Serbia’s elections held in Kosovo

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Under the OSCE logo, Serbia organised its extraordinary parliamentary elections in Kosovo. There were 107,958 eligible voters Kosovo-wide, and it was said that they were allowed to vote because they are entitled to dual citizenship.

Kosovo institution leaders persisted that Serbian elections may not be organised in Kosovo, but instead of using their right by mail, thousands of Serb citizens voted in polling centres set up throughout Kosovo.

OSCE, the elections facilitator, justifies setting up of polling centres rather than by-mail voting by the fact that Serbian legislation does not recognise the right to by-mail voting.

Ten polling centres were opened Kosovo-wide, and it was attempted to minimise their significance by referring to them as collection centres. However, what KTV team visited in Gracanica/Graçanicë were actually polling centres. They consisted of one officer in charge of polling centre from the OSCE, then voter lists from Serbia’s Elections Commission, ballots and ballot boxes with Serbian flag on it. Moreover, some of citizens told KTV that they had never heard of Kosovo elections. “I do not know about those elections. I am not aware that something like that happened here,” one of the voters said.

According to the OSCE, everything was agreed between the Kosovo and Serbian governments.

“All the modalities for implementing this operation have already been agreed, which includes all relevant stakeholders, certainly it includes the Government in Prishtinë/Pristina and the one in Belgrade. Once the collection centres are closed, the entire material will be packed in the OSCE vehicles and we will transport it to Raska, where Serbian party will receive the election material,” Nikola Gaon, OSCE Spokesperson said.

Voting for Serbia’s elections was held in 17 Kosovo municipalities, and it was observed by 400 OSCE observers.

OSCE: Around 15,000 Kosovo Serbs voted for Serbia’s elections

(All monitored broadcasters, TV21)

The OSCE announced that around 15,000 Kosovo Serb citizens voted until 14:00hrs in Serbia’s elections; 6,000 of them voted in north Kosovo municipalities. Collection centres will be open until 20:00hrs.

As announced by Kosovo institutions, no polling stations for Serbia’s parliamentary elections were opened in the Kosovo territory, but citizens with dual citizenship handed their ballots in the collection centres, where after 20:00hrs when the voting process will finish, ballots will be taken to Vranje and Raska for counting.

This happened also at the Gracanica/Graçanicë collection centre, which was opened at King Milutin primary school. At the entrance of the school building, where there is still the signboard with illegal Serbian state texts, besides announcements of the OSCE, which took over organising this activity in the Kosovo territory, there were no other insignia that activity of some other state was taking place there. Inside the school premises, where citizens handed in their ballots, except a small Serbian flag on the ballot box, nothing else signalled engagement of Serbian state in Kosovo.

The OSCE representatives, who were present in all cases in this activity, made sure that everything happens in line with the agreement with Kosovo institutions. The OSCE involved 400 observers to observe this activity.

Kosovo Police officials said that they were assisting the OSCE and that they were working to ensure public order.

According to official Serbian sources, there are 102,958 eligible voters. To collect their ballots, ten collection centres with 15 branches were set up.

Obviously, the interest of people to vote was not high, and slightly longer queues happened only in north Mitrovica/Mitrovicë where only one collection centre was opened.

Some voters complained that they could not find their names in the voter list. Regarding this issue, officials of the OSCE Office in Kosovo said that the entire material was designed and sent from Serbia, and that all complaints must be addressed to Serbia.

Tahiri: There will be about 20 vote collection centres in Kosovo

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri stated that votes for Serbia’s parliamentary elections will be collected in Kosovo, but no elections will be organised there. She said that Brussels’ agreement has brought Serbia’s interference in Kosovo to an end.

“Citizens have been enabled to vote in Serbia’s elections at some collection centres with the assistance of the OSCE and based on the Constitution of Kosovo on dual citizenship,” Tahiri said. According to her, there will be about 20 vote collection centres in Kosovo.

She explained that the vote collection centres will be organised by the OSCE, and there will be no officials of Serbia’s CEC.

Krasniqi: Kosovo people’s intelligence is being insulted

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

The Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi believes that the statements of Kosovo government officials that Serbia cannot organize elections in Kosovo but that citizens will be allowed to vote through collection centres that will be organized by the OSCE, are a deception.

Krasniqi reacted by saying that citizens should be told the truth. “It is said that Serbia is not organizing elections but it is collecting votes. Can votes be collected without elections? What should we say to this another fraudulence? Nothing. But please do not insult the intelligence of these people, as they do not eat grass. People should be told the truth and nothing but the truth. Lies do not work any longer,” Krasniqi wrote on his Facebook profile.

Vulin’s visit to Kosovo banned

(RTK2)

Serbian Minister without portfolio Aleksandar Vulin will not be allowed to visit Kosovo on Monday. His visit was about the 10-th anniversary of 2004 riots. The Serbian Office for Kosovo has asked UMIK and EULEX to review this decision.

“The new ban shows that Prishtinë/Pristina is trying to hinder the international public to remember the crimes carried out against the Serbs. With or without Minister Vulin, Serbia will let the world know on 17 March about the crimes that were carried out in front of the international community in Kosovo,” reads the reaction of the Serbian Office for Kosovo.