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SRSG signs Municipal Electoral Law: Kosovo will use proportional voting system with open lists and have one third female candidates
PRISTINA 10 July 2000
PRISTINA, 10 July 2000 - The Special Representative of the Secretary General, Dr Bernard Kouchner signed the law which will establish the basic provisions governing the conduct of the upcoming municipal elections in Kosovo. The municipal elections will be held in order to elect the members of the municipal assemblies in each of the 30 municipalities. Their term of office for the first municipal elections will be 2 years. The elections will be held under a proportional system with open lists, thereby granting all contenders optimal chances for participating in the local politics of Kosovo. The date of the election has not yet been set. The regulation allocates the competence to do so to the SRSG, after consultation with the UN-Secretary General and the Head of UNMIK's Institution Building Pillar (OSCE). This law was signed following elaborate discussions in the IAC, the KTC and the Central Elections Commission and has taken into account the opinion of the vast majority of political factions in Kosovo.
By introducing a proportional system, UNMIK is determined to help create a pluralistic political climate in Kosovo. The proportional system with open lists is designed to grant smaller parties, groups or communities a fair chance of being elected to office. It is also the only electoral system which can be applied on the basis of the existing municipal boundaries A vote cast for one candidate will automatically be counted as one vote for the respective political party or coalition or citizen's initiative. Accumulating all those votes and dividing them by the number of participating parties will allocate the amount of seats to each political grouping.
Another important element aimed at insuring an even representation for all segments of the Kosovo society is the provision that at least every third candidate has to be female. This will apply for lists with more than two candidates up to lists with 15 candidates. Lists carrying up to 15 or more than 15 candidates will therefore have at least 5 female candidates on them. The formula provides a check that women cannot be placed at the bottom of the list.
The elections for the municipal assemblies, whose term of office will start as soon as the elections results have been certified by the SRSG, will return a varying number of candidates in each municipality. The size of the assemblies will be specified in the upcoming Regulation on Self-Government of Municipalities in Kosovo.
The date for the election cannot be set yet, as it depends on the successful completion and certification of the voters' registration process and the compilation and certification of the candidates' lists. Under the Regulation, the SRSG is given the authority to determine the date for Kosovo's upcoming municipal elections after consultations with the UN-Secretary General and the Head of the Institution Building Pillar (OSCE). The OSCE is mandated to organise and supervise the elections. To this end, a Central Elections Commission was established in April.
By introducing a proportional system, UNMIK is determined to help create a pluralistic political climate in Kosovo. The proportional system with open lists is designed to grant smaller parties, groups or communities a fair chance of being elected to office. It is also the only electoral system which can be applied on the basis of the existing municipal boundaries A vote cast for one candidate will automatically be counted as one vote for the respective political party or coalition or citizen's initiative. Accumulating all those votes and dividing them by the number of participating parties will allocate the amount of seats to each political grouping.
Another important element aimed at insuring an even representation for all segments of the Kosovo society is the provision that at least every third candidate has to be female. This will apply for lists with more than two candidates up to lists with 15 candidates. Lists carrying up to 15 or more than 15 candidates will therefore have at least 5 female candidates on them. The formula provides a check that women cannot be placed at the bottom of the list.
The elections for the municipal assemblies, whose term of office will start as soon as the elections results have been certified by the SRSG, will return a varying number of candidates in each municipality. The size of the assemblies will be specified in the upcoming Regulation on Self-Government of Municipalities in Kosovo.
The date for the election cannot be set yet, as it depends on the successful completion and certification of the voters' registration process and the compilation and certification of the candidates' lists. Under the Regulation, the SRSG is given the authority to determine the date for Kosovo's upcoming municipal elections after consultations with the UN-Secretary General and the Head of the Institution Building Pillar (OSCE). The OSCE is mandated to organise and supervise the elections. To this end, a Central Elections Commission was established in April.