DnV: Meaningless in these circumstances to insist holding elections in northern municipalities

This coalition of organisations, which frequently monitors all electoral processes organised in Kosovo, stresses that since the announcement of the election date in the four northern municipalities by the country's president as a result of the resignations of mayors in northern Kosovo, the process of organising these elections has been conveyed with numerous problems.

The process has been followed by boycotting the election race by Serb community candidates, which in fact constitutes the absolute majority of the population in these municipalities. The resignations of the relevant election officials of these municipalities have made it difficult to organise these elections. While yesterday's incidents and violence in that part have failed to continue preparations for managing the” election process, DnV notes.

DnV recalls that among the main principles of elections is free voting. Developing all procedures under numerous security forces, as well as under direct threat to the lives of election officials, but citizens and candidates also conflict with this principle.

It is clear that the Central Election Commission is almost impossible to carry out relevant election operations for the regular and normal maintenance of these elections. The CEC has even found it impossible to do such a thing even with police assistance. Given this situation, it is difficult to guarantee security in these municipalities for hundreds of people engaged as election staff on election day, as well as thousands of eligible citizens. Moreover, problems could be faced with opening its own polling stations”.

In the current circumstances of lack of security for election staff, the absence of Serb community candidates in the race, as well as the poor likelihood of participating citizens in the election, DnV calls on the country's president to initiate consultations with relevan activists to postpone elections in four northern municipalities, DnV's communique concludes.