RIK decides on local vote in Kosovo

Was there ever any doubt? It is Serbia afterall.

Good choice of RIK, Serbia can not be a true democracy if some parts of the country are not allowed to vote.

Everbody should understand that

Of course elections are going to be held in Kosovo Province - that was never really in any doubt. What is still up in the air is whether or not the EU, the UN and other international organizations will agree to it, and I really don't see how they can actually prevent them from taking place.

And even if they do, that's just more fodder for the SRS camp in saying "you see? These so-called democratic movements are once again persecuting our Serb brethren in Kosovo." Bad publicity move.

So the way things are looking now, the EU can either:

a) agree to elections in Kosovo in which the Radicals will almost assuredly sweep to power, but in which pro-European forces may eck out a majority coalition nation-wide,

or

b) Reject elections in Kosovo, to which elections, short of enforced coercion, will be held anyway, the Radicals still win, and create enough resentment to translate into an SRS-DSS victory overall.

The options are clear: any additional interference from external powers will most likely translate into further support for the SRS. With what has happened so far, an SRS-dominated Kosovo is practically inevitable.

This is a hard one. I can only see Serbs in kosovo voting one way. Given the Presidential elections were won by Tadic by just 100,000 votes...

From a moral perspective, I think it would be unjust not to let them vote regardless of the final outcome.

Why not?! There are thousends of refugees, Serbs from Kosovo, all over the country. Who wants to forget these people. They have rights to vote in Serbia. Why their compatriots from Kosovo to be dicrimined. They have fully rights to take part in Serbian political life. Serbs from Kosovo are now the most dicrimined peolple in the entire world. Let them vote, at least.

"K/albanians should go and vote also bec according to papers they are serbian citizens and they have most of them serbian passports "

Actually they don't anymore. They were stripped from their identification papers by Serb soldiers and thugs of Arkan.

Serbians are so funny. 1244, remember 1244, 1244 is still in effect, thats a violation of 1244, UN needs to uphold 1244. We respect International Law.
OH what we want to do is in violation of 1244---ignore 1244.
The humor never ends.

Just out of curiosity! Will the Albanians in Kosovo be invited to cast their votes? Please, excuse my ignorance. educate me in this regard.
thanks
spunky

Its a great new that elections ll be held in kosovo and metohia bec its serbian land.I think that all the K/albanians should go and vote also bec according to papers they are serbian citizens and they have most of them serbian passports although they keep them hidden.As for 1244 resolution ,albanians d have respect it first and not declare independence.Or they dont know that according to 1244 kosovo is serbian land?Maybe they forgot....

first of all SErbia would be asking UNMIK to stop people in Kosovo from voting in Serb elections if the Kosovo Albanians were considered to be Serb citizens by Serbia 1.7 million K-Alb voters are not wanted in SErbia - only the 110000 K-Serb SRS voters apparently.

2nd - K-Serbs should be able to vote in Serbia's parliamentary elections and UNMIK should help facilitate that by polling stations or postal votes

Third - Kosovo municipalities already had open, free and fair elections for municipal councils and mayors on 17 November 2007. Serbs were instructed by Belgrade not to take part in those elections, so its too late now. No country could accept that half the people in one village vote for municipal councillors/mayor under one country's law and the ohter half under another.

You are not being fair to themajority of Kosovo serbs who live south of ibar - give them a chance to demand access to and exercise the rights accorded them under theAhtisaari plan and work for a real future for themselves - not as hostages to Belgrade handouts but as productive members of the communities where they actually live.

It's funny how some nationalist are so blind to see what is coming for them.

Do you really believe that EU wants Serbia in EU? If they wanted they would've allowed Serbia long time ago and turn a blind eye, just like they did in the past.

Here is my predictions for Serbia's elections, especially for those who they think they should hold in Kosova as well.

If they are allowed to hold elections in Kosova then definitely Radicals will win. If UNMIK tries to prevent this by using 1244 then Radicals will have even a bigger win.
Either way Radicals will win because with Radicals on power then EU will find an excuse for not allowing Serbia in EU.

For those who think that EU is for pro EU & Democratic forces(DS) hence is promising SAA for Serbia and abolishing Visa's for Serbians then you are wrong as well. The fact that EU is supporting DS party so openly is for one reason only. To anger Serbs voters and make them vote Radicals. Which this is going to be the case. I mean can some one tell me or name one state whom on every election there were voices or support from EU? No one and I can freely say for no other state did EU made any comment or show any support before the elections. But they do that for Serbia and Serbia's DS party. Do you ever wonder why? Think about it.

In my view, EU wants to punish Serbia for all the wars that Serbia was involved and until Serbia admits their guilt the doors of EU will remain close. Also EU wants Serbian people to remove their nationalistic thirst(if I may call it) once and for all and not to live with one thing in mind- how to occupy and hate other nations just because they are not Serbs. Only once they think as democrats or liberals, respect others, then they will be able to move closer to EU. For as long as they think as they do now(most of them anyway) then there will be no place for them in EU.

Recognition of Kosova's Independence, by most of EU and other countries and many more to come in future, will be the first step(or lesson)of teaching Serbia that this(Kosova) is something which is there, will always be there, you can see it, visit, stay etc but not take it nor attack it because is not yours. Just like one does teach a child about not to take a TV remote control from a coffe table and do what ever he wants with it or treat like a toy. You tell the child not to touch it because is not his, it belong to whole family and this is not for him to play, throw or damage. By leaving the TV's remote control on coffe table but you remind the child that it is not his, he will eventually learn not to take it or damage it. Instead he will understand that what is not his will never be his and he should respect that.

P.S If you ask me, I hope Radicals wins, with Radicals in power Kosova will recognised even by those countries who are in wait and see policy.

It is a very sad story how the central politics in Belgrade manipulate an play with the Serbs in Kosovo. Everybody knows that this is the last vote Serbs in Kosovo will give for Serbia. As long as they live in Kosovo they should vote for their rights in Kosovo. Serbia never helped seriously the Serbs in Kosovo. They are good only for nationalistic goals. I hope the majority of Serbs in Kosovo will wake up and decide what they want for their families and future in Kosovo. Under the Belgrade pressure they blocked any participation in the local government in Kosovo in the last 9 years. I am sure that the radicals in Belgrade need the vote of Serbs in Kosovo only to get the seats in parlament an government. After the elections the hard reality will come back and Kosovo Serbs will wait Russian help like Somalis or Ethiopians. The whole story of election in Kosovo is a farce and will not help nobody. Only the radicals. If this is the wish of Serbia, then good luck

Excellent analyse Mike.

There is however a 3rd option: Let the people (all of the people in Kosovo with a right to vote ) send in their vote by mail.

first of all SErbia would be asking UNMIK to stop people in Kosovo from voting in Serb elections if the Kosovo Albanians were considered to be Serb citizens by Serbia 1.7 million K-Alb voters are not wanted in SErbia - only the 110000 K-Serb SRS voters apparently.

2nd - K-Serbs should be able to vote in Serbia's parliamentary elections and UNMIK should help facilitate that by polling stations or postal votes

Third - Kosovo municipalities already had open, free and fair elections for municipal councils and mayors on 17 November 2007. Serbs were instructed by Belgrade not to take part in those elections, so its too late now. No country could accept that half the people in one village vote for municipal councillors/mayor under one country's law and the ohter half under another.

You are not being fair to themajority of Kosovo serbs who live south of ibar - give them a chance to demand access to and exercise the rights accorded them under theAhtisaari plan and work for a real future for themselves - not as hostages to Belgrade handouts but as productive members of the communities where they actually live.

It is a very sad story how the central politics in Belgrade manipulate an play with the Serbs in Kosovo. Everybody knows that this is the last vote Serbs in Kosovo will give for Serbia. As long as they live in Kosovo they should vote for their rights in Kosovo. Serbia never helped seriously the Serbs in Kosovo. They are good only for nationalistic goals. I hope the majority of Serbs in Kosovo will wake up and decide what they want for their families and future in Kosovo. Under the Belgrade pressure they blocked any participation in the local government in Kosovo in the last 9 years. I am sure that the radicals in Belgrade need the vote of Serbs in Kosovo only to get the seats in parlament an government. After the elections the hard reality will come back and Kosovo Serbs will wait Russian help like Somalis or Ethiopians. The whole story of election in Kosovo is a farce and will not help nobody. Only the radicals. If this is the wish of Serbia, then good luck

Serbians are so funny. 1244, remember 1244, 1244 is still in effect, thats a violation of 1244, UN needs to uphold 1244. We respect International Law.
OH what we want to do is in violation of 1244---ignore 1244.
The humor never ends.

"K/albanians should go and vote also bec according to papers they are serbian citizens and they have most of them serbian passports "

Actually they don't anymore. They were stripped from their identification papers by Serb soldiers and thugs of Arkan.

Just out of curiosity! Will the Albanians in Kosovo be invited to cast their votes? Please, excuse my ignorance. educate me in this regard.
thanks
spunky

Excellent analyse Mike.

There is however a 3rd option: Let the people (all of the people in Kosovo with a right to vote ) send in their vote by mail.

Of course elections are going to be held in Kosovo Province - that was never really in any doubt. What is still up in the air is whether or not the EU, the UN and other international organizations will agree to it, and I really don't see how they can actually prevent them from taking place.

And even if they do, that's just more fodder for the SRS camp in saying "you see? These so-called democratic movements are once again persecuting our Serb brethren in Kosovo." Bad publicity move.

So the way things are looking now, the EU can either:

a) agree to elections in Kosovo in which the Radicals will almost assuredly sweep to power, but in which pro-European forces may eck out a majority coalition nation-wide,

or

b) Reject elections in Kosovo, to which elections, short of enforced coercion, will be held anyway, the Radicals still win, and create enough resentment to translate into an SRS-DSS victory overall.

The options are clear: any additional interference from external powers will most likely translate into further support for the SRS. With what has happened so far, an SRS-dominated Kosovo is practically inevitable.

Good choice of RIK, Serbia can not be a true democracy if some parts of the country are not allowed to vote.

Everbody should understand that

Was there ever any doubt? It is Serbia afterall.

This is a hard one. I can only see Serbs in kosovo voting one way. Given the Presidential elections were won by Tadic by just 100,000 votes...

From a moral perspective, I think it would be unjust not to let them vote regardless of the final outcome.

Why not?! There are thousends of refugees, Serbs from Kosovo, all over the country. Who wants to forget these people. They have rights to vote in Serbia. Why their compatriots from Kosovo to be dicrimined. They have fully rights to take part in Serbian political life. Serbs from Kosovo are now the most dicrimined peolple in the entire world. Let them vote, at least.

Its a great new that elections ll be held in kosovo and metohia bec its serbian land.I think that all the K/albanians should go and vote also bec according to papers they are serbian citizens and they have most of them serbian passports although they keep them hidden.As for 1244 resolution ,albanians d have respect it first and not declare independence.Or they dont know that according to 1244 kosovo is serbian land?Maybe they forgot....

It's funny how some nationalist are so blind to see what is coming for them.

Do you really believe that EU wants Serbia in EU? If they wanted they would've allowed Serbia long time ago and turn a blind eye, just like they did in the past.

Here is my predictions for Serbia's elections, especially for those who they think they should hold in Kosova as well.

If they are allowed to hold elections in Kosova then definitely Radicals will win. If UNMIK tries to prevent this by using 1244 then Radicals will have even a bigger win.
Either way Radicals will win because with Radicals on power then EU will find an excuse for not allowing Serbia in EU.

For those who think that EU is for pro EU & Democratic forces(DS) hence is promising SAA for Serbia and abolishing Visa's for Serbians then you are wrong as well. The fact that EU is supporting DS party so openly is for one reason only. To anger Serbs voters and make them vote Radicals. Which this is going to be the case. I mean can some one tell me or name one state whom on every election there were voices or support from EU? No one and I can freely say for no other state did EU made any comment or show any support before the elections. But they do that for Serbia and Serbia's DS party. Do you ever wonder why? Think about it.

In my view, EU wants to punish Serbia for all the wars that Serbia was involved and until Serbia admits their guilt the doors of EU will remain close. Also EU wants Serbian people to remove their nationalistic thirst(if I may call it) once and for all and not to live with one thing in mind- how to occupy and hate other nations just because they are not Serbs. Only once they think as democrats or liberals, respect others, then they will be able to move closer to EU. For as long as they think as they do now(most of them anyway) then there will be no place for them in EU.

Recognition of Kosova's Independence, by most of EU and other countries and many more to come in future, will be the first step(or lesson)of teaching Serbia that this(Kosova) is something which is there, will always be there, you can see it, visit, stay etc but not take it nor attack it because is not yours. Just like one does teach a child about not to take a TV remote control from a coffe table and do what ever he wants with it or treat like a toy. You tell the child not to touch it because is not his, it belong to whole family and this is not for him to play, throw or damage. By leaving the TV's remote control on coffe table but you remind the child that it is not his, he will eventually learn not to take it or damage it. Instead he will understand that what is not his will never be his and he should respect that.

P.S If you ask me, I hope Radicals wins, with Radicals in power Kosova will recognised even by those countries who are in wait and see policy.