Civil society reacts to Valdete Daka removing runoff

Daka has said the run-off allows political parties to shop around municipalities, and is a waste of time and a high cost. In this regard, however, civil society representatives disagree.

D4D Executive Director Shpend Emini, in a proposal for Telegrafi, has said any tendency for the removal of the runoff would drown the democratic race.

According to him, the job of the CEC is to manage and organise elections.

“We understand the challenge and work of the CEC, in short periods to organise two sets of elections, but this gives no one the right to seek the removal of the runoff or the second round of elections. The CEC is the main institution of election organisation, and there is no other job but to manage and organise elections. Article 9, point 9.6 of the law on local elections, clearly defines in which cases it goes to the second round of elections, and is one of the provisions that guarantees and preserves the integrity of democratic elections. Any tendency for the run-off to be removed would drown the democratic race by limiting the number of candidates who would race for local elections, thus denying citizens the possibility of having more solutions”, Amy said.

Emini also said that the CEC, has had to appeal to support electoral reform and improve voter information.

“The CEC should see new ways for the voting counting process, testifying to the institution's will for elections with integrity, because the only job the CEC has is to organise and manage elections”, Amyni has added to Telegrafi.

Albert Krasniqi, from Democracy to Action, also indicated that it is not in the nature of the bodies dealing with the organisation of the elections (as the CEC is in the case of Kosovo), to make such proposals.

According to him, such proposal by the CEC constitutes conflict of interest

“These institutions usually make proposals that have less jobs and are easier to implement”, he stressed.

He said Kosovo's Assembly should initiate social debate on revising the electoral system, both at the central and local level, as according to him there are many shortcomings.

The proposals to eliminate the second round of elections for mayors were initially proposed by LDK chairman Mustafa at President Thaci's meetings for election reform.

“However, if this topic is put into question and the need is found to reduce election spending, I consider that the most effective vote would be alternative. With this voting method, voters rather than vote for only one candidate, with this system can rank candidates according to their preference. That if the candidate, who by their choice does not get the sufficient number of votes, is seen as being the second most favoured candidate. This is a voting method where voters in the first round also vote for the second, without the need for two parties of elections to be organised. The flaw of this approach is that there should be better education and information of voters, as well as much more qualified commissionors to carry out the” count, Krasniqi said of Telegrafi.

Krasniqi said he does not consider the elimination of the runoff an appropriate solution.

“can be elected mayors who do not represent the will of most citizens. There may be mayors of municipalities who do not have the majority in Communist countries if they refuse to share power with other political parties, which usually do so when they are competing in the runoff as they need support to win the” elections, Krasniqi concluded from Democracy to Action.