OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Elections in November 2007 were organized by local election institutions, with the support - including for technical preparations - of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. 

Elections, however, are still a reserved responsibility of the UN interim administration in Kosovo, which have been delegated to the OSCE. This requires the Mission to pro-actively monitor the preparation and conduct of elections and intervene as necessary to prevent or remedy any potential misconduct or deviation from electoral rules.

On 17 November, the people of Kosovo have elected a new Assembly and Municipal Assemblies, and for the first time they have directly elected municipal mayors.

Responsibilities handover

To date, the Mission has organized and supervised four elections: at the municipal level in 2000 and 2002, and at the central level in 2001 and 2004.
The Mission has also helped to create local election institutions - the Central Election Commission (CEC) and its Secretariat (CECS) - and over the last four years, has been building their capacity to run elections independently.

In the 2004 elections, the CEC and the CECS demonstrated their ability to establish electoral rules, certify political entities, run voter information campaigns, accredit observers, distribute election materials, as well as establish municipal election commissions and polling station committees.

The Mission, however, administered out of Kosovo voting, political party registration, the count and results processes, and the voter registry. These activities are now also being transferred to local bodies through a comprehensive capacity-building exercise, and should become their responsibility before the next elections.

Elections support

To further support the development of local election institutions, the Mission continues to advise and build the CEC's capacities. It also assists the Secretariat with technical preparations and operation. The OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Tim Guldimann, will continue to chair the CEC.

In addition, the Mission's elections related activities include:
- Maintaining the Voters' List - The OSCE Mission and the UN administration continue to strive to produce and maintain a high-quality voters' list for future elections, as well as to create the conditions necessary to hand over the process to the CECS.

- Running the Political Party Registration Office (PPRO) - The PPRO maintains the list of all registered political parties and their respective financial information. Registration with the PPRO is a requirement for any political party wishing to operate in Kosovo. Also, the submission of biannual financial reports by each registered political party in Kosovo is required.

- Drafting legislation - The Mission will remain active in its advisory role in 2007 by continuing to help draft the electoral legal framework. It will do so with direct input to the UN administration's Office of Legal Affairs and with direct assistance and mentoring of the CEC in adopting its electoral rules.

Local election institutions

Local election institutions include the Central Election Commission (CEC), the body charged with elections administration; the CEC Secretariat, its operational arm; and municipal election commissions, the professional bodies that assist with the conduct of elections in municipalities.

Central Election Commission

The CEC, established by UNMIK Regulation 2004/9 and amended by Regulation 2007/25, is responsible for the conduct of elections in Kosovo. The role of the CEC is to regulate the electoral process through the adoption of electoral rules, and supervise all aspects of the process to ensure that the election meets international standards.

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) for Institution Building, OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Tim Guldimann, is the Chairperson of the CEC. Overall, the Commission consists of one international and eleven local commissioners. The commissioners are nominated by the President of the Supreme Court, major political parties and the smaller communities, including Kosovo Serbs, Roma, Ashkali, Turks, Bosniak and Gorani.

The commissioners are appointed on the basis of their professional qualifications as the work of the CEC is technical and characterized by independence and impartiality. The CEC makes decisions by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, the Chairperson can take final and binding decisions.

CEC Secretariat (CECS)

The CECS, established by UNMIK Administrative Direction 2003/28, is defined as the operational arm of the CEC. It is a multi-ethnic and locally recruited body with a permanent and independent public service structure. The CECS is an entirely technical organization with a non-political mandate.

During the 2004 election process, the CECS was responsible for activities related to field co-ordination and planning, political entity and candidate certification, public information, accreditation of observers and distribution of election material. Other areas of competence such as the preparation of the voters' list, out of Kosovo voting, and the counting and results centre were the responsibility of the OSCE Mission.

Municipal Election Commissions (MECs)

MECs are the professional bodies established by the CEC in each municipality to assist in the conduct of elections. MECs are responsible for providing information to voters and political entities about their rights and obligations. Prior to an election, they also appoint and train polling station committees, and assist in technical arrangements at polling stations. The MECs are expected to conduct their affairs in an unbiased and professional manner, providing an equal level of service to all.