In Kosovo, the “ReKos2024” population, household and housing census has begun, which will last until May 17 of this year.
For the first time since the war, the registration will also take place in the municipalities of Leposaviq, Zubin Potok, Zveçan and North Mitrovica, reports the Serbian state news agency “Tanjug”.
For now, it is not known whether Serbs will participate in the census.
Serbs living in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo boycotted the last population census in 2011, while the response of the Serbs south of the Iber River was only partial.
The Serbian parties in Kosovo – Lista Serbe, Party of Serbs of Kosovo, Serbian People’s Movement and Serbian Democracy, have opposed the participation of Serbs in the population census and some of them request the postponement of the process until the second announcement.
The Serbian List on Friday told the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the internationals who support him, that the Serbs will not participate in the population census.
On the other hand, Branimir Stojanovic, who currently leads the Kosovo Serb party, “Serbian National Movement”, has accused his former party – Lista Serbe, for the call that the latter made not to participate in the population census.
Stojanovic said that if the Serbs do not register, there will be many consequences.
Although he does not declare against this process, Stojanoviqi has said that it should not take place now, but he has admitted that the chances of it being postponed are very small.
“While calling for a boycott of the registration, the families of the officials and activists of the Serbian List in Graçanica are among the registrants. And this announcement of the Serbian List, in which a dozen outdated phrases are written, has no idea about the direct consequences that our people will have if they do not participate in the registration. We will be left alone with our problems again”.
“There are no conditions for registration and we are against it at this time, but the chances of it being postponed are very ‘small’. We need cool heads, not empty heads with full pockets”, wrote Stojanović in this reaction.
Lista Serbe has called for Kosovo Serbs not to participate in the population census. The same has been requested by two other parties of Kosovo Serbs, “Party of Kosovo Serbs” and “Serbian Democracy”.
Avni Kastrati, acting executive director of the Kosovo Statistics Agency (ASK), invited all citizens to register.
Kastrati has announced that in the northern municipalities the registrars will start working from Monday.
“As for the northern part, we had as many registrars and supervisors as we requested, but it seems that they have some kind of pressure from their community. But we have found registrars again, and on Monday they will start for the Serbian community in the north in the four municipalities”, said Kastrati.
In Kosovo, the “ReKos2024” population, household and housing census has started today, which will last until May 17 of this year.
