UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 18, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti doesn’t exclude possibility of a new Serbian attack in Kosovo (media)
Mustafi: Kamberi won another mandate as MP in Serbia (Koha)
Lajcak: Further consultations in the coming period will be necessary (media)
Biserko: The West will no longer tolerate Belgrade’s adventures (media)
Coordination group on Kosovo’s membership at CoE will meet today (Telegrafi)
Osmani on Judo Championship: Historic milestone for our country (media)
Kurti: Association of Architects joins Architects’ Council of Europe (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Brnabic: With 50 pct of votes counted, SNS list has 47.1 pct (Tanjug, media)
The list "Serbia must not stop" received 74.2 percent of the votes of Serbs from Kosovo, says Vucic (Kosovo Online)
Polling stations for parliamentary, provincial, and local elections close in Serbia (Tanjug)
Dimitrijevic: Around 22,000 voters from Kosovo voted by 6 pm (Tanjug)
Petkovic after the vote: Today decided whether the Serbian people will survive in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
Elek: Serbia must not stop, today's unity of Serbs from KiM will contribute to that (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)
Bogdanovic: We expect a change of government (Kosovo Online)
The mayor of Presevo accuses Kurti of having led to the division of Albanians (Beta, NMagazin, Danas)
Election watchdog program director expresses concern about gathering spots for voters in Belgrade (N1)
Demostat: EU recognizes Belgrade’s hypocrisy (N1)
Political analysts: It is too late to change the Annex, Serbia will not be able to avoid Kosovo’s entry into intl institutions (N1)

International Media:

Serbian polls close in snap election called by Vucic (BBC)
Live Blog: Serbian Elections 2023 (Balkan Insight)
Serbia's populists claim a sweeping victory in the country's parliamentary election (abcnews.go.com)
Serbia's ruling populists claim sweeping election victory (euronews.com)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti doesn’t exclude possibility of a new Serbian attack in Kosovo (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti did not exclude the possibility of a new Serbian attack in the territory of Kosovo after the September 24 attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo. In an interview with German newspaper Stern, Kurti was asked about the possibility of new conflict. “We have an aggressive neighbor that does not recognize us. We cannot rule out the possibility of an attack because this does not depend on us. But we remain vigilant and rely on our troops and the troops of allies in NATO, who have stepped up their support since the September attack in order to guarantee the security of our country,” Kurti said.

Read more at: https://t.ly/Q205X

Mustafi: Kamberi won another mandate as MP in Serbia (Koha)

Former leader of the Albanian National Council in Presevo Valley, Ragmi Mustafi, told Koha on Sunday that the leader of the Party for Democratic Action, Shaip Kamberi, has won another mandate as member of the Serbian Parliament, after the Sunday elections there. According to Mustafi, “Kamberi has convincingly won over 12,000 votes”, and that the Albanian Democratic Alternative led by Shqiprim Arifi has won 1,400 votes.

Koha Ditore covers the news in a leading front-page story titled “The [Presevo] Valley, although divided, manages to secure a representative in the Parliament of Serbia”.

Most news websites also report that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced the victory of his party in the Serbian parliamentary elections.

Lajcak: Further consultations in the coming period will be necessary (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that while discussions with chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia were productive, further consultations in the coming period will be necessary. “With Christmas around the corner, the last weeks of the year in Brussels are particularly busy. On Monday, I welcomed the Serbian Chief Negotiator, Petar Petkovic in Brussels. Our discussions covered a range of topics, including the EU draft statute establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, the steps required to implement the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, and various other pending obligations. On Wednesday, I engaged in a detailed video conference with Kosovo's First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, discussing a comprehensive list of Dialogue issues. We agreed on the next steps in the process. While the discussions with both negotiators were productive, further consultations in the coming period will be necessary. In addition to my bilateral discussions, I had the opportunity to participate in a briefing organized by the European Institute of Peace, where I shared insights on the ongoing normalization efforts and discussed their recent report and recommendations. I welcomed their detailed research efforts, and look forward to future engagements,” Lajcak said.

Biserko: The West will no longer tolerate Belgrade’s adventures (media)

Several news websites cover an interview that Sonja Biserko, president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, gave to Montenegro media Aktuelno, highlighting her remarks that the West will no longer tolerate Belgrade’s adventures and that the West did not pardon Serbia for the September 24 attack in Kosovo but imposed no sanctions. “The fact that KFOR was immediately reinforced shows that the West is ready to protect Kosovo and prevent any ‘excursion’ by Serbia. The Kosovars however are afraid of more surprising acts by Belgrade. In the current geostrategic circumstances security has become a priority for the West and in this respect they will stop any attempt to destabilize Kosovo. This is a red line, and any attempt by Belgrade for new adventures will not be tolerated,” she argued.

According to Biserko, “the incursion of Serbian units in the north of Kosovo was an alarm that Belgrade hasn’t given up on its plan for the division of Kosovo”.

Coordination group on Kosovo’s membership at CoE will meet today (Telegrafi)

A coordination group that will spearhead the process of Kosovo’s membership at the Council of Europe will meet today. Deputy Foreign Minister Kreshnik Ahmeti and Vice President of the Kosovo Assembly Saranda Bogujevci will attend the meeting. The coordination group is expected to have a leading role in promoting internal cooperation and prepare a clear and coordinated presentation of Kosovo’s progress in crucial areas such as the respect for human rights, the rule of law and furthering democracy.

Osmani on Judo Championship: Historic milestone for our country (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X on Saturday that “the European Judo Championships Open brought 26 nations together in Prishtina – a historic milestone for our country. Congrats to our judokas – Akil Gjakova, Nora Gjakova, Distria Krasniqi& Dardan Cena on their wins, showcasing that Kosovo remains a global judo powerhouse!”

Kurti: Association of Architects joins Architects’ Council of Europe (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Sunday that “the Association of Architects of Kosova has joined The Architects' Council of Europe, based in Brussels. As an Observer Member Kosovo becomes part of a prestigious group, contributing to the exchange of knowledge for the future of architecture & the European living environment.”

Serbian Language Media

Brnabic: With 50 pct of votes counted, SNS list has 47.1 pct (Tanjug, media)

Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said on Sunday evening that, based on 50 pct of votes counted, the Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) Serbia Must Not Stop electoral list had garnered 47.1 pct of votes in the parliamentary elections, winning the majority of seats in the parliament on its own.

Brnabic said the Serbia Against Violence list had won 23 pct of votes, followed by the Socialist Party of Serbia with 6.7 pct, the HOPE Coalition with 4.9 pct, the We - A Voice From The People coalition with 4.6 pct and the National Gathering coalition, formed by the Serbian Oathkeepers Party and the Serbian Dveri Movement, with 2.9-3 pct of votes.

"As far as Belgrade is concerned, the results have just started coming in, and I am aware the opposition has plans to declare a victory there although the votes have not even been counted yet," Brnabic told a press conference at the SNS headquarters.

The list "Serbia must not stop" received 74.2 percent of the votes of Serbs from Kosovo, says Vucic (Kosovo Online)

The President of Serbia and the holder of the "Serbia must not stop" list, Aleksandar Vucic, announced last night that this list won 74.2 percent of the votes of Kosovo Serbs.

"According to the first preliminary data, the list 'Aleksandar Vucic - Serbia must not stop' won 74.2 percent of the votes of citizens from Kosovo and Metohija," Vucic said in a speech at the SNS election headquarters.

He added that the list "Serbia against violence" won slightly more than five percent of the votes of the Serbian people from Kosovo.

Polling stations for parliamentary, provincial, and local elections close in Serbia (Tanjug)

The polling stations for Sunday's elections for Serbia's national parliament and the provincial assembly of Vojvodina, as well as local elections in 65 Serbian municipalities and cities including Belgrade, closed at 8 pm, reported Tanjug.

The voting took place at 8,273 polling stations, with 6,500,666 citizens registered to vote.

According to figures released by the national electoral commission, the turnout as of 6 pm was 51.93 pct.

The closure of the polling stations also marked the end of electoral silence.

Dimitrijevic: Around 22,000 voters from Kosovo voted by 6 pm (Tanjug)

The head of Serbia's national electoral commission Vladimir Dimitrijevic said that, by 6 pm, around 22,000 voters from Kosovo had voted at 51 polling stations in the south of central Serbia in Sunday's parliamentary elections.

At a press conference, Dimitrijevic said the voters from Kosovo had cast their ballots in Vranje, Raska, Tutin and Kursumlija.

"In these elections, close to 22,000 voters from Kosovo-Metohija voted by 6 pm, which, so far, is more than in the last elections. Therefore, people still managed to get themselves organised and vote in Vranje, Raska, Tutin and Kursumlija. We have that information thanks to our coordinators and records at a total of 51 polling stations," he said.

Petkovic after the vote: Today decided whether the Serbian people will survive in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said, after the vote yesterday, that the future of Serbia and all its citizens and the survival of Serbs in Kosovo will be decided in the elections.

"In today's elections, first of all, it will be decided whether the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija will stay and survive in their state of Serbia and in their Kosovo and Metohija. That is why it is of particular importance that the list "Aleksandar Vucic - Serbia must not stop", because the first point of our program for the development of the future of Serbia is the defense of Kosovo and Metohija as part of Serbia," said Petkovic.

He emphasized that the list number one guarantees the continuation of salary increases, pensions and accelerated economic development of the country.

Elek: Serbia must not stop, today's unity of Serbs from KiM will contribute to that (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The president of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, is convinced that the unity shown yesterday by the citizens of Serbia with residence in Kosovo will bring a positive result, which, as he points out, is the only victory for the list led by Aleksandar Vucic.

"I am sure, deeply convinced, that this unity that the citizens of Kosovo and Metohija showed today on this election day will bring a positive result for all of us in Kosovo and Metohija, and the only positive result is that Serbia must not stop, and I believe in the victory of the list whose holder is Aleksandar Vucic,'' said Elek for Kosovo online among other things.

Bogdanovic: We expect a change of government (Kosovo Online)

SDS vice-president and former minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic said, after the vote, that he expected today's elections to lead to a change of government.

"This is the day when we expect a change of government, that finally there will be a government that will truly take care of the citizens of Kosovo and Metohija, that will truly defend our national interests in those areas and what is most important, a government that will establish a relevant relationship with the citizens of Kosovo and Metohija, not only with one party, not with one criminal group, but with the people who live in Kosovo and Metohija," Bogdanovic told Kosovo Online.

The mayor of Presevo accuses Kurti of having led to the division of Albanians (Beta, NMagazin, Danas)

Presevo mayor, Sqiprim Arifi said yesterday after voting in the village of Trnava, accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that "by supporting a certain group of Albanians from the Presevo Valley, he contributed to the division among them", reported NMagazin portal.

He said that, until the moment when he voted, a small number of Albanians had gone to the polls.

"The division that has been happening for two years in the Presevo Valley is this - with the strong support of Kurti. It is not a division that we wanted, but it is a division that Kurti brought us. Because we had a unique list in 2020, we could unite there. In the last two years, the division has been taking place with the strong support of Kurti. And today we are giving a bill to Kurti as well," he added.

Arifi, leading the "Albanian Democratic Alternative - United Valley" list, is not optimistic that he will be a representative of the Albanians in the Serbian Parliament, and he did not blame the citizens, but the political representatives.

Election watchdog program director expresses concern about gathering spots for voters in Belgrade (N1)

Program director of election watchdog CRTA Rasa Nedeljkov said that election observers determined that there are a number of locations where voters from other parts of the country and even other countries are being gathered and taken to polling stations.

“In relation to the observers up to this moment, the greatest concern is caused by the large number of recorded cases of systematic and organized efforts to bring voters to vote in Belgrade from other places in Serbia and from other countries. A number of buses, vans and ordinary vehicles were observed at several points in Belgrade, whose passengers are then taken to polling stations in various parts of the city. Our observers have identified such points in several locations in the city,” he said.

International Media

Serbian polls close in snap election called by Vucic (BBC)

Serbians have voted in snap elections that are forecast to keep President Aleksandar Vucic's party in power.

Polls closed at 20:00 (19:00 GMT), and his Serbian Progressive Party is likely to maintain its majority in parliament.

But opposition parties campaigning under a Serbia Against Violence banner are hoping to challenge his party in local elections, in the capital Belgrade in particular. Election officials put the turnout at 51.93% with two hours of voting to go.

Non-government observers reported irregularities at a number of polling stations.