The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said on Monday that the new elections in the Serbian-majority municipalities in the north of the country should be held without wasting time and in accordance with the laws of the country, announced the Presidency.
She made these comments during a meeting with the special envoy of the European Union (EU) for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajčák, in the Kosovo capital.
“She reiterated that Kosovo has offered the organization of new elections in the north of the country in accordance with the legal framework of Kosovo, while emphasizing her expectations that this right of the citizens will be realized without delay and in accordance with the procedures and legislation in force”, said in an announcement from the Presidency on Monday.
Lajčák is staying in Kosovo, where he also met with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, a day after he met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, writes Radio Free Europe.
Kosovo has said that it is open to holding elections in North Mitrovica, Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq, if the current Albanian presidents are dismissed through a petition by citizens with the right to vote.
Citizens in these municipalities have signed petitions this month for their dismissal. Now, if the Central Election Commission confirms that the collected signatures are appropriate and verifies them, a vote is organized to dismiss the president, which must be held within 45 days. For this election to be successful, 50 percent plus one vote of eligible citizens is required.
Albanian mayors settled in their offices in four Serb-majority municipalities after elections contested and boycotted by local Serbs in April last year, fueling rising tensions in that part of the country.
Osmani also asked Lajčákto remove the punitive measures that the EU imposed on Kosovo after the installation of Albanian mayors in municipal buildings in the north last year, which he said “are unfair and create a lack of balance in the dialogue”.
In Monday’s meeting with the EU envoy, according to the Presidency, Osmani said that the agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and its annex, reached at the beginning of 2023, must be fully implemented.
“At this meeting, the latest achievements regarding the implementation of the agreement on energy and license plates were welcomed, as steps towards the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia”, the announcement states.
Regarding the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, Osmani reiterated that it must be verified whether its draft is in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo.
“She also expressed her concerns regarding some provisions of this draft, which may be challenging during implementation in practice,” said Osmani, according to the announcement.
The international community has constantly asked Kosovo to establish the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, which should give greater decision-making to the Serbs in Kosovo.
A draft statute for the Association was presented to Kosovo and Serbia in October by representatives of the EU, the United States, France, Germany and Italy. However, recently, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has said that he and some of his ministers will write the draft statute for the Association.
