Officials on Serbs and Kosovo elections

The Serbian government has decided not to call on the Serbian population in Kosovo to vote in the early elections. This is because the voting in the southern province is organized by entities which Serbia does not acknowledge and to which the international community did not give a framework that would be acceptable, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic told Tanjug on Wednesday. Officials on Serbs and Kosovo elections He added that as the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is close at hand, the Serbian government did not want to make a move which could be understood as support to and recognition of the so-called "republic of Kosovo". He stressed that Serbs who go to the elections will not be sanctioned in any way, but that they will not get the approval from Belgrade to do so. “I can understand even those Serbs south of the Ibar River who decide to go to the elections. We cannot sanction them in any way, especially since we know that they live in extremely difficult conditions and in a completely Albanian surrounding,” the minister underlined. He recalled that in 2001 and 2004, the Serbian government and the country's president called on Kosovo Serbs to vote because the elections were organized by UNMIK and the OSCE, but that now, just like in 2007, the Serbs are urged to restrain from voting as the 2010 elections are organized by the provisional Kosovo institutions, which makes the voting conditions inappropriate. In a statement for B92 later on Wednesday, Bogdanovic said that the government's decision that it will not call on Serbs to participate did not mean that those who did would be "satanized". He said that he discussed the issue in the past month with many Serb representatives and that he was aware of the reality in which they find themselves and has understanding for people who wish to change the situation in Kosovo. "People in the field are aware of the reality, they face problems daily. They completely understand the position of the Serbian government and they respect the Serbian government. Their participation does not mean they are annulling or in anyway putting down the stance of Serbia," said the minister. According to him, all representatives of Kosovo Serbs have understood the government's message but some of them expressed their desire to participate in the elections and in that way help Serbia because they're unhappy with the relationship of Kosovo institutions toward the Serb community. State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic also spoke on Wednesday and said that the decision made by some parties to participate in the elections can be harmful to Serbia's government unity. “Serbs in Kosovo have always turned to Belgrade when it comes to important decisions and expected from the highest authorities of the state to tell them what they should do regarding such sensitive issues, which is why I believe that individual calls of certain political parties will have no effect whatsoever,” Ivanovic told Tanjug. He expressed the belief that the Serb turnout will be low, and that people elected in such conditions will not gain much credibility. “I believe that the Serbs who decide to go to the polls instead of accepting the Serbian government view will make a long-term mistake. Nevertheless, no repressive measures will be taken against them,” Ivanovic said. Goran Bogdanovic (FoNet, file) Serbs should decide for themselves Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic stated on Wednesday that Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija should decide for themselves whether or not to vote in the elections in the province. In a statement for reporters in the parliament, Djukic-Dejanovic c said that the government and the state should provide an instruction to the citizens in Kosovo-Metohija, but that it is up to the citizens alone to take responsibility for their lives and decide for themselves. “The people in Kosovo-Metohija should take responsibility for their lives in their own hands and make a decision. They know what is best for them,” Djukic-Dejanovic said. She stated that government institutions need to find a way to initiate a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina so as to help improve the life of people in the province. Ruling DS-led coalition whip Nada Kolundzija expressed belief that there is no way, as she said, to guarantee that participation in the Kosovo institutions will improve the life of Kosovo Serbs. According to Kolundzija, this does not mean that life conditions cannot be improved in cooperation with the international community. Kolundzija said that it is true that the fate of Kosovo Serbs is being decided on by institutions in which the Serbs do not participate, but that it would be equally bad if Serbs were to be only formally included in these institutions. Ruling G17 Plus MP Stojanka Petkovic expressed belief that it is not the right moment for Serbs to participate in the Kosovo elections, which is also the opinion of the opposition Serb Radical Party, the Serb Progressive Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the New Serbia. The New Serbia does not see a good reason for the Kosovo Serbs to vote in the elections, the party leader Velimir Ilic said and added that by voting at the elections, Serbs would tacitly admit the legality of the Kosovo institutions. “If the Serbian government were to call on the Kosovo Serbs to vote at the elections, it would constitute a violation of the Serbian Constitution,” Ilic explained. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), however, believes that Kosovo Serbs should participate in the elections in order to secure a place in the Kosovo institutions and thus ensure that they have a say in the resolution of problems and improvement of life in Kosovo. Democratic orientation The EU believes it would be expedient for the Kosovo Serbs to take part in the December elections in Kosovo, because in that way they would be "expressing their democratic orientation," sources in the European Commission in Brussels told Beta in the evening on Nov. 10. This comment followed a statement issued by the Serbian government, saying "conditions have not been created to encourage the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to take part in the Dec. 12 elections."

Officials on Serbs and Kosovo elections

He added that as the Belgrade-Priština dialogue is close at hand, the Serbian government did not want to make a move which could be understood as support to and recognition of the so-called "republic of Kosovo".

He stressed that Serbs who go to the elections will not be sanctioned in any way, but that they will not get the approval from Belgrade to do so.

“I can understand even those Serbs south of the Ibar River who decide to go to the elections. We cannot sanction them in any way, especially since we know that they live in extremely difficult conditions and in a completely Albanian surrounding,” the minister underlined.

He recalled that in 2001 and 2004, the Serbian government and the country's president called on Kosovo Serbs to vote because the elections were organized by UNMIK and the OSCE, but that now, just like in 2007, the Serbs are urged to restrain from voting as the 2010 elections are organized by the provisional Kosovo institutions, which makes the voting conditions inappropriate.

In a statement for B92 later on Wednesday, Bogdanović said that the government's decision that it will not call on Serbs to participate did not mean that those who did would be "satanized".

He said that he discussed the issue in the past month with many Serb representatives and that he was aware of the reality in which they find themselves and has understanding for people who wish to change the situation in Kosovo.

"People in the field are aware of the reality, they face problems daily. They completely understand the position of the Serbian government and they respect the Serbian government. Their participation does not mean they are annulling or in anyway putting down the stance of Serbia," said the minister.

According to him, all representatives of Kosovo Serbs have understood the government's message but some of them expressed their desire to participate in the elections and in that way help Serbia because they're unhappy with the relationship of Kosovo institutions toward the Serb community.

State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanović also spoke on Wednesday and said that the decision made by some parties to participate in the elections can be harmful to Serbia's government unity.

“Serbs in Kosovo have always turned to Belgrade when it comes to important decisions and expected from the highest authorities of the state to tell them what they should do regarding such sensitive issues, which is why I believe that individual calls of certain political parties will have no effect whatsoever,” Ivanović told Tanjug.

He expressed the belief that the Serb turnout will be low, and that people elected in such conditions will not gain much credibility.

“I believe that the Serbs who decide to go to the polls instead of accepting the Serbian government view will make a long-term mistake. Nevertheless, no repressive measures will be taken against them,” Ivanović said.

Serbs should decide for themselves

Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović stated on Wednesday that Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija should decide for themselves whether or not to vote in the elections in the province.

In a statement for reporters in the parliament, Đukić-Dejanović c said that the government and the state should provide an instruction to the citizens in Kosovo-Metohija, but that it is up to the citizens alone to take responsibility for their lives and decide for themselves.

“The people in Kosovo-Metohija should take responsibility for their lives in their own hands and make a decision. They know what is best for them,” Đukić-Dejanović said.

She stated that government institutions need to find a way to initiate a dialogue between Belgrade and Priština so as to help improve the life of people in the province.

Ruling DS-led coalition whip Nada Kolundžija expressed belief that there is no way, as she said, to guarantee that participation in the Kosovo institutions will improve the life of Kosovo Serbs.

According to Kolundžija, this does not mean that life conditions cannot be improved in cooperation with the international community.

Kolundžija said that it is true that the fate of Kosovo Serbs is being decided on by institutions in which the Serbs do not participate, but that it would be equally bad if Serbs were to be only formally included in these institutions.

Ruling G17 Plus MP Stojanka Petković expressed belief that it is not the right moment for Serbs to participate in the Kosovo elections, which is also the opinion of the opposition Serb Radical Party, the Serb Progressive Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the New Serbia.

The New Serbia does not see a good reason for the Kosovo Serbs to vote in the elections, the party leader Velimir Ilić said and added that by voting at the elections, Serbs would tacitly admit the legality of the Kosovo institutions.

“If the Serbian government were to call on the Kosovo Serbs to vote at the elections, it would constitute a violation of the Serbian Constitution,” Ilic explained.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), however, believes that Kosovo Serbs should participate in the elections in order to secure a place in the Kosovo institutions and thus ensure that they have a say in the resolution of problems and improvement of life in Kosovo.

Democratic orientation

The EU believes it would be expedient for the Kosovo Serbs to take part in the December elections in Kosovo, because in that way they would be "expressing their democratic orientation," sources in the European Commission in Brussels told Beta in the evening on Nov. 10.

This comment followed a statement issued by the Serbian government, saying "conditions have not been created to encourage the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to take part in the Dec. 12 elections."