Trajković contests SNV expulsion

Kosovo Serb politician Radmila Trajkovic has been expelled from the Serb National Council (SNV), it has been announced. The move came due to the fact Trajkovic participated in the Nov. 15 local elections organized by the Kosovo Albanian government. Two other officials, Goran Marinkovic and Boban Petrovic, are also no longer members of the organization. Trajkovic contests SNV expulsion But Trajkovic claims that the SNV decision was illegitimate. She told B92 that she was convinced that the decision was illegitimate and that it would only make the situation inside the Serb community in Kosovo "even more tense". The SNV, meanwhile, has announced that the same fate awaits all others who decide to take "such steps". Trajkovic, however, is of the opinion that this decision represents the "last throes of the radical Serbs" and that it is a demonstration of their lack of power. “I do not know what normal Serb would object to new Serbian municipalities," she was quoted as saying. According to Trajkovic, those new municipalities would have the goal, "at least mine", of creating strong Serb communities. "That should not be a problem to any Serb who means well,” she stated. “I am doing what I think it is right, trying to reduce the damage because the Serbs from Strpce and Novo Brdo were not smart enough to take over the power in their own communities,” the now former SNV official pointed out. SNV President Dragan Velic rejected the claims about the illegitimacy of the decision, stating that 70 percent of the body's members attended the session. According to him, other SNV officials will face the same decision if they make similar offences. “If this had not been done, the SNV would have been in violation of its statute, guidelines and decision. We decided that all members who would in any way participate in election processes in the future would be expelled. We cannot participate in elections because they are against the Constitution of Serbia and the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” the SNV president said. The organization also accused the President Boris Tadic of discriminating against the province's Serbs by accepting a partial visa liberalization. They pointed out that by doing so, the president "violated the Constitution which obligates him to protect Serbia’s territorial integrity".

Trajković contests SNV expulsion

But Trajković claims that the SNV decision was illegitimate.

She told B92 that she was convinced that the decision was illegitimate and that it would only make the situation inside the Serb community in Kosovo "even more tense".

The SNV, meanwhile, has announced that the same fate awaits all others who decide to take "such steps".

Trajković, however, is of the opinion that this decision represents the "last throes of the radical Serbs" and that it is a demonstration of their lack of power.

“I do not know what normal Serb would object to new Serbian municipalities," she was quoted as saying.

According to Trajković, those new municipalities would have the goal, "at least mine", of creating strong Serb communities.

"That should not be a problem to any Serb who means well,” she stated.

“I am doing what I think it is right, trying to reduce the damage because the Serbs from Štrpce and Novo Brdo were not smart enough to take over the power in their own communities,” the now former SNV official pointed out.

SNV President Dragan Velić rejected the claims about the illegitimacy of the decision, stating that 70 percent of the body's members attended the session.

According to him, other SNV officials will face the same decision if they make similar offences.

“If this had not been done, the SNV would have been in violation of its statute, guidelines and decision. We decided that all members who would in any way participate in election processes in the future would be expelled. We cannot participate in elections because they are against the Constitution of Serbia and the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” the SNV president said.

The organization also accused the President Boris Tadić of discriminating against the province's Serbs by accepting a partial visa liberalization.

They pointed out that by doing so, the president "violated the Constitution which obligates him to protect Serbia’s territorial integrity".