COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO MONITOR KOSOVO ELECTIONS

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[03:22 pm] 05 October, 2007

The Council of Europe has opened an election observation mission for
the 17 November Assembly and local elections in Kosovo.

The deployment of the mission follows an invitation from the United
Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to lead the international
observation effort for the forthcoming elections.

The mission, headed by Giovanni Di Stasi of Italy, a former President
of the Council of Europe Congress for Local and Regional Authorities,
includes a core team of eight international experts based in Pristina.

On 11 October, following two days of training, around 16 long-term
observers from 12 European countries will be deployed throughout
Kosovo and the mission’s area of responsibility, to closely monitor
the electoral process.

Shortly before election day, some 150 short-term observers composed
of delegations from the Council of Europe member states and other
European institutions will be deployed to monitor the opening of
polling stations, voting, counting of ballots, and the tabulation of
results at all levels.

The day after the elections, the Election Observation Mission will
issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress