Newsroom
OSCE Mission welcomes announcement of date for Kosovo Assembly Election
PRISTINA 15 March 2004
PRISTINA, 15 March 2004 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo welcomes the announcement by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Harri Holkeri, of 23 October as the date for the second election of the Assembly of Kosovo.
"The date of the next election has now been firmly set, and the people of Kosovo will be using an electoral system recommended by the local political and civil interests represented in the Election Working Group," said Ambassador Pascal Fieschi, the OSCE Mission Head.
This year, the elections in Kosovo will be a joint effort of the OSCE Mission and the CEC Secretariat. The Secretariat is a new independent Kosovo institution, which will carry out most of the operational work for the elections. This is a demonstration of the OSCE's continued commitment to the handing over of responsibility for election management to the people of Kosovo.
"The OSCE Mission and the CEC Secretariat can now forge ahead with their preparations for the Assembly election and ensure that Kosovo has an election which is up to the standards of transparency, fairness and full participation by all communities," Ambassador Fieschi said.
Ambassador Fieschi said the OSCE Mission was also pleased to see that Kosovo's civil society has been recently active in encouraging debate about electoral reform.
"It is important for democracy that the voices of such groups are heard. Civil society has a very important role to play in Kosovo today and in the future - to hold government accountable for its actions, to help consolidate political pluralism, and bring political parties and the electorate closer together," he added.
The OSCE Mission organized and ran the previous Assembly election in 2001, and municipal elections in 2000 and 2002.
"The date of the next election has now been firmly set, and the people of Kosovo will be using an electoral system recommended by the local political and civil interests represented in the Election Working Group," said Ambassador Pascal Fieschi, the OSCE Mission Head.
This year, the elections in Kosovo will be a joint effort of the OSCE Mission and the CEC Secretariat. The Secretariat is a new independent Kosovo institution, which will carry out most of the operational work for the elections. This is a demonstration of the OSCE's continued commitment to the handing over of responsibility for election management to the people of Kosovo.
"The OSCE Mission and the CEC Secretariat can now forge ahead with their preparations for the Assembly election and ensure that Kosovo has an election which is up to the standards of transparency, fairness and full participation by all communities," Ambassador Fieschi said.
Ambassador Fieschi said the OSCE Mission was also pleased to see that Kosovo's civil society has been recently active in encouraging debate about electoral reform.
"It is important for democracy that the voices of such groups are heard. Civil society has a very important role to play in Kosovo today and in the future - to hold government accountable for its actions, to help consolidate political pluralism, and bring political parties and the electorate closer together," he added.
The OSCE Mission organized and ran the previous Assembly election in 2001, and municipal elections in 2000 and 2002.