Parties Agree Election Reforms Should Be Done

Due to irregularities which have conveyed the election processes in Kosovo, political parties that have seats in the Kosovo Assembly have signed a joint declaration, through which they have expressed their readiness and commitment to improve and strengthen the election process.

The heads of parliamentary groups have also agreed to establish a parliamentary commission based on improving and strengthening the election process, addressing recommendations by EU election observers.

Ahmet Isufi, chief of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo Parliamentary Group, this ruling party, told Radio Free Europe that problems which have been noted in election processes by international observers must be eliminated.

“Of course, there are elements which in the past have presented problems but have to be eliminated, these have also been seen in the talks we've had with Mrs. Apostova Natalia Apostolova, representative of the European Union in Pristina, which we've agreed to become a better correction in order for future election processes to be more democratic”, Isufi said.

Isufi has explained that the remarks, which have been seen in the election processes, are different from those of commissions and observers.

It's about lists that need to be cleaned because there have been defects in the past. Also, a system of greater control in terms of observers and commissions and various organisations monitoring elections. Also, the technical ways that should be perfected in order to have better election process and which is more democratic”, Isufi stressed.

The head of the Parliamentary Group from the Democratic League of Kosovo, Avdula Hoti, said parliamentary groups along with O The SEU and the European Union's Office in Kosovo have agreed to initiate a substantial reform for the election process.

There are many recommendations in some reports issued after the election process, related to transparency of the electoral process with completion of lists, cleaning up election lists related to the complaint process. There are reforms affecting a series of institutions managing the election process, but justice institutions also dealing with complaints stemming from the” process, Hoti said.

Parliamentary groups have agreed to establish a parliamentary new commission to improve and reinforce the election process. Hoti said that after the commission's work begins, it will be seen how fast these changes can be made and where the political parties' differences are.

When we sit now as the parliamentary commission, we will see where the political differences are and to what level the consensus can be reached”, Hoti said.

Even in the Social Democrat Party, more than 35 recommendations, which have come from European Union election observers, must be addressed as soon as possible. PSD Parliamentary Group chief Dardan Sejdiu said that, along with the recommendations, there have come instructions on how solutions to those obstacles can be found.

This process can be completed quickly and well, but I'm saying there are all subjects here in the Assembly represented by parliamentary groups, and each subject should have both will and willingness and work, and commitment, but also to solve these problems. What we see today in Kosovo is that only one subject is serious in handling issues like these, and that is the Social Democrat Party”, Sejdiu said.

This commission is expected to be established at future plenary hearings. Also, they have agreed that under the Parliamentary Commission, they will form an advisory group of local and international experts.

The signing of the Joint Declaration was held in the presence of European Union Representative in Pristina Natalia Apostolova, and O Mission Chief The SEU in Kosovo, Ambassador Ian Braathu.

Speakers of parliamentary groups have invited both institutions to support and help their efforts to improve the legislative electoral framework.

By contrast, Kosovo political parties and institutions in many cases over the past five years have tried to implement some electoral reforms, but largely have failed due to a lack of political consensus.