"No blank support for results of Kosovo elections"

BELGRADE Marko Djuric says that"nobody can expect Serbia to give blank support to the results of local elections in Kosovo in case the polls are manipulated." The presidential adviser spoke for B92 on Friday to explain that "that serious problems with electoral rolls still prevail over the attempts of Pristina to infiltrate the rolls with fictitious voters." "No blank support for results of Kosovo elections" He also said that Belgrade "will follow the process to the last moment and that the international community will have the crucial role." Djuric did not wish to speculate as to the possibility for Belgrade not to recognize the results of the elections in case of obstructions by Pristina. “We expect all irregularities to be removed and the elections to be free of abuse and manipulation,” Djuric said. He noted that electoral rolls are among the biggest problems because Pristina tried to infiltrate the rolls for the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, mostly populated by Serbs, with a certain number of Kosovo Albanians so as to destabilize the situation and change the political geography in northern Kosovo and Metohija, which is a home to majority Serb population. “A lot depends on the relations between the international community and OSCE. The elections cannot be successful unless they are organized in the right way, and we want them to be successful,” Djuric said. He said that Pristina did not choose the means to obstruct the elections so as to prevent internally displaced persons from voting in the elections, to manipulate the electoral rolls, planting inadequate electoral materials, while at the same time hypocritically calling on Serbs to vote in the elections. “We trust OSCE in this matter, as it has the obligation to carry out the elections only in case they are status neutral,” Djuric said and added that by casting their ballots in the elections, Serbs vote for the community of Serb municipalities which should be set up after the polls. He underscored that this is the crucial moment when the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is at stake. Djuric said that anyone who claims that voting in the elections and constitution of the community of Serb municipalities entails the shutdown of institutional connections with Serbia is not telling the truth and that Serbia will not stop providing immediate assistance to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija. When it comes to the previously announced visit of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to Kosovo and Metohija ahead of the elections, Djuric said that the international community "failed to ensure respect for the agreement on the freedom of movement as was agreed" and that "the conditions for the organization of the visit as befitting to a president have not been created." (Tanjug, file) B92 Tanjug

"No blank support for results of Kosovo elections"

He also said that Belgrade "will follow the process to the last moment and that the international community will have the crucial role."

Đurić did not wish to speculate as to the possibility for Belgrade not to recognize the results of the elections in case of obstructions by Priština.

“We expect all irregularities to be removed and the elections to be free of abuse and manipulation,” Đurić said.

He noted that electoral rolls are among the biggest problems because Priština tried to infiltrate the rolls for the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, mostly populated by Serbs, with a certain number of Kosovo Albanians so as to destabilize the situation and change the political geography in northern Kosovo and Metohija, which is a home to majority Serb population.

“A lot depends on the relations between the international community and OSCE. The elections cannot be successful unless they are organized in the right way, and we want them to be successful,” Đurić said.

He said that Priština did not choose the means to obstruct the elections so as to prevent internally displaced persons from voting in the elections, to manipulate the electoral rolls, planting inadequate electoral materials, while at the same time hypocritically calling on Serbs to vote in the elections.

“We trust OSCE in this matter, as it has the obligation to carry out the elections only in case they are status neutral,” Đurić said and added that by casting their ballots in the elections, Serbs vote for the community of Serb municipalities which should be set up after the polls.

He underscored that this is the crucial moment when the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is at stake.

Đurić said that anyone who claims that voting in the elections and constitution of the community of Serb municipalities entails the shutdown of institutional connections with Serbia is not telling the truth and that Serbia will not stop providing immediate assistance to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

When it comes to the previously announced visit of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić to Kosovo and Metohija ahead of the elections, Đurić said that the international community "failed to ensure respect for the agreement on the freedom of movement as was agreed" and that "the conditions for the organization of the visit as befitting to a president have not been created."