The Serbian list charged “manipulation”, CEC counters: We have followed the principle of inclusion

Earlier on September 8th, the Serbian List ʹ the largest party of Serbs enjoying Belgrade's support ʹ accused the CEC of “political buffer <xx1> due to the composition, as said the uneven “ ” of deciding advice for counting votes for local elections.

“The CEC explains that the decision to define the formula for the composition of decision-making councils to be engaged on election day is based on the Law on General Elections and Election Rules. In this election process, as in the past, The CEC has also followed the principle of inclusion, creating space of representation for new political subjects, such as civic initiatives and independent candidates. Advanced answers to the composition formula for polling advice, the CEC will send within the deadline to the Election Panel for Ances and Parastres [ PZAP]”, said in the CEC response released Monday evening, follows Periscope.

Serbian List said it addressed with complaint P ZAP on this matter.

This subject claimed that the CEC has caused damage to this party even in the composition of decision-making advice.

There are 23 locations in the Novoberda municipality. The Serbian list in parliamentary elections won 60 per cent of the vote, but we have no leaders in the poll [in this municipality]. And not only that, we lack nine members of the deployment councils, which means that in nine classes the Serbian List will not be able to control this” election process, Serbian List official Igor Simun said during a news conference.

As an example of the “law enforcement” and the so-called political “manipulation”, the Serbian List also cited the Partesh municipality, where this party said there is only one leader in one of the seven polling positions, even though, as Simun said, in parliamentary elections it had won approximately 90 per cent of the vote.

That also drew criticism for the election list in Serb-run municipalities. Sibiu said that compared to parliamentary elections held in February this year, a smaller number of voters in some municipalities have been observed, especially in Leposaviq and North Mitrovica.

Regarding these criticisms of the Serbian List, the CEC said all actions made to establish the voter list for local elections and clean up the list from the names of dead persons have been made transparently and in line with the Law on General Elections.

The reduction of the voter list of 6,770 voters, compared to the Kosovo Assembly elections, is expressed in 30 municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo and does not happen only in any particular municipality. Meanwhile, in eight other municipalities the number of voters is higher compared to past elections, and these changes are due to the activisation of the system of addresses by the Civil Record Agency. This process has reflected naturally in the appointment of the polling centre according to each citizen's residence address”, the CEC said.

According to Sivoli's claims, about 1,500 fewer voters are on Leposaviq's voter list, while in northern Mitrovica about 1,200.

We managed to find that voters in northern Mitrovica have disappeared from the voting centre at primary school Sveti Savaı, where Serbian citizens vote. This is a large number of voters who can drastically influence the election results both for asmblists and for municipal chairman”, S individual said.

He added that in the municipality of Gracanica, near Pristina, it is “drastically increased” the number of voters, respectively, that there are more than 2,000 voters compared to the February parliamentary elections.

Regarding the composition of the decision-making councils, the Serbian List had also resented prior to the February elections, accusing the CEC of causing harm, since there were no <x0 members in many municipalities to control the legitimacy, legitimacy and democratic character of the” elections.

The Kosovo Central Election Commission confirmed the voter's list for the 12 October local elections, under which 2,069,098 people will be eligible.

“According to data from the voters' list, the number of citizens who are eligible to vote in the polls in the Republic of Kosovo is 2,025,105 voters, while the number of citizens who are registered to vote by mail outside Kosovo is 43.993 voters”, the report said.

The CEC also indicated that 938 polling stations with a total of 2,625 seats will open for local elections.

For these elections, 93 subjects -- 32 political parties, 32 civic initiatives, two coalitions and 27 independent candidates -- have been certified.

Kosovo has held its last local elections in October 2021. /Radio Europe Free/