Simic: Serb List's appeal approved, CEC meeting expected today to form new polling boards

Igor Simic, a member of the Presidency of the Serb List, stated that the Serb List’s appeal regarding the composition of polling boards has been approved and that he expects a new meeting of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to be held today to form new polling boards in accordance with laws and election rules.

“Our appeal concerning the composition of the polling boards was approved, albeit with a delay of several hours, because even in Pristina, they don’t know what obstacles to place before the Serb List to prevent its participation in these elections. A new CEC session is forthcoming, where polling boards must be formed following the applicable laws and electoral rules. We expect this to happen today because there are deadlines for submitting polling board members, and this is not something we can leave to chance,” Simic said during RTS’s morning program.

He added that the entire electoral process must be monitored carefully due to concerns that votes for the Serb List might be undermined.

“There are suspicions that the regime in Pristina will do everything to reduce the number of votes for the Serb List, weakening the Serbian community to ensure that, after these elections, individuals with no legitimacy among Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija will represent the Serbian community in Pristina’s government. These individuals would blindly follow the regime’s directives,” Simic noted.

Simic stressed that the February elections are of paramount importance for the Serbian community in Kosovo, requiring unprecedented unity.

“Every day, we wake up not knowing what Albin Kurti will do against the Serbian people. Yet, 25 years after the conflict, our people have steadfastly endured every obstacle placed before them in their fight to remain in this region. The Serb List’s goal is to unite all Serbs, which is our strongest weapon against illegal institutional and extra-institutional pressures from the Pristina regime in recent years under Albin Kurti’s leadership,” he emphasized.

Simic emphasized that the Serb List’s campaign is being conducted under extremely challenging conditions.

“Metaphorically speaking, in this election, we are running a 100-meter race with both our hands and feet tied. We are battling within institutions while also confronting unforeseen obstacles,” he stated.

He noted that Serbs in Kosovo understand the gravity of the situation, recognizing the elections as being more critical than ever.

“These elections are crucial for the survival of the Serbian community in this region. That is why we need unparalleled unity and solidarity. We must all stand under one banner, the banner of Serbian unity, the banner of the Serbian state, and on February 9, cast our votes for the Serb List, number 112. This is the only way to survive and remain here while resisting the pressures that will undoubtedly continue during the campaign and, following a resounding victory, become even worse,” Simic said.

He highlighted that the Serb List had withstood all forms of institutional and extra-institutional pressure over the past 12 years.

“Not for a moment have we strayed from our path, which is to fight for the interests of the Serbian people and the Serbian state in this region. We clearly express our unwavering support for our government and President Aleksandar Vucic because this support is crucial for the survival of Serbs in this area,” he stated.

Simic pointed out that, thanks to Serbia’s support, over 1,500 Serbs have secured permanent employment, enabling them to stay in the region. Additionally, over 683 million dinars have been invested in the healthcare sector in recent years, and more than 3,500 housing units have been built, expanded, or renovated.

“The Serb List’s results speak for themselves,” Simic said emphatically.

Commenting on the participation of three other lists representing the Serbian community in the elections, Simic stated that they offer no programs and instead, like Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, rely on lies and falsehoods to attack the Serb List.

“We must not allow divisions. That is what the enemies of the Serbian community’s survival want. We must unite, focus, and aim for one goal: the survival of the Serbian people in these challenging circumstances. The Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija are currently living through some of the hardest times in decades,” Simic stressed.

The international community, according to Simic, remains “apathetic” toward Pristina’s actions.

“It seems that Albin Kurti is stronger than both the Quint ambassadors and the EU,” Simic remarked.

Addressing NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s recent statement that he is in contact with Belgrade and Pristina to prevent destabilization due to the elections, Simic pointed out that provocations against the Serbian community are a daily occurrence. These, he said, come not only from institutions but also from extremist segments of the Albanian population, often members of the Self-Determination Movement.

“Albin Kurti organizes ‘tourist tours’ in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, sending militant activists into purely Serbian areas to provoke our mothers, sisters, and wives, shouting the most derogatory insults at them,” Simic said.

He noted that he recently heard, for the first time, that Serbs in northern Mitrovica feel like a minority.

“Serbs are subjected to various forms of violence, not only by militant members of Self-Determination but also by the Kosovo Police,” he stated.

Simic recalled incidents in other Serbian areas, such as in Gracanica during Albania’s Flag Day celebrations.

“What the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija endure stoically is something no one else could bear for 25 days or 25 months, let alone 25 years. This shows the strength of our people in their peaceful, democratic fight for the right to live in a normal society, as their own on their own land,” Simic concluded.

He pointed out that since Albin Kurti’s rise to power, over 500 ethnically motivated attacks had been carried out against Serbs, their institutions, or the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

“Kurti offers nothing to Albanian voters but ‘conquering the north.’ In Pristina, political points are now earned solely through hatred. What is particularly disheartening is that some international representatives in Pristina dismiss this as ‘normal election folklore,’” Simic concluded.

Regarding the explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac water channel and accusations against the Serbian community and Serbia, Simic called for the investigation results to be made public as soon as possible.

“We demand an independent, international investigation to determine what happened because this incident was not in the interest of the Serbian people. It was carried out by someone aiming to harm Serbs and provide Albin Kurti with an excuse to deploy additional forces to Serbian areas, perpetuating the violence and occupation of northern Kosovo and Metohija. This aligns with Kurti’s long-held belief that Serbian-Albanian relations should be resolved through force,” Simic explained.