Cakolli: CEC's decision on the Serb List is political interference in elections, it will certainly be overturned

Eugen Cakolli, an associate of Kosovo’s Democratic Institute, stated that the Central Election Commission’s decision regarding the Serb List constitutes political interference in the elections and contradicts a 2019 Supreme Court ruling, which is why he believes it will certainly be overturned.

“The decision not to certify the Serb List will undoubtedly be overturned by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) or the Supreme Court. We already have a similar precedent from 2019 when both ECAP and the Supreme Court confirmed that the CEC does not have legal authority to impose criteria beyond those formally established by law – criteria that the representative of the Serb List fulfills, as its statute and program do not contain unconstitutional references,” Cakolli stated on his Facebook profile.

He described the decision not to certify the names of the Serb List’s parliamentary candidates as political interference in the elections, involving no legal criteria or attempts to prevent non-majority community parties from participating in the elections.

“If there are genuine concerns regarding the activities of the Serb List, there are clear legal procedures for de-registering a political party. However, these procedures require evidence and regular processes, not ad hoc decisions like this one to deny certification. The legal system does not operate on words or discourse but on procedures and rules. Therefore, in this case, it is irrelevant which party is involved,” Cakolli emphasized.