Newsroom
Head of Mission reports on successful Kosovo elections
VIENNA 9 November 2000
VIENNA, 9 November 2000 - Ambassador Daan Everts, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, today addressed the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, where he reported on the successful conduct of the 28 October 2000 municipal elections in the province.
During an informal press breakfast, he told the media that the elections in the province had surpassed the most optimistic expectations of the international community in Kosovo. "These elections, as we have boldly predicted, will probably go into history as the best ever post-conflict first elections," he said.
With an average of 79 per cent throughout the province, voter participation was very high, and polling day was one of the calmest the Kosovars had experienced since the end of the conflict, with very few incidents registered.
Everts gave a promising description of the current post-election atmosphere in Kosovo: "Since the events in Belgrade, there is a movement of more 'approchement'. The Serbs clearly want to see an active dialogue now with UNMIK, and on the side of the Albanian Kosovars we see more confidence and more clarity as to who is the dominant spokesman. The whole climate for dialogue has improved."
All political parties running in the municipal elections have accepted the electoral process and the outcome of the polls, Everts reported. "There were very few and only minor complaints about the process, and we can conclude that this has been a fraud-free election," he added.
Everts also stated that he had discussed the elections with representatives of the Kosovo Serb community, who had expressed their wish to participate in the future voter registration process. The OSCE Head of Mission announced that bi-elections in the three northern, Serb-dominated municipalities - Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic - will be held soon.
"I have talked with all the Serb leaders in Kosovo, they generally praise the conduct of the elections. They have all asked me now to start registering Serbs in Kosovo, so that they can become part of the process one way or the other. We will have to organize byelections in the northern municipalities before too long so they can have elected rather than appointed councillors there," he said.
Ambassador Everts also stated that parliamentary elections for the province could take place in the first six months of 2001. "All Albanian leaders have insisted that we should have parliamentary elections very soon. They say that they have proven to be democrats on the local level, and now insist to have elections at the central level as well. This is in conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which asked for self-governing institutions and substantial autonomy. I expect that in the first half of next year we will have general elections in Kosovo," he said.
However, the next steps for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, as one of the pillars of the UN Mission in the province, is to assist with the implementation of the municipal election results. "We will install the municipal councils on Saturday, and we will provide for compensation for those minorities that are not adequately represented, particularly for the Serbs. The election results of the three northern Serb municipalities have not been certified because of the low participation there. The UN Special Representative Kouchner will appoint the representatives for these municipal councils," he stated.
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948, ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / e-mail: press@omik.org or website: /kosovo
During an informal press breakfast, he told the media that the elections in the province had surpassed the most optimistic expectations of the international community in Kosovo. "These elections, as we have boldly predicted, will probably go into history as the best ever post-conflict first elections," he said.
With an average of 79 per cent throughout the province, voter participation was very high, and polling day was one of the calmest the Kosovars had experienced since the end of the conflict, with very few incidents registered.
Everts gave a promising description of the current post-election atmosphere in Kosovo: "Since the events in Belgrade, there is a movement of more 'approchement'. The Serbs clearly want to see an active dialogue now with UNMIK, and on the side of the Albanian Kosovars we see more confidence and more clarity as to who is the dominant spokesman. The whole climate for dialogue has improved."
All political parties running in the municipal elections have accepted the electoral process and the outcome of the polls, Everts reported. "There were very few and only minor complaints about the process, and we can conclude that this has been a fraud-free election," he added.
Everts also stated that he had discussed the elections with representatives of the Kosovo Serb community, who had expressed their wish to participate in the future voter registration process. The OSCE Head of Mission announced that bi-elections in the three northern, Serb-dominated municipalities - Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic - will be held soon.
"I have talked with all the Serb leaders in Kosovo, they generally praise the conduct of the elections. They have all asked me now to start registering Serbs in Kosovo, so that they can become part of the process one way or the other. We will have to organize byelections in the northern municipalities before too long so they can have elected rather than appointed councillors there," he said.
Ambassador Everts also stated that parliamentary elections for the province could take place in the first six months of 2001. "All Albanian leaders have insisted that we should have parliamentary elections very soon. They say that they have proven to be democrats on the local level, and now insist to have elections at the central level as well. This is in conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which asked for self-governing institutions and substantial autonomy. I expect that in the first half of next year we will have general elections in Kosovo," he said.
However, the next steps for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, as one of the pillars of the UN Mission in the province, is to assist with the implementation of the municipal election results. "We will install the municipal councils on Saturday, and we will provide for compensation for those minorities that are not adequately represented, particularly for the Serbs. The election results of the three northern Serb municipalities have not been certified because of the low participation there. The UN Special Representative Kouchner will appoint the representatives for these municipal councils," he stated.
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948, ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / e-mail: press@omik.org or website: /kosovo