EU monitors: We are ready for the October 6th elections.

The EU office in Kosovo has expressed itself ready through the monitoring team to monitor the October 6th national elections in Kosovo. While demanding that despite some shortcomings the entire election process go smoothly.

Through a media conference, observer team officials detailed their mission.

The head of the EU election observer mission in Kosovo, Violet Von Cremon Taubadel, said she hoped that through their presence all the indecent practices that could come up in the elections after two weeks will be avoided.

Until it declared that they are paying importance to these elections, then to give fair and objective assessments.

Our fully composed “mission will be observed before and after the day of the vote on October 6th. This reflects on the EU's continued pledge to support elections which are transparent in Kosovo and inclusive in Kosovo... we are strictly impartially during our work and do not interfere with the election process. As a mission we are not interested in the outcome of the elections, we have no interest in seeing this candidate, or the party win. We sincerely hope that our presence will have a positive effect on curbing improper practices in which to potentially prove”, she said.

The EU's chief observer criticised the failure to implement some of the recommendations the EU has addressed since 2017, which primarily concerns legislative changes and election list cleanup.

“Mission for the early 2017 parliamentary elections offers 26 recommendations. Many of these recommendations have not been implemented. In fact, none of the recommendations requiring legislative changes have been adopted”, she said.

Meanwhile, election campaign finance analyst Elissavet Karagiannido talked about the way political parties finance, while saying they are looking at the way they are financed and there is any influence by different companies, or vice versa.

“We will examine the transparency of election campaign finances, we want to see how the revenues and expenses of political parties are reported and made public. This refers not only to the 10 - day campaign, but we see the environment as a whole. We also want to see that all this information and financial reports will be published over time by relevant authorities and political subjects. Also, we're watching what income sources are, we want to see who contributes to these political parties. These are not limited to the official period of the campaign. Who are the contributors or have an improper connection to public procurement contracts? Is any exercise of influence by companies or political parties on the other hand”, the financial analyst said.

This EU team for the 6 October elections is made up of about 100 observers, until 2013 is the fifth time they have watched the elections in Kosovo.