Priština's "arrogant behavior" criticized

BELGRADE Issues affecting the regularity of local elections must be resolved in Brussels as soon as possible, says Government General Secretary Veljko Odalovic. Odalovic said that November 3, the date of the elections in Kosovo is drawing closer, and underscored that Belgrade realized all the obligations it agreed to take on by signing the agreement on the normalization of relations with Pristina. Pristina's "arrogant behavior" criticized Pristina did not fulfil a number of obligations it took on by signing the agreement in Brussels on April 19, and most importantly it failed to ensure the conditions for fair and regular staging of elections, Odalovic told RTS. The local elections in Kosovo and Metohija will be discussed at the meeting of prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo in Brussels which was scheduled by the high EU representative after the relations between Belgrade and Pristina aggravated following the decision of the Kosovo government to ban the visits for Serbian officials in the course of the electoral campaign. Odalovic qualified as scandalous the decision of Pristina to ban the visit to Kosovo even for Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic as the signatory of the Brussels agreement who advocates the idea of integration of Serbs in the Kosovo society by means of local institutions and believes they should be called to vote in the elections. Noting that this is not the only problem, Odalovic said that the issue of registry of Serb voters needs to be resolved in Brussels as well, together with the composition of the Central Electoral Commission in Pristina which does not have a single Serb representative. The Central Electoral Commission now has control over everything and is designing the future elections in a most immediate manner and this can significantly contribute to their regularity or irregularity, Odalovic said. "Self-will and arrogant behavior of Kosovo institutions and their decision to ban Prime Minister Dacic's visit to Strpce for the electoral campaign meeting constitutes a direct obstacle to the implementation of elections," he said. Odalovic noted that the prime minister's presence at the meeting of Citizens' Initiative Srpska in Strpce on Friday, October 4, aimed to send a message that the Republic of Serbia supports the elections. Odalovic said that the local elections represent a key point of the Brussels agreement and that the appointment of Serb representatives and constitution of the community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija depend on whether the polls would be carried out in keeping with the agreement. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Priština's "arrogant behavior" criticized

Priština did not fulfil a number of obligations it took on by signing the agreement in Brussels on April 19, and most importantly it failed to ensure the conditions for fair and regular staging of elections, Odalović told RTS.

The local elections in Kosovo and Metohija will be discussed at the meeting of prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo in Brussels which was scheduled by the high EU representative after the relations between Belgrade and Priština aggravated following the decision of the Kosovo government to ban the visits for Serbian officials in the course of the electoral campaign.

Odalović qualified as scandalous the decision of Priština to ban the visit to Kosovo even for Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić as the signatory of the Brussels agreement who advocates the idea of integration of Serbs in the Kosovo society by means of local institutions and believes they should be called to vote in the elections.

Noting that this is not the only problem, Odalović said that the issue of registry of Serb voters needs to be resolved in Brussels as well, together with the composition of the Central Electoral Commission in Priština which does not have a single Serb representative.

The Central Electoral Commission now has control over everything and is designing the future elections in a most immediate manner and this can significantly contribute to their regularity or irregularity, Odalović said.

"Self-will and arrogant behavior of Kosovo institutions and their decision to ban Prime Minister Dačić's visit to Štrpce for the electoral campaign meeting constitutes a direct obstacle to the implementation of elections," he said.

Odalović noted that the prime minister's presence at the meeting of Citizens' Initiative Srpska in Štrpce on Friday, October 4, aimed to send a message that the Republic of Serbia supports the elections.

Odalović said that the local elections represent a key point of the Brussels agreement and that the appointment of Serb representatives and constitution of the community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija depend on whether the polls would be carried out in keeping with the agreement.