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UNMIK/PR/628 IAC briefed on Covic After a three-week summer break, the Interim Administrative Council resumed meeting today, with a briefing from SRSG Hans Haekkerup on his recent meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic and an update on preparations for the 17 November elections. KFOR also described the recent security situation. The initial meeting between the SRSG and Mr. Covic in the latter's role as chief of the Coordination Center for Kosovo, which took place on 15 August, was useful and held in a good atmosphere, Mr. Haekkerup told the IAC. Mr. Covic's appointment as the chief FRY and Serbian emissary for Kosovo had not changed UNMIK's powers under 1244, the SRSG said. The SRSG said one of his main messages was that UNMIK would oppose any parallel security or administrative structures, and "Mr. Covic agreed … He wants to make a constructive contribution to solve the problems of Kosovo Serbs," Mr. Haekkerup said. Issues discussed included the Kosovo Albanians still in Serbian prisons, Serbian detainees in Kosovo, missing persons, and in particular, Mitrovica. Mr. Haekkerup added that Mr. Covic also acknowledged UNMIK's position that the only FRY office authorized to operate in Kosovo was in Pristina. Visiting Mitrovica on Friday, Mr. Covic had also helped to resolve the hunger strike at the detention center. All IAC members said they supported the discussions as described. Mr. Haekkerup and Mr. Covic will meet with representatives of the families of missing Kosovo Serbs in Pristina on Friday. Regarding the 17 November elections, Mr. Daan Everts, head of UNMIK's Pillar III, said the registration of previously unregistered voters was going slowly. While OSCE's elections preparations were well underway, the turnout of potential but unregistered voters was low. OSCE surveys indicated that minority communities and recent returnees to Kosovo had sufficient information on registration but that "motivation is the problem," he said. To help inspire the unmotivated, Kosovo Serb as well as some Kosovo Albanian leaders were taking to the media to urge Serbs to register, Mr. Everts noted. Also, taking into account the increasing support by key Kosovo Serb figures for registration, mobile teams would return to various communities to give people a further chance to register. Party certification has been extended to accommodate parties still intending to take part, Mr. Everts said. He also announced that there would be no double mandate, meaning that
while members of municipal assemblies may run for the Kosovo Assembly, if
elected in November, they must resign from the municipal
assembly. |