Elek: Serbs in Kosovo are experiencing the most difficult times since 1999; the goal in elections is to win all 10 mandates

The president of the Serb List, Zlatan Elek, stated in an interview with Politika that Serbs in Kosovo are experiencing the most difficult period since 1999. The daily repression by the regime in Pristina, Elek emphasized, has brought the community to a struggle for sheer survival in their homes.

The leading political force for Serbs in Kosovo has submitted its candidate list for the upcoming elections on February 9. When asked what led to this decision, Elek explained that the Serb List has always stood by its people, even when resigning, believing it would draw international attention to their plight.

"It has become clear that Pristina has no issue violating laws, and that international representatives remain indifferent to the concerns of Serbs. That is why we decided to fight democratically for the rights of the Serbian people and, through victory in these elections, protect our community and create conditions to end the repression against it," Elek said.

You submitted the list for the elections, there are a lot of new names and new people on it...

That is correct. The list includes 45 names, many of which are new. These include deans, professors, judges, university lecturers, doctors, and other esteemed individuals from across Kosovo and Metohija. They are united under the banner of the Serb List to fight for a better future for our people through political means. I am particularly proud that the list includes Dragica Gasic, a Serbian heroine and the sole returnee to Djakovica. She is an example of how to fight for Kosovo and Metohija.

We often hear that it is important for the Serb List to win all ten mandates guaranteed for the Serbian community. Why is this important? Is it about preserving positions or securing the survival of Serbs in Kosovo?

Thank you for this question – it gets to the heart of the matter. In these elections, Kurti will spare no resources to prevent the Serb List from winning all 10 seats reserved for the Serbian community. That is why we have assembled the strongest list ever and are entering the elections with a clear goal – to win all 10 mandates. Doing so will prevent decisions in the Pristina Assembly on unifying Kosovo and Albania, abolishing the Serbian language, or dismantling special protected zones, such as those around our monasteries – from Gracanica to Decani, Ljeviska, and others. Only by holding these 10 seats in the hands of the Serb List can we stop Kurti or anyone else from installing 'their Serbs,' such as those currently in Kurti's government – people like Nenad Rasic, who serve Kurti’s interests rather than those of the Serbian people. This election is not a game, it is a test of responsibility. As the president of the Serb List, a university professor, and a surgeon, I deeply believe that our people will once again demonstrate a high level of responsibility and support the Serb List. It is the only entity with the backing of our state, Serbia, and President Aleksandar Vucic. We are the institution that connects Belgrade with Serbs across all areas.

Do you believe you can make a difference by entering the Assembly?

The stakes in these elections are high. We cannot squander the chance to have a say in and decide our future. We have tried everything, and now it is time to bring the levers of decision-making back into the hands of the Serbian people. The extent of our success depends on which Albanian party wins, but I won’t dwell on that. What is important is that we realize our fate depends on us, and everyone must give their best to turn the tide in a positive direction for all our citizens.

As the elections approach, we see increasing pressure on Serbs and the Serbian community, both south and north of the Ibar River, numerous incidents, and it seems that Albin Kurti has set dominating northern Kosovo as his pre-election goal. He has even requested permission for the so-called KSF to enter the north...

Kurti’s dream is to expel all Serbs and complete the ethnic cleansing he has pursued since taking office. Over 550 ethnically motivated attacks on Serbs since his rise to power speak volumes. He has nothing to show his electorate except tales of persecuting Serbs. Incidents like the one at the Ibar-Lepenac canal and the demand for KSF deployment in the North reveal his intent to ethnically cleanse northern Kosovo and Metohija. The recent expulsion of our MPs from the Assembly, who had come to speak about the terror our citizens endure, was the tip of the iceberg – a blatant violation of Serbian rights, in front of the cameras and the entire public. Yet we must regroup and return to the political fight with courage. No one will do this for us, and better opportunities will not come soon. That is why I urge everyone to stand united, cohesive, and responsible on February 9, to vote for Serb List candidates and prevent Kurti from installing 'his Serbs.'

It has been almost two weeks since the incident at the Ibar-Lepenac canal, yet we are no closer to uncovering the organizers and perpetrators, even though Pristina immediately accused Belgrade that same night.

The Serb List, aware of the circumstances we face, immediately condemned this incident – especially as we know it doesn’t benefit the Serbian community. We have our suspicions about who is responsible and their motives, but as responsible people, we refrained from pointing fingers. After hearing Kurti’s baseless accusations against Serbia and his admission that he lacks evidence because the investigation waited for the weekend to end, our stance is clear. We demand an independent international investigation because we suspect evidence is being manipulated for political gain by Pristina. The Serb List has always advocated for peace and conveyed to international partners the urgent need for KFOR to increase its presence. Kurti’s police apparatus, installed in the North, is being used as a propaganda tool for the upcoming elections.

Belgrade has strongly supported the Serb List in these elections, while at the same time, we hear warnings that Pristina is doing everything possible to install pro-Albanian Serbs into the parliamentary seats guaranteed for the Serbian community.

As I said, the Serb List is the institution of the Serbian people that maintains the lifeline between Belgrade and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. It is crucial that our community has the unwavering and strong support of President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Government. Our list features the best candidates – respected individuals who are accomplished in their professions and have unblemished records. Therefore, I have no doubt that our citizens will recognize quality and also who has directly fought for a better future for them, even while we were under pressure from the regime in Pristina and their intelligence structures, which are doing everything to sow discord among Serbs and then install compliant Serbs in parliament who will nod their heads even at proposals clearly not in the interest of the Serbian people. Should I remind you that Nenad Rasic, as a minister in Kurti's government, has never condemned attacks on our citizens, that he voted in favor of seizing Serbian land in Leposavic and Zubin Potok, and from the website of the Ministry for Communities and Return, he called on Serbs to join the Kosovo Security Forces, which Kurti calls an army and a continuation of the KLA's tradition.

The silence of the international community is deafening, they have not reacted to the expulsion of Serb List deputies from the Assembly in Pristina, nor did they appear at the celebration of International Children's Day in Kosovska Mitrovica...

When it comes to the problems of Serbs, the international community is in a state of hibernation, unwilling to take concrete steps to prevent Kurti’s persecution of everything Serbian. The maximum effort to protect the rights of the Serbian people has been reduced to anemic statements filled with empty platitudes, without any calls to restore the previous state of affairs—which, in the last few cases, didn’t even exist. Is there a greater paradox than a representative of EULEX, who monitors the work of the Kosovo Police, receiving an award from the same police at the time when those very parapolice officers were beating children?