Kosovo: Security Council, Annan welcome 'orderly and peaceful' assembly elections

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of the Security Council today welcomed the "orderly and peaceful" elections for a Kosovo assembly over the weekend and expressed satisfaction with the large turnout by minority voters.

"The Secretary-General congratulates the people of Kosovo on the commitment to democratic norms through peaceful adherence to the electoral rules shown throughout the campaign and on election day," Mr. Annan's spokesman, Manoel de Almeida e Silva, said in a statement at UN Headquarters in New York.

The all-inclusive nature of the elections would provide a solid basis for the institutions of provisional self-government that would be established in accordance with the Security Council resolution on Kosovo, he added.

"The Secretary-General is gratified that members of the minority communities turned out in significant numbers and express the hope that the elected representatives of all communities will take up their rightful place in the institutions of provisional self-government," Mr. de Almeida e Silva said.

The 15-member Council said in a press statement by its current President, Ambassador Patricia Durrant of Jamaica, that the elections were an important step in the implementation of its resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999 and would enable the establishment of democratic self-governing institutions as specified in the Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government.

Council members also recalled the responsibility of Kosovo's elected leaders and all concerned to respect fully all the provisions of resolution 1244, in particular the final status provisions, and to comply with the Constitutional Framework.

"Full respect for resolution 1244 will contribute to building a democratic, pluralist and prosperous future for all the communities of Kosovo," Ambassador Durrant said. "The stability in southeast Europe will also be strengthened."

The Council members commended Mr. Annan's Special Representative for Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, the UN mission (UNMIK) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and all those who contributed to the successful conduct of the elections, Ambassador Durrant said.

On Saturday, Kosovars voted for a legislative assembly, casting ballots in Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as by mail from 36 countries. By Saturday night, with three-quarters of precincts reporting in, UNMIK and the OSCE said that some 63 percent of eligible voters in Kosovo, as well as select polling stations in Serbia and Montenegro, turned out to vote.