The Italian Embassy in Kosovo has expressed regret for the boycott by Lista Serbe and other Serbian political actors of the April 21 vote in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo.
The vote for the removal or not of the Albanian mayors was considered unsuccessful due to the insufficient participation of citizens in the voting.
In order to dismiss the presidents, 50 percent plus one voter was required to vote, but only 253 people participated in the election.
When asked if they support the position expressed by France that the Albanian mayors in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, inhabited by a majority of Serbs, resign, as the fastest way for new elections, the Italian Embassy in Pristina said that Sunday’s boycott it does not contribute to the escalation of the situation, nor does it pave the way for the Serbs to return to the institutions of Kosovo, which according to Rome, is the “key problem”.
“Representative governance in the north of Kosovo will be restored when the elections for the president are held with the active participation of all communities. Having said that, we acknowledge that Sunday’s voting took place peacefully and in accordance with the law, despite a number of difficulties,” said the Italian Embassy’s response to Radio Free Europe.
After the failure of Sunday’s votes, France demanded that local elections be immediately organized in North Mitrovica, Zveçan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok.
“France recalls that the withdrawal of the presidents elected with only 3 percent of the votes, would be the fastest way to restore representative democracy in the four municipalities in the north, and will be a sign of the escalation of the situation”, declared the French ambassador in United Nations, Nicolas de Riviere.
Meanwhile, the United States has expressed regret for the decision of the Serbian List and other Serbian political actors in Kosovo who did not participate in the vote for the removal or not of the Albanian presidents.
The American Embassy in Pristina declared on Sunday that through the voting, the Serbs were able to “advance in effective and representative democracy”.
