Newsroom
Two Kosovo parties fined for political violence and reporting bias
PRISTINA 12 November 2001
PRISTINA, 12 November 2001 (OSCE) - The Kosovo Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission has made two significant rulings this week. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) was sanctioned after one of its supporters repeatedly used violence against supports of another political entity, and the Albanian-language newspaper Epoke E Re has been fined for not providing fair and balanced coverage of political entities participating in the election.
The Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission received two complaints alleging that a supporter of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) in Decan/Decani threatened supporters of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
In both cases, vehicles displaying LDK campaign material were approached. The passengers of the vehicles were threatened with a gun and then physically attacked. The AAK supporter also destroyed the campaign material on their vehicle.
Thus, the AAK was fined two times DM 2,000 for violating the electoral Code of Conduct, which states that during the campaign period political entities are responsible for the actions of its supporters. Electoral Rule 1/2001 also makes clear that the threat or use of violence, as well as the removal or destruction of campaign material by another political party or its supporters, is prohibited.
In another case, the ECAC established that Epoka e Re had shown a clear bias in favour of the PDK in its election political reporting in the first part of the campaign period and that it had a relatively negative bias against other political entities. Coverage of political entities by print and broadcast media is being monitored by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo for compliance with electoral rules.
The paper was fined DM 1,000 for violating the standards of Electoral Rule 7/2001. Half of this fine must be paid within seven days. The remainder will be waived by the ECAC if Epoka e Re provides fair and balanced media coverage to all certified political entities for the rest of the campaign period. According to the Chief Commissioner, the amount of the fine had been limited because the paper has given significant coverage to a number of smaller political entities.
The Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission received two complaints alleging that a supporter of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) in Decan/Decani threatened supporters of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
In both cases, vehicles displaying LDK campaign material were approached. The passengers of the vehicles were threatened with a gun and then physically attacked. The AAK supporter also destroyed the campaign material on their vehicle.
Thus, the AAK was fined two times DM 2,000 for violating the electoral Code of Conduct, which states that during the campaign period political entities are responsible for the actions of its supporters. Electoral Rule 1/2001 also makes clear that the threat or use of violence, as well as the removal or destruction of campaign material by another political party or its supporters, is prohibited.
In another case, the ECAC established that Epoka e Re had shown a clear bias in favour of the PDK in its election political reporting in the first part of the campaign period and that it had a relatively negative bias against other political entities. Coverage of political entities by print and broadcast media is being monitored by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo for compliance with electoral rules.
The paper was fined DM 1,000 for violating the standards of Electoral Rule 7/2001. Half of this fine must be paid within seven days. The remainder will be waived by the ECAC if Epoka e Re provides fair and balanced media coverage to all certified political entities for the rest of the campaign period. According to the Chief Commissioner, the amount of the fine had been limited because the paper has given significant coverage to a number of smaller political entities.