DPI

CONTENTS

ONE DAY AFTER ELECTIONS FIRST RESULTS START SURFACING
SOLANA IMPRESSED WITH DIGNITY AND WISDOM OF KOSOVARS
FISCHER GREETS PEACEFUL ELECTION FLOW IN KOSOVO
CEEOM: ELECTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
ÇELAJ: LOSERS AND WINNERS

ONE DAY AFTER ELECTIONS FIRST RESULTS START SURFACING

With an overall 60 percent of votes throughout Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo is leading in most of the municipalities in Kosovo, including seven of the biggest towns, are the first results from independent verifiers and political parties, reported Koha Ditore on page one.

Referring to its sources within the LDK, the paper said that the party won in 17 municipalities, while their archrival, the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK), leads in Skenderaj, Gllogoc, Kaçanik and Shtërpce, and eventually in one or two municipalities in which the results are still unknown. According to the first results, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo was not leading in any of the municipalities; therefore multi-party elections are confined only to two parties. Other political parties had a small percentage of voters, added the paper.

All minorities voted in Kosovo; the only exception were the Serbs. In Prizren, the Party for Democratic Action won over 3% of the votes. In Serb populated areas there was no voting, there was a single voter in Zveçan. In the parts where elections were held, SRSG Bernard Kouchner will name local Serbs for municipal governments.

The first free and democratic election in Kosovo held on Saturday had a big turn out from the Kosovar population. The international community has evaluated these elections as very successful. OSCE will make public on Monday the first official preliminary results.

"These elections were fully supported by the people of Kosovo," said Ylber Hysa head of KACI, a Kosovo based NGO and one of the Kosovar Albanians who monitored these elections. He said at yesterday's press briefing that OSCE had some logistical difficulties. However, they managed to release some information as early as Sunday on the Internet. Meanwhile LDK chairman Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, at a press briefing in Pristina, said that the LDK won the majority of votes based on their ten year work.

On Sunday PDK officials did not want to comment on elections results. PDK member Bilall Sherifi said that election results are not still known and that they are waiting for an official OSCE release. He also said that the elections were free and Albanians showed that they are ready to cast their votes freely. AAK information officer Sherif Konjufca said that his party would accept the election results even though they expected results that are more favorable. "We are a new party and this can be taken as very good result," said Konjufca. "We will not join a coalition with any of the political parties since we are a coalition. We will take part in municipal councils and will work together with all political parties and the individuals who are devoted to the cause". According to Konjufca, the AAK won between 12 and 15 % of the votes. Independent sources told us that these percentages could be lower. He also said "elections were fair even though there were some incidents". Members of other political parties did not win many votes in these first free and democratic local elections in Kosovo. They expect to do better in general elections, which are expected to be held next year.

"We did not expect any spectacular results which shows the small number of candidates in municipalities in Kosovo consequently we did not have big aspirations," said Naim Maloku chairman of the Center Liberal Party of Kosovo, "we estimated more votes. However, official results are not in yet. Maloku said that there were tendencies towards LDK by some of the OSCE local officials, but these would not change the overall results," said Maloku.

Luljeta Pula chairwoman of the Kosovo Social Democrats said, "We are impressed with the dignity with which the elections were held. The peace and quiet that was present during all Election Day amazed the world," said Pula. "We said during the electoral race that we would accept the results. Now we are preparing for general elections," said Luljeta Pula.

As polling stations closed, the counting process started in many of the towns in Kosovo. The counting process went on well after dawn, 6,000 international and local verifiers are counting the votes.

SOLANA IMPRESSED WITH KOSOVARS’ DIGNITY AND WISDOM

The international community greeted Kosovo citizens on the first free elections in their history. In a special statement on local elections, EU senior official Javier Solana said that yesterday was a historic day for democracy in Kosovo, reported Koha Ditore on page three.

"I am deeply impressed with the true peaceful atmosphere of local elections and especially with the dignity, wisdom and enthusiasm of the Kosovars when they cast their votes," said Solana adding that the massive turnout in voting and the absence of violence and incidents is the best indicator that the people of Kosovo are committed to a democratic future.

FISCHER GREETS PEACEFUL ELECTION FLOW IN KOSOVO

Yesterday and today German media featured large coverage on the first free local elections in Kosovo, including images and comments from the site and focusing on the massive turnout of citizens in elections, reported Koha Ditore on page three.

In a press release issued by the German government one day after elections, the German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer welcomed the peaceful flow of local elections in Kosovo.

Fischer also expressed regret for the non-participation of the Kosovo Serbs in the elections and appealed for both Kosovo Albanians and Serbs to jointly take over the responsibility of rebuilding Kosovo. Fischer also expressed appreciation for UNMIK, OSCE, and KFOR for organizing and the peaceful flow of elections in Kosovo.

CEEOM: ELECTIONS IN ACCORDANCE TO DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS

Zëri carried on page five evaluations given by European Council verifiers on local elections in Kosovo.

CEEOM confirmed that yesterday's local elections in Kosovo were fair and peaceful and with very few incidents. Head of the CEEOM Owen Masters said the high turn out by the electorate was a sign that Kosovars are for democracy. "In fact the elections were a victim of their success," said Masters adding that people had to wait between 2 and 3 hours to vote. In 18% of our verifiers reported that biggest problem was the frustration of voters while they were waiting to vote. CEEOM verifiers said that many polling stations opened 15 minutes later and two of them opened at eight o'clock. They add that the frustrations were raised by the poor organization of identification before the voting. "For a process that was supposed to last one minute, it lasted between 10 and 15 minutes," said Masters. "However we are happy to report that only 1% of intimidation was present during the voting, 3% that voting was not secret and 30% of the reports show that voting was conducted with more than one person present at the ballot box," head of CEEOM verifiers Owen Master. CEEOM analyzed 62 forms and 841 others have arrived during all day. Results of the European Council verifiers published yesterday were not final however "they confirmed that the elections were held in accordance with international democratic standards".

ÇELAJ: LOSERS AND WINNERS

Zëri on page one carried a column by Zenun Çelaj, in which he commented on the outcome of local elections in Kosovo. Çelaj wrote:

"According to up-to-now election results, the Democratic League of Kosovo has won in most of the municipalities. The result could have surprised only idealists, those who believed that the people of sacrifice deserve the respect of all times. But "the first love is never forgotten". It was once again tested in these elections of 28 October. There are a lot of moments that link the people of Kosovo with the LDK: the first party the brought together Albanians who were in no party then and the members of the Communist League; the first legal efforts for resistance, as much peaceful and passive they were; the only reliance of their hopes of survival for many years. It is also a matter of our mentality: "I have spoken once…!"

The Democratic League of Kosovo, a synonym of the people of Kosovo for almost a decade, as a winner of 28 October elections will find it very hard to keep the love of the people, because it will be difficult to fulfill the dreams of the people after elections for employment, shelter and security, law and order, education, health and social protection, the immediate release of prisoners… The next two years will be crucial for the definition of Kosovo's future status.

The wing of war, on the other hand, which could be disappointed with the results, is objectively not a loser. From the constructive point of view, it could even play a more constructing role for the future of Kosovo. This is the role of the opposition. Roles could be changed in the coming overall elections, or in local elections after two years. By congratulating the victory to its opponent, it will once again prove its commitment for a free and independent Kosovo. In the end, these are rules of the democratic game".