20th anniversary of most shameful elections in Kosovo history

Twenty years ago, a month after one of the massacres that rocked world opinion, the Likoshan massacre and a month after the events in Prekaz, in part Kosovo, elections were being held.

On March 28, 1998, several families were massacred in Licoshan, just where the first resistance of the Kosovo Liberation Army began. After that, in March, there is the war between Serbian forces and the Yashari family in Prekaz.

But what was happening in another part of Kosovo, just a month later?

Elections organized...

In the quality of Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova on December 23rd 1997, the announcement of the new elections <x0-parliamentary and presidential” for March 22, 1998, which according to the CEC was held in 29 constituencies, to be elected president and 130 MPs, 100 out of whom go to direct elections, while 30 other countries are distributed according to the proportion.

The chairman of the Central Commission's 22 March 1998 presidential and parliamentary elections was appointed Judge Tadej Rodiqi.

According to the CEC, ten political parties, three associations -- the Association of Independent Lawyers, the Kosovo Green Movement and the League of Citizens of Kosovo -- participated in these elections, and three independent candidates for MPs, two from Decani and one from Dragashi. On March 19, 1998, Ibrahim Rugova appealed to the people to come out Masovically in parliamentary and presidential elections on 22 March.

Ibrahim Rugova's appeal said:

Dear citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. The March 22nd Parliamentary and presidential elections in the Republic of Kosovo are of particular historical, national and state importance. With these elections, the democratic order in Kosovo is held and strengthened, affirming the citizens' free vote. With these elections strengthened the legitimacy of Kosovo leadership and institutions, greater opportunities for building society and civil state are created. With these elections, Kosovo's ties with its many world friends are strengthened, especially with the US and the European Union. In the quality of the head of the Republic of Kosovo, I invite all citizens to the polls. From republican and local institutions, I request that proper preparations be made for the successful implementation of the March 22nd elections. It invites citizens to vote for parliamentary and presidential candidates of political subjects participating in the elections, especially the LDK, and other parties that have worked on building Kosovo's state and independence”, former President Rugova said. /