People with disabilities from Kosovo denied voting rights due to Pristina's ban

The majority of people with disabilities from Kosovo will not have the opportunity to exercise their voting rights in the parliamentary elections for the National Assembly of Serbia on December 17 due to the ban imposed by the Government in Pristina on holding elections in Kosovo. Representatives of associations for people with disabilities from Gracanica state that such a decision constitutes a violation of the basic human rights of individuals with special needs.

From today until Sunday, under normal circumstances, it is possible to register a person with a disability who cannot go to the polling station on Sunday. The election committee would then come to the person's home address to enable them to vote.

However, this will not be possible for people with disabilities in Kosovo who have the right to vote in Serbia due to the Kosovo Government's ban on holding parliamentary elections in Kosovo.

The president of the Association of the Blind from Gracanica, Radomir Jorgic, whose association has around 60 members, told Kosovo Online that people with disabilities had the same human rights as others, and such actions violated those rights, and this was not the first time.

"Such a decision represents a violation of human rights, not only for us, the blind but also for other people with disabilities. This is our country, and we must have the same rights, to vote in the place where we live. This is not happening for the first time. For several years, I have had to take a companion to go to Kursumlija to vote. The leadership of both sides must reach some agreement so that we can also vote. We still don't know how to go and vote; a significant number of us will not be able to go", Jorgic said.

The president of the organization for people with disabilities in Gracanica, a part of a network comprising several organizations for individuals with various disabilities, Dragan Josifovic, stated that in previous years, people with disabilities voted in their homes. However, this will not be possible this year, leaving a large number of people with special needs deprived of one of their basic human rights.

"Among other human rights violations concerning people with disabilities, this is one of the most serious. The vast majority of people with disabilities will be deprived of the opportunity to vote because, in previous years, we organized voting in home conditions with a commission and the assistance of companions. Today, there are no conditions to travel 70 kilometers to vote. Although a certain number of people with disabilities will go to vote, the vast majority will not be able to. It is impossible to organize transportation for people in wheelchairs or those with certain mental issues to fulfill their civic duty", Josifovic emphasized.

The network that comprises several organizations for individuals with disabilities has 750 registered members, Josifovic said, noting that the number of people with some form of disability was even double that.

Citizens of Serbia from Kosovo will be able to vote in the elections on December 17 in four municipalities in central Serbia: Kursumlija, Raska, Tutin, and Vranje.