Monitors say Kosovo elections met standards

17/11/2009

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- The European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations (ENEMO) said on Monday (November 16th) that Sunday's municipal elections generally met international standards, with scattered exceptions. The mission, which deployed more than 100 observers, noted some issues such as a lack of guidance regarding acceptable identification documents. According to the ENEMO, the secrecy of the vote was not always respected, and unauthorised persons were present at 7% of the polling stations visited by observers.

Meanwhile, representatives of international institutions praised the elections process. EU Special Representative Pieter Feith congratulated the people of Kosovo for the overall conduct of the vote and for the generally constructive atmosphere that prevailed. "This helps Kosovo in its transition towards a multi-ethnic society, and in its effort to bring more effective governance closer to the people," Feith said. US Ambassador to Kosovo Christopher Dell also commended the process and congratulated Kosovo Serbs who voted, despite calls from Belgrade to boycott. "You rightly recognised that the elections provided you with a unique opportunity to shape your future and the future of your communities," Dell said. (Zeri, Koha Ditore, Lajm, Kosova Sot - 17/11/09; Kohavision, RTK - 16/11/09)