UNMIK/PR/1692
PRISTINA – Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Joachim Rücker announced today after meeting with the Team of Unity that Kosovo will hold Municipal and Assembly elections on 17 November.
“In light of the Team of Unity’s request for Assembly and Municipal elections to take place in November, as required by the law, I have decided that these elections will be held on 17 November,” Mr. Rucker said after meeting with the Team of Unity. “It is crucial that democracy runs its course notwithstanding the paramount importance of concluding the status process.”
“I wish to make clear that the Team of Unity and I are in complete agreement that the status process has absolute priority,” the SRSG said. “I reserve the right to postpone the elections date should there be a conflict, in particular should the holding of elections be used as an excuse to delay status.”
The SRSG said that the 17 November elections date requires that the political entities wishing to take part in the elections respect all technical deadlines.
It was also agreed at the meeting with the Team of Unity that the holding of elections was conditioned on the political parties not acting in any way that is detrimental to the status process. The Team of Unity further agreed that it would stay united and continue to engage constructively and in good faith throughout the period of engagement.
The announcement of the polling date follows the SRSG’s signing of three regulations on Wednesday governing the elections. The electorate will be choosing Assembly Members, Municipal Assembly Members and, for the first time, will directly elect a mayor for each of Kosovo’s 30 municipalities.
The regulations set out single districts – all of Kosovo for the central election and existing municipalities for local elections. Seats will be allocated by the proportional representation system.
The most notable change to the electoral system is the open list for seats. Voters will be able to cast a ballot for both a political entity and up to 10 individuals within the same political entity’s candidate list.
