Referendum failure: Everything that happened yesterday

The referendum has failed to remove mayors from the four municipalities in the country's north.

The reason for this appears to have been the call of the Serbian List, which was conducted by official Belgrade, decided to boycott the whole process.

The Central Election Commission confirmed after the election closure, that the removal of the mayors has failed.

Kreshnik Radoniqi, chairman of the CEC, has given out accurate municipal voting figures for the municipality.

In Zvecan no one has voted.

The 23 polling stations were closed at 7: 00 p.m., according to the data we've accepted in these four municipalities, the number of citizens who voted in the voting process for or against leaving the mayors is as follows:

Leposaviq 124 voters

Zubin Potok 18 voters

Zvecan has not voted any voters

North Mitrovica 111 voters.

The majority of registered voters have not voted, so it has not reached 50% plus 1 necessary, so we find that the civic initiative for the removal of the mayors has failed”.

Immediately after the closure of polling stations, there have been many reactions.

Osmani blames Belgrade

Regarding the referendum's failure, President Osmani has stressed that, although Kosovo offered the citizens of northern municipalities the opportunity to change current mayors, most did not take advantage of this opportunity. All of this, according to her, has come as a result of Belgrade's pressure, denying Serbian citizens' right to vote in the north.

Kosovo gave citizens of northern municipalities the opportunity to dismiss current mayors and elect new mayors. Citizens in large measure did not seize this option”, Osmani said.

It has accused the Serbian List and illegal criminal structures of pressure on citizens to prevent their voter turnout.

In this context, Osmani has criticised Serbia's illegal “intervention in the Kosovo election process”, accusing Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq of failing to keep his promise to international partners.
Kurti calls for removal of sanctions

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in connection with the failure of the referendum “for or against” the dismissal of mayors in northern municipalities, has said that the “results of today's vote show that there is no will to dismiss current heads”, though the Central Election Commission has indicated that the initiative to fire mayors in the four northern municipalities has failed.

Kurti has further said that the government <x0-sensible to the circumstances in four municipalities in Kosovo's north” and has accused Belgrade of “pressing on Kosovo Serb citizens in these four” municipalities.

The executive head also cited that the possibility of the dismissal of current mayors and holding the elections for dismissal “were key criteria for removing measures against Kosovo on the part of the European Union. ”

He has called for EU measures towards Kosovo to move as soon as possible.

American Embassy Responds

The US and its partners closely followed the voting process, and even as the CEC finds voter turnout has been low.

“The US position is clear and unchanged: We support the varied, comprehensive, multiethnic democracy of Kosovo and the free, fair and legitimate elections that support it. In line with its legal requirements, Kosovo held a vote to withdraw mayors of municipalities on 21 April in four municipalities in northern Kosovo. This vote was demanded as a result of successful initiative efforts made by citizens within the existing legal framework and confirmed by the Central Election Commission”, an American Embassy spokesperson for Gazette Express said Sunday.

The spokesman quoted Ambassador Houvenier, who is important for citizens to exercise their democratic right.

“Sic has repeatedly said Ambassador Havenier and other US government officials, we believe it is important that Kosovo citizens have the ability to exercise their right to attract elected officials in line with Kosovo's legal framework, if they decide to do so”.

Serbian List Reaction

The Serbian list, which once called for the process of leaving the mayors, then invited to the boycott, has reacted after the referendum ended.

According to the Serbian List, Serbs showed uniquely, boycotting the process, which they call <x0-farce organised by Kurti”.

In the communiqué they have continued to call them false mayors, four Albanian mayors in these municipalities.

The “Fassa organised by the regime of Albin Kurti in northern Kosovo has ended. Today, it has shown some things that should be taken into account in the coming period, primarily by representatives of the international community”, said in response.

Calls for boycotting the referendum have argued that the initiative, according to them, “has been created at the outset with the aim of failing”.

The previous “is that the Serbian List was deeply right when it called on the Serbian people not to participate in Kurti's show, because it was originally created with the intention to fail”, it is further said in response.