Parties in Kosovo on local elections

Kosovo Albanian opposition parties are dissatisfied with the decision for local elections to be held on November 15. The opposition claims that the date was not set as “a result of an agreement, but pressure from abroad”. Parties in Kosovo on local elections The decision of Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has been characterized by the Albanian opposition parties as a “bad message”. Former Kosovo prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, Agim Ceku, said that his party will participate in the elections, but that the president disappointed the Albanian parties with his decision. “What worries me is that the president led coordinated meetings with the parties on several occasions, but he ignored the proposal of every opposition party and passed a decision that the international factor asked him to, in other words, he did not play the factor of unity,” Ceku said. Albanians and Serbs have different problems before the local elections. While the Albanians worry about how to get as many voters to support when, the Serbs are not sure whether they should even participate. However, the Independent Liberal Party, which includes Serbs in Kosovo, and also has two ministers in the Kosovo government, plans to participate in the elections. Party official Bojan Stanojevic has announced participation in the elections regardless of Belgrade’s stance. “I hope that after ten years, the Serbian people will reach a consensus and understand that we must decide for ourselves,” Stanojevic said. Non-governmental organizations which include Kosovo Serbs support participation in the elections organized by the government in Pristina. Officials of the civil sector say that the local elections represent the possibility to create an international recognized and accepted “institutional legalization of Serbs in Kosovo". Official Belgrade does not have a defined stance on the participation of Serbs in the elections yet. Kosovo District chief Goran Arsic said that Belgrade is looking at the elections through decentralization, but not the plan of Martti Ahtisaari. There are two possibilities in the elections as far as the official policy is concerned. Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said that the government has not talked with Serbs in Kosovo regarding the issue yet. “If we do discuss it, if there are any decision, the decision will be made in time. But on the other hand, we already had local elections held in Kosovo last year, we have elected bodies representing the Serbs, but not the Albanians as well. We must take that fact into consideration as well,” Bogdanovic said. “The stance of the state of Serbia will either be neutral, or negative, meaning, that Serbs should not participate in the elections. However, regardless of Belgrade’s stance, there are local groups of citizens and parties that will participate in the elections,” Arsic said. After the elections in November, Kosovo should have 38 municipalities, ten of which will be majority Serb, one ethnic Turkish and the rest ethnic Albanian.

Parties in Kosovo on local elections

The decision of Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has been characterized by the Albanian opposition parties as a “bad message”.

Former Kosovo prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, Agim Ceku, said that his party will participate in the elections, but that the president disappointed the Albanian parties with his decision.

“What worries me is that the president led coordinated meetings with the parties on several occasions, but he ignored the proposal of every opposition party and passed a decision that the international factor asked him to, in other words, he did not play the factor of unity,” Ceku said.

Albanians and Serbs have different problems before the local elections. While the Albanians worry about how to get as many voters to support when, the Serbs are not sure whether they should even participate.

However, the Independent Liberal Party, which includes Serbs in Kosovo, and also has two ministers in the Kosovo government, plans to participate in the elections.

Party official Bojan Stanojević has announced participation in the elections regardless of Belgrade’s stance.

“I hope that after ten years, the Serbian people will reach a consensus and understand that we must decide for ourselves,” Stanojević said.

Non-governmental organizations which include Kosovo Serbs support participation in the elections organized by the government in Priština. Officials of the civil sector say that the local elections represent the possibility to create an international recognized and accepted “institutional legalization of Serbs in Kosovo".

Official Belgrade does not have a defined stance on the participation of Serbs in the elections yet. Kosovo District chief Goran Arsić said that Belgrade is looking at the elections through decentralization, but not the plan of Martti Ahtisaari. There are two possibilities in the elections as far as the official policy is concerned.

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović said that the government has not talked with Serbs in Kosovo regarding the issue yet.

“If we do discuss it, if there are any decision, the decision will be made in time. But on the other hand, we already had local elections held in Kosovo last year, we have elected bodies representing the Serbs, but not the Albanians as well. We must take that fact into consideration as well,” Bogdanović said.

“The stance of the state of Serbia will either be neutral, or negative, meaning, that Serbs should not participate in the elections. However, regardless of Belgrade’s stance, there are local groups of citizens and parties that will participate in the elections,” Arsić said.

After the elections in November, Kosovo should have 38 municipalities, ten of which will be majority Serb, one ethnic Turkish and the rest ethnic Albanian.