OSCE-facilitated mayoral elections in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North carried out successfully

MITROVICË/MITROVICA, 23 February 2014 – OSCE Mission in Kosovo has successfully facilitated repeat elections for the mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North municipality held today.

Eligible voters were able to cast ballots from 7:00 to 19:00 at 33 polling stations in seven polling centers. The polling station committees counted the votes at the stations and handed the election materials over to the Central Election Commission through its municipal branch.

“I am very pleased with the course of today’s elections,” said Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

“The polling station committees members carried out their tasks professionally and some 100 OSCE staff provided all the necessary technical support. Furthermore, security providers, including Kosovo Police, EULEX and KFOR, once again stepped up to their task and provided for a safe electoral environment, and I thank them for their hard work.”

The OSCE is facilitating local election in northern Kosovo in line with the EU brokered agreement on normalization of relations between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština reached in Brussels in April 2013. The second round of mayoral elections in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North may be held in four weeks if no candidate has won more than 50 percent of the votes cast today.