UNMIK/PR/492
United Nations, New York – For the elections in Kosovo to take place this year, decisions on the key elements of the institutional framework must be completed by April, the Security Council was told yesterday.
Briefing the Council on the next phase of UNMIK, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, said that while there had been progress in the establishment of the Municipal Assemblies following last October's municipal elections, it would take eight months to prepare for province-wide elections.
Elections were among the main priorities for future work of UNMIK, he said, which included a legal framework for provisional self-government; an effective law enforcement and judicial system; regular dialogue with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and resolution of legal property issues. Currently, UNMIK was elaborating the key principles, which would serve as the foundation for future discussions on the legal framework for elections and provisional self-government.
That "complex exercise" should not be rushed, Mr. Guéhenno said, as "hasty decisions may set the mission on a course from which it is difficult to deviate."
The democratic changes in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia provided an opportunity for a more constructive and meaningful relationship with Belgrade, Mr. Guéhenno said, adding that the establishment of an UNMIK Belgrade Office had been agreed in principle, and that negotiations continued on detainees and missing persons from Kosovo.
In the ensuing debate, most speakers agreed that it was essential to define the mandate and composition of a Kosovo-wide Assembly prior to the election and to ensure participation of all ethnic groups. Speakers also expressed concern about recent violence in Mitrovica, condemning attacks on international personnel there. Another area of concern was the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia, the theatre of activities of ethnic Albanian fighters, which was important for the overall security of the region.