Part I

IV. PROTECTION OF MINORITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS

49. Serious human rights violations continued during the reporting period, most
of them based on ethnicity. Kosovo Serbs, Roma and Slavic Muslims are the most
common targets. Violence is especially high in the few areas of Kosovo where
minority ethnic groups and Kosovo Albanians live close to each other. Violence
in these areas, including arson and grenade attacks, increased noticeably
following the killings and violence in Mitrovica in early and mid-February.

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A. Situation of minorities

50. One of the major preoccupations of UNMIK is the continued widespread
harassment, attack, murder and forcible eviction of non-Albanian minorities
across the province. The fourth joint UNHCR/OSCE assessment of the situation of
minorities in Kosovo, covering the period November 1999-January 2000, concluded
that, with limited exceptions, there had been no substantial improvement in
their precarious situation since the third report was issued in November.

51. As noted before, the rocket attack on a UNHCR bus carrying 49 Kosovo Serb
civilians on 2 February, in which two were killed and three wounded, was
followed by an outbreak of violent incidents in Mitrovica, resulting in the
killing of eight people. The attack on the UNHCR bus, one of eight bus lines
that shuttle minorities living in isolated communities across the province, was
a serious setback to UNMIK efforts to promote freedom of movement and to protect
minorities. The UNHCR bus line programme was temporarily suspended following
this attack. This was the second time the programme had to be suspended, the
first being after an attack in Pec on 27 October 1999 on a humanitarian convoy
of 155 Kosovo Serbs leaving for Montenegro.

52. The poor security conditions and the consequent restrictions on freedom of
movement lead to difficulties for minority populations in gaining access to
basic public services, especially education, health care and food markets.
These have been determining factors in the departure of Kosovo Serbs and other
non-Albanian groups from Kosovo. The Kosovo Albanian minority in northern
Mitrovica has also been subjected to similar problems, particularly since the
outbreak of violence on 3 February, which has led to the departure or forcible
expulsion of some 1,650 Kosovo Albanians from their homes.

53. In the Gnjilane region, three Kosovo Serbs were executed on 16 January on
the side of the road on their way to Pasjane, reportedly by four men in black
who stopped their car. On 30 January, a grenade attack on a house killed a
65-year-old Kosovo Serb male in Gnjilane. On 9 January, a Kosovo Serb male was
killed while cutting wood in Gnjilane. From 1 to 19 February, at least 36
separate incidents were reported by KFOR and UNMIK police involving Kosovo Serb
victims, including grenade attacks, arsons and murders. On 18 February, the
body of a Kosovo Serb was found in his car where he had been shot.

54. Many Kosovo Serbs and Roma live under heavy KFOR guard or in mono-ethnic
enclaves, without access to public services and at risk of physical attack.
Property owned by minorities is frequently targeted for destruction, unlawful
occupation and sale for less than reasonable value. Kosovo Albanians purchasing
property from Kosovo Serbs are increasingly the victims of attacks, often
resulting in damages to, or destruction of, property. In life-threatening
situations or particularly vulnerable circumstances, UNHCR has resorted to
assisting minorities wishing to depart to Serbia and to Montenegro. Some 602
individuals have so far benefited from this last resort protection measure.

55. In the Prizren area, the Slavic Muslim community still bears the brunt of
human rights violations. Four members of one Slavic Muslim family were killed
on 11 January. Grenade attacks against Roma houses in Orahovac have continued
and the movement of Kosovo Serbs in and around Orahovac remains restricted.

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Worrying signs are being seen in Dragas, in the Gnjilane region, as reflected in
the 7 February explosion in a cafe owned by a Slavic Muslim and the 10 February
murder of a Slavic Muslim in the municipality, the first since September 1999.
These incidents have greatly increased the feelings of insecurity amongst the
already vulnerable local Slavic Muslim population. The extent of this
vulnerability is such that the majority of those remaining have expressed on
several occasions their intention to leave the area in the spring.

56. Discrimination in the distribution of humanitarian aid and in essential
services continues. This discrimination results in a variety of human rights
violations, including the rights to health care, shelter, education and food.
In one especially egregious example, the Kosovo Electric Corporation, for a
period of time, refused to make coal available for delivery to ethnic minority
areas, primarily to Kosovo Serb and Roma communities. Access to schools and
medical facilities for minorities is limited due to security concerns. Groups
distributing humanitarian assistance are sometimes threatened when they
distribute food, tools or other goods to minorities.

57. The inter-agency Ad-Hoc Task Force on Minorities, chaired by the Deputy
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
composed of UNHCR, OSCE, the human rights adviser of my Special Representative,
KFOR and UNMIK police, continues to work closely to enhance the physical
protection and freedom of movement of minority populations, as well as to engage
in longer-term confidence-building measures. UNMIK, United Nations agencies,
ICRC and many international and local non-governmental organizations also seek
to ensure that minority populations continue to have access to food, health,
education and telecommunications services.

58. Measures undertaken by the Task Force have led to an improvement of the
living conditions and the situation of some minority individuals and groups
around the province. The primary issue for minorities, however, remains
security. Measures aimed at enhancing minorities’ security and access to basic
services include: targeted deployment of KFOR and UNMIK police officers to
protect those deemed most at risk; installation of enhanced physical security
measures in minorities’ homes, such as reinforced doors and windows; improved
freedom of movement through the eight KFOR-escorted UNHCR bus lines between
minority enclaves, in addition to an UNMIK train service between Kosovo Polje
and the Mitrovica region; a targeted distribution network to enhance secure
access to health care and food; and the provision of satellite and mobile phones
to isolated minority communities. Confidence-building measures, such as
facilitating contact between community leaders, are also under way.

59. Since mid-September 1999, the civil administration pillar has also
appointed and deployed several experienced civil affairs local community
officers in selected municipalities with significant minority populations. The
aim of this initiative has been to increase the presence of UNMIK in areas where
minorities live in order to contribute to a further improvement of their
security and to extend the provision of essential administrative services at the
community and grassroots levels. These officers work in tandem with the UNMIK
municipal administrators and in close cooperation with representatives of the
humanitarian affairs and institution building pillars, UNMIK police and KFOR.
Their presence has facilitated access of the local minority population to

Page 14

essential public services and has also increased its contacts with different
local and international actors in support of humanitarian and reconstruction
efforts. To date, twenty villages/communities have been identified throughout
Kosovo for the deployment of local community officers.

B. Human rights

60. The institution-building component (OSCE) is the lead agency in the
monitoring of human rights in Kosovo. Human rights violations in Kosovo are not
limited to minorities. Harassment, intimidation and discrimination are
increasing within the Kosovo Albanian community. Most at risk are those accused
of having collaborated with the prior Serbian authorities. There have been
widespread reports that intimidation has been used to remove teachers and
directors from schools for refusing to join PPDK and to appoint new staff more
loyal to that party.

61. Trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution is emerging as a major
regional criminal and human rights concern. During the reporting period, there
was an increase in incidents of forced prostitution of women who had been
abducted in third countries and brought to Kosovo. The women are kept in a
condition of servitude. They have virtually no freedom of movement and no
access to their travel documentation. UNMIK police and KFOR have raided several
brothels and have found at least 20 women from other countries. Many had been
beaten, few had been paid and all were virtual "slaves" to the brothel owners.
There are also increasing reports of abduction of young local women. A shelter
for women at risk was opened on 18 February through the cooperation of UNMIK,
KFOR and international non-governmental organizations. The project is funded by
UNHCR and OSCE, and KFOR and UNMIK police provide security.

62. Some enrolled or self-proclaimed members of KPC have been accused of human
rights violations and illegal policing activities (e.g., arresting, detaining
and questioning alleged criminal suspects). Other cases involve enrolled or
self-proclaimed KPC members who are alleged to have collected illegal taxes from
businesses and participated in demonstrations, sometimes in the guise of "crowd
control", an activity which falls outside the KPC mandate. In some cases, KPC
members have been arrested but quickly released by the local judiciary. The
number of reports of such cases involving KPC members varies from region to
region.

C. Detained and missing persons

63. The continuous detention of Kosovo Albanians in Serbia remains one of the
most contentious issues in post-conflict Kosovo. The most accurate count of
Kosovo detainees is approximately 1,600 based on an ICRC survey of all civilian
and some military prisons in Serbia. On 8 February, the KTC Commission on
Prisoners and Detainees, chaired by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, requested that States Members of the United
Nations and UNMIK renew their efforts and give priority to the issue during
their contacts with the Yugoslav authorities and the Yugoslav opposition. On
23 February, KTC issued a similar statement calling upon the Security Council

Page 15

and Member States to exert pressure on the Yugoslav authorities to release
Kosovo Albanians detained in Serbia.

64. The issue of missing persons is a related, but separate concern. As of
21 February, ICRC had collected the names of over 4,400 missing persons. ICRC
was, however, able to clarify the fate of over 1,400 of those cases (mainly
through detention visits). It is estimated that there are therefore
approximately 3,000 cases of missing persons since the beginning of the armed
conflict in January 1998. Although the majority of those reported as missing
are Kosovo Albanians, there are also substantial numbers of Kosovo Serbs and
other non-Albanians (400 to 500), particularly Romas, who are currently
unaccounted for. At a meeting of KTC on 23 February, a representative of the
Association of Political Prisoners (a Kosovo non-governmental organization)
contested the number of 3,000 missing persons, claiming that the number of
missing was 5,000 to 7,000. My Special Representative has requested a list of
those persons.

65. The general consensus among international organizations and
non-governmental organizations working on the issue is that many of the missing
persons may be dead. The victim recovery identification commission proposed by
UNMIK should facilitate the resolution of such cases and give a more accurate
figure for the truly missing. This Commission, chaired by UNMIK, would make
systematic efforts towards exhuming graves that the International Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia declines to deal with. The Commission would be composed
of local representatives along with representatives of UNMIK police.

66. The International Tribunal has identified 529 mass grave sites and has
worked on 195. Its initial reports suggested that there should have been
approximately 4,266 remains in the 195 sites that it has investigated. However,
2,108 remains were found in those sites, slightly less than half of the original
estimate. There is no ethnic breakdown of the victims since the reports of the
forensic teams have not yet been completed.

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H. Housing and Property Directorate

95. The civil administration pillar, in collaboration with the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), has established the Housing and Property
Directorate and the Claims Commission as independent bodies working under the
auspices of UNMIK in accordance with UNMIK regulation No. 1999/23. The main
functions of these bodies are to provide UNMIK with policy support in the
housing and property fields, to allocate vacant housing for humanitarian
purposes and to settle residential property disputes in Kosovo. The procurement
of equipment, the recruitment of staff as well as the preparation of legal
procedures for the allocation and dispute settlement systems are among the
activities currently being carried out. Concurrently, efforts are under way to
re-establish the cadastral information system in Kosovo with the support of
several international donors.

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VII. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE RULE OF LAW

107. UNMIK is making progress in establishing rule of law in the region, which
is dependent on an effective, impartial and independently functioning judiciary.
My Special Representative, taking into consideration the recommendations of the
Advisory Judicial Commission on the Appointment and Removal from Office of
Judges and Prosecutors (Advisory Judicial Commission) established pursuant to
UNMIK regulation No. 1999/7, appointed 301 judges and prosecutors and 238 lay
judges on 29 December 1999. Judges, prosecutors and lay judges have taken their
oaths of office at swearing-in ceremonies held during January 2000 throughout
Kosovo, except for Mitrovica where the ceremony has been postponed until more
minority candidates are identified.
108. The Advisory Judicial Commission has called for applications for a second
round of appointments of judges and prosecutors, which is expected by the end of
March. With these appointments, it is expected that the number of judges and
prosecutors will reach 400. There have been public announcements to encourage
applications from minority candidates in order to improve the multi-ethnic
composition of the judiciary and prosecution service.

Page 25

109. The 48 judges and prosecutors of the emergency judiciary system have faced
considerable pressure in the course of their duties, which has impacted strongly
on their ability to remain independent and has resulted in an inadequate
response to the needs of justice. It is hoped that the independence of the
newly appointed judges and prosecutors will develop with the improvement of
security and material working conditions. With respect to security, there is a
pressing need to invest in measures to provide protection to the judges,
prosecutors and the courts as well as victims of crimes and witnesses. With
regard to material needs, the premises and working conditions of the courts
throughout Kosovo are very poor. In addition, the number of buildings
identified as suitable for courts are inadequate. However, within the limits of
the Kosovo consolidated budget, the refurbishment of some court buildings and
the distribution of material supplies, such as computers, stationery and
photocopiers, have begun.

110. My Special Representative adopted, on 15 February 2000, a regulation
enabling him to appoint international judges and prosecutors to the courts in
Mitrovica. The first international judge and the first international prosecutor
were appointed and sworn in on 15 and 17 February 2000 respectively. This
regulation is a part of the special measures to re-establish security in
Mitrovica in view of the recent civil unrest and the inadequate judicial
response.

111. UNMIK is also making concerted efforts to establish a war and ethnic crimes
court as soon as possible. The Technical Advisory Commission on Judiciary and
Prosecution Service, established pursuant to UNMIK regulation No. 1999/6 of
7 September 1999, recommended the creation of such a court. The particular
nature of war and ethnically related crimes requires that these cases be tried
by panels with both local and international representatives. In this
connection, the support of Member States in identifying and fielding expert
personnel and in providing material and financial support will be essential.

A. Penal system

112. The prison in Prizren, under UNMIK control since 29 November 1999, is now
fully operational as the first penal institution to be staffed and managed by
locals under UNMIK supervision. On 14 January 2000, a Kosovo Deputy Director
for the prison was appointed to work with four international correctional
experts.

113. Great efforts have resulted in the recruitment of 201 Kosovo correctional
and civilian staff within the Kosovo Correctional Service. The second training
programme for 30 correctional staff was completed on 5 February 2000 and the
recruits have started working in Prizren Prison. The third session, which began
on 7 February 2000 with 60 students, will be completed on 4 March.

114. Detention capacities remain inadequate to support vigorous law enforcement
and an efficient judiciary. The Pristina and Mitrovica detention centres
(managed by UNMIK police), the Gnjilane, Camp Bondsteel and Pec detention
centres (operated by KFOR) and the prison at Prizren (managed by the Kosovo
Correctional Service) currently house more than 300 prisoners, most of whom are

Page 26

awaiting trial, with only about 50 places available for new arrestees. The key
obstacle to opening additional detention facilities is a lack of expert
international staff to manage the facilities and supervise the local guards who
are now in training.

B. Rule of law activities

115. Efforts continued to establish the Ombudsperson institution in Kosovo.
UNMIK, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and other international
partners have together prepared a draft regulation for this purpose.

116. The Kosovo Law and Human Rights Centre will be established shortly. The
Centre will serve as a think-tank devoted to supporting the development of the
rule of law. It will focus on analysis of various legal issues, provision of
commentary on legislative and regulatory proposals and the publication and
distribution of laws, regulations, decrees, human rights instruments and other
legal materials. With the support of the American Bar Association/Central and
Eastern European Law Initiative, the institution-building component (OSCE) is
compiling and translating the body of criminal law that was in force on
22 March 1989, as that body of law is now applicable in Kosovo pursuant to
regulation 1999/24.

117. Contacts have been established with the Kosovo Chamber of Lawyers and other
legal organizations in the province. In 1999, an assessment was completed of
the needs of the legal community and, currently, a survey is being conducted by
the institution-building component (OSCE) on access to defence counsel, which
remains an issue of serious concern, particularly for minority criminal
defendants. In order to address this issue, a workshop to discuss possibilities
for the establishment of a self-sustainable structure for legal aid in Kosovo
will be held soon by the institution-building component (OSCE).

118. An assessment of the needs of the University of Pristina Law Faculty has
been completed. The Law Faculty signed an interim memorandum of understanding
with UNMIK identifying terms of cooperation, including the Law Faculty’s stated
commitment to multi-ethnicity in the teaching staff and the student body.

VIII. DEMOCRACY AND CIVIL SOCIETY

A. Democratization

119. The institution-building pillar (OSCE) is the lead agency in democracy and
civil society. A key project envisaged by the institution-building pillar in
the field of public administration training is the establishment of an institute
for civil administration. This is designed to be the official training
institution for the public sector. Before the formal establishment of the
institute, short training sessions are being held in order to familiarize local
administration officials with basic public management techniques, with
internationally recognized principles of local democracy and with the current
legal status of local administration in the transition period. To aid in the
fostering of civil society, a draft constitution for the establishment of a

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non-governmental organization council has been prepared which has assisted the
non-governmental organization community in registration procedures.

120. A citizens’ forum initiative has been launched which is aimed at gathering
input from the local population regarding what they perceive as the essential
issues affecting their daily lives in both Pristina and in the municipalities.
In the short-term, the concept behind these forums is to raise awareness and
prepare the electorate for the municipal elections to be held later this year.
The long-term aim of the forums is to create a culture of dialogue and democracy
in the community.

121. A Political Party Service Centre was opened in Pec on 18 February. The
Centre offers office space and communication facilities to all political parties
in the Pec region and is a forum for political party training activities. An
additional eight centres are expected to open within the coming months.

122. A draft regulation on political party registration and operation, which
follows European standard models, is being reviewed. In view of the upcoming
municipal elections and the representation of registered political parties in
the Kosovo Transitional Council, clarification on the status of political
parties is particularly important. The rules for participation of registered
political parties in elections will be set out in a separate regulation. The
first political party training will be carried out by the National Democratic
Institute, a United States non-governmental organization, and will focus on the
role and requirements of modern political parties.

B. Media affairs

123. An Association of Media in Kosovo was formed in December 1999 at a meeting
attended by most media organizations in Kosovo. In cooperation with
international experts at a seminar co-sponsored by the institution-building
component (OSCE) and the Soros Foundation, the Association developed its own
statutes and a code of conduct for print media, including provisions for
expulsion from the Association for violations of the code of conduct. At this
time, there is no other regulation governing print media.

124. The institution-building component (OSCE) has undertaken a project to
distribute independent, non-governmental newspapers from Belgrade into Serbian
communities in Kosovo. The newspapers will be brought from Belgrade to northern
Mitrovica and taken directly to Kosovo Serb communities or to KFOR units for
final distribution. While initial funding will come from OSCE, an active search
is under way for donors in order to expand the project.

125. The public broadcasting service, RTK, continues to broadcast programmes in
the Albanian and Serbian languages on Television Kosovo and in the Albanian and
Turkish languages on Radio Kosovo. Radio Kosovo plans to restart its Serbian
language broadcasting in April. In preparation for the end of the European
Broadcasting Union’s nine-month satellite emergency programme in June, a
strategic plan for RTK’s future is under preparation.

Page 28

126. An interim media regulatory commission has been proposed to regulate the
media through the development of media laws and standards, the management of the
frequency spectrum, the establishment of broadcast and press codes of conduct
and the monitoring of compliance. The lack of a clear mandate to take action
against those that either broadcast without a licence or violate commonly
accepted norms of journalistic behaviour remains a problem.

127. Under UNMIK regulation No. 2000/4, speech which incites national, racial,
religious or ethnic hatred, discord or intolerance will be treated as a criminal
offence. The regulation provides for fines and prison terms of up to five years
for anyone who publicly incites or spreads hatred, discord or intolerance
between the various communities in Kosovo. The regulation applies not only to
journalists, but also to public officials such as politicians and teachers.

IX. CIVIL REGISTRATION AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS

A. Civil registration

128. UNMIK has been entrusted with performing basic civilian administrative
functions in Kosovo. Registration of the population, particularly in the light
of the widespread loss of personal documents, is a precondition for effective
administration, as well as maintenance of a secure environment for all
residents. Civil registration will not be performed outside the area of Kosovo;
only voter registration will be offered.

129. Accordingly, the population of Kosovo will be registered only once but for
several purposes. First, each person’s identity will be re-established and
confirmed through the issuance of an identity card. Second, a central civil
registry will be created. Third, each person will have the opportunity to apply
for a provisional travel document after having obtained a new identity card.
Finally, it will be used to prepare an electoral list, to be used later in 2000
for municipal elections. The absence of travel documents and/or the reluctance
of Kosovo Albanians to obtain or use Yugoslav passports has prevented many
residents of Kosovo from travelling outside the territory. UNMIK and UNHCR,
with the consent of the receiving country, have been facilitating emergency
travel for medical reasons. To further facilitate travel, UNMIK intends to
introduce machine readable travel documents for residents of Kosovo.

130. A Joint Registration Task Force has been established by the civil
administration and the institution-building (OSCE) components to carry out
registration. The combined registration process will begin in late March with a
number of pilot projects, and will be extended all over Kosovo during April, May
and June. Every person 16 years of age and over who is considered to be a
habitual resident will qualify for registration. Children under the age of 16
will be registered in July and August. Identity cards will be issued to persons
16 years or older, and the right to vote will be granted to eligible persons
18 years and older. The institution-building component (OSCE) will, upon
completion of the civil registry reflecting the population of those aged 16
years and older, focus on producing the consolidated electoral list of those
aged 18 years and older.

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131. The term of "habitual resident" has been carefully chosen by UNMIK to make
it clear that matters of citizenship are not being touched. A habitual resident
of Kosovo is defined by at least one of the following criteria: (a) having been
born in Kosovo; (b) having at least one parent who was born in Kosovo; or
(c) having resided for at least five consecutive years in Kosovo and being able
to prove it. The choice of these criteria, suggested by UNMIK and now being
discussed with local representatives, is meant to be inclusive in that it takes
into account various types of population movement within the former Yugoslavia
and between that country and other States hosting Yugoslav citizens over longer
periods. At the same time, the criteria are meant to be exclusive in that they
attempt to prevent recently arrived illegal immigrants from qualifying.

132. The right to vote will be limited to those who are able to prove residence
in Kosovo as of 1 January 1998, a cut-off date chosen by UNMIK for a number of
reasons. Persons who have left Kosovo before that date in order to establish
permanent residence elsewhere are not considered to have kept the close links
assumed to be essential for the right to vote in a municipal election. Many
forced displacements took place after that date. Initially, Kosovo Albanian
and, subsequently, Kosovo Serb residents were compelled to leave their home
constituencies in great numbers during the past two years. In both cases, their
right to vote should be confirmed by the choice of this date. UNMIK will
endeavour to ensure that everyone, including minorities and displaced persons,
will be able to register and vote safely.

133. Some Kosovo Albanian political leaders have questioned the cut-off date,
perceiving it as favouring the recent Kosovo Serb refugees and internally
displaced persons over the Kosovo Albanian diaspora since 1989. After
discussing the criteria qualifying for civil and voter registration, the Interim
Administrative Council agreed, on 22 February, to the proposed cut-off date of
1 January 1998.

134. A preliminary decision has been taken that a voter may exercise a dual
option in voting; a voter may vote in either the municipality of his or her
residence on 1 January 1998, or in the municipality of current residence. This
will allow internally displaced persons to vote in their current residence
without facing security problems in their former place of residence.

135. Based on a survey conducted in November 1999, it is estimated that up to
10 per cent of the population will not possess the necessary documentation to
qualify for civil and voter registration. This is due to loss, confiscation and
destruction of documentation as a result of the recent conflict. A review
procedure, currently being finalized, will entail an applicant filling out a
review questionnaire that will be verified by municipal and central records
offices, where existing back-up documentation has been catalogued in order to
support the registration project. Where municipal and central records offices
cannot support a person’s application, a team of adjudicators will investigate
and make an assessment of the validity of the application.

136. The Joint Registration Task Force will also oversee registration for
elections outside of Kosovo. It seems that there is no need for full civil
registration and issuance of identity cards for those residing outside of
Kosovo. Registration will, therefore, be restricted to electoral purposes only

Page 30

and will be conducted by mail. IOM has been tasked with this responsibility and
will run the operation from an office in Vienna. In order to register members
of all ethnic groups now residing outside of Kosovo, UNMIK has requested the
cooperation of the Yugoslav authorities in conducting voter registration of
Kosovo Serb internally displaced persons in Serbia and Montenegro. The Yugoslav
authorities, however, condition the conduct of voter registration to the
conclusion of a general agreement on cooperation with UNMIK.

137. Combined civil and voter registration will cost approximately
$30.5 million, including some $16.4 million raised by UNMIK through voluntary
contributions and $8.2 million in personnel costs for 400 United Nations
Volunteers to conduct field operations. The institution-building component
(OSCE) is seeking some $5.9 million from the OSCE Permanent Council by way of
assessed contributions. The cost of the registration outside of Kosovo,
included in the overall figure of approximately $30.5 million, will account for
just under $4 million, including proposed registration in the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), for which an additional $0.8 million has
been budgeted.

B. Municipal elections preparations

138. Municipal elections can be held approximately three months after the
completion of a final voter register. Intensive preparations are currently
under way to conduct municipal elections in Kosovo later in 2000.
139. A proposed central election commission would be the principal regulatory
body overseeing the conduct and supervision of the election process. The
timeline for elections will be discussed at the first meeting of the commission
for subsequent recommendation to my Special Representative. The commission will
be multi-ethnic and will include nine representatives from Kosovo and three
international representatives.

140. The primary precondition for the conduct of registration and elections is
the freedom of voters to participate without harassment or intimidation. In
addition, registration and election preparations should be undertaken in a
secure environment. A joint security task force has been formed at the working
level with the participation of KFOR and UNMIK police to address this issue.

Part I