Burton: OSCE will assist in election in northern Kosovo

The task of the OSCE mision in northern Kosovo is to help organize the local elections in accordance with the first agreement on the principles of the normalization of relations, which Belgrade and Pristina reached with facilitation from the EU, OSCE spokesperson Cathie Burton has said.

(kosovocompromisestuff) Wednesday, July 24, 2013

It is planned that the OSCE mission will be present in the local election committees and polling station committees, Burton told the daily Danas, adding that there were ongoing consultations with everyone involved in the process. According to Burton, the OSCE is generally involved in observing elections, which it will do in Kosovo as well, but the role is limited to assistance in conducting the elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo and will not include the rest of Kosovo. As for the lists of voters, Burton stressed that Belgrade and Pristina had agreed to take all the necessary precautions so the lists were accurate, adding that the OSCE would help out if needed. People who were forced out of Kosovo will vote following the procedure for voting outside of Kosovo, she said. The chief reason for the OSCE to be involved in organizing the elections is to create trust between communities and ensure the elections are conducted in the best way possible, Burton concluded.