The OSCE Mission in Kosovo has expressed its strong disappointment over the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to reject accreditation requests submitted by all Serbian-language media outlets – along with a number of other local and regional media – for coverage of the upcoming local elections on Sunday, 12 October.
“Free, fair, and transparent elections depend on open and equal access for all media to observe, report, and inform the public about electoral developments. Restricting media accreditation on the basis of community, language or editorial affiliation limits the ability of journalists to perform their professional duties”, the Mission stated.
The OSCE stressed that access to information in community languages is a fundamental element of Kosovo’s multiethnic and democratic framework. It warned that such measures risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process, opening the door to accusations of discrimination.
“The Mission remains committed to promoting and protecting freedom of expression, media pluralism, and equal access to information for all communities, in line with OSCE principles and international standards. We call upon political parties to adhere to these values,” the statement added.
Dozens of Requests Rejected
The CEC on Thursday published its list of approved and rejected media outlets for election-day accreditation. Nearly all Serbian-language media were excluded, whether registered in Kosovo or Serbia but operating with correspondents in Kosovo.
Among those denied access are Radio Kim, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), Tanjug, TV Most, RTV Puls, Radio KM (North Mitrovica Radio), GračanicaOnline, TV Gračanica, and RTV Vojvodina. Several Albanian-language and regional outlets were also rejected.
Radio Kim said this was the first time since 2000 that it had been refused accreditation, noting that the outlet had consistently been accredited for all previous elections, including the parliamentary elections held in February this year.
The CEC has not publicly explained why the applications were rejected. At the same time, 42 media outlets – 29 local and 13 international – received accreditation. Two observer organizations also lost accreditation, with the CEC citing the absence of human rights and election monitoring clauses in their statutes.
Journalists’ Associations: “Unprecedented and Discriminatory”
The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) described the CEC’s decision as unprecedented, warning that it carries “a political and ethnic dimension.”
“This decision is unacceptable and contrary to Kosovo’s democratic values and press freedom,” AGK said in a statement, urging rejected outlets to appeal to the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel under Kosovo’s electoral law.
The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its Kosovo branch, DNKiM, also condemned the move, calling it “a discriminatory act” and appealed for urgent intervention from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and international diplomats.
“This is pure discrimination against Serbian-language media,” said Ana Marković, correspondent of Serbia’s Prva TV. “Without any explanation, we have been denied the right to enter polling stations and monitor the ballot counting after polls close.”
Mounting Political and Media Pressure
Local Serbian-language outlets note that they are legally registered in Kosovo, pay taxes, and operate under the oversight of the Independent Media Commission. They further point out that during the pre-election campaign, the CEC itself had sent them official notices instructing them to disseminate voter information materials – making the sudden rejection even more surprising.
The decision has sparked sharp criticism not only from journalists’ associations but also from Kosovo Serb political parties and mayoral candidates, who argue that denying access to Serbian-language media directly undermines election transparency and the right of Kosovo Serbs to be informed in their own language.
CEC Denies Accreditation to Most Serbian-Language Media Ahead of Kosovo Local Elections
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