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Sun 24 Oct, 2004 07:15 am
Damn!!!!
BBC: (Full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3946649.stm )
Dismay as Serbs shun Kosovo poll
Election officials in Serb areas had a very easy day
The UN's administrator in Kosovo has lamented outside interference after Serbs shunned elections there.
Reportedly fewer than 1% of eligible Serbs cast a vote in the second poll since the UN took over Kosovo in 1999.
UN governor Soren Jessen-Petersen said some had "had their democratic right to vote hijacked" through intimidation.
Most of Kosovo's vast majority of ethnic Albanians want independence for the province, which technically remains part of Serbia and Montenegro.
Total turnout in the poll was put at 53%, compared with 64% in 2001.
We haven't noticed that elections are being held today
Milan Ivanovic, Kosovo Serb politician
Q&A: Kosovo elections
Kosovo's landmark elections
The Serbian Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica, and church leaders called on Serbs to boycott the ballot because of security fears.
Tens of thousands of Kosovan Serbs who have fled the province since the war in 1998-99 were allowed to vote, as were those still in Kosovo.
Some said they were intimidated by their own people.
Asked by a Reuters reporter if he planned to vote, a Serb in the divided city of Mitrovica replied: "Are you joking? They'd knee-cap me."
Only 15 people were reported to have cast ballots there in eight hours.
"Obviously some decided not to vote and that's their democratic right," said Mr Jessen-Petersen.
"Others obviously have had their democratic right to vote hijacked, who may have wanted to vote but were afraid."........
Re: Dismay as Serbs shun Kosovo poll
Kosovo has a very controversial status. Serbs declare ,that Kosovo is a part of Serbia and Montenegro.
Albanians means that it should include to Albania , other said it should be become independent. Other people want that the UN still administrate Kosovo.
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