I think that international factors will react in the same way in relation to parliamentary elections – they will not interfere, but they will not approve election results. Voting for the Serbian parliament that this state organizes in Kosovo has a more symbolical than practical significance, since we are speaking of only about fifty thousand voters, says Petar Miletic, President of the Independent Liberal Party of Kosovo.
Do you expect that the implementation of Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo can cause new problems?
First of all, we should make a difference between parliamentary and local elections. The issues related to parliamentary elections were not such a big priority since the local elections in Kosovo. The same moment Belgrade authorities in Kosovo decided to organize local elections, problems emerged. I think practice has shown that organization of these elections was a mistake.
Is it possible to prevent potential severe reactions in Pristina to parliamentary elections in Serbian areas in Kosovo?
I think that compromise is impossible. For example, Pristina and Belgrade could agree that Belgrade refrains from organizing and running the next local elections in Serbian municipalities and that, in return, authorities in Pristina allow parliamentary elections. The government in Pristina could suggest the public in Kosovo that Croatian citizens living in Herzegovina vote for the Croatian Parliament. The citizens of Kosovo who live abroad also vote for the Kosovo parliament. Therefore, such institutes exist in international practice. The eventual withdrawal of Serbia from local elections in Pristina could indicate that Belgrade is making a compromise, while Pristina’s consent to hold parliamentary elections would be perceived in Belgrade as a concession of Kosovo authorities.
Such an agreement is difficult to achieve and implement in practice.
Yes, of course, Pristina officially does not support local or parliamentary elections in Kosovo organized by Serbian authorities. This has always been the official policy of authorities in Pristina but they never directly interfered in elections.
Can the implementation of Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo further complicate the situation in that area and raise the tensions between Serbs and Albanians?
The elections that have been called and implemented so far did not reflect so badly on the situation in that area, but the situation has changed since the well known incidents in the north of Kosovo. The international pressure for so-called abolition of parallel Serbian institutions has also increased. The reaction of Pristina to these new circumstances could be sharper. I am afraid they might confiscate election material or take some similar steps. The authorities in Serbian municipalities south of Ibar may try to prevent the elections before the opening of the polls. But I hope there will be no serious incidents.
Do you expect that Serbian population south of Ibar will participate in Serbian parliamentary elections?
I think people in the central part of Kosovo will take part in elections because this is a rare opportunity for them to speak up. They want to use every opportunity to influence their lives. My party will neither ask Serbs to refrain from voting, nor to take part in it. We have always let the voters decide what is best for them.
And what will happen in case of the organization of local elections?
Local elections should be organized next year. Serbian insistence on this issue would be a mistake. That would infuriate the international community and Kosovo authorities. In addition, the present local authorities set up in Serbian areas in Kosovo as part of the campaign “Kosovo is Serbia” proved to be dysfunctional and their results are very poor. If all this happens again next year, the mistake that was made in the last elections would only turn into a bigger one.
Kosovo and the elections: Take it or leave it, you will regret it