UNMIK/PR/695
PRISTINA-SRSG Michael Steiner today met Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaime Gama in UNMIK headquarters to discuss Kosovo’s second round of municipal elections to be organized again by the OSCE. Mr. Gama is the OSCE’s current Chairman in Office.
SRSG Michael Steiner, in his address to Kosovo last night, announced that municipal elections would be held on 21 September 2002 if the political leaders elected to the Kosovo Assembly act quickly to form a provisional self-government. The Assembly was elected on 17 November 2001, but party leaders have yet to agree on key positions including Kosovo President and Prime Minister.
“I informed the Foreign Minister about the ongoing talks in this respect: there is a chance that we can achieve elections, on the condition that all the leaders do their job and show the necessary spirit of compromise,” SRSG Michael Steiner said at a press conference following the meeting. “We will do everything to work closely together with the OSCE in organizing the next elections. I’m very grateful that we had a chance to discuss that and I’m very grateful also that the Chairman in Office can give to the leaders he will meet here today in Pristina an impression from the outside of what the international community is expecting from those who have been elected by the people of Kosovo.”
Foreign Minister Gama said that “we are fully aware of the important statement by SRSG Michael Steiner regarding future municipal elections in September, if there is a political solution for the final political result of the general elections of the 17th of November, last year. Because this has a sequence, as an overall exercise for regaining political expression for the people of Kosovo, then it makes sense that local elections take place if there is a result from the previous general elections.”
The OSCE Chairman said he would take this view to the local political leaders today and would tell them that “you are representing the people of Kosovo and should abide by the spirit of negotiation and compromise which are the basic rules for modern politics….I’m sure we will get a result.”
He said that the OSCE was preparing to organize elections and was also assessing the budgetary conditions involved.
Asked whether an inability of party leaders to form institutions soon would cancel the municipal elections, SRSG Michael Steiner repeated his position that “there will be municipal elections in September if we have a government formed on the Kosovo level soon. That’s the pre-condition for these municipal elections. How can we ask the international community and the OSCE to fund municipal elections in a situation in which the first elections are not even implemented? This isn’t feasible and the OSCE wouldn’t do it. We have a clear position here.”
To a question on the timeline needed for an agreement, in order to schedule elections, SRSG Michael Steiner answered, “very soon.”
Asked whether he had a solution for forming the new government, SRSG Michael Steiner replied,
“It’s up to those who have been elected to find that solution. … If we have the necessary spirit of compromise, if the leaders cannot follow their own party interests, but follow the interest of Kosovo, we will find a solution…. I think it is possible to do that and I will work for that to be the outcome.”
