Kosovo municipalities making progress in establishing new structures, says OSCE Mission report

PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 5 March 2008 - New municipal legislation must be implemented quickly and thoroughly so that municipal bodies can start their work and local governance reform can progress, according to a new OSCE Mission report released today.

The report, based on a Kosovo-wide survey conducted by OSCE Mission in Kosovo's Municipal Teams, examines how legislation on local self-government has been implemented following the November 2007 elections.

"Our Municipal Teams looked at many aspects, including the set-up of new municipal structures, the inaugural sessions, the establishment of Committees, how mayors took up their offices, the appointment of municipal directors and the adopting of the new Municipal Statute," said Norbert Pijls, Head of the OSCE Mission's Good Governance Division.

"The report is a tool to assist all parties engaged in local governance reform. It includes recommendations for both the municipalities and the Ministry of Local Government Administration."

Most of Kosovo's municipalities acknowledged the new legal framework and made valuable progress in adapting their new legislative and executive structures, the report notes.

However, municipal assemblies in three northern municipalities - Leposavic/Leposaviq, Zvecan/Zvecan and Zubin Potok - did not convene in a timely manner and have not yet changed their structure to reflect the new legal requirements.

The report welcomes the considerable headway Kosovo municipalities have made in strengthening local self-governance, and it acknowledges that this process is steady ongoing. However, several issues, such as the election or appointment of vice-chairpersons and the adoption of the Municipal Statute still need attention.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated to support and promote the principles of good governance in Kosovo. The report is available online at: www.osce.org/kosovo/documents.html