COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO MONITOR KOSOVO ELECTIONS
Support A1+!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.
