Serbia says Serbs should not participate in December general election in Kosovo
By Jovana Gec (CP) – 8 hours ago BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia's government said Wednesday that Serbs should not participate in the Dec. 12 general election in Kosovo, its first since the 2008 declaration of independence. The government said in a statement that "conditions have not been set to invite the Serb population to take part in the election." Serbia has refused to accept Kosovo's independence, although the new state has won recognition from some 70 nations, including the U.S. and most EU countries. Belgrade insists that the Kosovo state and its institutions are illegitimate. The position of the Serbian government is crucial for around 100,000 Serbs living in Kosovo. In the past, Serbs have largely boycotted Kosovo's elections, taking part in the Serbian balloting instead in a show of defiance. Some Serbs, however, said they would nevertheless compete in the election. Rada Trajkovic said independent groups are organizing a balloting list for the vote, in order to be able to participate in Kosovo's decision-making. "We would like to see the Serbian government change its position and start supporting the Serbs who are working to stabilize the Serb community in Kosovo," Trajkovic told B92 radio in Belgrade. Under EU pressure, Serbia has agreed to open dialogue with Kosovo, but has insisted it would never recognize its statehood. The EU wants Balkan foes to settle their disputes before moving closer to the 27-nation bloc. The Serbian government said in its statement that the dialogue should lead to a "sustainable and lasting solution ... which would lead to a historic reconciliation ... and secure the European perspective of the entire region." The balloting in Kosovo was called after the parliament ousted the government in a no-confidence vote earlier this month. Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hJ1dAY7BtbvomaLRI_p8FmAOS9kQ?docId=5089226
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