DSS: Kosovo elections could be rigged

Representatives of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) urged Kosovo Serbs on Friday to refrain from voting in the early parliamentary elections on December 12. They warned that there could be manipulation in reporting Serb turnout. DSS: Kosovo elections could be rigged DSS Deputy President Slobodan Samardzic said that the DSS stance was "an active boycott of the election, through a structure that will monitor the election," because there were indications that the Serb turnout data could be misrepresented. He said that "the success of the election, especially in regard to Serb turnout, is very important first to the government in Pristina, and also Belgrade and Brussels," assessing that the election is an EU test of the Serbian government's attitude toward Kosovo as an independent state. "The position on the election is covered in the European Parliament draft resolution, whose provision says that the Serbian government should help with the holding of democratic elections, which means convincing the Serbs to vote," Samardzic explained, noting that this was what was making DSS wary of manipulation when it came to Serb turnout. "Chances of manipulation are very high. Either official monitors will step back at a certain point so that ballots can be stuffed in favor of Serb candidates, or the Albanians themselves will vote for the Serb candidates, under pressure from their parties," the DSS deputy president claims. Chairman of the DSS provincial committee Nenad Kojic said that the committee had decided Friday to boot from the party all those who were running in the Kosovo elections, and that the same would happen to all DSS members who voted in the elections.

DSS: Kosovo elections could be rigged

DSS Deputy President Slobodan Samardžić said that the DSS stance was "an active boycott of the election, through a structure that will monitor the election," because there were indications that the Serb turnout data could be misrepresented.

He said that "the success of the election, especially in regard to Serb turnout, is very important first to the government in Priština, and also Belgrade and Brussels," assessing that the election is an EU test of the Serbian government's attitude toward Kosovo as an independent state.

"The position on the election is covered in the European Parliament draft resolution, whose provision says that the Serbian government should help with the holding of democratic elections, which means convincing the Serbs to vote," Samardžić explained, noting that this was what was making DSS wary of manipulation when it came to Serb turnout.

"Chances of manipulation are very high. Either official monitors will step back at a certain point so that ballots can be stuffed in favor of Serb candidates, or the Albanians themselves will vote for the Serb candidates, under pressure from their parties," the DSS deputy president claims.

Chairman of the DSS provincial committee Nenad Kojić said that the committee had decided Friday to boot from the party all those who were running in the Kosovo elections, and that the same would happen to all DSS members who voted in the elections.