The vice president of the Serb List, Igor Simić, sharply criticized the election of Nenad Rašić as vice president of the Kosovo Assembly, describing it as “a continuation of a political farce” and a violation of both the Constitution and the rights of the Serb community.
“This is yet another farce of an Assembly session, showing once again that there is no law or justice,” Simić told reporters after the vote. “Nenad Rašić was forced into becoming first an MP, and now a vice president. We will appeal this decision.”
Rašić Elected Despite Serb List’s Opposition
MP Nenad Rašić was elected vice president of the Kosovo Assembly representing the Serb community with 71 votes in favor, nine against, and 24 abstentions. His election formally concluded the six-month-long constitutive session of the ninth legislature, unblocking institutional deadlock that had persisted since February’s elections.
Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha declared that the Assembly is now fully constituted and that the countdown for forming a new government has officially begun, in line with the Constitutional Court’s recent order to complete the process within 12 days.
However, the Serb List, whose nine nominees failed to secure enough votes across multiple rounds, insists the process was unconstitutional and plans to challenge the decision.
All Serb List Candidates Rejected
Before Rašić’s election, all nine candidates proposed by the Serb List—including Slavko Simić, Zlatan Elek, Ljiljana Stevanović, and Srđan Popović—were rejected in successive rounds of voting.
After the party’s list was exhausted, Speaker Basha put Rašić’s name forward despite him not being nominated by the Serb List—an unprecedented move that, according to Simić, violates both parliamentary rules and a Constitutional Court decision affirming that the winning party from each community holds the exclusive right to propose its own representative.
Simić: “The Session Is Not Over, Don’t Let Them Fool You”
Simić rejected the claim that the Assembly’s constitutive session had concluded, arguing that legal and procedural norms were ignored.
“This session is not over — don’t let them lie to you,” he said, citing parts of the Constitutional Court ruling from October 8, which reiterated that the Serb community’s winning political entity should have the sole right to nominate its representative for vice president.
“What happened today is unconstitutional, and everyone who supported Rašić violated the Constitution. From now on, they have no right to speak about the rule of law,” Simić asserted.
“Rašić Represents Self-Determination, Not the Serb People”
Simić accused Rašić of being politically aligned with Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination) movement, claiming he does not represent the Serb community.
“We are fully aware that Rašić was forced into Parliament, and now he is being forced into this position. He doesn’t occupy the seat reserved for the Serb community — he’s just another member of Self-Determination,” Simić said.
He also pointed to what he described as a “paradoxical situation,” noting that Rašić had not officially resigned from his post as minister, meaning he could simultaneously hold three positions — minister, MP, and Assembly vice president – which Simić called „unlawful.“
“Today They Violate Serb Rights — Tomorrow Albanian Rights”
Simić warned that the precedent set by Rašić’s appointment undermines democratic principles for all communities.
“Today they violate the rights of the Serb people, but tomorrow they will violate the rights of Albanians who don’t think like the regime of Albin Kurti,” he said. “What they are doing to Serbs in the north, they are now doing here, in front of your cameras and all citizens.”
Serb List Calls for Support in Sunday’s Elections
Simić called on Serbs to express their discontent through the ballot box in the upcoming local elections on Sunday, October 12.
“On October 12, the Serb people will vote for the Serb List and show both Albin Kurti and Nenad Rašić what they think of them,” he said, recalling that the Serb List received “14 times more votes than Rašić” in previous elections.
Condemnation of CEC’s Media Ban
Commenting on the Central Election Commission’s decision to deny accreditation to almost all Serbian-language media, Simić described it as a discriminatory act by Kurti’s government.
He called on Albanian-language outlets to stand in solidarity with their Serbian colleagues:
“I urge Albanian-language journalists and newsrooms to defend the rights of Serbian media to report freely and ensure that the Serb people have access to information. The question is — what does this government want to hide on October 12? What do they not want the public to see?”
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