"Status-neutral polls, or Serbs won't participate"

BELGRADE The insistence to print the logo of Kosovo on the November elections ballot papers can bring into question the Serbs' participation, PM Ivica Dacic says. He told reporters at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade on Thursday that he had invited the ambassadors of the so-called Quint countries to meet with him on Thursday and that he will give them the same message. "Status-neutral polls, or Serbs won't participate" "I never noticed that there was the Serbian coat-of-arms on the ballot papers in Serbian elections. The way Kosovo is represented has been defined and serious processes are underway in Kosovo to implement the Brussels agreement (between Belgrade and Pristina), so tricks to introduce the Kosovo logo will not fly," said Dacic. The prime minister said that Pristina "is trying to sneak in" essentially important details, but that "Serbia will not play that game." "If someone thinks the fact we are negotiating is our weakness, they are dead wrong. Either the election will be status-neutral or we will not participate. We have defined the dialogue as status neutral," said Dacic. He also said Serbian government-appointed officials in Kosovo will only be dismissed as a last resort, but that it does not have to come to that. Dacic recently said that all officials in the province who do not follow government policy will be replaced, stressing that order must exist and national and state interests must be defined. "Sometimes one is not aware what the best course of action is for the state and the people, and in this case it is gaining international legitimacy through a status-neutral agreement," said Dacic. He said as long as Serbia is at the negotiating table, it cannot be bypassed in making an agreement, and noted that government officials do not have the right to implement policy that veers from the course set by the government. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

"Status-neutral polls, or Serbs won't participate"

"I never noticed that there was the Serbian coat-of-arms on the ballot papers in Serbian elections. The way Kosovo is represented has been defined and serious processes are underway in Kosovo to implement the Brussels agreement (between Belgrade and Priština), so tricks to introduce the Kosovo logo will not fly," said Dačić.

The prime minister said that Priština "is trying to sneak in" essentially important details, but that "Serbia will not play that game."

"If someone thinks the fact we are negotiating is our weakness, they are dead wrong. Either the election will be status-neutral or we will not participate. We have defined the dialogue as status neutral," said Dačić.

He also said Serbian government-appointed officials in Kosovo will only be dismissed as a last resort, but that it does not have to come to that.

Dačić recently said that all officials in the province who do not follow government policy will be replaced, stressing that order must exist and national and state interests must be defined.

"Sometimes one is not aware what the best course of action is for the state and the people, and in this case it is gaining international legitimacy through a status-neutral agreement," said Dačić.

He said as long as Serbia is at the negotiating table, it cannot be bypassed in making an agreement, and noted that government officials do not have the right to implement policy that veers from the course set by the government.