Nikolic: Election oversight in Kosovo and Metohija hindered, Kurti attempting to diminish the importance of the Serb List

Danijela Nikolic, Chairwoman of the Serbian Parliament’s Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, stated that the limited number of representatives of the Serb List in polling station committees for the snap elections on June 7 represents a continuation of Albin Kurti’s “anti-Serb policy,” adding that this creates room for potential abuses.

Speaking to Radio Television of Serbia, she said that the Serb List had previously also been subjected to attempts to obstruct and weaken its political influence.

“Albin Kurti is attempting to reshape the will of the Serbian people and diminish the importance of the Serb List, which enjoys the greatest support among Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” she said.

She added that the reduced number of representatives in polling station committees makes oversight of the electoral process more difficult and, as she claims, creates room for potential abuses during the vote-counting process.

“It is extremely important that the results reflect the way the people voted,” Nikolic emphasized.

She assessed that Kurti is continuing a political campaign based on what she described as “anti-Serb rhetoric,” because, as she put it, “he has nothing else to offer his voters.”

The Serb List has filed an appeal against the decision of the Central Election Commission, while Vujicic says she expects that “reason will prevail” and that the party will receive a larger number of seats on polling station committees.

According to her, the institutions in Pristina are in a political crisis, and the formation of a stable government after the elections remains uncertain.

“This speaks to the collapse of their institutions, because in order to have a stable government, you must have a majority,” she said.

She believes that following the elections there will be an additional political conflict between Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, who, she noted, has ambitions to once again run for President of Kosovo.

Speaking about the security situation, she stated that attacks and pressure against Serbs, as well as against Serbian institutions in Kosovo, are becoming increasingly frequent.

“Every day there is news that someone’s house has been broken into, that someone has been arrested or accused of war crimes. We have had more than 700 ethnically motivated attacks during Albin Kurti’s rule,” said Danijela Nikolic.

Commenting on Pristina’s announcements regarding an investment of one billion euros in the development of the Kosovo army and the recruitment of new personnel, Vujicic assessed that this is partly part of an election campaign, but also a long-term project.

“They have already been working on becoming the Kosovo army by 2028 for the past ten years.”

She also stressed that Belgrade remains committed to continuing the dialogue, but that, as she said, the formation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities is being mentioned less and less frequently in international contacts.

“Marta Kos spoke in Pristina about the continuation of dialogue, but she did not mention the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, which Serbs have been waiting for for 13 years,” stated the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija.

She called on Serbs in Kosovo to support the Serb List in the June 7 elections.

“It is important for the Serbian people to remain united and stand under one banner,” she said in conclusion.

The Serb List submitted an appeal to the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel against the decision of the Central Election Commission regarding the number of members in polling station committees, under which, compared to the elections held in December, they received 25 fewer seats on polling station committees, said on Saturday Igor Simic, parliamentary candidate and member of the Presidency of the Serb List.