UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 17, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

"Government, Presidency, Assembly joined in defence of the Constitution" (RTK)
Kusari-Lila: Assembly's resolution reconfirmed the will of all parties (media)
PDK's Tahiri: Assembly's session was a mockery of opposition (media)
AAK's Tahiri: Our position on referendum was principled (media)
Hyseni on Kosovo Assembly’s referendum resolution: Act of cowardice (media)
COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian referendum: 30.63 percent of registered voters turned out, 59.71 percent voted pro (RTS)
Serbian officials’ reactions to Pristina ban on referendum (media)
Serbs protest against Pristina’s decision to ban referendum in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
Stano: Serbs in Kosovo should have been enabled to vote in referendum (RTS)
EU officials welcome outcome of Serbian referendum (N1)
Vucic: Citizens voted in favour of constitutional amendments (Tanjug)
Brnabic: Referendum major step in strengthening rule of law (Tanjug)
“Vucic announces referendum results before election commission” (N1)
Serbian opposition: low turnout, referendum didn’t go the way ruling authorities expected (RTS)
Vukadinovic: Referendum results blow to authorities, surprising for opposition (Radio KIM)
“Unsolved murder of Ivanovic disgrace for Belgrade, Pristina, and international community“ (KoSSev)
Vucic lights a candle in memory of Oliver Ivanovic (N1)
Office for KiM: Young man from Banja village attacked (Radio KIM)
Kosovo-online portal under hackers attack again (Kosovo-online)

International:

Serbia Votes ‘Yes’ to Judiciary Constitution Changes (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

"Government, Presidency, Assembly joined in defence of the Constitution" (RTK)

Kosovo Government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu commented on Serbia's referendum after it was not allowed to take place in the territory of Kosovo.

"Our positions are also our actions, prime minister Kurti had said on 29 December 2021 in relation to Serbia's referendum in Kosovo. Apart from turning them into actions we also made the positions become implemented decisions. The Government, Presidency and Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo joined in defence of the Constitution and laws of Kosovo and against Serbia's referendum in Kosovo and damaging practices so far," Kryeziu wrote on Facebook.

Kusari-Lila: Assembly's resolution reconfirmed the will of all parties (media)

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, commented on the Kosovo Assembly's resolution against Serbia's referendum saying that it "reconfirmed the will of all political parties in relation to a process that violated Kosovo's sovereignty and constitutionality."

She added that the voting process, be it parliamentary or referendum, for persons with dual citizenship is clearly defined and takes place either via mail or via embassies. "As a principle it is set and preparations can be made before the elections in Serbia so that they can be conducted in this form, so that it is clear that Kosovo is a single territorial unit, an independent and sovereign state," Kusari-Lila said.

PDK's Tahiri: Assembly's session was a mockery of opposition (media)

Abelard Tahiri, head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, said that the decision of the party not to take part in the Assembly's session on Serbia's referendum was because it considered there was no need for it.

"The session was unnecessary and we saw it more as a mockery of the opposition MPs. And it is precisely because of this mockery that we did not want to be part of such a session," he said. Tahiri added that a parliament cannot ask a government to defend the constitutionality of a country.

Tahiri also told the media that the Government of Kosovo was supposed to offer the right arguments to its allies, including the U.S., in order to convince them not to support the holding of Serbia's referendum in Kosovo.

Tahiri spoke about Serbia's upcoming elections noting that they should not be allowed. "We should not allow under any circumstances to have elections of another country take place in our country."

AAK's Tahiri: Our position on referendum was principled (media)

Besnik Tahiri, head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, said that the party's support for the Assembly's resolution that rejected the possibility of Serbia's referendum taking place in Kosovo was "principled".

"The action of the MPs was an obligation, we all swore an oath to defend the country," Tahiri said.

Hyseni on Kosovo Assembly’s referendum resolution: Act of cowardice (media)

Skender Hyseni, Kosovo's former coordinator for dialogue with Serbia and official from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said that the Kosovo Assembly's resolution on Serbia's referendum was an act of "cowardice" on the part of Kosovo institutional leaders and "hypocrisy" by the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku.

"The Resolution against the Serb referendum, cowardice of the Kurti-Osmani duo and servility and political hypocrisy of Abdixhiku. No one questioned the anti-constitutional character of the vote, in the territory of Kosovo too, in a referendum of the Serb state. As a result, banning this referendum was a constitutional duty of the Government, and this should have been done in coordination with allies and friends of Kosovo," Hyseni wrote on social media.

"It is certain that if we had a Prime Minister and Foreign Ministry approval for banning the referendum would have been secured," he said, adding that Kurti and Osmani had plenty of time to coordinate and consult the international community.

He then also accused Abdixhiku of having a "silent alliance" with Kurti and Osmani: "His servility and political hypocrisy has badly infected a part of LDK too."

COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media)

728 new cases with COVID-19 were recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours. 99 citizens have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 5,118 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Kosovo's National Institute of Public Health has called on the citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in face of the growing number of new infections. It also said that Omicron has become the dominating strain of virus and that the epidemiological situation in Kosovo can worsen.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian referendum: 30.63 percent of registered voters turned out, 59.71 percent voted pro (RTS)

Serbian citizens in a referendum on constitutional amendments in the area of judiciary voted in favor of it, preliminary results of the Serbian Republic Election Commission (REC) showed, RTS reports.

A total of 30.63 percent of registered voters voted in a referendum, with 59.71 percent voting pro, and 39.26 percent voting against constitutional amendments, according to 98.24 percent of counted results.

In Belgrade, based on 99.67 percent of counted results, 54.8 percent voted against constitutional amendments, while 44.36 voted for it.

Serbs in Kosovo not allowed to vote, travelled to central Serbia for voting

Serbian media report that facing refusal of the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Kosovo government to allow organization of the Serbian referendum in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, Serbs from the area had to travel to the cities outside Kosovo, in line with Republic Election Commission instruction and cast their votes in Raska, Novi Pazar, Kursumlija and Vranje.

Kosovo-online portal reported that Serbs from northern Kosovo came to Raska with private vehicles and buses to vote. According to the members of polling stations the voting process went without problems.

The same portal also said that Serbs from central Kosovo, and Pomoravlje region went to Kursumlija and Vranje to cast their ballots. More than a thousand Serbs from central Kosovo in an organized transport by buses and private vehicles went to Kursumlija to vote. 23 buses from Gracanica and surrounding Serb-populated areas departed to Kursumlija.

At the same time several hundreds Serbs from Pomoravlje region with buses and private vehicles departed to Vranje to vote there.

Serbian officials’ reactions to Pristina ban on referendum (media)

Following refusal of the Pristina authorities to allow organization of the Serbian referendum on constitutional amendments in the area of judiciary, in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, which forced Serbs from the area to cast their ballots in cities outside of Kosovo, number of Serbian officials voiced their protest and disapproval of the act, Serbian media report.

Serbian List President Goran Rakic, in a protest organized yesterday in Mitrovica North, said the decision of Pristina authorities to ban the referendum will have far-reaching consequences.

“We expect and believe that (Serbian) elections will take place on April 3. If there are no elections and the international community doesn’t help in organizing the election process (in Kosovo), we will introduce reciprocity to Pristina”, Rakic said following the meeting with four northern mayors yesterday. He added Serbs from Kosovo demand equal rights and shall not allow Pristina to treat them as second-class citizens.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Kosovo PM Albin Kurti doesn’t want a strong Serbia and that is why he banned Serbs in Kosovo to vote in a referendum.

“Quint states demonstrated they can do nothing to Kurti, or they do not want to do anything. They said they did their utmost, but they could do nothing, so we will work with Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija until ultimate freedom”, she said.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said “despite Albin Kurti’s ban to hold a referendum in Kosovo and Metohija, we will continue working so that elections on April 3, take place in the southern province”. He added that “demonstration of force by Albin Kurti will have far-reaching consequences for normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina”.

Former director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and current Serbian Ambassador to US, Marko Djuric said that “decision of Pristina authorities to deprive citizens of Serbia from their right to vote was unforgivable and disappointing”. He added this decision ran contrary to the requests of US and European partners.

He wrote on Twitter “it remains to be seen whether there will be any consequences for this malign and violent move against essential political rights of #Serbs in Kosovo*. Action is needed if we are to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the coming months”.

Djuric also draw a parallel on Albin Kurti’s voting in Albania and decision to ban Serbs in Kosovo to vote by writing on Twitter that “Albin Kurti - the same man who previously voted in Albanian elections (against the Albanian government) - is now denying #Serbs in Kosovo* the right to vote under the pretext that citizens of one country cannot vote in elections in another”.

Serbs protest against Pristina’s decision to ban referendum in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

On the day of the Serbian referendum on constitutional changes in the area of judiciary, Serbs who were banned from voting in Kosovo and Metohija, protested against Pristina’s decision in several areas, Radio KIM reports.

Around seventy residents of Gorazdevac village, in Pec municipality, gathered in the center of the village to express their dissatisfaction. They stayed in the village for one hour, and as the Radio KIM reported during the protest a heated discussion between local residents and members of Kosovo police took place, as the police approached Pec Municipal Interim Authority head Milos Dimitrijevic, thinking he is an initiator of the protest, demanding that he tells people to disperse.

Residents voiced their reasons for gathering and following talks with the police after one hour they went home. Nadica Zlaticanin said they gathered on their own, to express dissatisfaction over Pristina’s decision.

“We gathered today because our human rights are endangered, we are not allowed to turn out and cast the ballot in a referendum, that is why we gathered here on our own to demonstrate that we as citizens have the right to vote in a referendum”, she said.

Serbs also peacefully protested in Strpce and Gornje Kusce. Protesters in Gornje Kusce gathered in front of Primary School Petar Petrovic Njegos, which usually served as a ballot center during previous elections, demanding to know why they are deprived of the right to vote.

Protestors in Strpce gathered in front of a polling center, used for previous elections, and staged voting in an improvised referendum as a form to protest Pristina’s decision.

Serbs also protested in Mitrovica North, saying “Pristina has shown its true face, and they are disfranchised”, adding this is not the first time that Pristina violates their rights.

Kosovo police also said in a statement on Facebook, that protests took place in several areas in Kosovo but went peacefully and without problems.

Stano: Serbs in Kosovo should have been enabled to vote in referendum (RTS)

Serbian public broadcaster RTS reports today that the European Union has criticized the decision not to enable Serbs in Kosovo to vote in a referendum, and called on Belgrade and Pristina to find an agreement which will enable Serbs to vote in elections in April.

EU Spokesperson Peter Stano said that Serbs in Kosovo should have been enabled to vote in a referendum, through a mechanism supported by the OSCE.

“Voting of Serbs in Kosovo with support of OSCE is a long-time established practice, implemented several times from 2012 to 2020. We regret the decision not to implement this well known mechanism this time”, Stano said.

He called upon Belgrade and Pristina to start talks on modalities of participation of the Kosovo Serbs in upcoming (Serbian) elections in April.

"Although there is no agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on this issue within the dialogue, we expect the parties to start negotiations on modalities that would enable Serbs to vote in the elections organized by Serbia in the future, and we are ready to mediate it”, he said.

Stano added that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has not stalled, but that it continues "every day", through contacts with all parties.

"High Representative Borrell spoke last week with President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti. The fact that there are no meetings at the highest level does not mean there is no dialogue. A meeting at the expert or political level will be held when the time comes", Stano said.

EU officials welcome outcome of Serbian referendum (N1)

European Union officials welcomed the outcome of the referendum on amendments to the Serbian Constitution as an important step on the country’s path to the EU and improvement of the independence of the judiciary, N1 reports.

European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi welcomed the fact that voters in Serbia supported the amendments to the constitution as an important step and commitment to the EU path.

“In today’s referendum voters supported the change of the Constitution to reinforce judicial independence. I welcome this important step and commitment to EU path. We will continue to work with Serbian authorities on ambitious reform agenda, advancing EU integration”, the Commissioner Varhelyi wrote in a post on Twitter.

Vladimir Bilcik, European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Rapporteur for Serbia, said that the decision to support the amendments moves Serbia forward on its European path.

“Voters in Serbia decided to change the Constitution in order to improve the work and independence of their justice system. The substance and result of the 16 January referendum were about important rule of law reforms. This news moves Serbia another step forward on its European path,”, he wrote in a Twitter post.

Vucic: Citizens voted in favour of constitutional amendments (Tanjug)

The citizens have voted in favour of the constitutional amendments and Serbia has sent a very positive picture to the world, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after Sunday's referendum on amendments to the Serbian Constitution that are related to the judiciary, Tanjug news agency reports.

Congratulating the citizens on a democratic atmosphere during the referendum, Vucic said that, based on results from 97.02 pct of polling stations, 60.48 pct of people had voted for the constitutional amendments while 39.52 had voted against, and added that there had been 1.01 pct of invalid ballots.

Brnabic: Referendum major step in strengthening rule of law (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Monday thanked all voters who cast their ballots in Sunday's referendum on constitutional amendments, in particular those who voted "yes", and added that, thanks to the successful referendum, Serbia would get an independent judiciary and independent prosecutors for the first time, Tanjug news agency reports.

"I congratulate all Serbian citizens on the referendum's success. We have taken a major step in strengthening rule of law and in further democratisation of our society", Brnabic posted on her official Instagram profile.

She said Serbia was continuing to strengthen its institutions and that it was only in the years to come that everyone would realise how great and important the job was done on Sunday, January 16, 2022.

"I thank all who went out to vote in the referendum, especially those who voted 'yes', helping to make a very important decision for the future of our country", Brnabic added.

“Vucic announces referendum results before election commission” (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held a news conference in his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) headquarters on Sunday night to announce the results of the referendum before the Republic Election Commission (RIK), according to N1.

As N1 further reported Vucic said the preliminary results showed that 60.4 percent of the vote was in favor of adopting the amendments to the Serbian Constitution. He said that 39.52 percent of the voters who turned out for the referendum said no to the amendments.

Vucic also said that a majority of the vote in Belgrade was against the amendments and added that a significant number of members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) voted no.

Polling stations opened at 7 am and closed at 8 pm on Sunday. A total of 6,510,323 people had the right to vote for or against the adoption of the constitutional amendments. Under Serbian law there is no minimum number of voters who have to turn out for the referendum to be valid.

Vucic’s example was followed by Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic who spoke from the headquarters of his Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) to say that he was exceptionally pleased with the turnout.

He said that the current regime was the first to take power away from the authorities because the amendments take away parliament’s power to appoint judges and prosecutors. He said the amendments will help speed up Serbia’s integration into the European Union.

Dacic said that more than 16,000 opposition party members and activists were included in the voter commissions at polling stations.

Serbian opposition: Low turnout, referendum didn’t go the way ruling authorities expected (RTS)

One day after a referendum on constitutional amendments in the area of judiciary took place, Serbian opposition parties presented remarks mainly, saying the turnout was low, but also claiming that the entire process was illegitimate, RTS reports.

President of Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), Milos Jovanovic said the referendum didn’t go the way ruling authorities expected it, adding the turnout was low, and option “no” won majority in three major Serbian cities, Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis.

He also expressed doubts in the validity of the results announced last night, adding “it was inappropriate that the president announces results, and not the Republic Election Commission”.

The Turnover Movement said the referendum was illegitimate, claiming that the decision on it was made by “illegal assembly” without opposition. They criticized low turnout, but also the fact that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were not able to vote.

Democratic Party (DS) also criticized President Vucic for announcing results of the referendum in his SNS party premises, before the Republic Election Commission did so, terming it “as precedent”.

Dveri Movement said “electoral theft” took place and the Republic Election Commission was silent on the fact that the “no” option won a majority in the biggest cities.

Zavetnici presented a similar stance, saying they will file complaints with evidence on irregularities during the voting process.

Serbian Radical Party (SRS) regretted amendments of the Constitution, adding those changes will impact division of powers on legislative, judicial and executive branches, saying that judicial power will be established contrary to the will of the people and contrary to the contemporary democratic principles.

Vukadinovic: Referendum results blow to authorities, surprising for opposition (Radio KIM)

Political analyst, Djorjde Vukadinovic said preliminary results in a referendum on constitutional amendments in particular in bigger cities, where most of the voters voted against it, represent “a blow to the authorities”, and indicate there is “a significant mass of critical public” as well as “people who think on their own”, Radio KIM reports.

Vukadinovic added neither authorities nor opposition expected such a large percentage of people to vote against constitutional amendments, given the “machinery” authorities used and urged their supporters to vote in support of it.

According to him, when it comes to referendum, Serbian opposition acted “as if it were in a fog”, and didn’t recognize there is “a critical mass of public” that doesn’t act “as a marionette towards their higher thoughts and plans” concerning calls to boycott referendum, and that is why the opposition “was left aside”.

“Unsolved murder of Ivanovic disgrace for Belgrade, Pristina, and international community“ (KoSSev)

“The man who founded the party ‘Freedom Democracy Justice’ did not live to see this time in which Serbia is increasingly giving up on Kosovo, democracy is nowhere to be found, and justice seems completely unattainable“, RTV KIM Director Isak Vorgucic told KoSSev yesterday at the commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic.

More than a hundred citizens, along with an Ivanovic family representative, lit candles in Ivanovic’s honor at the time and place of his assassination in North Mitrovica.

For the first time, the commemoration was also attended by opposition activists from Belgrade – the leaders of the movement “Ne davimo Beograd” (Do Not Drown Belgrade) Dobrica Veselinovic and Radomir Lazovic, as well as the vice president of the People’s Party Miodrag Aleksic and his associates. Predrag Vostinic from the Local Front attended the commemoration once again. Previously, Vostinic held a peace march from Kraljevo to Belgrade in honor of the murdered Kosovo Serb politician.

Local political activists – a former colleague of Ivanovic, Nebojsa Jovic, who was recently named the chief commissioner of the Movement for the Defense of Kosovo and Metohija, and Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of “Srpski Opstanak” (Serb Survival), also paid tribute to Ivanovic for the first time today.

International

Serbia Votes ‘Yes’ to Judiciary Constitution Changes (Balkan Insight)

Against the urgings of many opposition parties, most Serbian voters on Sunday backed proposed changes to the constitution – announced as a way towards the depoliticisation of the judiciary, which the EU has said it wishes to see.

Serbian citizens voted to change the country’s constitution and accept a judicial reform package, with 60.48 per cent voters saying “Yes” to the proposals in Sunday’s referendum, according to the first results on Sunday night.

Around 39.52 per cent of voters chose the “No” option. Referendums on constitutional changes do not have any required threshold in Serbia. According to the latest official information, around 30 percent of voters went to the polls.