President of the Srpska Lista, Goran Rakic announced on Friday that this political group will be united in the October 22, local elections in Kosovo.

This, Rakic said, was the only request of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during his meeting with representatives of Serbs from Kosovo in Belgrade earlier in the day, attended also by Director of the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric.

Rakic said that Vucic gave his "unreserved" support to the Srpska Lista candidates for mayors and councilors.

Leader of the Civic Initiative Freedom, Democracy, Justice (GI SDP) and a candidate for mayor of North Mitrovica, Oliver Ivanović, said at the press conference that the atmosphere during the pre-election campaign in Kosovo resembles the one before the 5 October 2000 in Serbia, Serbian media reported.

Ivanovic said that the pressure continues on the people from his list and from CI “For our Zvečan” led by Doctor Dragiša Milović, and according to him, the latest development are the invitations of the directors of all subordinates to the direct talks.

With less than a month to go before local elections take place in Kosovo, citizens in the capital, Pristina, say they want to see city services run better.

Less than three weeks before polling day in the local elections in Kosovo on October 22, the race is hotting up in the capital, Pristina, where eight candidates are running for the position of mayor.

Two staff members of the Interim Body of Vitina municipality, functioning within the system of the Republic of Serbia, Goran Marinkovic and Aleksandar Rakic, dismissed at the end of September, have returned to their working places, Marinkovic confirmed to KoSSev portal.

Marinkovic and Rakic, due to dismissal and alleged threats and intimidations, together with citizens, supporting the Active Civic Initiative, more than ten days have blocked the municipal building, Serbian media further reported.

Autonomous Liberal Party (SLS) has started election campaign with a press conference in Gracanica yesterday, Serbian media reported. The leader of the SLS, Slobodan Petrovic said the party does not fight for the majority, but for the justice and principles.

Economic and agricultural development, support to the civil society, participation of citizens in decision-making, preservation of identity and cultural heritage, as well as remain of Serbs in Kosovo, are some of the priorities of the SLS.

“Infrastructure, resolving the issues of regional water supply system and landfill, arrangement of the neighbourhood and the Monastery of Banjska, as well as employment opportunities for young population are some of our priorities, stated Dragisa Milovic, candidate for a mayor in Zvecan municipality, KIM Radio reported.

Milovic, who is the leader of a Civic Initiative For Our Zvecan, was two-time president of this municipality.

The head of the administration of the municipality of Mitrovica Adrijana Hodžić says that citizens should come out to the upcoming local elections in a large numbers and support those who have successfully managed this city for four years.

Hodžić says, in a statement delivered to Kontakt plus radio, that the elections are a holiday of democracy, and on October 22 to choose the best who will lead North Mitrovica.

Transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into the armed forces of Kosovo is not seen as a threat, it must be done through the constitution and it is important to reach the Kosovo Serb community on the ground in order to guarantee security and peace to everyone, says Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Pristina Ruairí O’Connell in an inteview with KoSSeV, reports daily Blic.

One month before the local elections, only leading Albanian parties began campaigning in Kosovo. In the October 22nd elections, 91 political parties and civic initiatives will take part. There are also independent candidates for mayors and councillors of municipal assemblies.

By: Agron Demi

The issue of limited municipal powers to address major issues will not be mentioned during the local election campaigns, nor will the problem of bloated assemblies and misused budgets.

Today is the kick off of the election campaign for mayors in 38 municipalities and 1,002 representatives in municipal assemblies. A total of 204 candidates have entered the race for mayor. The party with the highest number of mayoral candidates is the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, with candidates in 30 municipalities.