5 minutes agoEnormous elections in the north, political parties hesitate to hold protests due to crisis
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)The Serbian list, which is conducted by Belgrade, has declined to participate in the April 23rd elections, which are held in Kosovo's 4 northern municipalities. Meanwhile in the northern part of the country, although officially campaigning, the atmosphere of elections is still not seen, as the parties participating in the elections have not yet started pre-election activities. According to [...]
According to American Balkan Affairs connoisseur Daniel Serwer, these elections are a difficult issue, since, as he put it, stable and free conditions for elections should be created on the one hand, as municipalities on the other need legitimate representatives.
Although officially the election campaign for the four northern municipalities was launched on April 4th, the electoral atmosphere is not being observed as common in our country.
Political subjects, certified for participation in these elections, three Albanians, The PDK, VV and Mitrovica Civic Initiative, as well as two Serbs, have so far not announced the media about any election rally with their supporters.
RTK has contacted some of the mayoral candidates over the phone to ask if they are holding meetings with citizens under the election campaign. They said they have not yet organized gatherings and that they do not think to do so, until some of them prefer to extend the program through social networks.
The election campaign in these municipalities will last until April 21st, until no residenties have been seen in municipalities with photos of candidates as in the past. But, American Balkan Affairs connoisseur Daniel Cerwer, says elections in the north are a difficult issue. According to him, stable and free conditions for elections must be created on one side, until on the other municipalities according to him need legitimate representatives.
Serwer has said Belgrade should make maximum efforts to calm things down in the north, but according to him, this could certainly bring its traditional unjustified intervention to the election process.
“Ideally, Belgrade would have to co-operate with Pristina for the restoration of law and order in the north, the withdrawal of Serbian cladestinian security forces and their organised crime partners operating there and to enable Kosovo Police forces to take over. But none of this seems to be possible”, Serwer said of the public broadcaster.
As for the political situation in the country, Serwer says Kosovo is a living democracy, but that it is facing difficult challenges: the economy needs more investment and jobs, the judicial system still needs to fight corruption, and the Serb population must be convinced it can thrive without political ties with Belgrade.
In the April 23rd elections, the Democratic Party of Kosovo competes with four mayoral candidates. In Leposaviq with Albulen Behluli Hetemi, Zubin Potok with Izmir Zeqiri, in private with Ilir Pecin and in northern Mitrovica with Taulant Kelmendi.
The Vetevendosje Movement has also submitted four candidates. In Leposaviq, Lulzim Hetemi, in Zubin Potok, Flatron Hasani, in Zvecan, Fetah Pecin and in northern Mitrovica, Erden Attic.
Mitrovica Civic Initiative competes only in northern Mitrovica with its candidate, Betim Osmani.
From Serbian political subjects, the Party of Kosovo Serbs competes only in Leposaviq with candidate Aleksandar Jablanovic, while Sladjana Pantovic has been certified as an independent candidate in the Zvecan municipality's mayoral elections.
Meanwhile, in these elections it has refused to participate in the largest Serbian party in Kosovo, the Serbian List.
