Serbia announces minority council election results

10/06/2010

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The Central Elections Commission (CIK) announced on Wednesday (June 9th) the final results of direct elections for 16 national minority councils, held on June 6th. CIK President Rozalija Torde said that overall turnout was 54.5%. The highest turnout was registered among the Greek minority -- 77.05%, while the lowest was among the Ashkali minority, at 38.85%. The Croatian and Slovenian national minorities elected their representatives indirectly, through an electoral assembly, while the Macedonian minority will vote on June 20th. These elections are the first since the enactment of a law on national councils. This aim is to give minorities more influence on state policy in the fields of education, culture, information provided in the languages of national minorities and official use of those languages. (RTS, Medjunarodni Radio Srbija - 09/06/10)