Election complaints and appeals panel: CEC decision on the Serb List unlawful, appeal upheld

The Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) has ruled in favor of the Serb List, upholding its appeal against the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) not to certify its list of candidates for the October 12, 2025 local elections.

With this ruling, ECAP annulled the CEC’s August 21 decision rejecting the certification of the Serb List candidates.

According to the reasoning, the CEC’s decision was not properly grounded in law, and it was not convincingly demonstrated that the candidates in question violated Article 29 of the Law on General Elections, which sets the eligibility criteria for candidates.

ECAP instructed the CEC to certify the Serb List’s candidates for the municipalities where it had registered to participate in the local elections.

The CEC had previously refused to certify the Serb List’s candidates for the local elections, with two members voting in favor, two against, and seven abstaining.

Following that decision, Serb List president Zlatan Elek said on August 22 that the Kosovo CEC, by refusing to certify its candidates for the upcoming elections, had issued a discriminatory and unlawful decision.

In response to the CEC’s move, the EU and the Quint also issued a statement at the time, stressing that such an act of excluding certain communities undermines democratic principles and erodes trust in Kosovo’s institutions.

“We expect the outgoing government and all political parties to refrain from further actions that could hinder the registration of parties. All procedures must be carried out strictly in line with the rules and mandate of the Central Election Commission. At the same time, we encourage the affected parties to fully utilize the opportunities offered by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel to seek legal remedy,” the statement emphasized.