U.S. embassy warns against political influence in Kosovo’s election process

The United States of America (USA) has expressed concern over the non-certification of the Serbian List by the Central Election Commission (CEC). A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Pristina reacted by stating that the embassy is deeply concerned with the actions of some members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in refusing to certify the candidates of the Srpska List, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

“The actions of the CEC must strictly adhere to the implementation of legal standards and procedures, and any decision to disqualify candidates must be based solely on the equal application of the law. The electoral process must be transparent, credible, and free from political interference,” said the embassy spokesperson to KosovaPress.

Furthermore, the spokesperson added: “We are concerned about the overt inclusion of politically motivated criteria in the candidate certification process within the CEC. Such actions undermine the fundamental democratic principles of free and fair elections, as they open the door to subjective political influence over the electoral process.”

According to embassy, the CEC plays an important role in overseeing the electoral process and ensuring that the law is applied fairly and impartially. “Its responsibilities must remain strictly limited to legal procedures and not extend to political considerations. We urge all parties with concerns about the CEC's processes to utilize the existing institutional mechanisms, specifically the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP). All qualified candidates should be allowed to compete in free and fair elections in accordance with Kosovo law. It is essential that voters, not political bodies, decide who represents them,” the embassy spokesperson stated in the response.