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EU EOM: Kosovo elections were transparent, but the vote-counting process is vulnerable

EU Observers present their Final Report; Photo: EU EOM

PRISTINA – Early Elections held on 6 October in Kosovo were well-administered and transparent, but the vote-counting process exposed vulnerabilities, stated in the EU Election Observation Mission’s (EU EOM) final report, Gazeta Express reported.

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, a Member of the European Parliament, and Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission, emphasized among other things the pressure to vote certain parties in Serb-inhabited areas.

Von Cramon-Taubadel said that vote-counting credibility and delays in certification of results came after the Central Elections Commission failed to take a timely decision and because of the controversies with the decision of the election results appeal bodies.

The EU EOM Final Report contains 23 recommendations to improve future electoral processes in Kosovo.

“There are recurring systemic problems with the election process. For instance, lack of clear provisions on challenging results at all levels, issues concerning the accuracy of the voter list, inadequate campaign finance regulation and oversight, and many others”, von Cramon-Taubadel said.

She emphasized that these problems need to be urgently addressed, considering also the efforts already taken by the Assembly’s ad-hoc Committee, in order to bring Kosovo fully in line with international standards for democratic elections.

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