"Quiet campaign to persuade Serbs to vote"

BELGRADE The opposition DSS party has pointed the finger at the Serbian government for "conducting a quiet campaign to persuade the Serbs in Kosovo to vote. The Serbs should vote in Kosovo's elections announced for November "in order for the European Council to give Serbia a concrete date for the start of EU membership talks in December," said DSS Viice-President Slobodan Samardzic on Monday. "Quiet campaign to persuade Serbs to vote" He added that the key condition for the European Council to give Serbia "the green light" in December is that the Serbs cast ballots in Kosovo elections, adding that this “ultimatum is not coming from Berlin only, but from Brussels as well." He told a news conference that the "quiet campaign is becoming stronger" and that it is conducted by certain government officials, who would like "to reconstruct and rebalance the mind of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija who do not recognize Kosovo's institutions." Samardzic also said that Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin "is trying to persuade or convince" the Serbs to vote by saying that Serbia will stand behind them, despite the fact that nothing is known about the technical organization of the elections. "Our government has made a campaign to persuade the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija to capitulate to Pristina," Samardzic noted, adding that the government "which has not get a date for the start of EU talks" is doing this in order to get it. He pointed out that a special chapter about Kosovo and Metohija will be imposed on Serbia on its further EU path - "to establish good neighborly relations, to assist them economically like an elder brother." According to him, this will be "the Sword of Damocles" for all other chapters and it will also lead to Serbia not preventing Kosovo and Metohija from becoming a member of the United Nations. Vulin said on Sunday that Serbs in the province "need to reach an absolute unity and that the Serbian government will clearly present its position on the local elections in Kosovo." (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

"Quiet campaign to persuade Serbs to vote"

He added that the key condition for the European Council to give Serbia "the green light" in December is that the Serbs cast ballots in Kosovo elections, adding that this “ultimatum is not coming from Berlin only, but from Brussels as well."

He told a news conference that the "quiet campaign is becoming stronger" and that it is conducted by certain government officials, who would like "to reconstruct and rebalance the mind of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija who do not recognize Kosovo's institutions."

Samardžić also said that Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin "is trying to persuade or convince" the Serbs to vote by saying that Serbia will stand behind them, despite the fact that nothing is known about the technical organization of the elections.

"Our government has made a campaign to persuade the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija to capitulate to Priština," Samardžić noted, adding that the government "which has not get a date for the start of EU talks" is doing this in order to get it.

He pointed out that a special chapter about Kosovo and Metohija will be imposed on Serbia on its further EU path - "to establish good neighborly relations, to assist them economically like an elder brother."

According to him, this will be "the Sword of Damocles" for all other chapters and it will also lead to Serbia not preventing Kosovo and Metohija from becoming a member of the United Nations.

Vulin said on Sunday that Serbs in the province "need to reach an absolute unity and that the Serbian government will clearly present its position on the local elections in Kosovo."