Following the Serbian government's decision to back the participation of the representatives of the Srpska electoral list in the Kosovo-Metohija legislative elections, a meeting has been held at which the conclusion was made that Serbs in northern Kosovo will heed the government's call to vote in Sunday's elections, the government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said in a statement.
Mayor of Leposavic/Leposaviq Dragan Jablanović confirmed on Wednesday that the northern Kosovo Serbs will participate in elections for the Kosovo Assembly, on Sunday, June 8th.
Dragan Jablanović refused to answer why the mayors of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo changed their decision on participation in Sunday's elections.
Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric talked to them yesterday.
Representatives of the Srpska election list south of the Ibar River in Kosovo will invite people to go to the polls on June 8, it was reported late on Tuesday.
At the same time, those from the same list in the north will not continue to campaign.
Zubin Potok Mayor Stevan Vulović has said that it was his "personal stance" that Serbs should not take part in the election in Kosovo scheduled for June 8.
"Priština is attempting, via all its institutions, to make the life meaningless for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and it is my position, which does not mean it will be our final position - that under these conditions we will not participate in the election," Vulović told Beta.
Mitrovica - Serbs south of the Ibar/Ibër River will go to the polls in early parliamentary elections on June 8th, while their compatriots from the north, because of the conditions imposed by Pristina, will not, unofficially learns Politika.
Serbs from the north have frozen all their election activities due to their dissatisfaction with some of the decisions of Central Election Commission, and it remains unknown if they will participate in Kosovo’s general elections that will be held on Sunday. Concerns of the northerners are related mainly to the symbols of the Republic of Kosovo on the ballots, number of the voters outside Kosovo, guaranteed seats and composition of the election councils in the areas with Serb majority.
BELGRADE - Head of the Serbian parliament committee on Kosovo Milovan Drecun believes Pristina is interpreting the election law in Kosovo in a way that is unacceptable in order to discourage the Kosovo Serbs from voting in the election on June 8.
Pristina's bad intention is clear, as well as its attempt to influence the situation that will come about after the next parliament is formed, in which the Serbs have only 10 guaranteed seats, he told TV Pink.
On the front page, the paper runs an interview with the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger, who is quoted as saying that in order to avoid a boycott of the elections in the north, all outstanding issues need to be resolved before 8 June. He also stressed the importance of constructive engagement and understanding the historical situation in the north. “This would be the best recipe to ensure participation and avoid a boycott”, said Ambassador Schlumberger.
Mayors of Serb-majority municipalities held a joint meeting in Mitrovica and warned that conditions for the participation of Serbs in the 8 June elections have not yet been met. Mayors Goran Rakic (Mitrovica North), Dragan Jablanovic (Leposavic/Leposaviq), Stevan Vulovic (Zubin Potok), Dragan Nikolic (Partesh/Partes), Gradimir Mikic (Ranilug/Ranillug), and Srecko Spasic (Kllokot/Klokot), said the basic principles of democracy and European values are still being violated.
Dragan Jablanović Mayor of Leposavic/Leposaviq says, unless Pristina gives in the Serbs will surely boycott the elections.
- All was deliberately calculated in order to stay at 10 guaranteed seats and to have no influence on the adoption of key legislations for minorities. It is the classical discrimination - says Jablanovic, the mayor of Leposavic/Leposaviq and a member of the management team for the implementation of the Brussels Treaty and one of the main negotiators with the authorities in Pristina.