Newsroom
Joining in: Kosovo's minority voters raise their voices
PRISTINA 22 July 2002
PRISTINA, 22 July 2002 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo, in co-operation with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), is conducting a three-month project to assist the non-Serb minorities of Kosovo to voice their concerns and to formulate recommendations for the improvement of municipal services.
The project, which is called "Joining In - Minority Voices", was launched in June by way of more than 70 meetings throughout Kosovo. At these meetings, non-Serb minority members were invited to discuss and present their opinions regarding the efficiency and accessibility of public services and municipal structures. It will conclude in mid-September with a publication presenting their concerns and recommendations.
Around 900 questionnaires that were completed during the meetings are currently being analyzed and turned into a report. This document will be presented next month in a series of additional meetings with minority representatives for feedback and comments. At that stage, people will be asked to present recommendations to improve the accessibility of general services and municipal structures to minorities.
In the final stage, the data collected from the questionnaires, and the comments and recommendations formulated, will be edited and published in an easy-to-read booklet, which is to be disseminated throughout Kosovo.
The Mission hopes that the publication will help minority voters to be ready for the forthcoming municipal election campaign. It should help them to learn about - and advocate for - their interests. It should also encourage candidates to focus on concrete issue of direct concern to minority voters and will provide the electorate with a tool to engage candidates in debates that will be informed, focused and constructive.
This innovative project is the third of its kind developed by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. The two earlier projects, in preparation for the campaigns of the 2000 municipal elections and the 2001 General Election, respectively, resulted in the booklets 'Voters' Voices - Community Concerns' and 'Voters' Voices - Kosovo's Concerns'.
The project, which is called "Joining In - Minority Voices", was launched in June by way of more than 70 meetings throughout Kosovo. At these meetings, non-Serb minority members were invited to discuss and present their opinions regarding the efficiency and accessibility of public services and municipal structures. It will conclude in mid-September with a publication presenting their concerns and recommendations.
Around 900 questionnaires that were completed during the meetings are currently being analyzed and turned into a report. This document will be presented next month in a series of additional meetings with minority representatives for feedback and comments. At that stage, people will be asked to present recommendations to improve the accessibility of general services and municipal structures to minorities.
In the final stage, the data collected from the questionnaires, and the comments and recommendations formulated, will be edited and published in an easy-to-read booklet, which is to be disseminated throughout Kosovo.
The Mission hopes that the publication will help minority voters to be ready for the forthcoming municipal election campaign. It should help them to learn about - and advocate for - their interests. It should also encourage candidates to focus on concrete issue of direct concern to minority voters and will provide the electorate with a tool to engage candidates in debates that will be informed, focused and constructive.
This innovative project is the third of its kind developed by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. The two earlier projects, in preparation for the campaigns of the 2000 municipal elections and the 2001 General Election, respectively, resulted in the booklets 'Voters' Voices - Community Concerns' and 'Voters' Voices - Kosovo's Concerns'.