Verkiezingen Kosovo in lijn met internationale normen, maar opkomst erg laag (en)

"Yesterday's elections largely met European and international standards. We are nevertheless alarmed by the low overall turn-out." said Doris Pack (EPP-ED, DE), Chair of the EP's six-member election observation delegation. "We call on all newly elected politicians to respect the outcome of the elections and to fully assume their responsibilities, especially in view of Kosovo's European integration perspective."

The international election observation efforts were co-ordinated by the Council of Europe i (CoE), and the six MEPs were among the roughly 150 short-term election observers deployed throughout the territory on election day. The CoE's Congress of Local and Regional Authorites also sent observers. The three organisations held a joint press conference today at 14:00 in Pristina, and released a common preliminary statement, which you can find at the link at the bottom of this page.

The delegation evaluated the voting process in positive terms. In general, both the elections and the electoral process were conducted in line with European and international standards for democratic elections.

While praising these positive aspects, the preliminary statement highlights the alarmingly low turn-out, which sends a strong negative signal to political leaders. "This worryingly low turn-out reflects the population's deception in the performance of their elected representatives and the uncertainty regarding their future," said Ms. Pack. "Corruption among the political class, especially, should no longer be tolerated." 

Unfortunately, voters from the Kosovo Serb Community have followed appeals from Belgrade and Kosovo Serb leaders not to participate. "We have received reports of intimidation, and such threats and the unwillingness to provide premises for elections are unacceptable and contradict UN Security Council Resolution 1244," Ms. Pack noted. "However, in a few areas, some Serb voters did turn out for the polls, and we praise their courage to do so."

Some of the shortcomings of the electoral framework and significant delays in the preparations should have been avoided by the responsible authorities of the international community. It is clear "that the international community has not met its obligation to contribute to capacity-building in the field of elections", explains the joint preliminary statement.

The EP delegation urges all parties and political leaders to respect the results of these elections. In order to regain the trust of their electorate and to give a European perspective to Kosovo, elected politicians should vigorously fight corruption and give priority to enhancing the social and economic situation of all communities living in Kosovo.

Background and further information

Saturday's elections to a Kosovo-wide Assembly are an important step for Kosovo, since the Assembly will be given the task of choosing a government for the region, whose final status is still the subject of international diplomatic discussions with Serbia, under the auspices of the United Nations. The voters were also called on to elect mayors and representatives to their municipal assemblies.

The EP delegation's other members are: Ryszard Czarnecki (UEN, PL), Goran Färm (PES, SV), Gisela Kallenbach (Greens/EFA, DE), Hannes Swoboda (PES, AT), and Csaba Tabajdi (PES, HU).

For further details of the overall assessment of the elections, please consult the Preliminary Statement, jointly approved by the EP's and the CoE's election observation missions, at the Council of Europe's website, at the link below.