Petkovic: Victory of the Serb List is a victory for the future of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, emphasized that it is of crucial importance for Serbs to vote for the Serb List in tomorrow's elections because it is the "umbilical cord" connecting the Serbian people in Kosovo with Serbia.

"It is of crucial importance that all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as internally displaced persons living in central Serbia, turn out to vote and support the Serb List. A victory for the Serb List is a victory for Serbian national interests in Kosovo and Metohija, a victory for the future of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and a sign that the representatives of the Serb List will fight with all their heart and strength for the Serbian people. All ten seats in parliament should belong to the Serb List because it enjoys full support in all Serbian communities," Petkovic told RTS.

He stressed that official Belgrade and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic fully support the Serb List because it is the "umbilical cord" connecting the Serbian people in Kosovo with Serbia and a guarantee of continued assistance from Belgrade to the Serbian people in Kosovo.

He recalled that this is the fifth electoral process in Kosovo in 16 months, which, he said, speaks volumes about the scale of the political crisis and explains why Albin Kurti is becoming increasingly nervous.

"All of those electoral processes were difficult. These are as well, but the choice has never been easier. On one side, we have the Serb List, supported by President Vucic and the Republic of Serbia, representing a policy of continued investment by Belgrade in our people. On the other side are Kurti and Nenad Rasic, who has aligned himself with the black banner of Albanian politics, and they offer only persecution and terror against Serbs. A victory for the Serb List gives us the strength to move forward," Petkovic said.

He emphasized that Serbs in Kosovo cannot afford to be divided and added that the Serb List is more than a political party.

"We are defending our very survival here, the right of the Serbian people and Serbian institutions to exist," the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija underlined.

He noted that nothing is fair when it comes to Serbs and everything Serbian in Kosovo.

"That has been evident since the war in 1999, and especially since Kurti came to power. Everything Kurti supports is directly against the interests of the Serbian people. When Kurti supports Rasic, you know it is against the Serbian people. When he refuses to establish the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, it is clear he is against Serbian interests. When Kurti and Rasic support the blockaders in Serbia, it is clear they are acting against the interests of the Serbian people. On the other hand, you have the Serb List, which fights every day. That is why Kurti wants to destroy it and prevent it from participating in elections. Rasic has been given free rein and is using all available resources, abusing the ministry he heads in an attempt to buy off some voters with money," Petkovic explained.

According to him, both Kurti and especially Nenad Rasic are so nervous because they see that they are losing support.

He stated that Rasic brought the Kosovo Police into Serbian institutions and that he is the one who brought long-barreled weapons to oppress the Serbian people and carry out arrests in the north.

"It is very important that the Serb List wins all ten mandates because that would mean the defense of Serbian national interests would be entirely under the control of the Serb List. The importance of this is also evident in the fact that Kurti is pushing Rasic with Albanian votes. Rasic received votes from Albanians in Podujevo, Kacanik, Prizren, and other areas where Serbs have been driven out. Kurti needs someone with whom he can form a government and claim it is multiethnic. Rasic's party is not a Serbian party, neither in essence nor in its program, because it acts against Serbs in every way," Petkovic stressed.

He pointed out that through Rasic, Kurti seeks to impose his "Greater Albanian policy."

"We must secure all ten seats in parliament because they are guaranteed for the Serbian community, and Albanians who vote for Rasic cannot be representatives of the Serbian people," Petkovic emphasized.

Asked about expectations from the international community and whether there is understanding for the problems faced by Serbs, Petkovic said that he remains in constant communication with international representatives and continuously points out the pressure and intimidation endured by the Serbian people, particularly during the election campaign.

"We point out everything Albin Kurti is doing to take revenge on the Serbian people and to try to frighten and intimidate them. But he will not succeed. Even when they arrested our people, seven directors of Serbian healthcare and educational institutions in central Kosovo and Metohija, it was all done to humiliate the Serbian people. The answer to all of that must be a victory for the Serb List," Petkovic said.

He added that during talks with the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Peter Sorensen, who was in Belgrade two days ago with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, he particularly stressed that their personnel must be present at the crossings on Sunday to ensure the unobstructed passage of people traveling to Kosovo to vote.

He added that he has been speaking for days with internally displaced persons who have the right to vote in Kosovo, stressing the importance of participating in the elections.

"We are calling on all of them and encouraging them because it is important to demonstrate full responsibility. If Albanians can travel thousands of kilometers to vote, then our people from central Serbia can also organize themselves and come to Kosovo and Metohija to vote for the Serb List and help ensure that the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija can endure together with their state, Serbia," Petkovic concluded.