Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called on Serbs in Kosovo, internally displaced and expelled to exercise their rights and vote for the Serbian List.
He stated that in this way they would thwart the attempts to manipulate the Serbian electoral will.
In a statement to Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), Vucic said that the Serbian List was experiencing real political terror and persecution, organized by the organs of the so-called parastate, supported by some in the international community.
“Look at who and why is working against the list”, the president appealed and stressed that the campaign consists of preventing only the representatives of the Serbian List from getting support from anyone from central Serbia, anyone, from any side.
“Member of parliaments from diverse countries, from the Bundestag, are allowed to walk around, sending messages of support to Albanians, but it’s forbidden only to Serbs to support their Serb List. A video has also been banned because the Serbian List is blamed for mentioning the phrase ‘Serbia is calling’,” Vucic said.
He recalled that the spot was banned on an appeal lodged by BIRN, similar to what happened in 2017.
“The magnificent BIRN has again filed a complaint over ‘incitement of hate’. When you say, ‘Serbia is calling’, that’s inciting hatred – but it’s not incitement to hatred when the party of Trajkovic and Rasic speak in Albanian, claiming that the Serb List is ‘a monster'”, Vucic said.
They are filming videos in front of a Serbian church that they deny being Serbian, the president said, adding that they have allocated three million euros for special purpose, with the aim of buying Serb votes, because they want to create obedient Serbs.
“Only Serbia is a forbidden word”, Vucic said.
The president pointed out that there are two possible options to carry out large-scale manipulation of elections in Kosovo – theft by mail and letters or by invalid ballot papers, in order to provide false votes for Serbs.
“One form of theft by mail and letters, because they haven’t so far allowed OSCE to monitor this particular part of electoral procedure. We will ask for OSCE’s control, we will request that OSCE guards mail and letters, because we know that no one would ever vote for these people”, Vucic said, adding that he hopes that OSCE will insist on this as well.
On the other hand, he warned that wherever there are invalid ballots, there is an agreement for Albanian parties to turn those ballots into votes in favour of those Serbs that are obedient and suitable to them.
“For obedient and suitable Serbs who, unfortunately, enjoy the support of certain structures in Belgrade, who recognize the brand-new state of Kosovo, as they say, and want reconciliation. As if we, who are still fighting for Serbia and our people, do not want that”, Vucic said.
These are two options for possible manipulations, he reiterated, because, as he says, Albanians will not vote for them, but prepare an alibi to get fake votes for Serbs in the form of invalid ballot papers.
“These are usual things, and that is why I urge the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to oppose them, with their pen and paper, with their vote, to turn out in greater numbers than ever, in all parts, in the enclaves, in the north of Kosovo, and to show Serbian unity, and that they cannot be separated from Serbia”, President of Serbia concluded.
Vucic said that lots of people are being engaged in an anti-Serb campaign all the time, especially against the Serbs in northern Kosovo.
He said foreigners also campaigned against the Serb List because they are bothered by the Serbs always referring to Belgrade.
“They want to exclude Belgrade, they want only obedient Serbs who would be ruled by either foreigners or Albanians”, Vucic said.
Vucic pointed out that they know they have no foothold among the Serbs and that if “suitable” Serbs like Rada Trajkovic are brought in, Serbia will have to recognize Kosovo, because they will request it.
He underlined that it’s therefore important that as many Serbs as possible turn out to vote in the elections on October 6 and to give their vote to those they trust, while his plea, he said, is that they cast their ballots for the Serbian List – because it is the only list that is closely cooperating with Belgrade.
“Supporting any other list would mean severing all ties and contacts with Belgrade and the possibility of supporting and preserving Serb unity”, Vucic said.
Asked if he would get involved in certain way before the end of the campaign, Vucic said he would invite candidates for the Assembly to Belgrade, so that they could symbolically show which state is theirs.
He emphasized that he would give them full support and that he would again call on people to turn out to vote.
“My message to the Serb is to vote in as great numbers as possible because we vote for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, in our homes, we vote for Serbian salaries in schools and hospitals, because everything will be suspended if we don’t have the right to vote and if we don’t hear the voice of the Serbs. Serbia is calling, and I am humbly asking our people to act in a responsible and serious way,” President Aleksandar Vucic concluded.
