The Kosovo Local Elections on 28^th October 2000 were seriously marred by chaotic arrangements, procedural irregularities and arbitrary interpretations of the rules by OSCE officials.

This group has observed more than 70 elections and in procedural terms this election was among the very worst. If this election had been controlled by any other body than the OSCE itself, the administrative disorganisation would have been regarded by an OSCE obsever mission as casting serious doubts on the freeness and fairness of the poll. There is no suggestion that OSCE officials at polling station level were doing anything other than trying to interpret the extremely complex rules which they did not understand and which appeared not to have been adequately explained to them in advance. Many were frank about the shortcomings of the training they had received.

The BHHRG observers were surprised that at 20.00 hrs on polling day, while voting was continuing in most parts of the province contrary to the rules laid down by the OSCE before polling started, Dr Bernard Kouchner, UNMiK Administrator, and Mr Daan Eveerts, the OSCE election co-ordinator, announced to the press that the election had been a success. It is admitted that there will be no official results for one week.

The poor conduct of polling day and the extended delay in counting and the release of official results are undesirable in any elecion. The patience of the voters in the face of the incompetence of the OSCE should not be considered an excuse for the obvious failings in the election process.

A full report will be issued shortly.

Mark Almond, Tim Buley, Anthony Daniels, Mary Walsh.