Representatives of the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) in Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) have strongly criticized the decision to certify the Serb List for the upcoming October 12 local elections, accusing the QUINT embassies (U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, plus the EU) of shielding what they called “criminal organizations.”
During the September 1 CEC meeting, Alban Krasniqi (LVV) argued that despite final rulings from the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and the Supreme Court, allowing the Serb List to participate undermines Kosovo’s democracy:
“In the municipalities where the Serb List plans to compete, there will be no democracy. Ambassadors and EU representatives know this very well, as they have admitted it themselves. Unfortunately, they are defending criminal organizations in the country for their own narrow interests or political careers,” Krasniqi said.
He further described the Serb List as a “criminal organization with terrorist structures”, stressing he could not accept it as a legitimate political actor.
This follows a series of institutional back-and-forths:
On August 21, the CEC initially refused to certify the Serb List, citing concerns that many of its candidates were part of parallel Serbian structures in Kosovo, and portraying the party as an extension of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s influence.
On August 24, however, the ECAP ordered the CEC to certify the Serb List, ruling that the party had met all formal requirements, including the submission of political declarations, a code of conduct, candidate lists, and confirmation forms.
The Supreme Court later upheld this ruling, making certification binding.
While Vetëvendosje officials insist that Kosovo’s government and security institutions have done their part, they accuse international actors of enabling the Serb List’s participation despite security and democratic concerns.
The Serb List remains the dominant party representing Kosovo Serbs, backed by official Belgrade, and its participation continues to be a flashpoint in Kosovo’s political and electoral landscape.
