The institutions: We'll guarantee free and democratic elections

Institutions responsible for organising and managing the process of extraordinary parliamentary elections on February 14th signed on Friday memorandum of co-operation, with which to co-ordinate actions for a free election process.

In this case, representatives of these institutions appealed to political subjects and citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to respect all election rules that are in force. They warned punitive measures for all violators of election rules as they invited citizens to report any eventual violations they might face on election day.

CEC Chairman Valdete Daka pledged that she will fulfil all obligations in the function of achieving common directives.

“Inter-institution co-operation is necessary to serve free elections. On behalf of the CEC, I pledge that we will fulfil all our obligations emerging from this memorandum in the function of achieving common goals, which are meant to ensure future electoral processes. I take the opportunity to invite all political subjects, voters and all those who have a role in this election to abide by the rules of the CEC, the law on general elections, and to contribute to the testimony once again how a new state we are able to organise free democratic and acceptable elections for all<1>, Daka advised.

Prosecutor Laura Pula said the prosecutorial system has finalised all procedures to operate jointly with the Kosovo Police in defense of the citizens' vote.

She said the State Prosecutor is the guard of the free protection of citizens' vote and that she will spare no one in that direction, while adding that any person who happened to photograph the vote would be arrested by the State Prosecutor.

“We are Guardians of the defence of the sovereign vote of the Republic of Kosovo, sparing no one who undermines the election process... Before you ask the question that the photographing of a vote is a criminal offense, I want to explain to you that the photographing of a vote is true that it is not a criminal offense. But any person who chances to photograph the vote at the centre of the poll will be arrested immediately by the State Attorney with the intention of stopping and interviewing and the reason why he photographed that vote... It would have been good not to meet people in elections who photograph the” vote, Pula said.

Even Fatime Drimak from the Kosovo Judiciary Council announced they have appointed 30 judges who will care for the election day on February 14th.

We have appointed eight judges, one of which is from the special department... Gjilan's Foundation Court has appointed five presiding judges, while we have two judges in Mitrovica, and Mitrovica's north, as well. The Constitutional Court in Ferizaj has appointed four judges -- that in Pay five judges -- the Constitutional Court in Gjakova has two judges, and Prizren's Constitutional Court has appointed four” -- it suggested.

From Kosovo Police, Arbnesh Ajvazi indicated they have undertaken all preventative and operational measures for election day.

“We have built up the necessary capacities for this election process to go well and we encourage all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, for any irregularities, even the media, to report the Kosovo Police and we will be available. We want this election day to go into the spirit of festive days and not to have incident”, Ajvazi said.

The chairman of the Electoral Panel for Anxiety and Parastance, Shukri Sylejmani, said they will work intensively until the certificate of election results.

“During election day the political subjects, domestics and citizens and all those who think their rights have been violated should file complaints on the Electoral Panel in the 24-hour deadline from the closure of the <x1 resort centre, he said.

Independent Commission for Media Executive Director Luan Latifi said they will monitor the media by election day. He invited the media to report correctly and without wrongdoing.

We have started monitoring 1 week before the election process begins. Yesterday we had an extraordinary meeting where for violations before the election campaign, we identified 5 televisions that broadcast program content without sponsoring... We had eight more cases for which fines were sanctioned, where two of them were local televisions”, he said.

Florent Spahija from Democracy to Action said that this year they will have smaller numbers of observers in the field.

By other times this coalition will have fewer observers, from 2 thousand and 500 than we had in the past, this time we only have 500 observers who will be at the polls, of different locations. Normally, it will not cover all centers or locations. This will be according to the sample, which we have established along with the NDI... DnV will have a centre where all information from the field will come in and we will co-operate closely like any other year with the State Prosecutor”, he said.

On Sunday, February 14th, early parliamentary elections will be held, while remembering that the country goes to the polls following the Constitutional Court's decision that the Avdullah Hoti-led government has been elected in no constitutional way.