Priština won't accept K. Serb assembly

Kosovo Albanian officials say that the Kosovo Serb assembly set up yesterday is unacceptable; a local Serb representative calls it "insignificant". Kosovo's deputy PM Ram Manaj said that the assembly formed in Kosovska Mitrovica will have no legal effect on "the new state of Kosovo". Pristina won't accept K. Serb assembly This sums up the reaction from the Kosovo Albanian leadership ever since the formation of the Serb assembly was announced. Kosovo's president, Fatmir Sejdiu, however, went as far as to say that this act could destabilize the situation, and called on residents "not to react" to the latest step that the Kosovo Serbs have undertaken in opposition to the declaration of independence of Feb. 17. Ethnic Albanians in the province unilaterally proclaimed secession on that day, but Belgrade, and also the local Serbs, rejected this as illegal. Analysts in Pristina believe that the Serb assembly is the first official answer to that declaration, and that the Serb leaders in the north of Kosovo have, with this move, continued to institutionalize their opposition to an independent Kosovo. Analyst Ilir Dugoli was quoted as saying that this step was announced even before Feb. 17, and that it "perhaps could've had more effect" had it been taken then. "This is an invitation to Serbs to continue with their resistance to the central institutions of Kosovo, and will feed the hopes of a certain part of the Serb populace in Kosovo that their interests can be realize through a boycott of the central institutions," Dugoli said. Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the Serbs in the province, Oliver Ivanovic, believes that the inaugural session of the new assembly yesterday was "insignificant". He told Beta news agency that he expects a new Serbian government to reexamine the policy toward Kosovo so far, because, in his words, it was "populist and abounding in strong and heavy promises". "This is an association that was initiated by the DSS representatives, aware that the will go to the opposition soon, and aware how sensitive the issue of Kosovo is to everyone in Serbia," Ivanovic, who ran on the G17 Plus ticket in the May elections, told the agency. "This assembly will serve only as a springboard to undermine the next Serbian government as it tries to join the EU as soon as possible". Ivanovic also believes that the government policy in Kosovo "only confused the Serb community, dividing it to the Serbs south and north of the Ibar". "Parallel institutions" such as those in health care and education sectors have helped the Serb community in Kosovo, Ivanovic added, "but their formation cannot be taken all the way because it's impossible to form parallel police and judiciary". The Serb assembly (Beta)

Priština won't accept K. Serb assembly

This sums up the reaction from the Kosovo Albanian leadership ever since the formation of the Serb assembly was announced.

Kosovo's president, Fatmir Sejdiu, however, went as far as to say that this act could destabilize the situation, and called on residents "not to react" to the latest step that the Kosovo Serbs have undertaken in opposition to the declaration of independence of Feb. 17.

Ethnic Albanians in the province unilaterally proclaimed secession on that day, but Belgrade, and also the local Serbs, rejected this as illegal.

Analysts in Priština believe that the Serb assembly is the first official answer to that declaration, and that the Serb leaders in the north of Kosovo have, with this move, continued to institutionalize their opposition to an independent Kosovo.

Analyst Ilir Dugoli was quoted as saying that this step was announced even before Feb. 17, and that it "perhaps could've had more effect" had it been taken then.

"This is an invitation to Serbs to continue with their resistance to the central institutions of Kosovo, and will feed the hopes of a certain part of the Serb populace in Kosovo that their interests can be realize through a boycott of the central institutions," Dugoli said.

Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the Serbs in the province, Oliver Ivanović, believes that the inaugural session of the new assembly yesterday was "insignificant".

He told Beta news agency that he expects a new Serbian government to reexamine the policy toward Kosovo so far, because, in his words, it was "populist and abounding in strong and heavy promises".

"This is an association that was initiated by the DSS representatives, aware that the will go to the opposition soon, and aware how sensitive the issue of Kosovo is to everyone in Serbia," Ivanović, who ran on the G17 Plus ticket in the May elections, told the agency.

"This assembly will serve only as a springboard to undermine the next Serbian government as it tries to join the EU as soon as possible".

Ivanović also believes that the government policy in Kosovo "only confused the Serb community, dividing it to the Serbs south and north of the Ibar".

"Parallel institutions" such as those in health care and education sectors have helped the Serb community in Kosovo, Ivanović added, "but their formation cannot be taken all the way because it's impossible to form parallel police and judiciary".