Milovic: Serbs must be united and stand together in reclaiming Serb-majority municipalities

Serbs must be united and stand together in reclaiming municipalities with a Serb majority, Serb List Presidency member Dragisa Milovic said.

Speaking to RTS, Milovic said the situation is very difficult and that the conditions under which Serbs live in Kosovo are alarming.

“We live in a situation where we are faced with daily arrests, indictments for war crimes, attempts to change the ethnic composition in Gracanica and North Mitrovica. Everything is being done to make life more difficult for us in Kosovo and Metohija, and in those conditions we have to run a campaign,” he explained, recalling that Self-Determination tried to prevent the Serb List from participating in the upcoming local elections.

He also recalled the burning of cars and properties belonging to Serb candidates, and emphasized that, despite such circumstances, the Serb List will persist in reclaiming the four northern municipalities and six Serb-majority municipalities south of the Ibar.

Milovic pointed out that the most difficult situation is in Gracanica, where 4,500 new voters have been registered.

“Regardless of the fact that Albanians cannot agree at the parliamentary level, all parties are united when it comes to elections in Gracanica. That is a message to us Serbs that we must be united and stand together,” he underlined.

Milovic said that especially in the north it has become clear how things function when “illegal mayors make all the decisions without consent and to the detriment of Serbs.”

All of this, he said, has one goal – to make life harder for Serbs.

Milovic noted that the result of such a policy is the departure of Serbs from Kosovo, adding that around 20 percent have left the north.

He reminded that Serbs left the institutions to highlight the situation, in the hope that the international community would take their appeal seriously.

“Unfortunately, there was no response, and we are witnessing everything that has happened over the past three years. Every statement from EU representatives about multiethnicity and democracy falls apart. If someone can become mayor with just a few hundred votes, what kind of democracy is that?” he asked.

Milovic expressed his conviction that Self-Determination and Albin Kurti will do everything to exert pressure on the Serb List.

The latest complaint from Self-Determination, he stressed, is yet another form of pressure on the Serb List.

“They know that the Serb List is the only guarantee of the survival of Serbs, that it has a connection, which we do not hide, with Belgrade, and that the people will give their votes to our representatives in the local elections. Their complaints are an attempt to diminish the importance of the Serb List and to put pressure on it. There will likely be more such attempts as the campaign continues. Every day we fear what the caretaker prime minister’s next move will be until the October 12 elections,” Milovic said.

He reminded that attempts are also being made to block the election of Serb List candidates to the post of deputy speaker of the Assembly, in violation of both law and constitution.

“The message is that we Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are not wanted – or rather, that we are only wanted if we serve Kurti,” Milovic said.

He noted that almost all Serbian institutions, employing several thousand people, have been shut down, calling this part of Kurti’s escalating moves. Despite having taken an oath as an MP, he said, Kurti continues to run the government with his ministers, in violation of the constitution.

Milovic pointed out that only education and healthcare remain and expressed fear that Kurti might take steps in those areas as well.

“That would be tragic. I believe the international community must not allow it. Encouraging statements have come from OSCE and Quint representatives. Much of this should have been resolved through the Community of Serb Municipalities. We will see what happens in the period ahead,” he stressed.

Milovic said that even messages from the United States show that Kurti is no longer seen as a reliable partner.

“Kosovo is isolated from both the US and the EU, even though it was created primarily thanks to America. The suspension of the strategic dialogue is the strongest blow and a message that unilateral and escalatory moves, and a policy of hatred toward Serbs, cannot continue. Instead of focusing on improving the economy, Kurti is only building police bases in the north. The north is occupied by police forces. His only goal is the north, and he blames Serbs for everything,” he explained.

Milovic repeated that Serbs must be united and give their all to reclaim the ten municipalities.

He announced that afterward, through joint work, everything would be done to correct the harm caused.

“We will review the illegal decisions and annul them. We will work in the interest of all citizens, without making distinctions, unlike what has been done over the past three years in municipalities where Albanians seized power,” Milovic concluded.