CEC ready for tomorrow's elections in the north, interprets irregularities

Central Election Commission spokesman Valmir Elezi, at the Coha.net Week Interview, has unveiled the course of the election process and provided further details about tomorrow.

The Central Election Commission, shortly after President Hashim Thaci has announced the election date in the north, has started with intensive preparations. One of the first decisions the CEC has made has been the operational plan in which dozens of activities had to be undertaken by the CEC during this 40-day period. Now when we are only a few hours until the opening of the deployments, we have managed to close all aspects of the election process. We have met our constitutional and legal obligations for organising the” elections, Elez said, adding that tomorrow they expect a fair election process without any problems.

Tomorrow, these three political subjects that are competing and certified by the CEC have out of 4 candidates that total 12 candidates for four municipalities. The CEC has also approved the budget plan for organising these elections. 471 thousand euros will cost elections for the four municipalities. The CEC has planned the budget for two rounds, in the first round, 315 thousand euros are planned, while in the second round there are 156 thousand euros.

For five days political subjects campaigned in search of voter support. Elez says that in terms of the election campaign, the long-term decision has met the CEC.

There have been five days available to hold electoral gatherings, organisation and activities. Today it is electoral silence and as far as the CEC is concerned, there is no specific obligation to submit electoral gatherings. This issue is related to reporting holding these gatherings by political subjects and candidates to municipal commissions. As far as we've been able to see through the media has been a quiet campaign. As for the CEC, we expect this day that elections will be held to be common after we have managed to prepare all technical aspects”, Elez said.

CEC spokesman says the first preparations for tomorrow start at 7: 00 a.m. and send out the ballot papers and other sensitive material will be made under the Kosovo Police's escort.

We're going to send paper and sensitive materials to any location. This is the final phase for citizens to rightly exploit their right. In these four municipalities, the number of locations is 87 and are eligible to vote around 58 thousand citizens”, Elez said.

Votering rights in northern Mitrovica have 22.242 people, in Leposaviq 18.390 people in Zvecan 9,276 people and in Zubin Potok 8,612.

Elez explains that before the distribution of the election material is done, there will be members of the decision-making councils who will also make final arrangements so that citizens from 7 o'clock in the morning can go about their seats.

This year, O mission The SEU has no monitoring role but will have an advisory role. But Elez has also pointed to the rest of the observers in this election.

The “is limited to technical advice for municipal commissions and technical advice for decision-making councils on election day. As for other observers, there are about 500 observers who will submit the election process. These observers represent 2 political parties, 2 international missions, 1 European Commission, 2 diplomatic missions, 12 embassies, 1 international NGOs, 4 Local NGO, 15 media”, Elez says.

We remember that these elections are extraordinary, because they come after the resignation of the former mayors of these municipalities as a sign of protest over the 100 per cent tax being imposed on Serbian goods. There were then clashes even within CEC members about the Certificate or not of the Serbian List. Elez, has clarified for Koha.net how the announcement of a future candidate is precise by law.

This issue has been clarified in the law on local elections, where it talks about the end of the mandate and dismissal of the mayor of the municipality and, according to Article 11, points 2, the mandate of the newly elected president ends on the same date as the mandate of the mayor who replaces it. So it's about continuing term. We have to wait for the election results after its certificate. But future mayors in these four municipalities will continue the remaining” mandate, he said.

Elez has said that tomorrow on election day, the CEC has a plan to inform citizens of the vote's performance. During the day, he said several press conferences will be held where the citizens' participation data and overall performance will be disclosed.

“As far as the preliminary results are concerned, no exact time can be known, as we depend on how fast the number of ballots will be made in the vote and then the municipal commissions will soon arrive that these results are forwarded to the CEC but we have a team that is formed specifically for this and we are hoping that as soon as possible, within the few hours after the closure of the deployments we have preliminary results<1>, Elez said.

The CEC was unblocked after a long time by President Thaci. Recently, the political spectrum does not rule out the possibility of the country going to parliamentary elections. Elez, has indicated whether this institution is available for election.

“The CEC is the independent and permanent institution defined with the Constitutions of the Republic of Kosovo, and the main task is to organise fair or extraordinary elections. So whenever required by the CEC to organise an electoral process, we are certainly ready and dedicated to”, Elez said.