"Serbs will resist implementation of Kosovo deal"

BELGRADE Serbs in Kosovo will work to prevent the implementation of the Brussels agreement with protests, blockades, and by boycotting elections held under Kosovo laws. This was revealed on Tuesday by Marko Jaksic, an MP of the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), who is one of the leaders of Serbs from northern Kosovo. "Serbs will resist implementation of Kosovo deal" Jaksic spoke for the Beta news agency to say that they will also work to spread their protest throughout Serbia - "and above all, to Belgrade." He doesn't expect that this campaign will mean that Serbs from northern Kosovo will be in conflict with the Serbian authorities, but accused the government of "betraying" them. "The first manner in which we will prevent the implementation of the Brussels agreement is to boycott local elections that will be held according to Kosovo laws. The mood among the people is such that the boycott is certain to succeed," Jaksic explained, and added that protests and blockades that the Kosovo Serbs plan to launch will spread to all of Serbia: "We will try to move the resistance from northern Kosovo to Belgrade, because the betrayal is not in Kosmet (Kosovo and Metohija), it is in the Serbian capital city." "We will fight our political battle for bare survival more in Belgrade than in Kosovo, because the main danger we are facing is not coming from Pristina or Brussels, it is coming from Belgrade," this MP said, and added that Serbs in the north will not accept documents issued by the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo, and wish to instead remain within the constitutional and legal system of Serbia. "The agreement that has been initialed in Brussels says that Serbs from Kosovo are supposed to give up their ID cards, drivers and traffic licenses issued by Serbia, and take documents issued by some state of Kosovo. We will not, and do not want papers of some other state, we will respect only the Constitution of Serbia," Jaksic was quoted as saying. Asked to comment on the possibility that one of the parties of Serbs in Kosovo "that is participating in Kosovo's institutions" could take over power in the four northern municipalities after local elections, he said that such majority would not be representative. "Within a normal system of values, if less than five, or 20 percent of citizens turn out to vote, there is no representative majority with legitimacy to take over. You can always find three Serbs who will vote in Kosovo elections in exchange for money, and form some sort of authority, but that is a travesty of democracy. This type of taking over has never been recognized anywhere," Jaksic concluded. Marko Jaksic (Tanjug, file) Beta

"Serbs will resist implementation of Kosovo deal"

Jakšić spoke for the Beta news agency to say that they will also work to spread their protest throughout Serbia - "and above all, to Belgrade."

He doesn't expect that this campaign will mean that Serbs from northern Kosovo will be in conflict with the Serbian authorities, but accused the government of "betraying" them.

"The first manner in which we will prevent the implementation of the Brussels agreement is to boycott local elections that will be held according to Kosovo laws. The mood among the people is such that the boycott is certain to succeed," Jakšić explained, and added that protests and blockades that the Kosovo Serbs plan to launch will spread to all of Serbia:

"We will try to move the resistance from northern Kosovo to Belgrade, because the betrayal is not in Kosmet (Kosovo and Metohija), it is in the Serbian capital city."

"We will fight our political battle for bare survival more in Belgrade than in Kosovo, because the main danger we are facing is not coming from Priština or Brussels, it is coming from Belgrade," this MP said, and added that Serbs in the north will not accept documents issued by the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo, and wish to instead remain within the constitutional and legal system of Serbia.

"The agreement that has been initialed in Brussels says that Serbs from Kosovo are supposed to give up their ID cards, drivers and traffic licenses issued by Serbia, and take documents issued by some state of Kosovo. We will not, and do not want papers of some other state, we will respect only the Constitution of Serbia," Jakšić was quoted as saying.

Asked to comment on the possibility that one of the parties of Serbs in Kosovo "that is participating in Kosovo's institutions" could take over power in the four northern municipalities after local elections, he said that such majority would not be representative.

"Within a normal system of values, if less than five, or 20 percent of citizens turn out to vote, there is no representative majority with legitimacy to take over. You can always find three Serbs who will vote in Kosovo elections in exchange for money, and form some sort of authority, but that is a travesty of democracy. This type of taking over has never been recognized anywhere," Jakšić concluded.