PRISTINA, Oct 27 (Hina) - The United Nations' Civilian Administrator in Kosovo, Michael Steiner, on Saturday evening expressed satisfaction with the peaceful course of the voting during the municipal election in the area. He, however,
pointed to the fact that first preliminary returns showed that a turnout was not high enough for a success of a meeting on decentralisation, scheduled for 1 November.
PRISTINA, Oct 27 (Hina) - The United Nations' Civilian
Administrator in Kosovo, Michael Steiner, on Saturday evening
expressed satisfaction with the peaceful course of the voting
during the municipal election in the area. He, however, pointed to
the fact that first preliminary returns showed that a turnout was
not high enough for a success of a meeting on decentralisation,
scheduled for 1 November. #L#
Steiner explained that the preliminary results did not give reason
for optimism about possible success of the meeting on de-
centralisation which should take place in Gnjilani next Friday.
He added that he would wait for the final complete results before
deciding on the scheduled meeting.
At a news conference he held in Pristina last night, Steiner accused
Kosovo Serb leaders, who advocated the boycott of the voting, of a
low turnout of Serb voters at the polls. He also pointed to the poor
pre-election campaign in Serb communities.
The UN official, nevertheless, described the election as
successful and thanked the OSCE mission for the good organisation
of the Kosovo election.
Ambassador Pascal Fieschi, the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo,
said the voting, held in a peaceful atmosphere, was regular and in
accordance to European standards.
The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe)
mission in Kosovo organised the second municipal election in the
area.
Until Saturday evening, the OSCE processed samples from only some
100 polling stations, and could not give data relevant for the total
turnout, said a spokesman for the OSCE mission, Alexandre Benz,
The head of the election activities within the OSCE mission, Susan
Cardiff, said that, for instance, the turnout in Prizren was 57
percent, in Gnjilani 56.97 percent, in Pec 51.47 percent, in
Kosovska Mitrovica 48.9 percent and Pristina 45 percent.
According to first preliminary results, in Serbia only eight
percent of registered eligible voters for the Kosovo election cast
their ballots, and in Montenegro the percentage was higher (22%).
Final results will be announced on 31 October.
(hina) ms