Quint statement on the extraordinary mayoral elections in Kosovo
The British Embassy Pristina joined Quint partners, France, Germany, Italy and the United States to issue a statement about the mayoral elections in four northern municipalities of Kosovo.
The Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States take note of the elections on May 19 2019. We note that the election day itself appears to have taken place in an atmosphere of calm.
Still, the Embassies recall the findings of the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) in 2017, which expressed serious concerns about intimidation in many Kosovo-Serb areas, especially against political parties competing against Srpska Lista. These flaws, as well as requirements to update voter registries and clarify procedures remain unaddressed, result in restricted electoral competition and limited political participation, thus raising questions about the overall democratic process in those areas.
We call upon all relevant actors, including institutions and political parties across the spectrum, to address urgently these shortcomings by implementing the recommendations of the EOM. We encourage citizens and civil society to hold parties accountable for their commitment by joint declaration in the Kosovo Assembly in April 2019, to strengthen the electoral process. Those elected must now commit to representing the interests of all communities within their municipalities.