Nieuwe Europese waarnemers in Kosovo (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van Europa (RvE), gepubliceerd op maandag 12 november 2007.

150 Short-Term Observers arrive in Kosovo

Pristina, 12.11.2007 - 150 Short-Term Observers (STOs) from 34 European countries will arrive today in Kosovo. After two days of training in Pristina, they will be deployed in pairs throughout Kosovo and wherever else needed to observe the upcoming 17 November elections.

As far as was possible, the choice and teaming of STOs took into consideration gender balance (90 men and 60 women), as well as nationality and experience. In addition to the STOs who have been sent by their Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the group will also include 18members from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe (Council of Europe), four members from the Committee of the Regions (European Union) and seven from the European Parliament.

In the days prior to the election, the STOs will conduct reconnaissance visits to the polling stations they are due to observe. On the day of the elections, they will complete observation forms covering main indicators such as the opening and closing of polling stations and the overall voting and counting procedures. This information will be compiled and processed "on-line" by a team of statisticians.

Each pair of observers will visit, on average, eight polling stations. In other words, the 75 pairs of STOs are expected to observe a quarter of the total 2,350 polling stations. "However, more than numbers, what matters most is the quality of the observation", stated Giovanni Di Stasi, the Head of the Council of Europe Elections Observation Mission in Kosovo.

The aggregated figures will form the backbone of the preliminary statement to be presented to the media the day after the elections. This statement will indicate if the electoral process complied with international standards.

For further information

http://www.coe.int/t/dc/files/events/2007_kosovo

Council of Europe Election Observation Mission

FranAois Charlier, spokesperson

Mobile: + 377 (0)44 946662 or + 381 63126 36 27 ; Tel: +381 (0) 38 504 604 ext: 8833

Email: francois.charlier@coe.int

Camp Charlie - Industrial zone - Pristina 10000 Kosovo/UNMIK

Council of Europe Press Division

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11

pressunit@coe.int

www.coe.int/press

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