As the campaign season opens today, the U.S. Embassy reiterates the call for all political candidates to commit to free, credible, and peaceful elections. We will be assisting Kosovo in meeting European standards for this election by deploying election observation teams across the country on election day.
Unfortunately, there have already been credible allegations of intimidation related to the election. Political candidates, journalists, and their families have also been threatened across multiple regions of Kosovo. We strongly condemn anyone attempting to influence the election process or the voters’ choices through these mechanisms. We expect all citizens, including those aspiring to be the future leaders of Kosovo, to speak out strongly against this type of behavior, and we support the efforts of the Election Task Force and the Kosovo Police in investigating any such reports.
Citizens deserve an open and transparent election process where all candidates have the right to be heard by the voters, members of the media have the right to share information about the election free from threats or violence, and all voters have the right to make their own decisions free from any outside pressure. The Embassy hopes that the candidates will hold themselves to these standards throughout the campaign season, and that the voters will exercise their right to vote, and choose wisely those candidates who will best represent the interests of citizens and of the country as it aspires to continue down the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.
