OSCE Head of Mission rejects unfounded accusations on interference with voters’ will in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North re-vote
Prishtinë/Priština, 19 November 2013 – The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger today rejected unfounded accusations of inappropriate action and interference with the voters will during re-voting in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North on 17 November.
“The OSCE is profoundly disappointed by unfounded and irresponsible challenges to its integrity as facilitator of the local elections in the four northern Kosovo municipalities. The Organization has a long and proud track record in democratic development and electoral management and while I welcome constructive engagement and criticism I am outraged by attempts to tarnish its image and derail a historic electoral process,” said Schlumberger.
“The OSCE is facilitating the elections in line with the 19 April Belgrade-Pristina/Pristinë agreement, implementing what the parties agreed to,” said Schlumberger. “All parties have been kept aware of our work and of our technical recommendations that are made as we see necessary, including members of the working group on elections.
“The OSCE will, with its partners, continue to work towards safe and successful elections for Kosovo and all of its communities.”
Detailed rebuttal of accusations on re-voting in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North on 17 November
- The OSCE was accused of acting unilaterally and without mandate when the election materials were transported for counting to the Count and Results Centre (CRC) in Fushë Kosovo/Kosovo Polje.
That is not true.
The OSCE made its recommendation. The decision to count the ballots in the CRC was made by the Central Election Commission (CEC) before closing of polling centres on 17 November to ensure security of both staff and materials. Furthermore, an earlier CEC decision from 16 November also noted that the counting outside the polling stations is one of the two available options for the 17 November balloting.
I wish to remind the public that it was our staff and our colleagues from the polling station committees that were attacked on 3 November and I thank the Central Election Commission for taking this decision to ensure a safe and secure working environment for them all, as well as to ensure the integrity of the counting process on 17 November.
This decision further enhanced security arrangement already made by the security providers, Kosovo Police, EULEX and KFOR, whose performance on the day was outstanding.
In this regard I found it very disturbing that one of the eleven CEC members personally obstructed the implementation of the CEC’s decision to count the ballots at the CRC by staging a press conference at the Sveti Sava School thus physically preventing the safe transport of sensitive election materials – this led to delays in the decision implementation.
- In relation to custody of election materials, I want to stress that at no point was the chain of custody for sensitive and non-sensitive material broken as the ballot boxes were under the supervision of the 27 polling station committee members and the OSCE staff for the duration of balloting, after the closing of polling stations, and during the transport and the counting.
The polling station committee chairpersons who were primarily entrusted with the task of escorting the sealed ballot boxes, with another member space permitting, were in the OSCE vehicles with the OSCE staff and both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials throughout the transport process. This included the formation of a single convoy in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South, whereas all the other members from all the 27 polling station committees were transported by buses.
Furthermore, polling station committee members and chairpersons, nominated by the political entities running in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North elections, counted the ballots in the CRC just as they would in the polling stations in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, but in a much safer environment.
GI Srpska, as one of eleven political entities running in the local elections in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, contributed six chairpersons and 21 members for the 27 polling station committees - none of them raised any concerns during transport and counting of the materials or in the aftermath.
Kosovo Police and EULEX provided security of the vehicles transporting materials at all times from the polling sites to the Count and Results Center in Fushë Kosovo/Kosovo Polje, whereas KFOR provided additional security for the vehicles on their way from north to south of Ibar river.
I once again note that all the polling station committee members who were nominated by the political entities running in the local elections in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North were present for the counting process and that no evidence was found to suggest any tempering with material during the transport. It is noteworthy that no complaint has been filed with the Elections Compliant and Appeals Panel regarding any stage of the process.
- Claims regarding delays in transporting of the election materials and alleged gaps in custody are inaccurate. The security arrangements included transportation of materials in a single convoy that would be formed in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South. As the Sveti Sava School polling centre closed only after 20:30 due to the number of voters still inside the school in the queue at the time of closing, the convoy with the materials from all 27 polling stations including 16 from Sveti Sava School, nine from Technical School and two from Medical School arrived at the CRC just after 22:00 hrs. As I noted earlier, obstruction of the process and the CEC’s decision by one of its members caused some delays as well.
I want to repeat that the polling station committee chairpersons and in some cases one other member of the polling station committee were with the materials at all times including when the convoy was being formed in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South.
- Claims regarding alleged conspiratorial contacts with individual candidates are both untrue and harmful. My staff briefed all five political entities contesting the mayoral election, including GI Srpska and GI SDP – Oliver Ivanović, in the run-up to the elections, on Friday 15 November, regarding security arrangements and the OSCE recommendation to count the ballots at the CRC, as well as the logistical arrangements it entailed. None of the political entities objected.