Congres neemt tweede ronde burgemeestersverkiezingen waar in Kosovo (en)

Press Release - 891(2007)

Congress to observe 2nd round of mayoral elections in Kosovo

Strasbourg, 07.12.2007 - A Congress delegation, including also a representative of the EU Committee of the Regions, will observe the 2nd round of mayoral elections in Kosvo on 8December 2007.

The delegation, headed by Congress Vice-President Ludmila Sfirloaga (Romania, SOC), will be deployed in Mitrovica and Prizren, observe the polling on Election Day, and issue its preliminary findings on Sunday 9 December. Members of the delegation will have meetings with Sazan Ibrahimi, Executive Director of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, Joachim Rucker from the UN Mission in Kosovo, Markku Laamanen, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, and Jonas Jonsson, Head of the ICO Mission in Kosovo.

On the eve of the elections, Head of the Mission Ludmila Sfirloaga made the following statement:

"The 10th December will be a crucial day in the history of Kosovo. When the question of the status is decided, one of the most important challenges for the new government will be the development of institutions of local democracy in Kosovo. The Congress, faithful to its commitment to promoting a style of local self-government that meets the needs of the citizens wherever they may be, stands ready to assist and accompany Kosovo in the achievement of those goals."

Composition of the delegation

Socialist group / Groupe socialiste: 3 members / 3 membres

Ludmila Sfirloaga, Councillor, Prahova County Council (Romania/Roumanie, R), Head of the delegation

Paolo Rondelli, Municipal Councillor of San Marino (San Marino/Saint Marin, R)

Dominique Ronga, delegated to the interregional relations and the decentralised co-operation, Vice-President of the Regional Council of Lorraine (France, R)

EPP/CD group / Groupe PPE/DC: 2 members / 2 membres

Joseph Borg, Councillor of Mellieha (Malta/Malte, R)

Michael Neureiter, Vice President, Regional Parliament of Salzburg (Austria/Autriche, R)

Non registered NR / Non inscrit NI: 1 member / 1 membre

Véronique Moreira, Regional Councillor of Rhône Alpes (France, R)

Committee of the Regions

Ms Heini Utunen Ziv, Member of the External Relations Commission, CoR (FI/ALDE)

Congress Secretariat

Lilit Nikoghosyan, Co-Secretary of the Institutional Committee

Gönül Kocak, Assistant

Contacts Presse:

Dmitri Marchenkov, Chef de l'Unité de communication du Congrès

Tél.: +33 3 88 41 38 44; Mobile +33 6 75 65 03 49; congress.com@coe.int

Communication Unit of the Congress

of Local and Regional Authorities

Tel: +33 (0)3 90 21 49 36

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 27 51

congress.com@coe.int

www.coe.int/congress