Deputy PM calls on Serbs to "respect state, vote"

BELGRADE First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic called on Kosovo Serbs in Gracanica on Friday "to be responsible towards their children and future." He told them "to respect the state of Serbia and to take part in the local elections on November 3." Deputy PM calls on Serbs to "respect state, vote" "The goal of their participation in the elections is the international verification of existence of a community of Serb municipalities," Vucic said at the closing rally of the Citizens' Initiative Srpska, whose list is supported by the Serbian government. Vucic told the citizens to ask what they will get if they do not go to the polls except that they will be, as the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said, someone who is not a Serb, or Gracanica will be run by someone they do not want to see at that position. "You are the ones who maintain and preserve Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija, without you everything that Serbia has done would be worth absolutely nothing. You have survived persecutions, layoffs and injustice," he said. The minister urged Kosovo Serb to be wiser, adding "we cannot and do not want to wage a war, our job is to secure the future of our children in peace". Vucic said that now we are choosing between the survival of Serbs in Kosovo on one side and the past, very uncertain future and disappearance of Serbs in the province on the other. He said that the establishment of the community of Serb municipalities requires election wins in at least six municipalities. Different actors, in Kosovo and outside of it, are trying to thwart the foundation of the community of Serb municipalities and the election of a man in Kosovska Mitrovica who will want the community to be established. "They want to have full control over the Serb community and to say that they have solved the problem. We do not want to be the problem, we want to live on our own, we want our children to learn their language and their script and to rejoice as all other children in the world," Vucic said. "After November 3, we will start thinking about the manner to provide an incentive to the economy so that our people in Kosovo and Metohija could live better," Vucic said. Serbian Minister of Justice Nikola Selakovic called on Serbs in Kosovo on Friday to contribute to a massive turnout in the elections on November 3 and vote for the Citizens' Initiative Sprska, adding that all "those who do not back the Srpska list are not backing Serbia either." Selakovic was participating in the final gathering of the Srpska list in downtown Gracanica together with Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Aleksandar Vulin, minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo-Metohija. Addressing the gathered citizens, Selakovic said that the November 3 elections offer a unique chance to stop the departure and ensure return of Serbs to Kosovo-Metohija He underscored that " this is the chance Serbia has won so as to prevent departure and ensure return for Serbs and the Republic of Serbia even stronger than is already the case." (Tanjug) Tanjug

Deputy PM calls on Serbs to "respect state, vote"

"The goal of their participation in the elections is the international verification of existence of a community of Serb municipalities," Vučić said at the closing rally of the Citizens' Initiative Srpska, whose list is supported by the Serbian government.

Vučić told the citizens to ask what they will get if they do not go to the polls except that they will be, as the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said, someone who is not a Serb, or Gračanica will be run by someone they do not want to see at that position.

"You are the ones who maintain and preserve Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija, without you everything that Serbia has done would be worth absolutely nothing. You have survived persecutions, layoffs and injustice," he said.

The minister urged Kosovo Serb to be wiser, adding "we cannot and do not want to wage a war, our job is to secure the future of our children in peace".

Vučić said that now we are choosing between the survival of Serbs in Kosovo on one side and the past, very uncertain future and disappearance of Serbs in the province on the other.

He said that the establishment of the community of Serb municipalities requires election wins in at least six municipalities.

Different actors, in Kosovo and outside of it, are trying to thwart the foundation of the community of Serb municipalities and the election of a man in Kosovska Mitrovica who will want the community to be established.

"They want to have full control over the Serb community and to say that they have solved the problem. We do not want to be the problem, we want to live on our own, we want our children to learn their language and their script and to rejoice as all other children in the world," Vučić said. "After November 3, we will start thinking about the manner to provide an incentive to the economy so that our people in Kosovo and Metohija could live better," Vučić said.

Serbian Minister of Justice Nikola Selaković called on Serbs in Kosovo on Friday to contribute to a massive turnout in the elections on November 3 and vote for the Citizens' Initiative Sprska, adding that all "those who do not back the Srpska list are not backing Serbia either."

Selaković was participating in the final gathering of the Srpska list in downtown Gračanica together with Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Aleksandar Vulin, minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo-Metohija. Addressing the gathered citizens, Selakovic said that the November 3 elections offer a unique chance to stop the departure and ensure return of Serbs to Kosovo-Metohija

He underscored that " this is the chance Serbia has won so as to prevent departure and ensure return for Serbs and the Republic of Serbia even stronger than is already the case."