UNMIK/PR/421

PRESS RELEASE 20 November 2000

Three Serb Municipal Assemblies Sworn In

PRISTINA – The SRSG Dr Bernard Kouchner saw the swearing-in of the newly appointed municipal assembly of Leposavic and declared it would allow the municipality to “serve the interest of its citizens until such a day that democratic elections would take place with the participation of the majority of the population.”

Out of a total of 17, one Bosniac and 13 Serbs were sworn in to the assembly; two Albanians are still to be appointed to the assembly.

In nearby Zubin Potok, 14 of the 15 appointed Serbs swore their oath of office and the two appointed Albanians were also sworn in. In Zvecan 12 of the 15 Serb appointees took their oath of office but the two Albanian appointees did not attend.

The results of last month’s municipal election were not certified in the three northern municipalities because not enough people had voted. Under the Regulation on Self Government of Municipalities this meant the SRSG had to appoint assemblies.  

Those appointed in Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Zvecan are from the communities they will represent. The President and the Deputy President of the municipalities will be also be appointed from within the assembly.

The appointed members carry out many of the same tasks their elected counterparts do. The main difference is that when it comes to financial issues and by-laws the municipal administrator will have to countersign decisions.

But the SRSG underlined the temporary nature of the new assemblies and said there would be by-elections next year in the predominately Serb municipalities. 

“This is just a temporary appointment,” said Dr Kouchner after the ceremony. “We need, we want, new elections.”
 
The SRSG acknowledged that UNMIK has not achieved as much for the Serb community as it would have liked. However he expressed a commitment to ensure security and freedom of movement for everyone in Kosovo as well as working towards returns of all displaced people to their homes.