Odalovic: There will be problems with the handover of power in the north; There is no future with Kurti

The President of the Serbian Government’s Commission on Missing Persons, Veljko Odalovic, stated that the most important thing is that Serbs in Kosovo have elected their own representatives in the local elections, but he also said he expects problems during the handover of power in the north, as Albin Kurti will, he is convinced, try to do everything to make it difficult for Serbs to assume office. Odalovic added that the results of the second round of local elections could determine many aspects of future relations at other levels of government in Kosovo.

The second round of local elections is being held today in 18 municipalities in Kosovo, including one with a Serbian majority — Klokot.

“Today we will see 10 out of 10 (victories for the Serb List). It is important that Serbs have chosen their own representatives and that the elected mayors have legality and legitimacy,” Odalovic told RTS.

However, he expects problems during the transition of power.

“There will be problems, of course, because Kurti is doing everything to hinder the functioning of those institutions. Just as he did everything to support the functioning of those imposed institutions — the ‘container mayors’ — now he will do everything to deny or obstruct this for the Serbs,” Odalovic warned.

He noted that Kurti is the man who practically stopped the process of searching for missing persons.

“When President Vucic presented in Brussels the details of what we had been doing, and when Kurti realized that they were not doing anything, he pulled the handbrake and stopped everything — even my visits to Kosovo and Metohija. We had cooperated with the institutions in Pristina under Haradinaj, Thaçi, Mustafa, and Hoti,” said Odalovic.

Commenting on Vjosa Osmani’s decision to entrust Glauk Konjufca with the mandate to form a new government, he said that it was merely a way to buy time.

He assessed that today’s second round of local elections is important because the outcome will determine many aspects of future relations at other levels of government.

“The stakes are high. Today, the mayor of Pristina is being elected — between candidates of the LDK and Self-Determination — and in South Mitrovica between the PDK and Self-Determination, as well as in several other cities. The way the local political environment will now be shaped will influence future coalitions. The question is who will support whom today,” Odalovic said.

He believes that Kurti is only buying time, since he will not secure a majority to form a government, while awaiting new elections at the end of the year.

“It is obvious that he is targeting the end of the year and the return of Albanians from the diaspora around December 15, to hold elections then. Out of 2.16 million registered voters, around 1.6 million are in Kosovo. Albanians from the diaspora mostly come twice a year, and that timing would be favorable for him if they count on supporting him,” said Odalovic.

He stated that there is no future with Kurti, as he is burning bridges not only with Serbs but also with Albanians, since everything he does serves no one’s interest but his own.

He also criticized the European Commission’s report on Kosovo, noting that it criticizes Pristina only mildly, saying it may have “gone too far” with the measures taken in the north — without any condemnation of the fact that such actions should not have happened at all.

“Part of the international community allows him to do this. I hope that will stop and that we will return to normalization. Normalization goes through dialogue, but with Kurti, there is no dialogue,” Odalovic concluded.