Election silence in Kosovo

Election silence has begun in Kosovo ahead of Sunday’s local elections, the first organized independently by the Kosovo Albanian institutions.

Izvor: B92

Saturday, 14.11.2009.

11:08

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Election silence has begun in Kosovo ahead of Sunday’s local elections, the first organized independently by the Kosovo Albanian institutions. Elections are being organized in 36 municipalities, including three "new ones"—Gracanica, Klokot and Ranilug—in which Serbs make up a majority of the population. Election silence in Kosovo It is still unknown whether Serbs will be participating in the voting. Belgrade has stated that the needed conditions have not been met for encouraging Serbs to vote, while some Kosovo Serb officials are encouraging participation in order to gain control of local administrations and be able to make decisions without a large influence from the government in Pristina. There have been 21 Serb lists that have registered for participating in the elections. There are seven candidates for the position of municipal president in Gracanica, though it is still hard to tell how many Serbs will be voting. There are about 18,000 registered voters in Gracanica and the 16 Serb villages surrounding it. Early estimates of non-government organizations state that a maximum of 30 percent of the Serb population in Gracanica is expected to participate. There will be two local self-administrations functioning in Gracanica in the coming days, one controlled by Pristina and another by Belgrade, and Serbs will be present in both. Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said ahead of the elections that according to the Martti Ahtisaari plan, the local governments in Kosovo financed by the Serbian government ”should be terminated.” On the other side, Kosovo Albanians are looking at the local elections as parliamentary ones. There were incidents during the campaign between supporters of Hashim Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj, two former members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Because of the risk of violence on elections day, all parties are calling for the elections to be fair and tolerant. More than 5,000 Kosovo police, KPS, members will be securing the local elections.

Election silence in Kosovo

It is still unknown whether Serbs will be participating in the voting.

Belgrade has stated that the needed conditions have not been met for encouraging Serbs to vote, while some Kosovo Serb officials are encouraging participation in order to gain control of local administrations and be able to make decisions without a large influence from the government in Priština.

There have been 21 Serb lists that have registered for participating in the elections.

There are seven candidates for the position of municipal president in Gračanica, though it is still hard to tell how many Serbs will be voting.

There are about 18,000 registered voters in Gračanica and the 16 Serb villages surrounding it.

Early estimates of non-government organizations state that a maximum of 30 percent of the Serb population in Gračanica is expected to participate.

There will be two local self-administrations functioning in Gračanica in the coming days, one controlled by Priština and another by Belgrade, and Serbs will be present in both.

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said ahead of the elections that according to the Martti Ahtisaari plan, the local governments in Kosovo financed by the Serbian government ”should be terminated.”

On the other side, Kosovo Albanians are looking at the local elections as parliamentary ones.

There were incidents during the campaign between supporters of Hashim Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj, two former members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Because of the risk of violence on elections day, all parties are calling for the elections to be fair and tolerant.

More than 5,000 Kosovo police, KPS, members will be securing the local elections.

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