QUINT countries have called on the incumbent government and political parties in Kosovo to refrain from “taking further steps” to prevent the registration of minority community parties for the upcoming local elections, a day after the country’s largest Serb party was denied certification.
In a joint statement on Friday, the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU Office in Kosovo expressed their concern after the Central Election Commission did not certify the Serbian List.
"We express concern regarding the efforts of political actors to limit competition between political parties representing minority communities ahead of the local elections on October 12," the statement said.
At the CEC meeting on Thursday, the Serbian Democracy (Srpska Demokratija) party of Aleksandar Arsenijevic, who is wanted by security authorities in Kosovo, was also not certified.
QUINT and the EU assessed that "any such action to exclude certain communities violates democratic principles and undermines trust in Kosovo's institutions."
They said that "we expect the incumbent government and all political parties to refrain from further steps that could hinder the registration of parties."
Two members of the Vetëvendosje Movement of the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, voted against the certification of the List, while members of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo abstained.
Earlier on Friday, the Serb List filed a complaint with the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) against the CEC's decision not to certify it for the October 12 elections.
In a press conference, the party said its non-certification is "illegal and discriminatory."
QUINT and the EU underlined that we encourage affected parties to make full use of the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel to seek solutions.
"All procedures must be carried out strictly in accordance with the rules and mandate of the Central Election Commission," the statement further states.
Why wasn't the Serbian List certified?
The Office of Political Parties at the CEC – which is tasked with reviewing political parties' applications to be certified for participation in the elections – recommended the certification of the Serbian List.
However, Vetëvendosje members in the CEC, Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi, were vocal against the certification of the Serbian List, arguing that most of its candidates are also part of parallel Serbian structures, but also described this party as an "extended hand" of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Kosovo.
Kurteshi said that "90 percent of the people on the Serbian List candidate lists are members of parallel Serbian institutions in Kosovo."
He opposed Sasha Milosevic's candidacy for mayor of Novo Brdo, saying that he had been appointed by the Serbian government as mayor of the municipality of Gjilan, a parallel Serbian municipality.
Milosevic was appointed mayor of Gjilan by the Serbian Government on February 27, 2020, as "president of the Provisional Body of the Municipality of Gjilan".
But, on August 7, the Serbian Government made over 20 personnel decisions for the appointment and dismissal of institutional officials, including some who had been heads of temporary bodies for municipalities in Kosovo.
These claims were denied by the Serbian List and official Belgrade.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said that this decision was "a blatant example of political engineering aimed at excluding the Serbian people from democratic life."
Vetëvendosje fought against the certification of the Serbian List for the February parliamentary elections as well, and the election commission had not initially certified it even then.
However, after complaints to higher authorities, the Serbian List was certified and participated in the elections, winning 9 seats in the Assembly.
The Serbian List decided to run in this year's local elections, after boycotting the previous local elections, ensuring that Albanian mayors would take and hold power in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of the country from May 2023.
If certified, the Serbian List is expected to regain all four northern municipalities: North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok.
