Samardžić tells Kosovo Serbs they will vote in elections

Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic is on a visit to Kosovo since last night. Samardzic first Sunday met with representatives of the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo, SNV, including Milan Ivanovic, Marko Jaksic and Momir Kasalovic, Tanjug news agency reported from Kosovska Mitrovica. Samardzic tells Kosovo Serbs they will vote in elections He is also touring the villages of Priluzje, Laplje Selo and Novo Brdo today. A spokesman for the Kosovo police, KPS, said that members of UNMIK police will provide security for Samardzic as he visits Kosovo. This afternoon, Samardzic told residents and members of the local authorities in Priluzje that parliamentary and municipal elections will take place in Kosovo on May 11, in those areas inhabited by Serbs. The minister added that the government will in the coming days adopt a decree that will detail the manner in which the ballots will be organized. Reports from the meeting say that some residents criticized Samardzic because he visited the village for the first time ahead of the elections. The campaign for the vote, that has the Kostunica-led Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) pitted against Tadic's Democrats (DS) seems to have spilled over to Kosovo, where the DS chairman of the provincial board, and member of the state negotiating team, Goran Bogdanovic, criticized the DSS minister in charge of Kosovo of leading a "one party policy that is causing rifts in the Serb community". Bodganovic told FoNet news agency that Kosovo "must not be a party, but a state issue". "Unfortunately, when he comes here, Samardzic meets only with the DSS representatives, they hold secret meetings where they adopt decisions that are unacceptable for the Serb community and are jeopardizing its survival in Kosovo," he was quoted as saying. "We have two sets of coordinators," Bogdanovic continued. "Samardzic suspended a government decision that they be replaced, and now it is unclear who is conducting Belgrade's policy in Kosovo." The DS official also complained that Samardzic, as he visits the province, "meets only with the old coordinators, ignoring the new ones". "Because of this behavior, the Serbs in Kosovo have a problem communicating with Belgrade, since only the DSS positions from the field are relayed, and we also have a problem with international community," he continued. Bogdanovic "warned the authorities in Belgrade" that by supporting "this kind of behavior by the Kosovo minister they are contributing to rifts among the remaining Serbs in Kosovo". At the same time, some of the other leaders of the Kosovo Serbs voiced their support today for the functional separation plan submitted to UNMIK recently, and slammed Serbian President and DS leader Boris Tadic for rejecting it. The plan, sent by Samardzic, was also rejected by the Kosovo Albanian leadership, but is still considered by the UN. Serb Settlements and Municipalities Union President Marko Jaksic told Beta news agency that, during the meeting with Samardzic in Kosovska Mitrovica last night, all participants "expressed regret because Tadic's opinion [about the plan] is absolutely the same as that of Hashim Thaci". "Interpretations that Tadic talks about are malicious and biased and along the same lines as those of the Kosovo government that rejects this plan," Jaksic said. Tadic accused Samardzic and the DSS in an interview yesterday that they in fact advocated a partition of Kosovo with the proposal. Tanjug news agency also quoted Jaksic as saying late Sunday that the forthcoming Serbian elections are of "decisive importance for the Serbs' survival in Kosovo". "These elections are fateful as regards the Serbs' survival in Kosmet, because they will decide on the fate of Kosovo and Metohija as well," Jaksic told Kosovska Mitrovica-based Radio Kontakt Plus. He added "it was good that the elections in Kosovo-Metohija will be held at all levels", because, as he put it, that is the only way in which the Kosovo Serbs can elect their legitimate representatives. "The people have to step forward and say who can represent the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Jaksic concluded.

Samardžić tells Kosovo Serbs they will vote in elections

He is also touring the villages of Prilužje, Laplje Selo and Novo Brdo today.

A spokesman for the Kosovo police, KPS, said that members of UNMIK police will provide security for Samardžić as he visits Kosovo.

This afternoon, Samardžić told residents and members of the local authorities in Prilužje that parliamentary and municipal elections will take place in Kosovo on May 11, in those areas inhabited by Serbs.

The minister added that the government will in the coming days adopt a decree that will detail the manner in which the ballots will be organized.

Reports from the meeting say that some residents criticized Samardžić because he visited the village for the first time ahead of the elections.

The campaign for the vote, that has the Koštunica-led Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) pitted against Tadić's Democrats (DS) seems to have spilled over to Kosovo, where the DS chairman of the provincial board, and member of the state negotiating team, Goran Bogdanović, criticized the DSS minister in charge of Kosovo of leading a "one party policy that is causing rifts in the Serb community".

Bodganović told FoNet news agency that Kosovo "must not be a party, but a state issue".

"Unfortunately, when he comes here, Samardžić meets only with the DSS representatives, they hold secret meetings where they adopt decisions that are unacceptable for the Serb community and are jeopardizing its survival in Kosovo," he was quoted as saying.

"We have two sets of coordinators," Bogdanović continued. "Samardžić suspended a government decision that they be replaced, and now it is unclear who is conducting Belgrade's policy in Kosovo."

The DS official also complained that Samardžić, as he visits the province, "meets only with the old coordinators, ignoring the new ones".

"Because of this behavior, the Serbs in Kosovo have a problem communicating with Belgrade, since only the DSS positions from the field are relayed, and we also have a problem with international community," he continued.

Bogdanović "warned the authorities in Belgrade" that by supporting "this kind of behavior by the Kosovo minister they are contributing to rifts among the remaining Serbs in Kosovo".

At the same time, some of the other leaders of the Kosovo Serbs voiced their support today for the functional separation plan submitted to UNMIK recently, and slammed Serbian President and DS leader Boris Tadić for rejecting it.

The plan, sent by Samardžić, was also rejected by the Kosovo Albanian leadership, but is still considered by the UN.

Serb Settlements and Municipalities Union President Marko Jakšić told Beta news agency that, during the meeting with Samardžić in Kosovska Mitrovica last night, all participants "expressed regret because Tadić's opinion [about the plan] is absolutely the same as that of Hashim Thaci".

"Interpretations that Tadić talks about are malicious and biased and along the same lines as those of the Kosovo government that rejects this plan," Jakšić said.

Tadić accused Samardžić and the DSS in an interview yesterday that they in fact advocated a partition of Kosovo with the proposal.

Tanjug news agency also quoted Jakšić as saying late Sunday that the forthcoming Serbian elections are of "decisive importance for the Serbs' survival in Kosovo".

"These elections are fateful as regards the Serbs' survival in Kosmet, because they will decide on the fate of Kosovo and Metohija as well," Jakšić told Kosovska Mitrovica-based Radio Kontakt Plus.

He added "it was good that the elections in Kosovo-Metohija will be held at all levels", because, as he put it, that is the only way in which the Kosovo Serbs can elect their legitimate representatives.

"The people have to step forward and say who can represent the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Jakšić concluded.