Hoti government silents over Serbian elections in Kosovo in time of pandemic

Despite Kosovo, due to the Corleone pandemic, it has been postponed to hold early elections for mayors in two of its municipalities -- in Podujevo and in northern Mitrovica -- Kosovo authorities have allowed Serbia's parliamentary elections to be held at the majority Serb venues in Kosovo.

The announcement of early elections for mayors in Podujevo and North Mitrovica is the competence of Kosovo's president.

In a response to Radio Free Europe, the Office of the President of Kosovo has declared that the president is consistently forwarding the performance of the situation created with pandemic and in consultation with the CEC and health institutions, respectively. The KSHPK, depending on the circumstances, will make the right decision.

The current “situation has not been deemed appropriate and certain for announcing extraordinary elections for mayor of these two municipalities”, the Kosovo President's Office says in response.

Elections for mayors of Podujevo and North Mitrovica are necessary because the former mayors of these municipalities, Agim Veliu and Goran Rakic, have become part of the executive.

However, on Thursday the mission of the Organisation for Security and European Co-operation (OSBE) has confirmed to Radio Free Europe that has reached agreement with Kosovo authorities that this mission implements action “for the collection of votes” in Kosovo for Serbia's parliamentary elections, dated 21 June.

“This operation is in line with past practices and modes implemented in 2017”, O said The SEU.

The OSCE has not responded to how the prosperity of the process is planned, taking into account the body's pandemic.

On the other hand, the Government of Kosovo has so far made no comment regarding the organisation of Serbia's parliamentary elections in the majority Serb environments in Kosovo.

Contacted by Radio Free Europe, Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti's cabinet officials have declined to respond to why these elections were allowed, at a time when, due to the pandemic, the holding of early elections for mayors in Podujevo and North Mitrovica has been postponed.

According to recommendations by experts from the National Institute of Public Health (IKSHPK), the large gathering of people in a space where distance of 1 cannot be maintained. 5 meters to 2 meters is a threat to public health.

The Danger of Infection
Valbon Krasniqi, infected at the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo, tells Free Europe Radio that gatherings -- of whatever character -- pose a risk of spreading infection.

And we've made it clear that as long as people's gatherings massly, for whatever purpose and whatever nature they are, they are a serious threat to the public health of the citizens of the country. In medicine, mass gatherings of people are known as super-disciplinary. So, they can become large distributors of the”, Krasniqi stressed.

On the other hand, the Republic of Serbia Election Commission, on Thursday evening, has adopted the direction for implementation of the polls on Kosovo territory.

Serbian Commission Chairman Vladimir Dimitrijevic has clarified that the content of the instruction is almost identical, as in Serbia's presidential election, in 2017. The directive is said to be organised with OSCE support, “pa, which is not possible to ensure the secure implementation of the election procedure on Kosovo territory”.

As he noted, the innovation is that while determining the results of the vote in Raska and Vranje, members of the working body, whose members will propose to all holders of the lists, will be present. This working body will conduct control as an extensive composition of the election council.

After the polls closed, after the outcome of the voting process, members of the electoral council must seal the material “without delay” and send it to the Raska municipality, on its own in the town of Vranje, to hand over electoral material to the co-ordinators of the Republic of Serbia's Election Commission.

For the security of carrying election material, before and after the vote, the OSCE will take care of it.

Under the directive, co-ordinators of the Election Commission of the Republic of Serbia, prior to the vote hand over the electoral material directly to electoral councils in the Race, in Vranje, on 20 June. After the surrender, the material is placed in the sack, which is sealed with a security lock and cannot be opened before the election council can meet at a vote on Election Day. In the directive, it writes that voting in the poll applies according to the Law's provisions for electing people's deputies and rules for the work of voting councils.

The organs for implementing elections on Kosovo territory, according to this instruction, are the Republic of Serbia Election Commission and election councils.

Serbian citizens in northern Mitrovica say they will stand in elections, equipped with masks and gloves. Yet most of them do not hide their fear because of their ignorance.

Vera Nedeljkovic says she doesn't have much choice on the day she comes out to vote.

Nothing. I'm going to put my mask on and goodbye to”, Nedeljkovic said.

.Ognjen Karamarkovic, says she will go out to vote, but in fear.

I'm afraid, because it hasn't passed the Corona (v.j. Coronervius). Each day, we have from 100 or more sufferers, both in Serbia and Kosovo. I'm scared, but I'll think about it. I will wear the mask and gloves and see where I will vote”, Karamarkovic said.

So does Selena Banjac.

We'll put our masks on and get out early. We haven't even feared when it was worse, although we haven't been out that much”, Banja Luka said.

But, Radomir Savic expresses the opinion that Serbia's parliamentary elections should be held normally even in Serbian environments. But, according to him, there is danger from what he called the second phase of the pandemic, and it is not to silence the competent.

We need to get to the polls. Here will be the mess and come from all sides, both Serbia and Kosovo. Among them may be infected. They should have taken something. These are silent and nothing is saying”, Savic stressed.

The Electoral Commission of the Republic of Serbia has declared earlier that of 8,386 deployments, 90 of them are in Kosovo, as long as they have been in the past years.

Authorities in Kosovo have so far recorded 1,916 cases with the Devi-19 disease, which causes the new coronary. In the last four days alone, 346 new cases have been recorded.

So far, 973 people have been healed, until 34 patients have died.