Vote drama coming from Serbia, Prosecutor's still in investigation phase

Kosovo's prosecution says it is still in the phase of investigations concerning the voting case from Serbia, on which allegations had been raised that after the opening of the envelopes released a serious wind that allegedly affected the state of health of 20 Central Election Commission officials.

The prosecution insists that samples of these envelopes were sent for examination at one of the European labs, but did not indicate which country.

Kosovo Prosecutor's spokesman Ekrem Lutfiu has said they are in the investigation phase and has not provided answers to questions about the laboratory where the analyses were sent.

On 13 October, as they were opening and checking votes coming from Serbia in closed envelopes, there were originally 20 Central Election Commission officials, (KQZ), who had complained about their state of health and then 12 of them had ended up lying in the hospital.

However, laboratory tests of patients lying in the hospital have proved not to be an infectious cause.

Despite the allegations raised, the Central Election Commission had ordered that under extraordinary safeguard clauses, votes coming from Serbia be counted. They were counted and then included under the election result.

But the same had been disputed by the Social Democrat Initiative coalition, the New Kosovo Alliance and the Justice Party. Their complaint was dealt with by the Election Panel for Ances and Parashtesa, which decided on Monday, November 11th, to be declared invalid.

The reasoning of the Electoral Panel for Ances and Parashtres is that the way packages with ballot papers are collected in the way they surrender to the CEC mail by disauthorized persons more resembles collective voting which violates and undermines the integrity of the election process and is contrary to legal provisions.

PZAP ordered the CEC not to include those votes in the final outcome of the October 6th early parliamentary elections.

Eugen Cakoli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) said that on almost each side, votes from Serbia have been accepted in similar procedures.

With PZAP's decision regarding the annulment of the votes coming from Serbia, a new precedan has been established in terms of accepting this category of votes in Kosovo elections, as we have so far had frequent cases or in almost every party election when votes from Serbia have been accepted in almost the same procedure even in 2013. The SEU, which has received these votes directly at the collection centres in Serbia that have been located in the town of Nis”, Cakolli said.

Serbia's annulment of votes, Cakoli adds, will also affect the final results that will be certified by the CEC.

“If there is no drastic change in the recounting process of around 1500 boxes, then with the removal of these votes the Initiative ♫ AKR-PPS will pass the electoral threshold and win 6 seats in the country, affecting that two political subject LDK and VV have had the 61 MPs spoken to make up the ruling coalition 4 deputies less, the VV will have 3 deputies less, while the LDK deputy 1 less 11x1>, Cacol said.

To cancel votes from Serbia, the director of the Office for Kosovo in Serbia's Government, Marko Djuric, and the Serbian List political subject.

They stressed that even with the annulment of these votes, the Serbian List continues “has in its hands the ten mandates” in the Kosovo Assembly.

Meanwhile, Adnan Rrustemi, a member of the Central Election Commission from Vetevendosje, via a Facebook post has announced that three VV deputies have filed a complaint with the Supreme Court against the PZAP decision, without specifying which decision PZAP is in question.

“Week before, P ZAP, twice had the complaint about the Serb vote, and in both cases, it had refused. The first time as illegal, the second time as inconsequential, and the third time, the same came to be allowed as long - term”.

But no. Just shopping The PZAP became the decision, and their decision will remain only a financially insensitive move. Entrusted that these decisions are political in essence and in shape, our three candidates -- Enver Haliti, Arta Bajralia and Alban Hyseni, proclaimed by the CEC as deputies of the Movement's winning List -- have filed complaints in the Supreme Court against the PZAP verdict, and in defense of their right as elected deputies, as well as citizens' vote for Vetevendosje” -- has written the Rrustemi on Facebook.

The Central Election Commission, meanwhile, at the next meeting held Tuesday, has stressed that in terms of PZAP's decision to cancel Serbia's vote has been filed with complaints at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has 72 hours to decide on the eventual complaints.

Early parliamentary elections in Kosovo are held on 6 October. The Vetevendosje Movement has won mostly votes, followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo.