(3 Nov 2008)
Camp Bondsteel, 30kms outside Pristina
1. Wide of US military installation, Camp Bondsteel
2. Wide of flags and military barracks
3. Wide of postal service office
4. Pan of post office interior
5. Soldier browsing through voting information
6. Close-up of election paperwork
7. Close-up of election information poster
8. Sergeant John Mitchell talking to reporter
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sergeant John Mitchell, US soldier from St. Louis, Missouri:
"I just think any presidential election is always got a lot of interest and this one is very high profile. Either way it goes its going to be very historic. We got a female vice presidential candidate, we've got an African-American presidential candidate. History's going to be made either way here."
10. Soldiers walking into barracks
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Specialist Jeremy Steele, US soldier from Auckland, California:
"Sure, these elections are extremely important and not only are they important to myself but they're also important to my fellow soldiers. They will directly affect the outcome of what the military will be, depending on who is the new president of this country."
12. Wide of Camp with cars driving by
Pristina
13. Wide of Pristina skyline
14. Wide of Pristina street
15. Tilt up of newspaper stand
16. Mid of newspaper with two Presidential candidates on front page
17. Man reading newspaper
18. Mid of poll showing Obama in the lead
19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Faton Rashi, Pristina citizen:
"I think that American foreign policy will not change at all. We expect that even US forces situated here in Kosovo will still be present here at least for a couple of other years."
20. Wide exterior of Government building
21. Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, walking to podium
22. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Hashim Thaci, Kosovo's Prime Minister:
"I am convinced and we have sound guarantees that the US will only further the cooperation with Pristina and I am truly proud that I head the government of a country that is the most pro-American nation in the region, Europe and the world."
23. Mid of journalists, pan to Thaci speaking
STORYLINE:
In Kosovo's largest American military base, 900 eligible voters have cast absentee ballots for the November 4 US presidential election.
In total, 2,000 US citizens, both military personnel and civilians living in Kosovo, have registered for the vote.
In Camp Bondsteel, Sergeant John Mitchell was assigned the role of voting assistant, guiding soldiers through procedures of registration and casting their ballot.
He said the US elections always got a lot of interest but that this one was especially high profile, with either result providing an historic moment with the first black president or the first female vice president.
The vote is also seen as important by Kosovo's majority Albanians, as it could impact the presence of US troops in Kosovo in the aftermath of the Kosovo declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17.
Kosovo's majority Albanians see themselves as big supporters of the US because of the role it played in paving the way for Kosovo to declare independence from Serbia.
On Monday, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci thanked the US for supporting Kosovo's statehood.
"I am convinced and we have sound guarantees that the US will only further the cooperation with Pristina and I am truly proud that I head the government of a country that is the most pro-American nation in the region, Europe and the world," Thaci said.
The surveys have found especially heavy support for Obama in many close US allies like Australia, Canada and countries in western Europe.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
