The leaders of the Serb List held a meeting in Raska, Serbia, with Petar Petković, the Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, a day after the Central Election Commission (CEC) decided not to certify the party for participation in the upcoming local elections on October 12.
In a post on X, Petković stated that during the meeting with the leaders of the largest Serbian party in Kosovo, they discussed political, economic, and security issues affecting the Serbian community.
“Meeting in Raška with the leaders of the Serb List after Kurti’s attempt to ban them from participating in the local elections. We discussed the political, security, and economic situation in Serbian communities, as well as next steps and support for the interests of the Serbian people in Kosovo,” he wrote.
The CEC’s decision not to certify the Serb List was taken with two votes in favor, two against, and seven abstentions, after Vetëvendosje representatives in the CEC presented documents showing that some of the Serb List’s candidates for mayor or municipal assembly seats hold positions in Serbia’s parallel structures in Kosovo. On Friday, the party announced that it would file an appeal with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP).
This decision has sparked international reactions. QUINT countries and the European Union expressed concern, calling the prevention of minority community parties from participating in local elections a violation of democratic principles.
“Any such action to exclude certain communities undermines democratic principles and damages trust in Kosovo’s institutions,” the statement read.
QUINT emphasized that it expects the outgoing government and other political parties to refrain from taking further steps that would obstruct party registration, while also urging the affected parties to appeal the CEC’s decisions through the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel.
