Newsroom
Kosovo's Election Commission sets rules for political party certification
PRISTINA 25 May 2001
PRISTINA, 25 May 2001 (OSCE) - Political entities wishing to contest this year's central elections will have to meet a list of requirements before their applications will be approved by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the body tasked with setting the rules governing the electoral process.
Electoral Rule No. 3/2001, which details the certification procedures for political parties, coalitions, independent candidates, and citizens' initiatives was approved by the CEC at its meeting earlier this week.
Every entity, which wants to be included on the ballot paper for this November's election and field candidates, will have to submit a formal application to the CEC. If the application meets the requirements laid down in the rule, they will be formally authorized - or certified - to do so.
The Rule on the "Certification of Political Parties, Coalitions, Independent Candidates, and Citizens' Initiatives" stipulates that each application must be supported by at least 1,000 signatures of people who are eligible to vote on, 17 November, the day of the elections.
In order to guard against fraud, the CEC will check the validity of the signatures submitted. As this year's election is for a central assembly and there will only be one constituency, the signatures of support may be collected from anywhere in Kosovo. However, the requirement to provide signatures will be waived if the CEC is satisfied that the entity in question obtained at least 1,000 votes in last year's municipal election.
All those applying must agree to sign up to the Electoral Rules, including the Code of Conduct, and submit a short policy statement. These statements will be distributed to the out-of-Kosovo voters who will be casting their ballots by mail.
The applicants must also say whether they intend competing for the 20 seats reserved for representatives of Kosovo's smaller communities in the new 120-seat central assembly - 10 for the Serb community and 10 for the Roma, Ashkaeli, Egyptian, Bosniac, Turkish and Gorani.
Any political entity, which has failed to pay fines imposed for breaking the rules during last year's municipal elections, will be disqualified from contesting this year's poll.
In addition to the other criteria, political parties must be registered with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, unless the CEC decides that the case is an exceptional one.
The certification fee for the 2001 elections will be 2,000 DEM.
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For more information, contact the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mission in Kosovo, Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260 / mobile: +377 (044) 500-150; email: press@omik.org, website: www.osce.org/kosovo/
Electoral Rule No. 3/2001, which details the certification procedures for political parties, coalitions, independent candidates, and citizens' initiatives was approved by the CEC at its meeting earlier this week.
Every entity, which wants to be included on the ballot paper for this November's election and field candidates, will have to submit a formal application to the CEC. If the application meets the requirements laid down in the rule, they will be formally authorized - or certified - to do so.
The Rule on the "Certification of Political Parties, Coalitions, Independent Candidates, and Citizens' Initiatives" stipulates that each application must be supported by at least 1,000 signatures of people who are eligible to vote on, 17 November, the day of the elections.
In order to guard against fraud, the CEC will check the validity of the signatures submitted. As this year's election is for a central assembly and there will only be one constituency, the signatures of support may be collected from anywhere in Kosovo. However, the requirement to provide signatures will be waived if the CEC is satisfied that the entity in question obtained at least 1,000 votes in last year's municipal election.
All those applying must agree to sign up to the Electoral Rules, including the Code of Conduct, and submit a short policy statement. These statements will be distributed to the out-of-Kosovo voters who will be casting their ballots by mail.
The applicants must also say whether they intend competing for the 20 seats reserved for representatives of Kosovo's smaller communities in the new 120-seat central assembly - 10 for the Serb community and 10 for the Roma, Ashkaeli, Egyptian, Bosniac, Turkish and Gorani.
Any political entity, which has failed to pay fines imposed for breaking the rules during last year's municipal elections, will be disqualified from contesting this year's poll.
In addition to the other criteria, political parties must be registered with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, unless the CEC decides that the case is an exceptional one.
The certification fee for the 2001 elections will be 2,000 DEM.
--
For more information, contact the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mission in Kosovo, Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260 / mobile: +377 (044) 500-150; email: press@omik.org, website: www.osce.org/kosovo/