a minute agoDW analysis: Kosovo holds Belgrade responsible for voting failure in the north
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)Only a few hundred Serbian citizens, out of about 45 thousand eligible voters, participated in the referendum in four municipalities in northern Kosovo aimed at leaving Albanian mayors. But after the Republika Srpska List called for the boycott, northern Serbs boycotted almost entirely referendum and the CEC following the closure of the polling sites....
But after the Republika Srpska List called for the boycott, northern Serbs boycotted almost entirely the referendum, and the CEC after the seat closure declared it failed. “And we find that civic initiatives for the removal of Leposavic mayors, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and North Mitrovica have failed”, said CEC chairman Kressnik Radonik.
The list in January of this year had taken part in the collection of signatures for holding the referendum in northern Mitrovica, Zveovinaan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok, but just days before Sunday's referendum, she called for a boycott -- a call heard by Serbs.
Kosovo holds Belgrade pressure for voting failure
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, after the referendum's failure, said Kosovo gave the citizens of northern municipalities the opportunity to dismiss current mayors and others choose new mayors, but citizens largely did not take advantage of that opportunity. Unfortunately, this was largely due to pressure from Belgrade executed by the Serbian List and illegal criminal structures. Once again, Serbia conducted illegal interventions in an election process of another state. Once again, Vucic violated the word he had given to international partners”, the president wrote in her social profile. President Vjosa Osmani wrote further that “with the organisation of today's process, Kosovo has met all conditions required by the European Union and anti-Kosovo measures to be lifted immediately”
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, for his part, said that the results of the vote for dismissal or not of Albanian mayors in the four Serb majority municipalities show there is no will to dismiss current mayors”. “20% of votes collected by the Serbian petition List to initiate this process did not result more than that. Serbia has seen it can collect 20%, but not even 50% ”, the prime minister wrote.
Reactions following the failure of voting in the north were also held by the US. The United States of America expressed regret at the decision of the Serbian List and other Serbian political figures in Kosovo, who did not participate in the voting process for the departure of Albanian mayors from four municipalities in northern Kosovo. Under voter turnout, Serbs have been able to advance to effective democracy and representatives. Democratic participation helps leaders to be representatives of the populations they serve. The vote is the key right to democratic societies”, the US Embassy said in its response.
Serbia List welcomes unity among Serbs
The largest Serbian party, List Srpska, which has Belgrade's support, said after closing the deployments, “Sunday has shown the high degree of unity of the Serbian people”. The” on 21 April has proved to be not the Serbian List and Serbia that are scaring Serbs, but Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his illegal pre-police units, which have resulted in empty routes to the north”, is said in a Republika Srpska communique.
Northern Mitrovica, Zubin Potoku, Leposavici and Zvecani, are currently led by Albanian leaders, released by last year's 23 April elections, which were boycotted by Serbian political parties. Currently, it is unclear what will happen after the failure of the 21 April referendum, since one can no longer be organised before 12 months have passed. /DW
