UNMIK still without decision on elections

An UNMIK spokesman says this mission has not yet made a decision on the forthcoming local and parliamentary elections.

Izvor: B92

Sunday, 30.03.2008.

10:54

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An UNMIK spokesman says this mission has not yet made a decision on the forthcoming local and parliamentary elections. Georgy Kakuk says that consultations at the UN headquarters in New York will precede any move to support or oppose the holding of elections in the Serb communities in the province. UNMIK still without decision on elections Yesterday, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, DSS, said that the ballots will be held in the entire territory of Serbia, Kosovo included. This was echoed later in the day by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, DS, who said he could see no reason why elections should not be held. "We will cooperate with UNMIK and with international institutions set up by Resolution 1244. It is of paramount importance to have the democratic process respected to the letter and to have these elections in the entire territory of our country," Jeremic said in Belgrade. According to him, Serbia is whole within her internationally recognized borders and "there is no reason why the elections should not be held in her entire territory". Both parliamentary and local ballots are scheduled for May 11. Also in Belgrade yesterday, analyst Dusan Janjic said holding the local elections in Kosovo would breach UN Resolution 1244, and saw potential for the worsening of the security situation in the province over this issue. "From 1999 until today parliamentary elections were held [in Kosovo] and UNMIK tolerated it. As for local elections, they were never held since 1999, and they are organized by the Kosovo authorities and UNMIK. Therefore, holding the local elections would directly breach 1244," believes Janjic. As for the statements coming from Jeremic and Samardzic, he says, they are aimed at institutionalizing the existence of parallel municipalities. But Janjic believes such elections will not have any value, "since such institutions don't exist". He sees two outcomes to the possible crisis: one is for "UNMIK and EULEX" to declare these ballots illegal but "tolerate them, much like Milosevic did with similar elections organized by the Albanians [in the 1900s]". The other possibility is for these international missions to ban the elections. "That would in fact be the worsening of the security situation, since a ban would most likely motivate people to organize the votes illegally, which could lead to arrests, and other things," Janjic was quoted.

UNMIK still without decision on elections

Yesterday, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić, DSS, said that the ballots will be held in the entire territory of Serbia, Kosovo included.

This was echoed later in the day by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, DS, who said he could see no reason why elections should not be held.

"We will cooperate with UNMIK and with international institutions set up by Resolution 1244. It is of paramount importance to have the democratic process respected to the letter and to have these elections in the entire territory of our country," Jeremić said in Belgrade.

According to him, Serbia is whole within her internationally recognized borders and "there is no reason why the elections should not be held in her entire territory".

Both parliamentary and local ballots are scheduled for May 11.

Also in Belgrade yesterday, analyst Dušan Janjić said holding the local elections in Kosovo would breach UN Resolution 1244, and saw potential for the worsening of the security situation in the province over this issue.

"From 1999 until today parliamentary elections were held [in Kosovo] and UNMIK tolerated it. As for local elections, they were never held since 1999, and they are organized by the Kosovo authorities and UNMIK. Therefore, holding the local elections would directly breach 1244," believes Janjić.

As for the statements coming from Jeremić and Samardžić, he says, they are aimed at institutionalizing the existence of parallel municipalities.

But Janjić believes such elections will not have any value, "since such institutions don't exist".

He sees two outcomes to the possible crisis: one is for "UNMIK and EULEX" to declare these ballots illegal but "tolerate them, much like Milošević did with similar elections organized by the Albanians [in the 1900s]".

The other possibility is for these international missions to ban the elections.

"That would in fact be the worsening of the security situation, since a ban would most likely motivate people to organize the votes illegally, which could lead to arrests, and other things," Janjić was quoted.

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