"Conditions not present for K. Serbs to vote"

The conditions are not present for Serbs to take part in the local elections in Kosovo this fall, stated Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic also sent a message that the government cannot ask them to pay their electricity bills either, until the problem concerning power supply to their areas has been solved. "Conditions not present for K. Serbs to vote" The minister said that a working group set up by the government, that will deal with this issue, has made an offer to the Kosovo company distributing electricity, KEK, that could resolve the problem of supply to Serbs and non-Albanians. He announced that a deal with KEK "could be made in the next couple of days", and specified that the government "does not have a moral right to recommend anyone in Kosovo to pay for electricity until this problem has been solved". The government wishes to solve this issue and cannot do it alone, but with the international community and KEK, said he, and stressed that Belgrade is ready to donate electricity to Serbs and non-Albanians in Kosovo. "It's not easy to tell someone to pay for electricity if they know that perhaps in this way some institutions that we do not recognize will be financed. But, unfortunately, we have some irresponsible areas, who wish to politicize this problem." He also said it is clear that Serbs in Kosovo should pay for electricity and that they wish to do so. Speaking about the November local elections in the province, Bogdanovic said it was good that the president and the government announced their position that Serbs should not participate in time. This, he said, was unlike in previous years when the decisions were made several days before the voting. According to him, there are no conditions for Serbs – while some parties representing them have registered for the elections – to take part, since they will be held according to the Ahtisaari plan which Serbia has not accepted. "Serbs are still not legally protected and do not have an adequate number of local self-governments that we have been striving for in the process of decentralization," the minister said, and reminded that the decentralization is conducted without agreement from the local self-governments and Belgrade. Bogdanovic said he believes the decentralization in Kosovo is necessary and emphasized that Serbs would take part in the local elections if the process were to be conducted under the auspices of a status-neutral international organization, "rather than under the patronage of Pieter Feith's office or the government of Kosovo". He mentioned CoE, EU, UN and UNMIK as "status-neutral sponsors", and said that for this reason Serbia is ready to renewed talks with international representatives in order to arrive at a solution for decentralization that is necessary to the Serb community. "We are also ready to talk with EULEX, regardless of the fact it demonstrated bias on numerous occasions," he said, adding that the mission's mistakes went against the interest of the Serb community, and saying that these mistakes "should be pointed out to them". He confirmed that negotiations with EULEX on the return of Serb judges to work are ongoing, primarily concerning northern Kosovska Mitrovica, but added there has been no solution, since the conditions have not been defined. It is also unclear which laws they would apply, and which court would have second-degree powers, he said. "There are many issues that we must solve quickly. We want to solve the legal vacuum in the north of Kosovo as soon as possible, but, of course, not at the expense of the Serb community, not to work according to the laws of the so-called state of Kosovo and not to promote the Ahtisaari plan," Bogdanovic was quoted as saying. The minister said that as he took over the ministry, a process of controlling the money spent on municipal structures in Kosovo began, and that 200 people were erased from the payroll. The control of payments saved RSD 100mn, said he, which is being used to renovate schools in Serb areas of Kosovo. He also said the ministry will soon arrive at the exact data of the IDPs from Kosovo and those who stayed, so that, "in the interest of the state of Serbia, the numbers are not manipulated any longer". Bogdnovic said that he believes the state should "put an end to the story" about individuals in northern Kosovo getting rich by using a law that exempts goods shipped from central Serbia to the province from VAT and excise duty, and determine whether or not this is happening. He said that there should be agreement with EULEX, since Serbia does not wish to have the money that would be collected with these taxes to go to the government in Pristina, but to Serbs in the north and also south of the Ibar River.

"Conditions not present for K. Serbs to vote"

The minister said that a working group set up by the government, that will deal with this issue, has made an offer to the Kosovo company distributing electricity, KEK, that could resolve the problem of supply to Serbs and non-Albanians.

He announced that a deal with KEK "could be made in the next couple of days", and specified that the government "does not have a moral right to recommend anyone in Kosovo to pay for electricity until this problem has been solved".

The government wishes to solve this issue and cannot do it alone, but with the international community and KEK, said he, and stressed that Belgrade is ready to donate electricity to Serbs and non-Albanians in Kosovo.

"It's not easy to tell someone to pay for electricity if they know that perhaps in this way some institutions that we do not recognize will be financed. But, unfortunately, we have some irresponsible areas, who wish to politicize this problem."

He also said it is clear that Serbs in Kosovo should pay for electricity and that they wish to do so.

Speaking about the November local elections in the province, Bogdanović said it was good that the president and the government announced their position that Serbs should not participate in time. This, he said, was unlike in previous years when the decisions were made several days before the voting.

According to him, there are no conditions for Serbs – while some parties representing them have registered for the elections – to take part, since they will be held according to the Ahtisaari plan which Serbia has not accepted.

"Serbs are still not legally protected and do not have an adequate number of local self-governments that we have been striving for in the process of decentralization," the minister said, and reminded that the decentralization is conducted without agreement from the local self-governments and Belgrade.

Bogdanović said he believes the decentralization in Kosovo is necessary and emphasized that Serbs would take part in the local elections if the process were to be conducted under the auspices of a status-neutral international organization, "rather than under the patronage of Pieter Feith's office or the government of Kosovo".

He mentioned CoE, EU, UN and UNMIK as "status-neutral sponsors", and said that for this reason Serbia is ready to renewed talks with international representatives in order to arrive at a solution for decentralization that is necessary to the Serb community.

"We are also ready to talk with EULEX, regardless of the fact it demonstrated bias on numerous occasions," he said, adding that the mission's mistakes went against the interest of the Serb community, and saying that these mistakes "should be pointed out to them".

He confirmed that negotiations with EULEX on the return of Serb judges to work are ongoing, primarily concerning northern Kosovska Mitrovica, but added there has been no solution, since the conditions have not been defined. It is also unclear which laws they would apply, and which court would have second-degree powers, he said.

"There are many issues that we must solve quickly. We want to solve the legal vacuum in the north of Kosovo as soon as possible, but, of course, not at the expense of the Serb community, not to work according to the laws of the so-called state of Kosovo and not to promote the Ahtisaari plan," Bogdanović was quoted as saying.

The minister said that as he took over the ministry, a process of controlling the money spent on municipal structures in Kosovo began, and that 200 people were erased from the payroll.

The control of payments saved RSD 100mn, said he, which is being used to renovate schools in Serb areas of Kosovo.

He also said the ministry will soon arrive at the exact data of the IDPs from Kosovo and those who stayed, so that, "in the interest of the state of Serbia, the numbers are not manipulated any longer".

Bogdnović said that he believes the state should "put an end to the story" about individuals in northern Kosovo getting rich by using a law that exempts goods shipped from central Serbia to the province from VAT and excise duty, and determine whether or not this is happening.

He said that there should be agreement with EULEX, since Serbia does not wish to have the money that would be collected with these taxes to go to the government in Priština, but to Serbs in the north and also south of the Ibar River.