“Belgrade always used to divide Kosovo Serbs” (VOA)
At a debate labeled ‘Belgrade’s attitude toward Kosovo elections – yesterday, today, tomorrow’ held in Media Center in Čaglavica/Çagllavicë, participants said that Belgrade never had a clear stance on Kosovo, neither on Kosovo elections and had always divided Serbs.

Due to a lack of Belgrade’s serious strategy toward Kosovo issue and underestimation of political and intellectual elite of Kosovo Serbs, the impression has been created that the main goal of the official Belgrade is that best persons are not on the list of candidates for MPs in the Kosovo Assembly supported by Belgrade, said one of the most renown Serbian politicians in Kosovo, and in former Yugoslavia, Momčilo Trajković.

“Thus, it’s the final outcome of this list, and those who have any significance must not be on the list despite their desire to be on the untied list, whereas who will be the others, is not that important, and the final result, with due respect to certain individuals, is that on today’s political lists are people from the political half-world who are supposed to compete with the strongest intellectual, political and cultural elite of Albanians in the Kosovo parliament,” said Trajković.

Candidate for the deputy in the Kosovo Assembly on the ticket of the Movement for Democratic Prosperity Slaviša Petković also claims that Serbia neither has the strategy on Kosovo at all, nor on the upcoming elections.

“There is absolutely no strategy, neither politics, nor any vision,” said Petković and added that it is about personal interests, instead.

Ranđel Nojkić, chairperson of the Kosovo chamber of the Serbian Renewal Movement argues that Belgrade, with its unclear position on participation of Serbs in the upcoming elections, only creates confusion amongst Serbs in Kosovo, what could, according to him, lead to boycott of elections, particularly in northern Kosovo.

“There is not even a theoretical possibility that Belgrade could call Serbs to boycott elections, that is, not to participate in elections What remains as possibility is that part of Kosovo, that is, northern part of it, could partially boycott elections, what one of northern mayors announced as a possibility yesterday by saying: We think that we should not go to elections,” said Nojkić.

Candidate of the Progressive Democratic Party Nenad Rašić said that Belgrade, as many times before, has divided Kosovo Serbs by supporting only one list. According to him, Kosovo Serbs need an authentic politics which would be led by Serbs who live in Kosovo with their families.

“Both, Belgrade and Pristina, are using us for their own goals, in essence they don’t truly care about us, that is, Kosovo Serbs. The only ones that I see as the strategic partners are Brussels and international representatives, because they are planning their activities and ours, in long terms,” said Rašić.

Representatives of the Serbian List were also invited, but they didn’t attend the debate.