Ahead of the seventh extraordinary parliamentary elections in Kosovo scheduled for October 6, the Kosovo Serb political scene is divided over whether to participate in these elections, or not, while those willing to take a chance are confronted by the in so far major Kosovo Serb force – Serbian List (Srpska Lista).
Such a political landscape seems rather confusing to the public. While one coalition of Serb parties – the Coalition of Freedom (Koalicija Slobode) has already registered for the elections, the deadline for submitting individual lists is still open, until September 6.
Three years ago, they gathered mainly around the fallen structure of the once most influential Serbian parliamentary party – the Democratic Party of Serbia. Its provincial Kosovo branch was dissolved, as well. They maintained the political values of the Democratic Party of Serbia in its essence – specifically on the Kosovo issue, perceiving it as an integral part of the Republic of Serbia and repeatedly stressing that there should be no political negotiation or cooperation with Kosovo institutions.
Otadzbina’s position has been clear and invariable ever since it was formed: “We believe that the elections announced by Pristina are separatist and Serbs should not participate in it,” the leader of Otadzbina movement, Slavisa Ristic told KoSSev.
Although he emphasized that this is their key position, Ristic added that there is another perspective:
”The conditions for these elections are the same as those created by President Aleksandar Vucic for Serbia – there are no conditions for free and democratic elections.”
When asked if Fatherland (Otadzbina) might change its decision on boycotting the Kosovo elections should this process meet in its entirety transparency, legality and a free campaign – Ristic replied:
”Under these conditions, in a situation in which Pristina and most of the international community feel that the status issue has been resolved and that Kosovo has obtained its own state – certainly not. But if the negotiations were to bring a decision on Kosovo’s status as not a separate state and with no UN membership – that would be a totally different thing. It would then likely mean that there would be conditions not only for us, but for other Serbian political entities to participate in the election process.”
At a presidency session held in late August, Otadzbina made the decision to boycott the elections announced by Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, referring to it as ”separatist and contrary to the current Constitution of the Republic of Serbia”.
”If the President of Serbia is trampling over the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia on a daily basis, we – the Serbs from Kosovo – should not help him in betraying the country by participating in fake elections,” they wrote in a statement at the time.
See at: https://bit.ly/2ks1veH
