| Press Statement Richard Boucher Washington, DC May 15, 2001 UN Announces Constitutional Framework and Elections for KosovoThe United States welcomes the promulgation May 14 by Hans Haekkerup, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), of a Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo. We also welcome his announcement of the scheduling of Kosovo-wide elections for November 17. This is an extremely important and positive step in the development of democracy and stability in Kosovo. The Constitutional Framework creates the basis for meaningful, democratic self-government under continuing United Nations oversight. It is a critical milestone in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which authorized the UN and NATO missions in Kosovo. The promulgation of this Constitutional Framework and the scheduling of general elections reflect international confidence in the ability of Kosovars to conduct their own affairs with political maturity, with respect for the rights of all of Kosovo's people, and with tolerance for ethnic differences. It is now time for Kosovars to vindicate that confidence by conducting an election campaign free of violence and by governing themselves fairly and well, within the confines of the Constitutional Framework. |
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