Serbs "will not take part in elections in Kosovo"

The Serbs will not go to the polls in Kosovo, primarily because they do not want to give legitimacy to the so-called Kosovo independence. Pantic, a former mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica, also noted that the people in the majority-Serb northern part of Kosovo made it clear that they are against Albanian institutions. "There is no one who would like to see Serbia's progress and development more than the Serbs in Kosovo, and no one from this territory wants a conflict with their own state. However, all must be aware of reality - the Serbs will not go to the polls that could be held on November 3," he said. “It is up to the people, and no one has yet given an answer whether someone could be registered in two electoral rolls, whether they would be able to vote in parliamentary and presidential elections in central Serbia or they would vote for Kosovo president and the Kosovo assembly,” he said. There is also a question of whether the registration of political parties will be valid in Kosovo or they would take part as associations of citizens, he added. “There are many questions without answers. The whole life cannot fit into 15 points,” Pantic said, in reference to the Brussels agreement. According to him, another issue that "nobody considered seriously" is the position the local Serbs would take toward the community of Serb municipalities (ZSO), in case of a low turnout in elections: "Imagine that in the ZSO, the mayors of the four (Serb) municipalities in the north of Kosovo are (ethnic) Albanians, which is highly likely to happen. Based on the mood this far, a very small number of Serbs will turn out to vote, but Albanians will turn out en masse, because we have several villages and areas with Albanian population in each municipality. For Pristina and the international community, such elections results will be legal." Asked if Belgrade could influence the Serbs to change their position, Pantic said: "There is no political party that can influence the citizens to change their position. For that reason, it would be unfair of the international community to blame the Serbian government."