Rexhepi: Rasic’s party won votes in areas without Serbs, irregularities also affect other non-majority communities

The leader of the New Democratic Party, Emilija Rexhepi, told Kosovo Online that her party would seek protection before the Constitutional Court over what she claims is interference by Nenad Rasic’s party in the electoral process in Bosniak-majority areas, arguing that such practices undermine the purpose of the guaranteed parliamentary seats reserved for non-majority communities.

Following claims by the the Serb List that Rasic’s party won a significant number of votes in municipalities where there are no Serbs and that this amounted to electoral engineering, Rexhepi made similar allegations regarding areas predominantly inhabited by Bosniaks.

“It is alarming how much they interfere in areas where Bosniaks live, in our villages of Zupa and Podgora where there are no members of other communities, such as Gornje Ljubinje, Planjane, and Donje Ljubinje. Even more concerning is the fact that there is not a single school in the city of Prizren where their party did not receive votes, including Lek Dukagjini, Ymer Prizreni, Abdyl Frashëri, Lucian Matroni, Fadil Hisari, Mati Logoreci, and others. This can all be verified on the Central Election Commission website, yet not a single Serbian family lives there, nor does a single Serbian child attend classes in those schools,” she explained.

Rexhepi said that after the December elections, the New Democratic Party had already filed complaints with the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel and the Supreme Court, but those complaints were rejected.

“We will raise this issue before the Constitutional Court as well. It must be institutionally protected. Otherwise, what is the purpose of having guaranteed seats for non-majority communities, particularly with the aim of preserving the authenticity of those communities in the areas where they live?” Rexhepi asked.

She stressed that her party does not wish to interfere in political relations within the Serbian community, but believes it should not remain silent about what it sees as irregularities affecting other non-majority communities as well.

“We are not political rivals within the Serbian community; they should compete among themselves, and the Serbian people will decide whom to trust. We neither have the right nor the desire to interfere or create hostility toward anyone. However, we will not remain silent when this is done to us or to others. We did not remain silent when Albanian parties took our votes, and we will certainly not do so now. This is not only an issue in Prizren—look at the votes their party received in Bosniak villages in Leposavic and Istok as well. During the election campaign, Roma representatives Albert and Erdzan called me, saying they too were concerned about votes from their communities in Prizren,” she said.

Rexhepi further claimed that Rasic received votes in the municipality of Mamusa, where Turks constitute the population and there are no Serbs, which she also considers problematic.

“If you are a minister and have access to state funds, that does not give you the right to interfere in the electoral process or influence citizens’ free choice regarding whom they vote for. Alternatively, do not run for a parliamentary seat reserved for the Serbian community and instead represent a civic political option. As long as there are ten guaranteed seats for the Serbian community, three for Bosniaks, two for Turks, one for Gorani, and four for Ashkali, Egyptians, and Roma, the rights of those communities are being violated whenever any of us interferes in another community’s electoral process. Above all, this constitutes a violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the rights of non-majority communities, regardless of whether such actions come from Rasic, the Serb List, or Albanian political parties,” she stated.

Commenting on remarks by Lazar Radulovic, who is second on the list of the For Freedom, Justice and Survival coalition and argued that Rasic received votes in Prizren because he had helped local residents as a minister, Rexhepi questioned how Radulovic could appear on a list competing for seats reserved for the Serbian community when, according to her, he identifies as a Montenegrin.

“Every non-majority community should compete with its own political rivals within that community. I do not even wish to comment on Lazar. He identifies as a Montenegrin, and under the Constitution we do not have guaranteed seats for the Montenegrin community. I do not know how the Central Election Commission allowed him to appear on a list competing for seats reserved for the Serbian community,” Rexhepi concluded.

In Sunday’s elections, Rasic’s party won 440 votes in Prizren, while Rasic himself received 276 votes as a parliamentary candidate. the Serb List won 22 votes in Prizren.

In ten Serb-majority municipalities where vote counting has been completed, the For Freedom, Justice and Survival coalition received 3,034 votes. According to data from the Central Election Commission, the coalition won a total of 5,285 votes, meaning that 2,251 votes came from municipalities that are not Serb-majority areas.

For comparison, the Serb List received 36,238 of its total 43,143 votes in the ten Serb-majority municipalities, while the remaining 6,905 votes came from municipalities where Serbs do not constitute the majority.