Pavkovic: Provocations a real danger on election day, KFOR capable of preventing unrest

Miloš Pavkovic, an associate at the Center for European Policies in Belgrade, told Kosovo Online that with the Serbian community participating in the elections on February 9th after several years of boycotting Kosovo institutions, there is heightened caution given the tense situation and everything that has happened in the past period.

Considering that both EULEX and KFOR conducted mass control and riot exercises ahead of the election, Pavkovic says there are three potential scenarios they might have considered.

“As a potential challenge for the organization of the elections, I see organized provocations, perhaps primarily from the Albanian side, by individuals or groups that could be in North Mitrovica or in places where the Serbian community is the majority. This is something that is a real danger. Or, on the other hand, if there are organized groups within the Serbian community calling for a boycott or preventing citizens from voting. The third potential situation involves protests due to dissatisfaction with the organization of the elections or some decisions by the institutions in Pristina,” Pavkovic explains.

He notes that these scenarios are most likely to occur in the north, but also in the south, in places predominantly inhabited by Serbs, like Gracanica.

However, as he assesses, KFOR has proven capable of controlling protests even in much more tense situations, recalling the incursions of the Kosovo Police into institutions in the north.

“KFOR was then able to keep the crowd from entering the municipal buildings, so I believe that in this situation they have enough personnel and are well-trained enough to prevent the spread of any protests or unrest,” says Pavkovic.