Participation in the elections a continuation of political fight (RTS)
Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric told RTS that by casting a ballot, Serbs continue political struggle which should allow the creation of the Association of Serbian municipalities. This is not an election; this is a mission, says Ljubomir Maric, coordinator of the management team for establishment of the ZSO (Community of Serbian municipalities).
Marko Djuric said that only those who promote the independence of Kosovo do not want the Serbs to vote in the elections.
"If they do not have at least one Serbian mandate they cannot form a government, they cannot constitute the assembly without these, our MPs, who will be completely loyal to us, who will be completely loyal to the Serbian people in KiM, without the will of the deputies they cannot even constitute the Parliament" said Djuric in RTS TV show "Oko".
The decision of the Central Election Commission of Kosovo to raise the threshold to 70 000 votes for parties, many interpreted as an attempt that Pristina elects Serbs representatives.
Branimir Stojanovic from the Serbian List says that this is no ordinary election, and that this was not a normal campaign.
"This is a call and a cry of all of us, in the situation that is indeed very complicated, to our people to rethink well according to the experience that we have had so far to understand what a great danger is, and a danger is that people with 200 votes decide about our lives," said Stojanovic.
Coordinator of the management team for establishment of the Association of Serbian municipalities Ljubomir Maric said that these are not elections, this is a mission.
"We see this mission for realization of our rights, for strengthening. Let's get it over with divisions, the Serbs are unique. We do not want to be divided; they mark us as Serbs from the north and the south. It will not exist anymore by formation of the ZSO," Maric said.
Analysts believe that there is a difference between north and south, in terms of motivation to go to the polls.
"In the north, it is more difficult for people, because they had the period of the local elections, breaking the ice; now you have a situation where there is a very short period for campaign, for any political mobilization," said analyst Dusan Janjic.
Low turnout in the north would not be good just for the Serbs who live there, Marko Djuric is convinced.
"It is important that the entire nation stands behind the state policy. This is what the Albanians in Kosovo have, this kind of unity, that kind of discipline and obedience that we missed. We're now going to take them those mandates, to make their job more difficult, to have the Assembly of Kosovo in which all MPs argue that it is an independent state because it is not an independent state," Djuric said.
The Government of Serbia has called on Thursday all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija to vote on Sunday, June 8 in parliamentary elections for the provisional institutions of self-government in the province. According to the Government, despite the shortcomings of the electoral system and other attempts of Pristina authorities to discourage Serbs, each mandate won will strengthen the community of Serbian municipalities.