Compromise over name of Serb list expected

BELGRADE Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo chair Milovan Drecun has said that he expects compromise to be reached on the issue of the name of the Serb list in Kosovo. The MP from the ruling SNS party told RTS that the name "will have a reference that will indicate a strong relationship with Belgrade." Compromise over name of Serb list expected "Instead of 'Serbia' it is likely to be 'Serb list' or something like that," said he. Drecun then noted that the name of the list is currently "the biggest problem" but is expected to be resolved soon, "because it would be bad if the Election Commission in Kosovo rejected the Serb list." He said that Pristina was sending strong messagse that the Central Election Commission would refuse to accept the list named "the Citizens' Initiative Serbia" because they want Serbia not to be mentioned in the name of the list. According to him, the municipalities in the north "were not abolished by yesterday's decision of the government and they continue to function." In the realization of the state policy unity is necessary, Drecuin continued, "and it is not acceptable that there are those who work actively to boycott the elections and endanger the formation of the community of Serb municipalities." He said that "no one is using force or coercing the Serbs vote, but no one can abuse the powers of the government of Serbia, the budget, and its function and threaten the government's policies." Drecun said it was of "strategic importance" that after the elections the authorities in the municipalities are "directly tied to official Belgrade" and that the power is held a list that will be able to form the community of Serb municipalities. "Otherwise, it may happen that some Serb parties that Pristina has a strong influence on manage to prevent the forming of the community of Serb municipalities, or, in the period after its formation, start undermining the activities of the community, by making meaningless any strategy to continue our struggle for the preservation of Kosovo," Drecun was quoted as saying. (Tanjug, file) Beta RTS

Compromise over name of Serb list expected

"Instead of 'Serbia' it is likely to be 'Serb list' or something like that," said he.

Drecun then noted that the name of the list is currently "the biggest problem" but is expected to be resolved soon, "because it would be bad if the Election Commission in Kosovo rejected the Serb list."

He said that Priština was sending strong messagse that the Central Election Commission would refuse to accept the list named "the Citizens' Initiative Serbia" because they want Serbia not to be mentioned in the name of the list.

According to him, the municipalities in the north "were not abolished by yesterday's decision of the government and they continue to function."

In the realization of the state policy unity is necessary, Drecuin continued, "and it is not acceptable that there are those who work actively to boycott the elections and endanger the formation of the community of Serb municipalities."

He said that "no one is using force or coercing the Serbs vote, but no one can abuse the powers of the government of Serbia, the budget, and its function and threaten the government's policies."

Drecun said it was of "strategic importance" that after the elections the authorities in the municipalities are "directly tied to official Belgrade" and that the power is held a list that will be able to form the community of Serb municipalities.

"Otherwise, it may happen that some Serb parties that Priština has a strong influence on manage to prevent the forming of the community of Serb municipalities, or, in the period after its formation, start undermining the activities of the community, by making meaningless any strategy to continue our struggle for the preservation of Kosovo," Drecun was quoted as saying.