"Kosovo symbols" won't be removed - commission head

PRISTINA The head of the election commission "dismissed the possibility of removing the state symbol of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo from electoral materials." Tanjug reported this on Monday quoting the Pristina-based Albanian language daily Tribuna. "Kosovo symbols" won't be removed - commission head Valdete Daka, who heads the Kosovo Election Commission, was quoted as saying that "it is no longer possible to make any compromise regarding electoral materials, as they are technically prepared and will not be altered either in form or in any other respect," the Lajmi website said. Krstimir Pantic, candidate of Citizens' Initiative Srpska for the mayor of northern Kosovska Mitrovica, said on Sunday that he will call on citizens not to vote in the local elections on November 3 unless status neutral electoral materials are provided. He added that he would "insist" that all countries represented in Kosovo, primarily "the Quint", exert their influence on Pristina officials so as to ensure that electoral materials are status neutral, "because if that is not done by November 3, the Serbs will not go to the polls." Daka said that the commission "pays no attention to such political statements but does its job on a technical level." "Even if we wanted to change something, it could no longer be done legally," she said. (Beta, file) Tanjug

"Kosovo symbols" won't be removed - commission head

Valdete Daka, who heads the Kosovo Election Commission, was quoted as saying that "it is no longer possible to make any compromise regarding electoral materials, as they are technically prepared and will not be altered either in form or in any other respect," the Lajmi website said.

Krstimir Pantić, candidate of Citizens' Initiative Srpska for the mayor of northern Kosovska Mitrovica, said on Sunday that he will call on citizens not to vote in the local elections on November 3 unless status neutral electoral materials are provided.

He added that he would "insist" that all countries represented in Kosovo, primarily "the Quint", exert their influence on Priština officials so as to ensure that electoral materials are status neutral, "because if that is not done by November 3, the Serbs will not go to the polls."

Daka said that the commission "pays no attention to such political statements but does its job on a technical level."

"Even if we wanted to change something, it could no longer be done legally," she said.