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

PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 23 April 2008 - Municipalities have made valuable progress in establishing new executive structures after the November 2007 elections, says a report issued by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo today.

The report examines the implementation of the new legal framework, the introduction of the positions of Mayor and a politically appointed Board of Directors as first steps towards reforming local governance, and identifies achievements and challenges in this area.

"The OSCE Mission considers the correct and timely implementation of the new municipal organization as essential for municipal bodies to assume their functions, and crucial to advancing the decentralization process in Kosovo," said Markku Laamanen, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission.

The report shows that municipalities overall have acknowledged the new legal foundation. Mayors have assumed their offices in a timely manner and have adapted to their tasks. The Boards of Directors have convened in almost all municipalities.

However, the report points out that several concerns, such as the recruitment to new positions to ensure full functionality of the municipal civil service or appointment of directors of municipal departments, need further attention. The OSCE Mission recommends implementing and applying the currently applicable law, notwithstanding the discussion on a future law on local self-government.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated to support and promote the principles of good governance in Kosovo. This report complements the first OSCE report on new municipal structures, focusing on the legislative branch, released in March. Both serve as references in the ongoing decentralization process in Kosovo and as a tool to assist all actors engaged in local governance and local governance reform.

Both reports are available online at www.osce.org/kosovo/documents.html