Despite the situation with pandemic, the electoral campaign will be held complete

With current numbers of infection per day and the election campaign on the horizon, there are fears that the situation with the pandemic could get even worse. The law clearly stipulates that in regular elections the campaign period lasts 30 days. However, experts and patient associations appeal for campaigning for less than a month, but by the CEC, they say it is impossible and that they only expect health institutions' recommendations to respect measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The deputy chairman of the Federation of Health Unions in Kosovo, Xhemajl Selmani, told Kosovo that this time there should be an exception and there should be no gatherings with physical presence at all.

He says that after the February 14th elections, numbers increased due to the campaign, therefore he appeals to citizens to avoid gatherings while they go to respect measures for the sake of their health.

The “E has also shown past campaigns that immediately after the elections have increased numbers. I think not only should the campaign be shorter, but not even the people gather at political party gatherings. However, the militant part of political parties is hard to stop at gatherings, but at least to adapt to rules, distance from each other, wear masks, maintain hygiene, preferring experts and not to have large numbers of collections at those gatherings. It's hard to stop and control, but if politicians want to do it”, Selmani said.

In the same line of thought are the Association of Patients of Kosovo. Its chairman, Besim Kodra, predicts an increase in the number of new cases as well as those with fatality.

Kodra says they will ask institutions not to endanger public health due to the campaign, and this is done only by reducing the campaign period and by respecting measures during electoral meetings.

<x) - CO VID, otherwise if we have campaigns like the previous campaign with this positive (infected) in terms of COVID, we will have tremendous numbers of infected people and will not afford hospital capacity and deaths will be inevitable. 03:40 Any action, organisation that conflicts with those measures is illegal, including the election campaign. We always stand behind what should not be endangered by public health no matter what organization we have, even election campaigns. We will undoubtedly apply to reduce the campaign to the maximum and not risk public health”, Kodra said.

However, the demand to cut the campaign period appears to have no legal basis. By the CEC, they say it is impossible because it is thus regulated by the Law for Local Elections and the Law for General Elections.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elez said of Kosovo that the date for holding the campaign that starts on September 16th has already been set. According to him, it remains in the hands of health institutions to make recommendations on how the campaign should be carried out so as not to endanger public health.

The Central Election Commission has set the dates for holding the election campaign -- that is, political subject gatherings -- and this campaign begins on September 16th until October 15th. So this month's period of election campaign is only defined by the Law for General Elections and with electoral rules for gathering and reporting of political subjects because we are under the circumstances of regular local elections that are organised within the deadlines that are only legally defined. In this direction The CEC, when it has set the dates of holding the election campaign, is based on law and there is no possibility of being cut by the CEC”, Elez said.

Recent weeks in Kosovo have increased daily cases with COVID-19, while new measures have entered into force from Friday. The total number of active cases is 16,341.