Serbs in Kosovo "will be able to vote using Serbian papers"

BELGRADE, PRISTINA The head of the Kosovo Election Commission has said that "Serbs will be able to vote in the local elections on November 3 using Serbian identity documents." Valdete Dak also stressed that Wednesday was the final deadline for political parties to register election coalitions. Serbs in Kosovo "will be able to vote using Serbian papers" According to article 90 of the law on general elections, "IDs serve only to identify registered voters, but it does not say if the papers should be from Kosovo or Serbia," Daka told TV Klan Kosova from Pristina. "The commission will open its offices in northern Kosovo, and the OSCE will facilitate the election," she stated. "No political party from northern Kosovo is registered with the commission, and all parties and citizen initiatives from northern Kosovo are subject to the same deadlines as the other parts of the territory," she stressed. The final deadline for political entities to enter the election is September 4. "Serbs in north will not go to polls" Marko Jaksic, an MP from the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), said on Tuesday that most of the Serbs in northern Kosovo will not cast their ballots in the forthcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija, because, as he put it, they know they would violate the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia by doing that. "Serbs in the north are against the elections. Despite all the money and privileges that will be offered to them, they will remain true to their position," Jaksic told journalists at the parliament building in Belgrade. He added that the Serbs in the province know they would violate Serbia's Constitution if they cast their ballots on November 3, and by not doing that they will "actually be the biggest defenders of the Constitution." Jaksic also said that the number of Serbs living in the enclaves south of the Ibar River, who used to vote in Kosovo's elections, is decreasing, and that they today live as second-class citizens. According to him, the greatest desire of Serbs from Kosovo is for the Constitutional Court of Serbia to start doing its job and assess whether the talks between Belgrade and Pristina have been in keeping with the Constitution. Commenting on the process of government reshuffle in Serbia and speculations about whether there will be early election in the country, Jaksic said this is just wasting people's time. "No one from today's political elite knows whether the elections will happen, you should ask the British or American embassy, and in order to get reliable information you need to see Michael Kirby (U.S. Ambassador in Belgrade). He will tell you whether and when the elections will take place," Jaksic stressed. Tanjug

Serbs in Kosovo "will be able to vote using Serbian papers"

According to article 90 of the law on general elections, "IDs serve only to identify registered voters, but it does not say if the papers should be from Kosovo or Serbia," Daka told TV Klan Kosova from Priština.

"The commission will open its offices in northern Kosovo, and the OSCE will facilitate the election," she stated.

"No political party from northern Kosovo is registered with the commission, and all parties and citizen initiatives from northern Kosovo are subject to the same deadlines as the other parts of the territory," she stressed.

The final deadline for political entities to enter the election is September 4.

"Serbs in north will not go to polls"

Marko Jakšić, an MP from the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), said on Tuesday that most of the Serbs in northern Kosovo will not cast their ballots in the forthcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija, because, as he put it, they know they would violate the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia by doing that.

"Serbs in the north are against the elections. Despite all the money and privileges that will be offered to them, they will remain true to their position," Jakšić told journalists at the parliament building in Belgrade.

He added that the Serbs in the province know they would violate Serbia's Constitution if they cast their ballots on November 3, and by not doing that they will "actually be the biggest defenders of the Constitution."

Jakšić also said that the number of Serbs living in the enclaves south of the Ibar River, who used to vote in Kosovo's elections, is decreasing, and that they today live as second-class citizens.

According to him, the greatest desire of Serbs from Kosovo is for the Constitutional Court of Serbia to start doing its job and assess whether the talks between Belgrade and Priština have been in keeping with the Constitution.

Commenting on the process of government reshuffle in Serbia and speculations about whether there will be early election in the country, Jakšić said this is just wasting people's time.

"No one from today's political elite knows whether the elections will happen, you should ask the British or American embassy, and in order to get reliable information you need to see Michael Kirby (U.S. Ambassador in Belgrade). He will tell you whether and when the elections will take place," Jakšić stressed.