Petkovic: Empty ballot boxes are a defeat for Kurti and the international community, and a victory of Serbian unity

On the occasion of yesterday's elections in the north of Kosovo, the Director of the Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, said that 13 Serbs had gone to the polls, while the voting containers had been empty, as had been the ballot boxes, which best showed that this was the defeat and debacle of Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, the international community, and the victory of Serbian unity.

Petkovic pointed out for RTS that anti-democratic and anti-constitutional elections had been held in the north of Kosovo yesterday, organized by Kurti, and supported by a good part of the international community, i.e. those representatives from the West who had said they would recognize the results of those elections.

"Nevertheless, the results of those elections speak best of the anti-democratic character of these local elections organized by Pristina, which show that the Serbs boycotted these elections with a list. The fact that 1,567 voters out of a total of 45,950 registered in the voter list took part in the election best shows that the north of Kosovo completely boycotted these elections, i.e. 13 Serbs voted out of that number. The fact that 13 Serbs went to the polls, that the containers were empty, and that the ballot boxes were empty, best shows that this is the defeat and debacle of Albin Kurti, the international community, and the foundation of Serbian unity, which showed full responsibility, because the people yesterday did not react to any provocations, remained calm, and allowed Kurti to do that dirty work," Petkovic said.

Petkovic stated that yesterday's elections were unprecedented in the history of European democracy and that with the help of rifles in containers, elections had been organized with the aim of expelling an entire nation.

"Our people showed full unity and showed once again that they trust their president Aleksandar Vucic and that they have one country called Serbia," Petkovic said.

Petkovic said that the Serbs were in the same place they had been yesterday and where they would be in the years and decades ahead.

"The bottom line is that the election process and the fact that the Albanians will lead the four Serbian municipalities, where they will govern over 98 percent of the Serbs in the north of Kosovo, and that in fact the Serbs have completely withdrawn, shows the new reality that is emerging, it shows that the Serbs emphasized and underlined that there was no normalization of relations without the formation of the CSM, which means life and survival for the Serbs," Petkovic pointed out.

Albin Kurti wanted to force the Serbs to vote, says Petkovic, and adds that the Serb boycott showed that "the Serbs sent Albin Kurti to the dumpster."

“Everything that Kurti did in the last months when he said that there would be incidents in the north, that yesterday would be the day of democracy, all that went to rack and ruin, now everyone could see the real face of Albin Kurti who wanted to take advantage of the election process to expel an entire nation and that is truly unprecedented," Petkovic said.

Petkovic added that it was a Pyrrhic victory for representatives of the Self-Determination Movement and PDK in Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic.

"They now recognize the results of completely illegitimate elections, and when Kurti banned Serbian referendums on Kosovo and Metohija, they did not worry and did not exert the necessary pressure on Pristina, and now we see in their statements that they say that the issue of elections is a fundamental and democratic right. Why didn’t they say that when they banned the Serbian elections?" Petkovic asked.

Petkovic noted that the elections had not been boycotted only by the Serbs, but also by Albanians.

"When you look at the results of the elections, you will see if you compare the results of 2021 that 449 fewer Albanians voted yesterday, which means that not only the Serbs boycotted the elections but also Albanians, and of those 13 Serbs who voted, two voted in Kosovska Mitrovica, 7 in Leposavic, 4 in Zvecan and zero in Zubin Potok," Petkovic added.

Petkovic said that the Serbs had answered that they were against the occupation and that they would not allow anyone to govern them.

Petkovic notes that the CSM is something that is necessary, which is a prerequisite in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"All that the West is doing is to punish Belgrade and the Serb List for not participating in the elections, and they had every right to do so, because every day Albin Kurti violates their basic human rights, by arresting people, while ROSU shoots innocent people; prohibits freedom of movement, bans people with KM plates. The Serbs will not suffer the terror of Albin Kurti, they have shown that they are the real winners with their unity. The West can reward Kurti as much as it wants, the Serbs have given the answer," Petkovic said.

On the occasion of today's session of the Council of Europe, where Kosovo's application for membership will be presented, Petkovic asked if this should show that democracy exists.

"Should the so-called Kosovo, where democracy flourishes, where in the north of Kosovo 13 Serbs came out and voted, become part of the CoE; is it that democracy that should become an example for many others in the world? Is this what it should promote, and the OSCE itself, withdrew from these elections, leaving ROSU police to guard the ballot boxes and count the ballots, but they had nothing to count, the people did not support them, the people want to live on their land, they want freedom, and I congratulate them on because they remained calm and showed full responsibility towards themselves and their future," Petkovic concluded.