After Srpska Lista announced that it will oppose the vote to recall mayors, claiming that this position is shared by the Serbs in the north, the Kosovo government accused the party of misleading the public, calling on those same Serbs and other citizens of the northern municipalities to come out and vote.
Srpska Lista announced on Sunday, at a press conference to which only select media were invinted, that it will not participate in the vote, or what they called „Kurti’s Referendum“, for the recall of the mayors of four municipalities in the north, which is scheduled for April 21.
Their decision, as party leader Zlatan Elek, said, was influenced by the impossible conditions of the entire process, for which he blamed the Prime Minister of Kosovo, stating that he made sure that the referendum failed.
„In order to properly inform our citizens from the Serbian community, the process scheduled for April 21 is not a referendum called by Prime Minister Kurti, as Srpska Lista has misleadingly declared. It is the result of requests and signatures collected by the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, residents of these four municipalities,“ Perparim Kryeziu, the spokesperson of the Kosovo government, told KoSSev.
He also addressed the administrative instructions adopted with the aim of replacing the mayor, remarking that it „respects the political will of the citizens“.
And while the Serbian List is boycotting the referendum, Kryeziu calls on the citizens of the north to „use the opportunity and their right to vote for or against the removal of the mayors of these municipalities.“
He emphasized that Kosovo is a „democratic state, a legal state for the civil and political liberties of its citizens“.
„Therefore, we call on Srpska Lista not to pressure and misinform the citizens of the Serbian community of Kosovo who want to be part of the democratic process on April 21,“ he added.
The spokesperson states that the current situation is a consequence of the withdrawal and boycott of institutions in the north – „caused and encouraged by Srpska Lista“ with „maneuverings of official Belgrade“.
„By their actions, they prove that they are not focused on the interests of the citizens. Citizens did not benefit from the methods of SL and official Belgrade, on the contrary. Therefore, the worthy response of our citizens in the North to these methods is involvement in democratic processes and integration into institutions. Because those who integrate live better,“ he concludes.
International representatives in Kosovo also criticized the party.
The German ambassador, Jorn Rohde, said that this party’s decision not to participate in the process of replacing the mayor in the North is „concerning“, but also that it represents „new pressure on the citizens“.
The US Embassy in Pristina told KoSSev that they regret the decision of SL, adding that they expect the Kosovo government to be „sensitive“ to the concerns of citizens from the north during this process.
On the other hand, Srpska Lista told Rohde that they were disappointed with his attitude, and that no pressure would be exerted on the Serbs regarding this process.
They pointed out that international representatives, including the German ambassador, are „blinded by love for the authoritarian anti-Serbian regime of Albin Kurti“, and that they do not see „all the unilateral moves of Pristina“.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
