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Kosovo political party registration transferred to OSCE
PRISTINA 16 April 2002
PRISTINA, 16 April 2002 - The United Nations Special Representative, Michael Steiner, has signed UNMIK Regulation 2002/8, "On the Registration and Operation of Political Parties in Kosovo", giving the OSCE the operational authority to register political parties in advance of the 2002 municipal elections.
This responsibility has been transferred from the former Department for Democratic Governance and Civil Society of the Joint Interim Administrative Structure. The requirements for political party registration, which have remained unchanged, are clearly laid out in the regulation.
The purpose of registration is to enable political parties to be recognized as a legal entity in Kosovo. This permits them, for example, to open political party bank accounts, and to engage in a number of other basic activities typical of registered organizations, such as hiring staff or signing contracts in the name of the political party. Also, the registration statute provides for public and financial transparency of political party activities, regular party congresses, and internal party democracy, and is therefore a key element in the democratic political development of Kosovo.
As with previous election cycles, a political party should be registered as a legal entity before the Central Election Commission (CEC) can certify it to run in an election. Certification merely means reserving a place on the ballot.
While political parties register only once with the political party registration office, they must meet a series of ongoing requirements that are laid out in UNMIK Regulation 2002/8. All political parties and other political entities must certify with the CEC in respect of every election.
This responsibility has been transferred from the former Department for Democratic Governance and Civil Society of the Joint Interim Administrative Structure. The requirements for political party registration, which have remained unchanged, are clearly laid out in the regulation.
The purpose of registration is to enable political parties to be recognized as a legal entity in Kosovo. This permits them, for example, to open political party bank accounts, and to engage in a number of other basic activities typical of registered organizations, such as hiring staff or signing contracts in the name of the political party. Also, the registration statute provides for public and financial transparency of political party activities, regular party congresses, and internal party democracy, and is therefore a key element in the democratic political development of Kosovo.
As with previous election cycles, a political party should be registered as a legal entity before the Central Election Commission (CEC) can certify it to run in an election. Certification merely means reserving a place on the ballot.
While political parties register only once with the political party registration office, they must meet a series of ongoing requirements that are laid out in UNMIK Regulation 2002/8. All political parties and other political entities must certify with the CEC in respect of every election.