Electoral Reform used to support trainings, for example, on how to develop political party platforms. The OSCE developed criteria to prioritize parties. It examined the composition of their leadership and the candidates list, the party’s attitude towards non-ethnic issues in general, their support for a multi-ethnic and pluralistic state, and their commitment to democratic principles, including tolerance. For example, publishing election-related news that contained ideas/platforms for the return of displaced persons was an area supported by the OSCE. Furthermore, the OSCE was instrumental in the establishment of the political resource centres that aimed to provide political parties and independent candidates with the necessary resources to build a pluralistic and multi-ethnic political environment. At one point, the OSCE ran a network of fifteen centres throughout the country. The centres were open to all parties and contributed to a significant increase in contact between political parties, and co-operation among opposition parties. They also enabled party members to establish and maintain direct contact with their supporters and reach out to new voters. Through the centres, local citizens were able to hold their elected representatives accountable and ensure their voices were heard. Some of the centres’ activities included trainings, multi-party development workshops, town meetings, and events to bring together politically active youth from different areas. These events helped identify the kinds of assistance they needed in developing their own activities and strategies. For example, the idea of youth parliament was put forth, which resulted in two inter-areas youth parliament sessions. Thanks to this and other initiatives launched 64