Dancetovic: Serbs’ rights in Albanian-majority municipalities should be secured through institutional struggle

The Serb List candidate for mayor of Obilic, Goran Dancetovic, emphasized that he, along with the candidates for the municipal assembly, will fight in the October 12 elections to ensure that Serbs living in the villages of Obilic municipality obtain their rights guaranteed by law.

The Obilic municipal assembly in the previous convocation had two Serbian representatives, and Dancetovic said that in the local elections, the struggle to protect the remaining Serbian population in the municipality will continue.

"Just like in the previous election cycle, this year too, the Serb List in Obilic municipality has its list of candidates for assembly members as well as a candidate for mayor. The goal is always the same – the protection of our interests, the interests of our people living in the territory of Obilic municipality. That means consolidating the electorate that supports our list, and our list guarantees our people a connection with Belgrade, a connection with our state, and in this way we try to protect the remaining population living in Obilic municipality," Dancetovic said.

He stressed that it is important to secure, through institutional struggle, the rights that belong to Serbs by law.

"It is important because it is through these institutions that we can fight for the rights of the people living in our municipality. I think that level is still not satisfactory, not at the level guaranteed by law, but I believe that from one election cycle to another, we are slowly reaching a certain level of institutional protection, precisely through those representatives we have in the assembly," he added.

Dancetovic underlined that Serbs in municipalities where Albanians form the majority expect, above all, protection, because, as he said, with the coming to power of Albin Kurti and his party, the rights of the Serbian people have been endangered.

"Our people are losing certain rights that are guaranteed by Kosovo’s laws, through the assemblies, through bodies formed later within the assembly, such as the Committee for Communities, one of the most important, and the Committee for Policy and Finance. I believe we can protect our people and their interests, particularly those living in the villages around the town of Obilic," Dancetovic said.

He recalled that the Serb List had won two assembly seats in previous elections in Obilic and expressed hope that this would continue.

"In the last two election cycles, Serb List in Obilic municipality has consistently won two assembly seats based on the number of votes we receive, and I believe that there could be a situation where Serb List holds the majority in the assembly, which would of course mean a lot to us," Dancetovic concluded.

In addition to Goran Dancetovic, Serb List candidates for the Obilic municipal assembly include Savo Grujic, Biljana Spasic, Slavisa Spasic, Slaviša Jakovljevic, Stana Jakovljevic, Dragan Dancetovic, and Nadica Stevic.