"Serbs shouldn't boycott Kosovo elections"

A high ranking official of the ruling Democratic Party (DS) says Serbs in Kosovo should not boycott elections organized by ethnic Albanians there. "The voice of Serbs must be heard, that it to say, there mzst be conditions for some decisions in Pristina to not be made without their consent," Dragoljub Micunovic told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik. "Serbs shouldn't boycott Kosovo elections" He said the policy of boycotting elections gave no results since Serbs always remained in ghettos afterwards without legal protection and without any influence in institutions. "I don't believe that in that way they helped in any way for Kosovo to remain a part of Serbia or that they deterred those who recognized independence. I do not know if the government of Serbia will take a position (on elections) and what it will be, but I hope that it will be guided by rational and not emotional reasons," Micunovic was further quoted as saying. He also said ti was high time for the exploiting of the Kosovo issue to stop for daily political needs. "The fact is that we do not have government in Kosovo, nor do we control the situation, and what it's final status will be will not depend on when and how we use terms southern Serb province, territory under temporary government of Pristina, neighbor. This is playing around with virtual reality in which in fact the very process of Serbia joining the EU is attempted to be denied," he said. According to him recognizing Kosovo will not be one of the conditions for Serbia to join the EU but normalizing relations with Pristina will be. "Among other things, I think it will not be allowed to us to block Kosovo's road toward the EU," said Micunovic. Dragoljub Micunovic

"Serbs shouldn't boycott Kosovo elections"

He said the policy of boycotting elections gave no results since Serbs always remained in ghettos afterwards without legal protection and without any influence in institutions.

"I don't believe that in that way they helped in any way for Kosovo to remain a part of Serbia or that they deterred those who recognized independence. I do not know if the government of Serbia will take a position (on elections) and what it will be, but I hope that it will be guided by rational and not emotional reasons," Mićunović was further quoted as saying.

He also said ti was high time for the exploiting of the Kosovo issue to stop for daily political needs.

"The fact is that we do not have government in Kosovo, nor do we control the situation, and what it's final status will be will not depend on when and how we use terms southern Serb province, territory under temporary government of Priština, neighbor. This is playing around with virtual reality in which in fact the very process of Serbia joining the EU is attempted to be denied," he said.

According to him recognizing Kosovo will not be one of the conditions for Serbia to join the EU but normalizing relations with Priština will be.

"Among other things, I think it will not be allowed to us to block Kosovo's road toward the EU," said Mićunović.