As the elections in Kosovo approach, the Serb List has intensified its campaign efforts using various tactics. One of them is offering “a roof over their heads” in exchange for votes.
Serb List representatives, led by their chairman Zlatan Elek, have begun distributing houses to several Serbian families in the municipality of Leposavić. However, many of these homes remain unfinished and under construction.
Elek made sure to emphasize to the families receiving the keys that these homes were built exclusively by the Serb List and financed by Serbia. The open vote-buying strategy of exchanging houses for electoral support is becoming more blatant.
“This is another motivation for us to stay united and show our strength on February 9. We must go to the polls and ensure the Serb List remains the guarantor of many more homes in the future,” Elek told the Jovanović and Spasojević families. After directly asking for their votes, he handed over the keys to their new homes.
His appeal to Serbs went beyond merely promising housing. He assured the selected families that all those he visited before them expressed their unwavering belief in Serbia.
It appears the selection of beneficiary families was not random. The Serb List carefully identified families in dire conditions, making them more susceptible to persuasion in exchange for votes.
Matija Jovanović, a member of one of the receiving families, confirmed this, stating they had an urgent need for housing, as they were forced to spend last winter at his uncle’s home due to poor living conditions.
The campaign continued with a visit to the five-member Spasojević family in Sočanica, whose house is also still under construction. Later, in the village of Vuča, Serb List representatives handed the keys to a newly built home to the seven-member Rakićević family.
The construction of these homes is being funded by the so-called Office for Kosovo, a Serbian government body overseeing projects in the region.
