UN visit to OSCE Permanent Council: Kosovo elections expected in 2001

VIENNA, 1 March 2001 - In his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Hans Haekkerup, stated his intentions to hold Kosovo-wide election this year.

"However, the Legal Framework for Provisional Self Government in Kosovo has to be in place before the elections", he said. Consultations on this issue with all Kosovars will start on 6 March in Pristina, Mr. Haekkerup stated.

The central institutions which will be created with these elections must also be defined before a decision can be made on the exact date for the vote. Mr. Haekkerup said that these institutions would be critical in stabilizing and developing Kosovo.

Mr. Haekkerup was asking the OSCE Permanent Council to support the OSCE Mission in Kosovo in starting its necessary build-up towards elections. He thanked the OSCE for "the significant contributions it has made in the development of democracy and rule of law in Kosovo."

He also stressed the need for more international judges and prosecutors to strengthen the judicial system in the province. He underlined the importance of the OSCE-run Kosovo Police Service School in Vushtrri/Vucitrn, which "contributes significantly to the building-up of local police forces in accordance with international standards."

The new Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo also spoke of the need for a "constructive" relationship with Yugoslavia and urged Belgrade to return all Kosovar detainees held in Serbia to Kosovo under UNMiK custody. He also stressed the need for Belgrade to formulate a policy toward Kosovo.