Elections in the north, fears of tension, low citizens turnout

The Serbian List's non-participation in the elections is considered an opportunity for parallel structures in the north to prevent the electoral process and pressure citizens from getting elected.

Despite opportunities to contest the legitimacy of the election process in the north, power and opposition see it necessary to hold these elections, especially after the support of the states of the UN. However, election process monitors raise concerns that there may be obstacles to election organisation at polling stations by local Serb officials there. On the other hand, by the Central Election Commission, they have not indicated whether there are technical obstacles to the organisation of elections in the north and when their teams will take to the field for preparing polling stations.

Vetevendosje Movement MP Arberesh Kryeziu-Hyseni says all relevant institutions in Kosovo are ready to organise elections in the north.

According to her, the UNIT countries' support for the April 23rd election process in the north, even without Serb List participation, is evidence of their need for organisation.
Kosovo's <x0 think-tanks all have readiness to offer a quiet and unannounced process and that there will be participation of Serbian citizens in this election to vote for the people they think to represent. It is also very important that the declaration of the states of the UN support and support this election and that are in favour of this election process... It's a seal that confirms that we've always said it's very important to keep this choice and that we've never been wrong when we first assigned it, not when we pushed it off or when we set a new date like April 23rd. This shows that the states of the QUINT have been supportive of decisions and actions the government has made to face the election process in northern municipalities”, she says.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Xhavit Haliti declares that elections in the north should be held on April 23rd, but adds there may be new tensions there.

“It is difficult to say whether (elections) can be kept without the Serbian List. The elections, the Serb population, have held them even when there has been a Serbian List, but other parties that have entered the election. Now if the majority of parties in the north have agreed to hold the elections, already the government, the CEC and all relevant relevant institutions agree (the elections) can be held. It will also depend on how much citizens emerge, as they believe there will be enormous pressure on Serbia, the Serbian List, but also on groups that act violently in the north against its citizens can create a chaos and an unnecessary matter”, the opposition deputy notes.

On the other hand, Eugen Cakoli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute says not participating the Serbian List in the election would harm the election process in certain ways.

He cites that the Serbian List impact will make the citizens' low turnout in the election, while adding that there may be attempts to prevent the election process, but not on the scale like last December.

Serbian List non-participation would certainly damage the election process, as well as in some respects. Among which may most be low voter turnout, taking into account the fact that the ongoing Serbian List has had support over 96 per cent of voters, those 70-80 per cent of the citizens who come to the polls. The impact of non-participating the Serbian List will be noted in the election exit, while second may be attempting to prevent the electoral process, in terms of opening polling stations and electoral work”, Calolli says.

However, the Serb List's non-participation in the April 23rd elections in the north, according to the deputy from the majority, Arbene Kryziu-Hyseni, offers the possibility of establishing a pluralisation among political parties representing Serbs in Kosovo.

She says it is necessary to have young people from the Serb community in institutional positions that can work for citizens of this community living in Kosovo.

The “is important to create a plurality among political parties representing Serbs, as we have had only the Serbian List, deputies from Aleksandar Vuciqi who have represented Serbs in the Republic of Kosovo in various institutions. Therefore, it is very important that there is pluralism, to have other Serb political parties involved, as you see there is an extraordinary deconstructive and boycott of the Serbian List in the Republic Assembly. It is very important to bring new people back to these positions that can work for Serbian citizens living in Kosovo”, she adds.

Days earlier, the Serbian List, which has led with the four northern municipalities, has indicated it will not participate in the elections, according to them until the formation of the Serb majority municipalities' association.

In the April 23rd elections, 11 candidates will compete for mayors of four municipalities in the north, where only two of them are from the Serb community.

The extraordinary local elections will be held in the north following the resignation of the mayors of northern Mitrovica municipalities, Leposaviqi, Zvecan and Zubin Potok. The mayors of these municipalities resigned in November 2022 due to the government's decision on illegal Serbian plates.

The elections in the north were originally scheduled for December 18th of 2022, but they were postponed after incidents and inadequacy for their organisation.