In addition to Nenad Rasic from the PDS, Vladeta Kostic has submitted candidacy for mayor of Gracanica, in front of the CI Srpska and Dragisa Miric from the New Party of Kosovo.
Progressive Democratic Party candidate in the elections for mayor of Gracanica, Nenad Rasic stated that the elections for mayor of Gracanica would decide a lot, but he was confident he would win in the first round of local elections.
Valmir Elezi, Spokesperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC,) stated that the legal deadline for the parties to apply for certification on participation of the extraordinary elections for mayor of Gracanica municipality concluded last night. He informed that four political parties submitted their applications for certification. “One citizens initiative, G.I. Srpska, and three political parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo, New Party of Kosovo and the Progressive Democratic Party applied,” he said.
Member of the CEC, Nenad Rikalo said that at yesterday's meeting of that body were set deadlines for snap local elections for mayor of Gracanica on 18 January.
Rikalo told Beta news agency that the candidates for mayor will be able to apply until 23 December.
The period for voting by mail for displaced persons in central Serbia runs from 13 December to 5 January next year, and the deadline for voting by mail is from the 12th to the 16th of January, added Rikalo.
According to him, the campaign will last only five days, i.e. from 12 to 16 January.
The Municipality of Gracanica is expected to hold extraordinary elections within 45 days, being that Branimir Stojanovic, mayor of this municipality holds now the post of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Valdete Daka, head of the Central Election Commission (CEC,) said for Radio Dukagjini that CEC is ready for these elections. “These are extraordinary elections, and we are ready,” said Daka.
In the case of new parliamentary elections in Kosovo, only 29 per cent of respondents know who to vote for, while 17 per cent of respondents said they would not participate in the elections, are results of the "Public Pulse" survey, which was conducted by UNDP and USAID.
The survey included 1,306 adult citizens of Kosovo, from all municipalities and all national communities - 896 Albanians, 210 Serbs and 200 members of other minorities.
The front page of this editorial stresses that the winning party of the 8 June elections has given signals of mobilization for elections, due to the lack of finding a partner at the Assembly to create institutions, even five months after the elections. The coalition block on the other hand, does not give a solution and it also objects new elections. Its representatives stated on Wednesday that they are against the new elections even though they do not accept any agreement with the winning party.
President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, has already a ready-made recipe on how to announce new elections. International experts are said to have prepared the legal roadmap on how Jahjaga could announce elections if the political crisis persists. In a document which Gazeta Blic claims to possess, international experts advise Jahjaga to take into account that article 82 of the Constitution, which refers to the disbanding of the Assembly, is inapplicable as the Assembly has not yet been constituted.
Leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (PPD) Nenad Rasic said he will not sign the request initiated by representatives of minority communities to ask President Atifete Jahjaga to address the Constitutional Court for further clarifications as the request, according to him, calls for avoiding new elections which is undemocratic. Rasic said the Serbian List is afraid of the prospect of fresh elections and wants to avoid them but added that he favours the idea as elections are part of a democratic process.
According to Halil Matoshi, the entire battle to block the institutions of Kosovo was initiated “One beautiful summer day” by Hashim Thaci when he saw the that the Parliament majority, induced by his bad governance, deceptions and humiliations, was on the other side. The Democratic Party of Kosovo was not after the post of the Assembly Chairperson, but after helping Thaci to govern for the third time.
According to Burim Etemaj, personal grudges of the political leaders and their greed for power has put Kosovo in a political and institutional stalemate. “Each block blames the other for the created situation. The Democratic Party of Kosovo claims to have the votes of the sovereign and the decision of the Constitutional Court to establish the institutions, but the truth that this party does not have the required numbers at the Assembly is already known by everyone.