A day after meeting with the Serbian president in Belgrade regarding the recent meetings in Brussels, Srpska Lista representatives held a press conference in North Mitrovica today. Despite Aleksandar Vucic’s announcement that the leaders of this party would „speak every day for all media,“ only select media outlets were invited to the conference. KoSSev, Kontakt Plus Radio, Radio Mitrovica Sever, Radio Gorazdevac, and RTV Kim, among others, did not receive an invitation.
„I’m not the spokesperson of SL, you have to ask them if they want to address you or not, but I am sure they will. I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t, they will be with their people in the days and weeks that are ahead of us and they will speak every day for all the media, I don’t see why they wouldn’t,“ the President of Serbia said at a press conference yesterday, after meeting with Kosovo Serb representatives, i.e. leaders of Srpska Lista, heads of municipalities, provisional authorities, heads of districts, directors of health institutions.
Representatives of SL did not address the media yesterday. Since the latest crisis broke out in the north, they markedly refused media questions and they have not made any media addresses – except for some media outlets in Belgrade.
At today’s SL press conference in North Mitrovica, however, despite the announcement by the President of Serbia that Srpska Lista will address „all the media“ – that did not happen.
Once again, as was the case with previous conferences and other events organized by this party, KoSSev did not receive an invitation.
Several other local media outlets from the north of Kosovo, as well as central Kosovo, confirmed that they were not invited to the conference as well.
Based on the conference recordings, however, it can be seen that the Kosovoonline portal and two more other media crews – TV Most and RTS, as it was confirmed in the meantime – attended the conference.
Srpska Lista chief, Goran Rakic, addressed the „selected“ media, supported by the mayors of municipalities in the North of Kosovo and the SL representative in the Kosovo Parliament, Igor Simic.
In the meantime, the Kosovo branch of Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) reacted, condemning the fact that only select media were invited to the conference. They also announced that Srpska Lista had informed only three newsrooms about the event – RTS, Kosovoonline and TV Most.
Furthermore, these journalists’ associations urged SL to address their shortcomings when it comes to communication with the public.
Soon after, a well-known Serbian journalist engaged in uncovering corruption, and a former president of UNS, Vladimir Radomirovic, said in a statement for Kosovoonline that the joint statement of UNS and its branch in Kosovo would be “a reflection of principle” if they reacted similarly when the US and British ambassadors made lists of „eligible“ media. He accused UNS of being “a political organization that is only not bothered by Albin Kurti’s extremism.”
„At this moment when Pristina is doing everything to make life difficult for the Serb people, and most directly endangering peace, our president is doing everything to reach a compromise, and preserve peace, and above all preserve our people and allow them to remain on their centuries-old hearths,“ Rakic emphasized.
He added that Vucic has the full support of the Kosovo Serbs in finding a compromise solution in the next ten days.
„We asked for clear and firm guarantees that they will not allow the pogrom and persecution of our people,“ said Rakic.
In his words, the party members told the president that Srpska Lista „continued to institutionally fight for the rights of Serbs many times at his insistence.“
„But this time, if a compromise solution is not reached, we will start withdrawing from the institutions, and in this way, the Brussels dialogue will be completely dismantled, which Pristina has rendered meaningless by refusing to form the ASM for 10 years.“
During yesterday’s press conference, the President of Serbia also revealed that SL announced its departure, including the judiciary and police, from Kosovo’s institutions in the next month „if this kind of persecution of Serbs does not cease.”
This is not the first time SL promised to withdraw from Kosovo’s institutions. The party, however, failed to fulfill a single one of these many promises.
Rakic underlined that it takes two for a compromise and that the other side should show seriousness and constructiveness – instead of “doing everything to expel the Serbs and Serbia.”
SL chief called on KFOR to remain the guarantor of security and peace for all people living in Kosovo, respecting the mandate and Resolution 1244.
„I call on them to prevent the persecution of Serbs if that happens and not remain passive as they were in 2004. They are not here to take the side of Pristina and prevent our people from fighting for their human and political rights. They must position their forces in such a way as to act preventively, and not to allow the Albanian special forces to bring heavy machinery and firearms to the north of Kosovo,“ said Rakic, Kosovo Online reports.
Rakic also announced that a joint session will be held on Wednesday at noon when representatives of the municipalities in the North will discuss the security situation.
Rakic repeated what Vucic said the day before – that they will not allow the “pogrom and persecution” of Serbs in Kosovo.
Commenting on last week’s talks in Brussels with Kurti, Vucic said on Sunday that Serbia was ready for compromises and proposed solutions for the issues of plates and declaration sheets, but that Pristina did not agree to any of them.
He announced that he would seek a compromise in the next ten days, for which he was given a carte blanche by Kosovo Serbs, noting that they also set certain „red lines“. Vucic, however, failed to provide additional details about the matter.
According to available media reports, Rakic also made no mention of any „red lines“ at today’s conference.
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