Milicevic: Security risks always elevated during elections in the north

Miodrag Milićević
Source: Kosovo Online

Miodrag Milicevic, Executive Director of the NGO "Aktiv," tells Kosovo Online that all elections in Kosovo carry certain security risks, with the risk level in the north always being higher. Considering the current political complexity, Milicevic believes that the risk level will be especially scrutinized ahead of the February parliamentary elections.

"The police always implement an operational plan to deploy additional forces, secure polling stations, and protect election materials. In areas like the north, which are perceived as high-risk zones, this plan is further strengthened to ensure maximum security not only for participants in the electoral process but also for election materials and the staff working on election day," Milicevic explained.

He recalled the 2013 elections in northern Kosovo, held during the early implementation of the Brussels Agreement, when the integrity of the electoral process had been compromised due to incidents such as ballot box destruction. These incidents led to re-voting at certain polling stations.

Despite numerous challenges, Milicevic emphasized the importance of Serbian participation in elections, both in the north and across Kosovo.

"It is clear that everyone has an interest in shifting away from police actions and constant political turbulence to a political process, which means re-establishing political dialogue. There is hope among the Serbian population and politicians for changes in Kosovo's political landscape. These are political motivations for both political parties to participate in elections and to mobilize voters. Achieving political stability in Kosovo at this moment is crucial to redirecting this highly unfavorable situation for the Serbian population back to the political arena, seeking political solutions rather than police measures," Milicevic stated.

Commenting on the inclusion of a health center on the list of voting locations in northern municipalities by the Central Election Commission, Milicevic noted that such a decision would be unusual.

"After everything that has happened in the past few years, I wouldn’t rule out such a possibility. However, it would be highly unusual as it contradicts certain electoral norms concerning the integrity of elections and the selection of polling stations. These locations must be suitable for the majority of residents in the area and situated at a distance that is largely acceptable for the region or area where the elections are being conducted," he stated.