Serbs in south to be called on to participate in polls

Serbs in south to be called on to participate in polls

Mayor of Gračanica Branimir Stojanović told Beta that a decision on the continuation of the campaign was difficult and was made after discussions with officials of the government of Serbia, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Director of the Office for Kosovo Marko Đurić.

Representatives of the Serbs in northern of Kosovo and leaders of the four municipalities in this part of the province will not participate in elections because of the Election Commission's decision about allocation of seats in the assembly in Priština, according to Leposavić Mayor Dragan Jablanović.

"Under these conditions, we will neither invite citizens to participate in elections on Sunday, nor call for a boycott," said Jablanović.

Stojanović said that the conversation with Vučić and Đurić "led to the conclusion that the damage in the event of a boycott was huge because it would, among other things, allow some people with 1,000 votes to make decisions."

"The election is our chance to win ten seats and continue the fight for the proper interpretation of the law, but also for our survival in Kosovo and Metohija," said Stojanović.

He added that "everyone had hoped" that pressure "from the outside" would help eliminate "the planned moves of Priština to move Serbs away from the polls" - but that this did not happen.

Stojanović said that differences between the Serbs from the north and those in the south do not indicate lack of unity, but of different circumstances, which both groups have understanding for.