OSCE Chairman urges Kosovo politicians to reach out to electorate

PRISTINA, 19 October 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, urged politicians from all sides in Kosovo to reach out to voters ahead of the Kosovo Assembly election on October 23.

"An effort to reach out more and listen to the concerns of the Kosovo electorate will help increase participation in the election and give the best indication to politicians about what is expected of them when they are elected," he said during a visit to Pristina.

"In four days' time the international community will face a very important challenge - the conduct of Kosovo-wide elections. Participation in the elections is the democratic way to make clear one's political stance and to ensure protection of the interests of one's community in the Kosovo Assembly," Minister Passy added.

"I strongly encourage the Kosovo Serbs to take part in the voting on 23 October."

The Chairman-in-Office said he was pleased that the political campaign had been conducted in a calm and peaceful atmosphere and he complimented the Central Election Commission Secretariat for performing its duties effectively despite its lack of previous experience.

The Chairman-in-Office also praised the effective measures taken by UNMIK and KFOR to improve the security situation in Kosovo after the tragic events in March and provide additional guarantees for calm and peaceful voting on 23 October.

Minister Passy urged Kosovo's political leaders to press ahead with reform of local government, saying this was necessary to ensure all communities felt safe and had access to good public services. "The OSCE strongly supports decentralization, which will also help to bring democracy closer to the people," he said.

The Chairman-in-Office said the OSCE was proud of its work over the past five years in providing Kosovo with an effective, highly trained, multi-ethnic police force. Looking ahead to the future of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, he said: "The OSCE is fully committed to Kosovo over the long haul. There will be a continued need for institution and capacity building and for activities related to the young generation and in the field of education."

During his visit, the Chairman-in-Office had meetings with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Soren Jessen-Petersen, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova and Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi as well as with political leaders of the Kosovo Serbs - Oliver Ivanovic, Dragisa Krstovic, Milorad Todorovic and Goran Bogdanovic.