Elections in northern Kosovo hostage to spirit of dialogue

However, they say that expectations of the Serbian List, which has official Belgrade's support to participate in the elections are real, in light of recent developments under the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in Brussels, as well as the principled reconciliation of the parties with the European Union's proposal for normalisation of relations.

Kosovo authorities say they will provide all conditions for free and democratic elections in all four municipalities in the Serb-run north: Northern Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Leposaviq and Zvecan.

The extraordinary elections for the heads of four municipalities in the country's north, as well as for municipal municipalities in Leposaviq and Zvecan, which were announced to be held on December 18th last year, have been postponed with President Vjosa Osmani's decision, following Western partners' demands.

At the time, 11 candidates from four political subjects were certified for mayoral elections, of which only two candidates were from the Serb community ranks. Also, 64 candidates from three political subjects were certified for the mayoral festivals of Leposaviqi and Zvecan.

The Serbian list had refused to participate in this election. It was a warning that even Serbian voters would not respond to voter turnout.

CEC: new applications from political subjects to be accepted

The Central Election Commission says it has already set deadlines for activities, as well as adopted the operational plan for organising the 23 April elections.

Valmir Elez, the CEC spokesman, says that with this institution's decision, the previously certified candidates, “could be confirmed by political subjects for the 23 April elections, without having to apply from the start”.

In addition to the process of confirming certificate candidacys, the CEC will accept new applications from political parties, independent candidates, civic initiatives or coalitions”, says Elesi.

He adds that the deadline for submitting applications by political subjects is from March 9th through March 18th.

The election campaign period will run from April 4th to April 21st.

Rasp: Kosovo did everything, depends on Serbian List

Free Europe Radio has turned to the Government of Kosovo with the question of whether it will commit to ensuring security conditions for holding the April 23rd elections, as well as the positive electoral atmosphere.

In a written response from the Kosovo prime minister's office, the responsible “institutions will do all that is required to provide and provide the conditions for maintaining and managing free and democratic elections in these four municipalities”.

Minister for Communities and Kthim Nenad Rassic says that Serb List participation in the election would be a signal for voters in the country's northern municipalities that Belgrade formally approves the election exit. Sending such a signal, according to him, would mean that official Belgrade supports positive approach to dialogue in Brussels and the spirit of reconciliation the parties have expressed regarding the EU's proposal for normalisation.

“I think that Kosovo, for the first of all, has done everything in its power to have democratic elections. If they refuse to accept the Serbian List in this case, they will only prove that they are here only to block the processes, prevent and in fact not use the mechanisms for democratisation, but those mechanisms will be used for hostage”, Raspic says.

The participation of the Serbian List in elections and invitations to Serb voters in northern Kosovo to be part of the election process, according to Minister Rassic, should be the least Brussels should seek and expect from official Belgrade.

Free Europe Radio has been addressed to the Serbian List with the question of whether it will participate in the April 23rd elections and what are its conditions for participating in this election. But until the publication of this text, there has been no response.

What do Serbian citizens say?

Some northern Serb citizens of Mitrovica say political developments in northern Kosovo, but also Kosovo-Serbia reports within the dialogue in Brussels, will determine whether or not to hold the 23 April elections.

Milorad says it would initially take Kosovo and Serbia to realise what they agreed to in Brussels, with EU mediation.

I'd like to first get everything back to normal and then announce elections, so law enforcement can be established. Then normal local talks are organised and see what this is about”, he says.

Petar estimates that holding elections in northern municipalities will depend on dialogue between Kosovo, Serbia and the European Union, as well as on what the EU's proposal for normalisation will bring about, for which the parties have agreed.

“I think the elections will be held. I think this is the first thing that has to happen, as well as the return to the Kosovo institutions, but also the formation of the Association of Serb majority municipalities, which we are now waiting for now 10 years”, Petar points out.

Hurdles Without Agreement

Miodrag Miliq, executive director of the non-governmental organisation, active, from Northern Mitrovica, estimates that not all the preconditions currently exist for holding elections in the country's northern municipalities.

According to him, for the time being, the Municipal Election Commissions (KKZ) are not fully functional, but still remains an open issue of citizens' approach to locations, which are mainly in schools operating according to Serbia's system.

For now, according to him, there is no alternative approach to the polls if a consensus is not reached within the Serbian Corps and within the Serbian List.

At least for now, there are no signals to talk about participation in the election process. At least not until the Brussels agreement is formally formalised, which, if anything else, is a positive signal that the agreement, in the near future, will also be signed formally”, Milicevic says.

Branimir Stojanovic, Serbian opposition politician from Gracanica, estimates that the issue of holding elections does not depend on whether technical conditions currently exist for holding them. According to him, if the Serbian List does not participate in the April 23rd elections, then, as he says, <x0-election will have no normal option or will have normal”.
I sincerely hope that, in the context of the talks that were in Brussels, the message will be sent that political stabilisation will be achieved and that the Serbian List will decide to participate in the elections. This is the only way elections can be held regularly, without problems and without incident. If there is political reconciliation and good will, then conditions will be created in one day. It has nothing to do with technical issues. It's a matter of political decision”, Stojanovic's opinion suggests.

Chocolate: The sides may have agreed.

Eugen Cakoli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute estimates that postponing elections from December last year to last April shows that despite technical preparations that the CEC can make, without a political agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, cannot ensure the participation in Serbian List and Serbian voters' elections.

“The delay of elections over a period of time, which corresponds to the date when it is envisioned to have agreements between the parties, is quite inexplicable, as a factor indicating that in fact the parties may have agreed on this issue or at least had pressure on the part of international factors on the issue. In this direction, I believe that the very success or failure of the current negotiation process in Brussels in terms of the European Union's proposal will be determining how, time, and even other technical aspects of holding these” elections, Calcoli estimates.

The extraordinary elections for mayor of four northern municipalities were announced following the resignation of the mayors of four municipalities in the north, all from the Serbian List, early November last year, indicating opposition to a Kosovo government decision to re-register Serbian illegal license plates to the Kosovo Republic.

The resignation also gave the ten deputies of the Serbian List in the Kosovo Assembly, but later, within the legal deadline, they were replaced by nine deputies of the same political subject and one of the civic Initiative for Freedom, Justice and Survival.

Northern Kosovo Serbs collectively abandoned their positions in other institutions, including police and judiciary. /rel/