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UNMIK/PR/593 IAC Discusses Elections and Statistical Office Regulation DSRSG Daan Everts and OSCE Director of Elections Peter Urben made presentations on the upcoming elections in today's session of the Interim Administrative Council. Mr. Everts reiterated the importance of the political cooperation of all the parties and that the "inclusive character" of the elections is imperative. Mr. Urben outlined the certification process for the political parties, the efforts to update the voters list, the activities of the Voter Service and the plan to register Kosovo citizens residing outside of Kosovo. He told the members that on June 20th, the OSCE will begin certifying political parties. He urged the Kosovo Serbs to register, assuring them they could decide later to remove their names from the ballots, but that they should give themselves the option of being listed. He also explained the plan to register "those who boycotted the previous elections, mainly the Kosovo Serbs" and the commitment to make sure that "each and every individual has access to the registration process." Mr. Everts also urged the Kosovo Serbs to join the Central Election Commission, if only as an observer. He said, "there is a seat for you, it is vacant." Kosovo Serb representative Randjel Nojkic reminded the committee that though the international community has worked hard to create the conditions for the Kosovo Serb participation, they are not yet conducive for their involvement. He also asked for assurances that the Kosovo Serb population outside of the Kosovo will be properly registered and have the right to vote if they choose to do so. Addressing the media after the IAC, PDSRSG Gary Matthews said that "we hope very much that the Serbs will participate in the registration process and, we hope, in the election itself." Also during the meeting, IAC member Ramush Haradinaj expressed concern over the timeliness of the Identification Card distribution and the importance that they will have in the voting process. He was assured that by the end of July, all the ID cards will be printed but that it is up to the individual citizens to pick up their cards. Mr. Everts explained that though nearly 700,000 cards have been applied for, less than 400,000 have been collected. In other business, the members of the committee were given a copy of the draft regulation on the Establishment of the Statistical Office. All members of the committee agreed on the importance of the office, but all pressed for a province-wide census. DSRSG Tom Koenigs explained that the issue of the census "is a political decision and budgetary decision" but that at the moment there is no money set aside for a census. The IAC members will endorse the regulation at next week's meeting. Mr. Haradinaj also brought up the issue of driver's license registration. Mr. Koenigs told the committee that regulations are currently being drafted to provide for the issuance of drivers licenses, the establishment of driving schools and the recognition of old drivers licenses. Though Mr. Koenigs could not provide the members with a timeline for the adoption of these regulations, he promised that they would be completed as soon as possible. The PDSRSG reminded the members that the topic for tomorrow's meeting of the Kosovo Transitional Council is the detained and missing people. He informed the IAC members that the KTC members request their attendance at tomorrow's important session. Mr. Matthews also told the members of the upcoming visit of the United Nations Security Council over the weekend.
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