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UN wants first-ever election in Kosovo |
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July 10, 2000
PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (AP) - With a fun run for ethnic Albanians and appeals to the Serbs, the United Nations is launching a major push to register as many Kosovars as possible for the province's first internationally upervised election before the registration deadline next weekend. But the refusal so far of most of the province's estimated 100,000 Serbs to register to vote in municipal elections set for October has raised concern whether the balloting will fall short of international hopes for a legitimate, multiethnic foundation for building democracy following more than a decade of political oppression and ethnic conflict. The deadline for registration is Saturday. Kosovo Serb leaders have refused to take part in the electoral process until the United Nations satisfies their demands for security against ethnic Albanian attacks and provides for the return of Serbs who fled the province when Yugoslav forces withdrew in June 1999 after the 78-day NATO bombing campaign. Many Kosovo Serbs have never accepted Belgrade's effective loss of the province. NATO officials believe Belgrade's agents operating in Serb communities encourage Serbs to refuse to take part in U.N.-sponsored political activity. To draw attention to the upcoming deadline, the U.N. administration Sunday sponsored a "Race to Register," a one-mile (1.6-kilometer) fun run Sunday down Pristina's main street with prizes for winners. Kosovo's chief U.N. administrator, Bernard Kouchner, joined the race, which was sparsely attended. Ethnic Albanian men lounging at sidewalk cafes under warm, sunny skies stared curiously as dozens of runners - many of them employees of international organizations - chugged down the dusty street. No date for the election has been set, and rules and procedures have yet to be finalized. However, it is expected that voters in Kosovo's 30 municipalities will choose local councils, which in turn would select a municipal president. If all goes well, elections for Kosovo-wide positions are likely next year. Although the powers of the local administrations will be limited, the election will be a key test of the U.N.'s capability of building democracy in Kosovo. It also will test the ethnic Albanian community's commitment to democracy and gauge the influence of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic over the dwindling Serb minority. Previous elections in Kosovo were either considered invalid by Yugoslav authorities or were manipulated, first by the Communists and later by Milosevic's government. As of Thursday, a total of 879,137 of the province's estimated 1.9 million people had registered, presenting themselves at 196 local centers where inspectors verify their right of residence and other qualifications. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is supervising the election, has not released a breakdown by ethnic groups, since registrants do not have to declare whether they are Albanian, Serb, Gypsy, Turk or other groups. However, OSCE officials admit that Serb participation has been low. For example, in four Serb municipalities - Zubin Potok, Zvecan, Strpce and Novo Brdo - no one had registered as of Thursday. In the largest Serb enclave of Kosovska Mitrovica, no more than a couple of hundred Serbs were believed to have registered. On Friday, OSCE official Daan Everts met with representatives of all remaining Serb communities - including hard-liners and moderates - urging them to encourage registration so Serbs could take part in the political life of the province. However, the Serbs turned him down. "We are refusing to register because we have no security, freedom of movement, legal security and what's the most important - there's no return of Serbs," said Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Kosovska Mitrovica Serbs. OSCE officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it might be possible to extend the deadline for a brief period if Serbs showed interest in participating. But the need to prepare ballots, review candidate lists, establish rules and other measures make it unlikely the deadline could be extended for more than a couple of weeks.
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