Chairman-in-Office hails peaceful Kosovo-wide election

BUCHAREST, 18 November 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geona, has welcomed the peaceful conduct of Kosovo's first assembly election.

The election, organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo at the behest of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, was called to introduce a provisional self-government to the province. The electorate of 1.25 million have been voting for the allocation of 100 seats in the soon-to-be established assembly. In addition, 20 seats are set aside for minorities.

"We are very pleased that all the people of Kosovo, including all ethnic communities, have participated peacefully in this election," Mr. Geoana said. "It is a sign of the political maturity of the electorate, and it is now very important for all the political parties to respect the result."

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo worked diligently to ensure the widest possible franchise.

Polling stations were set up across Kosovo as well as in Serbia proper and Montenegro, the latter with the assistance of the Commissariat for Refugees of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In addition, a special needs voting programme was organized which reached 10,000 people in Kosovo who could not travel to the polling stations because they are housebound through fear or disability, or because they are in hospital or prison. A further 36,000 people were able to vote by mail.

It was the second election organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. In October 2000, elections were held at the municipal level.