UNMIK/PR/339 - 6 September 2000

UNMIK Policy Statement on 24 September FRY Election

SRSG Bernard Kouchner issued the following statement today:

Under UNSCR 1244, UNMIK bears the sole responsibility for interim administration in Kosovo. In order to administer any elections within Kosovo, UNMIK must ensure that fundamental international standards are met.

There is only one electoral process organized by UNMIK/OSCE in Kosovo, and that will be the Municipal Elections for Kosovo scheduled to take place on 28 October. After preparing this process for over 16 months, we can say that this is the ONLY election which will be properly internationally monitored by international observers, and which meets international democratic standards.

The FRY elections on 24 September will not meet any reasonable international standards. In fact, the attempt to stage the 24 September elections within Kosovo -- without any formal discussion with UNMIK, disregarding the most elementary democratic rules, without adopted electoral lists, without international supervision, and in which a leading candidate has been indicted by the ICTY -- amounts to nothing more than a farce, a crude attempt to disrupt the properly organised election process of 28 October.

Therefore, UNMIK will not participate in, support, organise, or in any other way condone or legitimise the so-called election organised by Belgrade.

UNMIK and KFOR are charged under UNSCR 1244 with ensuring both a secure environment as well as law and order in Kosovo. UNMIK and KFOR will consider, on a case by case basis, how to respond to any specific activities associated with the so-called election of 24 September, and a joint coordination committee has already been specially established for this purpose. Our policies will be guided by security criteria alone, since our highest priority must be to ensure safety, a secure environment, and to protect life.

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