Zaporozac: Kurti will do everything in an attempt to seize seats from the Serb List

Albin Kurti will do everything he can to try to seize seats from the Serb List, Ivan Zaporozac, Vice President of the party says, while Milovan Drecun, Chairman of the Defense and Internal Affairs Committee of the Serbian Parliament, points out that the irrational actions of the Pristina regime aim to sever the connection between Serbs in Kosovo and Serbia.

In a statement to RTS, Zaporozac emphasized that the Supreme Court is obligated to decide within five days on Self-Determination’s appeal against the decision of the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP).

"If justice prevails, the Supreme Court will rule to uphold the decision of the ECAP, verifying our candidates and enabling the Serb List to participate in the elections on February 9," Zaporozac emphasized.

He emphasized that there is no doubt Kurti and his regime will use both institutional and non-institutional means to take away the Serb List's mandates, transferring them to Serbs who can be manipulated, in order to continue the repressive policy against the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Zaporozac stated his confidence that the Serb List would still secure all 10 seats allocated for the Serbian community.

"The so-called Serbian minister, Rasic, voted to seize land from Serbian households in northern Kosovo and to establish a museum aimed at accusing Serbia and the Serbian people of genocide," Zaporozac said.

Asked about a new incursion into Serbian institutions, he noted that actions against the Directorate for Construction Land and Housing Issues would affect the lives of socially vulnerable families living in properties maintained by that institution.

"Whenever Kurti senses waning support among his electorate, he decides to act against the Serbs. Yesterday, they forcibly entered the Urbanism enterprise, shut down our company, and detained its director. Kurti is doing everything to endanger the Serbian population in Kosovo," Zaporozac underlined.

He said that the leadership of the Serb List had held talks with directors and workers of affected companies yesterday. In coordination with the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the Serbian government, they guaranteed continued salaries and efforts to ensure the employees could return to their jobs.

Drecun stated that Kurti has sought to discredit the Serb List to justify banning its operations. He attempted to criminalize the party, accusing it of providing logistical support to alleged Serbian terrorist groups.

He highlighted that attempts, such as linking the Serb List to the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, had not yielded the desired outcomes.

Drecun believes that Kurti may resort to extreme measures to prevent the Serb List from participating in the elections or to further compromise its results.

He noted that Kurti and Self-Determination are acting contrary to Kosovo laws, as pointed out by the CEC chairman when the decision was made not to verify the Serb List.

For this reason, Drecun believes the Supreme Court is unlikely to rule against the Serb List and its clear legal basis, despite external pressures.

Drecun observed that Kurti's irrational political behavior, despite Western pressure for the Serb List to participate in elections to create the illusion of multiethnicity, reveals the significant challenge posed by the Serb List’s participation.

"Without the Serb List, the turnout of Serbs would be minimal, undermining the legitimacy of the election. This explains the attempts to politically discredit the Serb List. The party now has to address these issues and additional efforts to impede the work of Serbian institutions, instead of preparing for elections," he said.

Drecun emphasized that the Serb List is the only real connection with Serbia, without which Serbs in Kosovo could not survive for even a week.

"Anyone trying to undermine the Serb List aims to manipulate Serbian mandates and prevent Serbia from helping Serbs in Kosovo. This is evident from their actions to take control piece by piece while doing nothing to support the Serbian people or facilitate the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities. The CSM would serve as an institutional mechanism enabling Serbia to assist the Serbian people despite Pristina’s will," Drecun explained.

He described the current situation as very serious and difficult, expressing belief that the Supreme Court will rule according to the law.

Drecun also speculated that Western countries, while publicly advocating for the Serb List’s participation, are engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy to ensure a "cleaner situation" for convincing EU and NATO members who have not recognized Kosovo to open a path for Pristina's membership, which requires multiethnic structures.

"Kurti knows he cannot break the unity of the Serbian people, embodied in the Serb List," Drecun added.

He also warned that Nenad Rasic and his party would work to sever ties between Serbs in Kosovo and Belgrade, turning them toward Pristina.

Regarding war crimes indictments against Serbs, Drecun stated that these create fear among the Serbian population.

"There are secret lists. By issuing these indictments, Pristina prevents Serbs from living normally or having any stability or predictability for the future. This is Kurti’s attempt to intimidate Serbs, not only to prevent their return but also to force those who remain to leave. Contrary to agreements, they have formed a mono-ethnic commission for property verification to block property restitution to Serbs. When someone submits a request to reclaim property, an indictment is raised against them to stop them from pursuing it. By taking property, they prevent return and extinguish any hope of reclaiming it," Drecun said.

He also criticized Kosovo's narrative of alleged genocide against Albanians, noting that it aims to hide the truth about crimes committed by the KLA and further intimidate Serbs.

"The Serbian people are under extraordinary pressure, which must be stopped by the international presence in Kosovo," Drecun concluded.