of Belgrade, representatives of NGOs and media as well as the IEOM observing the polls to elect both the President and members of the National Assembly to be held in Serbia on the same day.

The mission, headed by Congress member Carla Dejonghe (Belgium, ILDG), will hold a news conference on Monday, April 4.