Newsroom
OSCE welcomes support of Belgrade authorities in Kosovo voter registration process
PRISTINA 3 August 2001
PRISTINA, 3 August 2001 (OSCE) - After a temporary closure of registration centres in Serbia proper during the first week of registration, a steadily growing number of people are now seeking to be registered for the general elections in Kosovo scheduled for 17 November. By this weekend more than a thousand people are expected to have registered themselves.
This is in a large part due to the positive support being offered by the authorities in Belgrade. The Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia held a joint session yesterday, during which they issued the following statement:
"The Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia have clearly concluded that it is necessary to have a voter registration for the forthcoming elections in Kosovo and Metohija, regardless whether the Serb national community participates in them. The two Governments are urging the citizens to register."
This is essentially the same message that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is trying to convey: the Serbian community, both inside and outside of Kosovo should register, in order to have the choice later on whether to take part in the election or not.
International teams are visiting over the coming weeks approximately 100 sites in Montenegro and Serbia proper to ensure that everyone who wants to can have the opportunity to register. The centres are being run by the International Organization for Migration through the Commissariats for Refugees in Serbian and Montenegro, under the guidance of international supervisors trained by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. Registration sites are also open in all areas of Kosovo for the Serbian community who has not left the region.
The registration process will be running until 8 September 2001.
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For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.osce.org/kosovo.
This is in a large part due to the positive support being offered by the authorities in Belgrade. The Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia held a joint session yesterday, during which they issued the following statement:
"The Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia have clearly concluded that it is necessary to have a voter registration for the forthcoming elections in Kosovo and Metohija, regardless whether the Serb national community participates in them. The two Governments are urging the citizens to register."
This is essentially the same message that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is trying to convey: the Serbian community, both inside and outside of Kosovo should register, in order to have the choice later on whether to take part in the election or not.
International teams are visiting over the coming weeks approximately 100 sites in Montenegro and Serbia proper to ensure that everyone who wants to can have the opportunity to register. The centres are being run by the International Organization for Migration through the Commissariats for Refugees in Serbian and Montenegro, under the guidance of international supervisors trained by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. Registration sites are also open in all areas of Kosovo for the Serbian community who has not left the region.
The registration process will be running until 8 September 2001.
--
For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.osce.org/kosovo.