Petkovic has sent a request to the OSCE to ensure engagement in the elections in Kosovo

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, addressed a written request to the head of the OSCE in Kosovo, Michael Davenport, in which he asked for the engagement of that mission in the organization and conduct of elections in Kosovo, the delivery of election materials to polling stations, as well as in the collection of ballots and their transportation after the voting, in accordance with the procedures applied during previous electoral procedures in Kosovo up to the year 2020.

Petkovic did so after the Office for Kosovo and Metohija received a letter from the Republic Electoral Commission, requesting assistance within its jurisdiction in conducting elections for Members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

In the document that Tanjug had access to, Petkovic, referring to the OSCE mandate in Kosovo, reminded of the role and duty of the OSCE mission in ensuring the security and transparency of the electoral process.

In this context, Petkovic emphasized that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo had developed specific procedures, aligning them with generally accepted standards for the preservation of human rights and freedoms and that it had collaborated in its work with the International Security Forces KFOR and the European Union Rule of Law Mission EULEX, as the primary guarantors of a secure and safe environment for the transparent and legitimate expression of the citizens' electoral will.

In his letter, Petkovic also emphasized the importance of respecting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and relevant OSCE decisions regarding the organization of elections and the citizens' ability to freely exercise their voting rights in Kosovo.

Petkovic concluded the letter with a request to the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, Michael Davenport, to exercise the powers granted by UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and his personal authority as the head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo to ensure that the upcoming elections for the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, scheduled for December 17, 2023, are held in Kosovo with the necessary OSCE involvement and engagement of all relevant actors, following the same model applied in the 2020 elections.

At the end of the letter, and considering the legal deadlines for the conduct of electoral activities and procedures, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija requested that the response from the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo be provided as soon as possible.