UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 22, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Election Commission: Initiative to remove the mayors in north has failed (media)
Kurti to EU: Removal of mayors was key condition, lift the measures (media)
Osmani: Serbia illegally interfered in elections of another country again (media)
U.S. Embassy regrets that Serbs did not take exercise the right to vote (Klan)
Barbano: EULEX monitoring situation in coordination with KP and KFOR (media)
Szunyog: We are observing the elections in the north (media)
Krasniqi: Serbian List wants monopoly over politics of Serbs in Kosovo (RFE)
Krasniqi: Evident Serbian List, Belgrade ordered boycott, fearing failure (media)
Zubin Potok Mayor: Serbian List does not dare face reality (Telegrafi)
Haziri: Government should be greatly concerned by the boycott (media)
Serbian Minister walks out when Kosovo receives award at Venice Biennale (media)
Police find weapons and ammunition in house in Zvecan (media)
Arifi claims he was “arbitrarily” dismissed from post of Presevo Mayor (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian List: Kurti's farce over; the unity of the Serbian people has been demonstrated (Danas)
Petkovic: Today's fake referendum a picture of Kurti's democracy (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Starovic: Boycott of the fake referendum the best non-violent response of Serbs to oppression (Kosovo Online)
The referendum in the north ended peacefully and without voters (N1, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
Deutsche Welle on the recall of the mayor: Elected with 100 votes, 6,800 needed for removal (Kosovo Online, DW)
Surlic: The Pristina referendum in the north of Kosovo designed to fail (RTS)
Manojlovic on the failed referendum in the North: Well-coordinated killing of energy (KoSSev)
A lost opportunity to pave the way for the election of new mayors in the north of Kosovo, says Democracy in Action (NMagazin, Beta, KiM radio)
An explosion in the yard of a Serbian house in Kosovska Kamenica (RTS)
Vucic after the meeting with O’Brien: We agree on little regarding Kosovo and Srebrenica (Beta, N1)

International Media:

Serb majority in N. Kosovo boycotts vote on removing ethnic Albanian mayors (France 24)
North Kosovo Serbs boycott referendum on removing ethnic Albanian mayors (Reuters)
Kosovo*: Its Footnote Is Both A Blessing And A Curse (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

Election Commission: Initiative to remove the mayors in north has failed (media)

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) confirmed on Sunday evening that the initiative to vote on the removal of Albanian mayors in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo has failed due to a very low turnout of voters. CEC chairperson Kreshnik Radoniqi told reporters that “all 23 polling stations closed at 19:00. According to information we have received from the four municipalities, the number of citizens that voted in the process in favor or against the removal of the mayors is as follows: Leposavic 124 voters, Zubin Potok 18 voters, no voters in Zvecan and in Mitrovica North 111 voters”. Radoniqi said that “the majority of registered voters did not vote, therefore, the required 50% plus 1 was not met, and we can conclude that the civic initiative for the removal of mayors has failed”.

Kurti to EU: Removal of mayors was key condition, lift the measures (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Sunday that the result of the vote for the dismissal of the Albanian mayors of the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo showed that there is no willingness to remove them. He said in a Facebook post that “20 percent of votes collected by the Serbian List for the petition needed to initiate the process did not result with more than that. Serbia saw that it could collect 20 percent but not 50 percent”. For the vote process to be successful, 50 percent plus 1 of registered voters needed to take part.

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo is aware of the circumstances in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, especially about the outstanding pressure that Belgrade authorities exert on Kosovo Serb citizens in these four municipalities,” Kurti said.

Kurti also argued that “enabling the removal of the current mayors and holding elections for their dismissal, was a key condition to remove the EU measures against Kosovo. These unfair measures, after today’s vote, should be lifted as soon as possible”.

Osmani: Serbia illegally interfered in elections of another country again (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Sunday that “Kosovo gave the citizens of the northern municipalities the opportunity to remove the current mayors and to elect new mayors”. “The citizens did not use this opportunity en masse. Unfortunately, this came as a result of pressure from Belgrade, and executed by the Serbian List and illegal criminal structures. Serbia, once again, carried out an illegal interference in the election process of another country. Once again, Vucic broke his word to international partners. But Kosovo once again showed maturity, organized and fully respected the laws and the constitution, by offering to all the communities, without any difference, the opportunity for them to decide who they want to represent them. I thank the Central Election Commission, our security institutions, as well as our partners, for their work, commitment, and cooperation. With today’s organization, Kosovo has met all the conditions requested by the EU. The unjust measures against Kosovo must be lifted immediately,” Osmani said.

U.S. Embassy regrets that Serbs did not take exercise the right to vote (Klan)

The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo told the news website on Sunday that it regrets that Serb citizens in the north of Kosovo did not exercise their right to vote on Sunday, “The QUINT and the European Union called on the Serbian List and other Kosovo Serb political actors on April 10 to review their position to withdraw from participating in the legal vote for mayoral recall. We regret that they did not do this and did fully exercise the democratic means at their disposal according to Kosovo law to advance the effective and representative democracy,” the response notes.

The U.S. Embassy also said that the U.S. position remains clear and unchanged and that they support a comprehensive and multiethnic democracy in Kosovo and free, fair, and legitimate elections. The U.S. and their partners closely followed the voting process, and they highly assess the effort of Kosovo’s institutions to implement the process in democratic fashion.

Barbano: EULEX monitoring situation in coordination with KP and KFOR (media)

Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Giovanni Pietro Barbano, said in a post on X on Sunday that “in coordination with Kosovo Police and KFOR, EULEX is monitoring the overall security situation around the polling stations in the 4 municipalities wherein the vote on the recall of mayors is taking place”.

After the end of the process, Barbano said in another post that “EULEX acknowledges the peaceful manner in which it was executed. Welcoming efforts displayed by all those involved in ensuring security in the 4 northern municipalities throughout the day”.

Szunyog: We are observing the elections in the north (media)

Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said in a post on X on Sunday that he visited the village of Caber/Cabra in the municipality of Zubin Potok, “participating in the Diplomatic Watch organized by the EU Office in Kosovo”. “17 teams with a total of 60 members from the EU in #Kosovo, EU Member States & partner countries aim to gain insight into the mayoral recall process,” he said.

Krasniqi: Serbian List wants monopoly over politics of Serbs in Kosovo (RFE)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, told reporters in Leposavic today that the vote on the dismissal of the mayors in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo is going “quiet and well”. Commenting on the boycott of the Serbian List, Krasniqi said that it wants to have a monopoly over the politics of the Serb community in Kosovo. “They see the institutions only for themselves and not for the people. They still have the reserved seats for the Serb community in the Kosovo Assembly and they continue not to represent the interests of the people but only get salaries from the Kosovo Assembly,” he said.

Krasniqi said Kosovo’s institutions met all their obligations, starting with issuing the administrative instruction in September last year, and organizing the vote today.

Krasniqi: Evident Serbian List, Belgrade ordered boycott, fearing failure (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that “in order to enable democratic decision-making, the Republic of Kosovo issued an administrative instruction as an opportunity for the northern municipalities, and not only, to go to a democratic election process through a civic determination. In line with this, in the north of the country today, after a successful petition, a vote is being held on whether or not the respective municipalities will go to elections. It is evident that the Serbian List and Belgrade have ordered the boycott, and not because they don’t want elections, but because they don’t want to face their eventual failure”.

Krasniqi said that what is more important for Kosovo’s institutions “is the obligation we have assumed to create the infrastructure and opportunity for the citizens to democratically express their will, and we have implemented another pledge we made to the citizens and the international community for creating circumstances for new elections there. It is up to the citizens there to use this opportunity, while it is time for every unjust measure against Kosovo to be finally removed”.

Zubin Potok Mayor: Serbian List does not dare face reality (Telegrafi)

Mayor of Zubin Potok municipality, Izmir Zeqiri, told the news website on Sunday, that he was always skeptical about the referendum on the dismissal of the mayors in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo. “I said even last year that this form of election will not be successful but nevertheless I respect the legal norms that derive from administrative instructions, and I respect every result,” he said.

Asked to comment on the boycott of the vote by the Serbian List, Zeqiri said this party does not dare face the reality. “The position of the Serbian List shows that it does not dare the reality, because in the previous years it never had to face the real vote. They thought there would be an irregular process. But now there is a different situation where every party has its own commissioners, and when it [Serbian List] saw this monitoring, it withdrew out of fear,” he argued.

Haziri: Government should be greatly concerned by the boycott (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lutfi Haziri, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the boycott of Serb citizens in the vote for the dismissal of the four Albanian mayors in the northern municipalities should be a big concern for the Kosovo government.

“The non-participation or boycott should be a very big concern for the Government and the Republic. This is a ‘plebiscitary dismissal’ of the legal mayors who don’t have legitimacy. The loyalty to the invitation of the Serbian president for a boycott was not considered by 85+ citizens. What happened with de-escalation, the end of the boycott or even with the dialogue with the Kosovo Serbs instead of a dialogue with Serbia,” Haziri argued.

Serbian Minister walks out when Kosovo receives award at Venice Biennale (media)

Most news websites reported on Sunday that Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, Maja Gojkovic, walked out of the room when a Kosovo artist received an award at the Venice Biennale. A political advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Jeton Zulfaj, said in a reaction on X: “Serbia has failed to accept and deal with its past crimes. That is why today it denies the genocide and crimes committed in Bosnia and Kosova. If it had faced its past, it might not be led by the same figures who were in power during Milosevic's regime. Here is another remnant of the Milosevic era: Maja Gojkovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture of Serbia, who walked out of the room when the pavilion of the Republic of Kosova with artist Doruntina Kastrati received an award at La Biennale di Venezia, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions, established in 1895.”

Police find weapons and ammunition in house in Zvecan (media)

Kosovo Police said on Sunday that during a search of a house in Zvecan, it found and confiscated two AK47s, several magazines, ammunition, and an electroshock. Police carried out the raid after receiving information about illegal weapons in the house. Police also said that the house belongs to a Serb who is believed to be in Serbia.

Arifi claims he was “arbitrarily” dismissed from post of Presevo Mayor (RFE)

Shqiprim Arifi said on Saturday that he was “arbitrarily” dismissed from the post of mayor of Presevo municipality, in Serbia. He said a decision issued by the Serbian Government on April 18 notes that the Municipal Assembly of Presevo has been dismissed, without providing any reason, and that a provisional body will be set up. He said that on April 20 a provisional body was established until new elections and that it will be chaired by Ragmi Mustafa. “For some time now, [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vucic has publicly threatened the Albanians in Presevo Valley. My forced dismissal … without any legal procedure or notification, happened immediately after Vucic’s latest public threat this week and 24 hours after I was fined by a Serbian court for putting up the Albanian national flag on November 28,” he said in a Facebook post. The court said in its decision that Arifi and his party were found guilty of displaying the flag of a foreign country – Albania – without displaying the flag of Serbia” and that “Arifi and his party violated the law on the use of the national flag and other symbols of Serbia”.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian List: Kurti's farce over; the unity of the Serbian people has been demonstrated (Danas)

The Serbian List announced last night and said that that yesterday ''a high degree of unity of the Serbian people was showed, who remained true to themselves, but also provided proof that it is not Serbian List and Serbia that are intimidating Serbs, but Kurti and his illegal parapolice units, which resulted in empty streets in the north of Kosovo today''.

"The farce organized by Albin Kurti's regime in the north of Kosovo has ended. Today has shown several things that must be considered in the coming period, primarily by the representatives of the international community," the statement of the Serbian List read.

The Serbian list listed key moments that the international community should consider.

"The first is that the Serbian List was deeply right when it called on the Serbian people not to participate in Kurti's play because it was created from the very beginning with the aim of failing," said the List.

As another key fact, they repeat that the SL was more than ready to participate in this process, but that it did not want to "play games directed by the regime in Pristina".

"We want to clearly repeat that we were more than ready to participate in this process in order to see the back (of mayors) and replace these fake mayors in our municipalities, but we did not want to play games directed by the regime in Pristina that would make the whole process meaningless and prevent the removal of the Kurtis proteges, and then they would present it as some kind of legitimacy," the announcement reads.

The statement also read that yesterday showed what democracy looks like under Albin Kurti, with long pipes, special forces and armored vehicles at polling stations, cameras recording voters and how they cast their votes, councilors in polling boards, polling boards without Serbs in them and without Serbian language in many polling stations.

Petkovic: Today's fake referendum a picture of Kurti's democracy (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, announced on the X social network and said that yesterday's vote for the removal of mayors in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo is a picture of Kurti's democracy.

"The image of Kurti's "democracy" is today's fake referendum! Voting under cameras along long pipes, in front of Albanian polling boards, with empty boxes and empty streets in the north - even the Council of Europe has not seen such elections," wrote Petkovic.

He added that the Serbs once again showed their unity, which is most needed at this moment.

"Serbs wanted to take part in the change of the fake government, but they did not want to take part in the farce! Serbian unity is the greatest barrier to Kurti's cruelty!" concluded the director of the Office for KiM, Petkovic in his post on the social network X.

Starovic: Boycott of the fake referendum the best non-violent response of Serbs to oppression (Kosovo Online)

State Secretary in the Serbian Ministry of Defense, Nemanja Starovic, stated that the Serbian boycott of the referendum in northern Kosovo was successful and represented the best possible non-violent response to oppression.

"In a clear expression of defiance, local Serbs boycotted the fake referendums, with only 0.54 percent turning out at the polling stations. It was the best possible, peaceful, democratic, non-violent response to the long-standing oppression; they have been subjected to it for too long. By boycotting today's fake referendums, the Serbs in northern Kosovo have rejected the insult to their common sense and preserved their much-valued dignity," Starovic noted on platform X.

The referendum in the north ended peacefully and without voters (N1, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)

Polling stations in the four municipalities for the removal of mayors in the North of Kosovo were closed yesterday at 19:00.

The Serbs boycotted the referendum at the invitation of the Serbian List, and the turnout was so low that it can be said that there were more observers and members of the polling boards than the citizens themselves who went to the polling stations, reported N1 reporter.

In the Municipality of Zvecan, no one voted until 5 p.m., while in Leposavic, about 120 citizens went to the referendum, in North Mitrovica, about sixty of them, and in Zubin Potok on the 17.

According to the CEC data, 46,556 citizens had the right to vote, so with this turnout, the referendum failed.

"There were more observers and those who are in the electoral committees. The current mayors will continue to stay in these municipalities, they will make decisions in local self-governments, it is not known what will happen. Citizens are entering another period of uncertainty," reported N1 correspondent from the north of Kosovo.

After the polling stations closed, CEC announced that out of 46,556 citizens with the right to vote, 253 voted, i.e., 0.54 percent of citizens with the right to vote, reported Kosovo Online.

Deutsche Welle on the recall of the mayor: Elected with 100 votes, 6,800 needed for removal (Kosovo Online, DW)

In four predominantly Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo, a vote to recall the mayors will be held tomorrow, April 21st. Although organized based on a previously signed petition, it seems that most citizens will not participate in this vote, reported Kosovo Online on Saturday, citing Deutsche Welle.

Igor Dasic from Zvecan emphasizes that boycotting is a logical decision, considering the conditions in which Serbs live.

"There is no trust in the institutions in Pristina, and we are all fed up with political games. The only solution for this crisis is the resignation of all mayors and council members," Dasic believes.

The Serbian List has called for a boycott of the recall vote for mayors elected a year ago in elections that were also boycotted.

Other political options, like Serbian Democracy, have called for the postponement of the vote and for it to be organized by the OSCE due to citizens' distrust in Kosovo institutions. Some opposition political representatives have completely opposed even signing the petition.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3zawpp37

Surlic: The Pristina referendum in the north of Kosovo designed to fail (RTS)

Assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, Stefan Surlic, said that the Pristina referendum in the North of Kosovo, on the removal of the mayors of four Serbian municipalities, was designed to fail. Albin Kurti buys extra time, Surlic pointed out.

The simultaneous messages of the US official James O'Brien and the EU special envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, that the formation of the ZSO is a priority, should be taken with a grain of salt, said assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences Stefan Surlic. He added that it was presented as a big concession that Pristina could send the statute of the A/CSM to the Constitutional Court in Pristina for verification before joining the Council of Europe, but he emphasized that this was far from the goal - for the community to come to life and enable a normal life for Serbs in Kosovo.

'The promises made before the international community that it was enough for the Serbian community to show initiative, to sign the petition, to see that the Serbs would actually participate in the elections and replace these, we can safely say, illegitimate mayors, but that request for a referendum, over 50 percent of voters whose actual figure does not at all correspond to the actual situation on the ground. Let's consider that almost 15 percent of Serbs from the north have already left Kosovo in the last two years, this is an alarming fact that tells us that this figure from the voter list and for the referendum is designed so that the referendum fails and buys additional time," said Surlic.

He opined that it did not suit Kurti for the local elections to take place, the Serbs to return to the institutions until the parliamentary elections, where he expects an absolute majority and the possibility of forming the government alone, with some small coalition partners. Speaking about the six-month report on the situation in Kosovo, which will be presented at the session of the UN SC in NY, Surlic said that the report very vague stated everything that happened in the last six months.

"In the report, all the problems faced by the Serbian community are stated. It is stated that there is no progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the problem with the dinar is mentioned, but this report is still very mild in relation to the alarming situations we have on the ground and the problems that the Serbian community is facing. Even the abolition of the dinar on the territory of Kosovo is presented as an activity for which some solution is being sought and that Pristina offers some modalities. In fact, the reality is that it directly affects people's existence," said Surlic.

Manojlovic on the failed referendum in the North: Well-coordinated killing of energy (KoSSev)

"The Serbian list in the North of Kosovo demanded a referendum in which the Albanian municipal presidents would be replaced, and then called for a boycott of voting in that same referendum," the leader of the Kreni movement reminded.

To him, it all seems like "a conscious handing over of the North to those who do not have a majority."

"To me, this seems like a well-coordinated killing of energy, spreading apathy and deliberately leaving the North to those who do not have a majority. Double pass," stated the leader of the Kreni Promeni (Start Change) movement, Savo Manojlovic, reported KoSSev last night.

A lost opportunity to pave the way for the election of new mayors in the north of Kosovo, says Democracy in Action (NMagazin, Beta, KiM radio)

The coalition of non-governmental organizations "Democracy in Action" announced last night and said that ''the low turnout in the vote to replace the mayors of four municipalities in the north of Kosovo is a lost opportunity for citizens to "pave the way" for the election of new leaders''.

This organization announced that some polling stations did not meet the standards of the voting process, because, as it assessed, there was an "inadequate selection of facilities that had the role of voting centers".

Also, they believe that the technical conditions in some polling centers, i.e. polling stations, did not meet the standards of the voting process.

"The choice of buildings that had the role of voting centers was inadequate, then the accumulation of several polling stations in one area, the installation of voting booths on the floors of municipal buildings," they stated.

It is added that this also includes "improvisation of offices or narrow rooms, lack of heating or lighting at polling stations organized in containers". Democracy in Action also said that the process went smoothly and without incidents.

An explosion in the yard of a Serbian house in Kosovska Kamenica (RTS)

In the yard of the house of S. S., of Serbian nationality, in Korminjane near Kosovska Kamenica, a car was damaged by the explosion, reported RTS yesterday.

The incident in Korminjane was confirmed to RTS by the police directorate in Gnjilane, with the information that there were no injuries, and that it is suspected that a hand grenade was activated.

The police directorate in Pristina also reported on the incident in its 24-hour report, adding that the explosion was reported shortly before midnight.

"The complainant from Kosovo reported that an explosive device, suspected to be a hand grenade, exploded in the yard of his house. Apart from material damage to his car, there were no injuries. The case is still being investigated by the competent police units," the report states.

Vucic after the meeting with O’Brien: We agree on little regarding Kosovo and Srebrenica (Beta, N1)

Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, said after a meeting with the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US State Department, James O'Brien, that there is little they agreed on when it comes to Kosovo and Srebrenica.

“We agree that it is very important that peace and stability must be preserved, and on the Serbian side, I promised that Serbia would behave responsibly and seriously and I said what lies are coming from those who talk about some kind of invasion, war, as we are not even considering participating in such things,“ Vucic told reporters at the Presidency after the meeting.

He said that his and O’Brien’s views differ on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and Srebrenica.

He thanked O’Brien for saying that the Community of Serb Municipalities is an “important and powerful obligation” that Pristina must fulfil.

„That obligation has been strong for 11 years”, he said, arguing that it is being ignored and that “they have been lying to us for more than 4,000 days”.

“Both Pristina and the Europeans who signed it with us,“ said Vucic.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/kwppvp8h

International Media

Serb majority in N. Kosovo boycotts vote on removing ethnic Albanian mayors (France 24)

The vote could have paved the way for the election of Serbs to the mayoral posts after the appointment of the ethnic Albanians sparked violence in the Belgrade-backed region with a Serb majority.

But only 253 out of some 45,000 eligible voters cast ballots, the Central Election Commission said (CEC).

For the election to be valid turnout has to be above 50 percent.

Therefore the vote has failed, CEC chair Kreshnik Radoniqi said.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/422x352n

North Kosovo Serbs boycott referendum on removing ethnic Albanian mayors (Reuters)

Most Serbs in volatile north Kosovo boycotted a local referendum on Sunday on whether to remove ethnic Albanian mayors in four municipalities whose appointment led to violence last year, the country's election commission said.

Kosovo is predominantly ethnic Albanian but around 50,000 Serbs in the north reject Pristina's government and see Belgrade as their capital. A former Serbian province, Kosovo declared independence in 2008 a decade after a guerrilla uprising.