UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 24, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

CEC does not certify Serbian List for February 2025 general elections (media)
Reactions following the non-certification of the Serbian List (media)
PDK criticizes silence of MUP and MFA on verification of Serbian List (RTK)
Haxhiu: Serbia to hand over terrorist leader Radoicic (RTK)
Hovenier presented with Medal of Distinguished Service by Maqedonci (media)
KFOR regional command west soldiers conduct joint evacuation training (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic discusses Kosovo issue, Bosnia and NIS with Lavrov (Tanjug, media)
Vucic: Kurti is trying to remove only political opponent in Kosovo, which is Serbian List (media)
Petkovic reacts to CEC decision not to certify Serbian List candidates (media)
US Embassy expresses deep concern over CEC decision not to certify Serbian List candidates (Kosovo Online, media)
Rohde: Concerned about CEC decision on Serbian List, equal application of law to everyone is essential (media, social media)
EU: Process of certification should be based on legal standards, not political considerations (media)
OSCE Mission reacts to CEC decision on Serbian List (media, social media)
Djuric: Serbia to be strongest bulwark of international law (media)
Protesting students: Stay with us – we’ve only just begun (N1)
PM Vucevic: Rally drew large crowd, student demands unclear (N1)

International Media:

Kosovo election authority bans main ethnic Serb party from parliamentary vote (AP)
For too many Serbian women, home is no haven (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

CEC does not certify Serbian List for the February 2025 general elections (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has not certified the Serbian List (SL) for participation in the elections of February 9, 2025, “after representatives of the ruling party – the Vetevendosje Movement – expressed concerns that the SL does not recognize the state of Kosovo and does not refer to it according to its official name but as Kosovo and Metohija”. Radio Free Europe notes that only CEC chairperson Kreshnik Radoniqi voted in favor of certifying the SL, while Vetevendosje representatives at the CEC, Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi, voted against the certification, and the other members abstained. Kurteshi said in an interview later on Monday that the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) can overrule the decision. “We voted against the certification of this political entity in these circumstances, and if ECAP overrules it, then that is the position of ECAP, it is not our position … This entity [referring to the Serbian List] does not recognize the Republic of Kosovo as a state and it does not recognize these elections as elections in the Republic of Kosovo,” he said. According to Kurteshi, the situation now is different from those in the 2021 general elections. “We’re not talking about the circumstances of 2021; we are talking about circumstances in 2025. This is a pre-election campaign, and meanwhile a series of actions with a terrorist character have taken place and the Serbian List as a political party was fully involved as a nest of terrorist organizations. There was the attack in Banjska, the attack on the Iber Lepenci canal, the protests, the barricades where several dozen of KFOR soldiers and Kosovo police officers were injured. The Serbian List never, neither publicly nor privately, distanced from the violence and the terrorist actions. These are the main reasons”.

Meanwhile, some political commentators interviewed by Radio Free Europe argued that the non-certification of the SL is part of the pre-election campaign by the Vetevendosje Movement. Albert Krasniqi from the NGO Democracy+ said that the SLK will file a complaint with the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel and will then enter the election race. “The law on general elections provides that political parties that are registered are automatically considered certified. What will happen is that there is a legal deadline of 48 hours during which the Serbian Lit can complain to ECAP and the latter then has an additional 48-hour deadline to make a decision. All this noise will not last more than four days, and I am certain that the ECAP will overrule the decision of the CEC and will oblige the CEC to certify the Serbian List,” he argued. Eugen Cakolli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute told the news website that the CEC has again become part of “political rhetoric by making a decision against the law and other regulations in force”. He also said that the decision is only meant for daily political consumption. “In fact it does not produce any effect because the Serbian List will not appeal the case, and based on a precedent from 2019 and also other elections held in Kosovo, the ECAP will overrule the decision and will oblige the CEC to certify it [the Serbian List], and even without a need to vote,” he said. Cakolli also said that the decisions of ECAP or by the Supreme Court are directly enforceable and do not require a voting process.

Reactions following the non-certification of the Serbian List (media)

The United States Embassy in Kosovo expressed “deep concern” on Monday about the non-certification of Serbian List by the Central Election Commission for the February 9 parliamentary elections. The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo, in a response to KOHA, said it is deeply concerned about the actions of some members of the CEC in not certifying Serbian List candidates. “The actions of the CEC should be strictly limited to the implementation of legal standards and procedures, and any decision to disqualify candidates should be based solely on the equal application of the law. The electoral process should be transparent, credible, and free from political interference,” an Embassy spokesperson told KOHA. The U.S. Embassy said it was deeply concerned by the “apparent inclusion of politically motivated criteria in the CEC’s candidate certification process”. “Such actions undermine the fundamental democratic principles of free and fair elections, as they open the door to subjective political influence on the electoral process,” the Embassy said. They said the CEC’s role is to oversee the conduct of elections and ensure that the law is implemented fairly and impartially. “Its responsibilities should remain strictly limited to legal procedures, not political considerations.”

The U.S. has called on political parties that have problems with the CEC’s processes to appeal to the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel. “We call on all parties that have problems with the CEC’s processes to utilize the institutional mechanisms in place, namely the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP). All qualified candidates should be allowed to compete in free and fair elections in accordance with Kosovo law. It is essential that voters, not political bodies, decide who represents them,” the reaction states.

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in a post on X that he shares “the EU and US concerns regarding the non-certification of Srpska Lista. Equal application of the law to everyone is essential. The certification process is a strictly formal procedure that should not be politicized”.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo said in a statement on Monday that “the Central Election Commission (CEC) has played a pivotal role in fostering democracy and political freedoms in Kosovo for decades, with consistent support from the OSCE. The Mission notes with concern that the Central Election Commission today did not certify Srpska Lista. Certification process is a procedural matter that underpins democratic elections & should be free from political considerations. We urge CEC to uphold integrity of Kosovo’s electoral process & ensure that subsequent steps are inclusive & consistent with democratic principles”.

The European Union told Koha news website on Monday that the non-certification of the Serbian List is regrettable, adding that the certification process “must be based on legal standards and procedures and not political considerations”. “All qualified candidates need to have the opportunity to take part in free and fair elections, in full compliance with the Kosovo legislation and its equal implementation … The EU reiterates that the election process must be transparent, credible and free from political interventions,” the EU said.

PDK criticizes silence of MUP and MFA on verification of Serbian List (RTK)

Arianit Elshani, representative of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) in the Central Election Commission (CEC), has accused the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of inaction and silence regarding the verification of the Serbian List by the CEC, describing this behavior as unacceptable. "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has remained silent on the CEC's request to verify the Serbian List, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not given any response in this regard," Elshani said.

He stressed that despite the stance of staying in the hall during the CEC meeting, PDK did not support the vote on the certification of the Serbian List. "It is beyond any norm that the institutions responsible for security issues choose to remain silent in the face of such an important issue. For this reason, I have asked the Chairman of the CEC to consult once again with the Ministry of Interior to obtain clear clarifications," Elshani said.

Haxhiu: Serbia to hand over terrorist leader Radoicic (RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu has appealed to the international community to increase pressure on the authorities in Serbia to hand over terrorist leader Milan Radoicic to the Kosovo justice system, saying that Serbia is behind the latest attack on the Iber-Lepenc canal.

"It is important to put pressure on Serbia to hand over terrorist leader Milan Radoicic. The Ministry of Justice, together with the prosecution and the Kosovo Police, has taken all necessary steps to hand them over to the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. You know that there was an attempt by Serbia to take evidence from Kosovo, supposedly to investigate this case there. We have rejected them," she said.

Asked about the statements of the U.S. ambassador to Serbia that the U.S. "does not see any evidence that would lead to Belgrade" when it comes to who is behind the attack on the water supply canal, Iber-Lepenc, in northern Kosovo, Haxhiu said that she has not heard them, but expressed her conviction that Serbia is behind this attack. "Regarding Ambassador Hill's statements, I have not heard them and I cannot speak about something that I have not heard, but I can speak that both the terrorist attack in Banjska and in Iber-Lepec is clear that it is related to a large, well-organized enterprise with a lot of planning, with a lot of financing, with a lot of training that takes place in Serbia, and behind them is Serbia, it is clear that this is understood. We have expressed our willingness to have the FBI and other partner countries help us. Kosovo has nothing to hide. It is clear that Serbia is trying to reveal incorrect information and remove its responsibility for two terrorist attacks in Kosovo”, said Haxhiu.

Asked about the genocide lawsuit against Serbia, Haxhiu said that it is a very sensitive process, not easy considering the practices of other countries.“Experts in the field have been engaged in this direction all the time. The process is confidential, it is classified, I cannot share more information than that. Since it is a classified process, I am not allowed to share more information, but that is on our agenda. We are working with experts on the issue, foreign and local, and we believe that in the near future we will have concrete actions in terms of addressing the responsibilities we have”.

Asked by journalists how she sees Prime Minister Albin Kurti's failure to respond to the invitation of the Special Prosecution, she said that this would not be the first time something like this has happened. She said that if the prosecution is interested in taking the Prime Minister's testimony, it can freely respond to his request.

Haxhiu spoke about the work and commitment of Kosovo institutions in transitional justice and addressing crimes committed during the war in Kosovo. She indicated that currently, based on the data, there are 67 indictments for war crimes filed in 62 cases against 174 people, of which she said that 10 cases are being tried in absentia and this number is expected to increase continuously.

Hovenier presented with Medal of Distinguished Service by Maqedonci (media)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said in a post on X on Monday that he was “honored to be presented the Medal of Distinguished Service by Kosovo’s Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci, and to receive a gift of recognition from Kosovo Security Force Commander Jashari this afternoon”. “Proud to support and promote U.S.- Kosovo Defense cooperation and the KSF’s comprehensive transition to a NATO-interoperable, multi-ethnic, territorial defense force subject to civilian control,” Hovenier said.

KFOR regional command west soldiers conduct joint evacuation training (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said on Monday that the Regional Command West soldiers concluded a joint evacuation training operating in crowd control scenarios, freedom of movement and operations to secure sensitive targets, all aimed at maintaining a high level of readiness in synergy with their allied counterparts. “In particular, the exercise saw Italian assets from the Regional Command West Kinetic Battalion deployed to the municipality of Deçan/Dečani, simulating a QRF (Rapid Reaction Force) intervention scenario in order to evacuate an Italian LMT (Liaison Monitoring Team),” KFOR said in a Facebook post.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic discusses Kosovo issue, Bosnia and NIS with Lavrov (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by phone on Monday to inform him of Pristina's intent of banning Serbian List from running in the upcoming elections in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reported. "I informed Minister Lavrov, as a representative of a UN member state, that, by violating all acts of international public law, Pristina is trying to ban Serbian List from running in the upcoming elections", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

He said they had also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska and jointly voiced concern over it, agreeing that full respect of the Dayton Peace Agreement was the best way to preserve peace and stability. The discussion topics also included possible US sanctions on Serbia's majority Russian-owned oil company NIS, and they agreed for Serbian and Russian experts to meet as soon as, as it was said, sanctions were introduced. Vucic noted that the discussion had been very good and substantial.

"We also discussed all other important matters of our bilateral cooperation, confirmed the friendship between our countries and expressed the confidence that we can raise the level of trade between Serbia and Russia through greater engagement on our part", Vucic also wrote in the post.

Vucic: Kurti is trying to remove only political opponent in Kosovo, which is Serbian List (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, is attempting to eliminate the only political opponent in Kosovo – the Serbian List, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Albin Kurti is indeed trying to remove the only political opponent in Kosovo and Metohija, which is the Serbian List. Kurti, with the help of his allies, wants to exterminate the Serbian people from the southern province", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

Petkovic reacts to CEC decision not to certify Serbian List candidates (media)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said yesterday that “Albin Kurti's attempt to unlawfully ban the Serbian List from participating in the upcoming elections is the best indicator of how much Pristina and its followers are afraid of Serbian unity and harmony, as well as the strength of the Serbian List candidates”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Authorities in Pristina well know that they cannot defeat the Serbian List, so they want to ban it. Kurti is aware whom the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija only trust and vote for, and there is no amount of money, coercion, or force that can make anyone support his protégés who raise their hands as he conducts", Petkovic said in a statement. As Petkovic said that is why Kurti has begun an attempt to eliminate the Serbian List, but will not succeed, just as he will not be able to "install his followers" in parliamentary seats.

"We have informed the entire international community about this new violence and unlawful actions by Pristina and expect their adequate and uncompromising response", Petkovic said.

US Embassy expresses deep concern over CEC decision not to certify Serbian List candidates (Kosovo Online, media)

The US Embassy in Pristina expressed deep concern regarding the Central Election Commission's (CEC) decision not to certify the Serbian List candidates for the parliamentary elections on February 9th, criticizing the apparent inclusion of politically motivated criteria in the candidate certification process from the electoral lists, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"We are deeply concerned by the actions of some members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to not certify the Serbian List candidates. CEC's actions should be strictly limited to legal standards and procedures, and all decisions on candidate disqualification must be based solely on the equal application of the law", the statement from the US Embassy sent to the media said.

They also said the electoral process should be transparent, credible, and free from political interference. "We are concerned about the apparent inclusion of politically motivated criteria in the CEC's candidate certification process. Such actions undermine the basic democratic principles of free and fair elections, as they open the door to subjective political influence on the electoral process", the statement also said.

They added that the CEC plays an important role in overseeing election conduct and ensuring fair and impartial application of the law, which is why this responsibility should remain firmly rooted in legal procedures, not political considerations. "We urge any party having issues with the CEC processes to use the existing institutional mechanisms, namely the Election Complaints Commission. All qualified candidates should be allowed to run in free and fair elections in accordance with Kosovo law. It is essential that voters, not political bodies, decide who represents them", the statement concluded.

Rohde: Concerned about CEC decision on Serbian List, equal application of law to everyone is essential (media, social media)

German Ambassador in Pristina, Jorn Rohde expressed concern over the decision of the Central Election Commission not to certify Serbian List candidates for upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In a post on X social platform, Rohde said that equal application of the law to everyone was essential. “I share the EU and US concerns regarding the non-certification of Srpska Lista. Equal application of the law to everyone is essential. The certification process is a strictly formal procedure that should not be politicized”, Rohde said in a post on X.

EU: Process of certification should be based on legal standards, not political considerations (media)

The European Union said it regrets that the Central Election Commission did not certify Serbian List candidates, adding the certification process should be based on legal standards and procedures and not on political considerations, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The European Union also said that all qualified candidates must have a chance to take part in a free and fair elections, in line with Kosovo laws and its equal implementation.

“The certification process should be based on legal standards and procedures in line with the law, and not on political considerations. The election process must be transparent, reliable and without political interference”, the EU said. It expects the CEC and its members that "in line with all applicable mechanisms ensure a comprehensive, reliable and transparent process by enabling Kosovo voters to clearly express their choices”, the statement added.

OSCE Mission reacts to CEC decision on Serbian List (media, social media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo noted with concern the decision of the Central Election Commission not to certify Serbian List candidates, adding that such procedural matters should be free from political considerations, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“The Central Election Commission (CEC) has played a pivotal role in fostering democracy and political freedoms in Kosovo for decades, with consistent support from the OSCE. The Mission notes with concern that the Central Election Commission today did not certify Srpska Lista. Certification process is a procedural matter that underpins democratic elections & should be free from political considerations. We urge CEC to uphold the integrity of Kosovo’s electoral process & ensure that subsequent steps are inclusive & consistent with democratic principles”, the OSCE Mission said in a post on X social platform.

Djuric: Serbia to be strongest bulwark of international law (media)

Serbia will be the strongest bulwark of international law, and its diplomacy will continue to develop in the challenging times ahead, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said at the opening of an ambassadorial conference hosted by the Serbian MFA in Belgrade on Monday. The conference brought together Serbian ambassadors, consuls and heads of missions to international organizations.

He said the ambassadorial conference was taking place in Belgrade after more than a decade. "We gathered here to assess Serbia's foreign policy activity together in times that are more turbulent and more challenging than the times faced by perhaps any generation of diplomats in modern Serbian history", Djuric said. He said he was convinced new horizons of cooperation were ahead of Serbia.

"I am confident that, with the new US administration - with which we maintain exceptional daily communication - we will also succeed in making a new contribution to achieving peace and stability in our region, that we will preserve and strengthen our traditional friendships and that we will also advance our relations with the People's Republic of China, that we will also not lose our relations with Russia or any other country in the world", Djuric said, adding that Serbia would keep adhering to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

Protesting students: Stay with us – we’ve only just begun (N1)

Protesting students expressed gratitude to all people who attended and supported the December 22 rally in central Belgrade, N1 reported.

“We want to thank from the bottom of our hearts all of you who came and supported us. Thank you for taking the time to send us important information and for avoiding conflicts. Thank you for having our backs – we’ll have yours as well”, the students wrote in a post on the X social media platform on Sunday evening.

They emphasized that together with the gathered people, they demonstrated their bravery, dignity, and unity. “Stay with us – we’ve only just begun”, the students also wrote.

PM Vucevic: Rally drew large crowd, student demands unclear (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said Monday there is no doubt that many people attended the student-initiated rally held Sunday in central Belgrade, but that he does not fully understand the students’ demands, N1 reported. In an interview with Pink TV, Vucevic suggested these might be “old demands that come down to the formation of an interim government”.

“All students’ demands have been met. We have those who bear political responsibility for the tragedy in Novi Sad. Two ministers have resigned, along with the director of a public company. We also have criminal accountability, as 13 people have been prosecuted”, he said. The Prime Minister noted that “proceedings are underway against two ministers and the director of the public company”. He added that documents regarding the train station reconstruction in Novi Sad are being released, and university budgets for material costs will increase by 20 percent. He said this is why he believes that the ultimate goal of all that is happening in the country is for someone to gain power without elections.

“That will not happen. President (of Serbia, Aleksandar) Vucic will never give a mandate for forming an interim government, and no one from the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) will vote for such a thing”, Vucevic said.

International Media

Kosovo election authority bans main ethnic Serb party from parliamentary vote (AP)

Kosovo’s election authority on Monday barred the main ethnic Serb party from competing in the upcoming parliamentary election, justifying the move by pointing to its nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia. The Central Election Commission declined to certify Kosovo’s main ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista, or Serb List.

Some commission’s members mentioned how Srpska Lisa leader Zlatan Elek has never referred to Kosovo as an independent republic, but instead as Kosovo i Metohija, meaning Serbia’s autonomous province of Kosovo, as Belgrade calls it.

The commission officials also said that the Serb party holds close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and other Serb leaders who also refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence.