http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/ 2008/04/15/feature-01
SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN TIMES (USA) Serbia ignores UN objections to holding local elections in Kosovo 15/04/2008 Serbia's elections commission published a decree Monday, indicating that Belgrade is planning to brush aside UNMIK's opposition and hold local elections in Kosovo. (B92 - 15/04/08; AP, B92, Balkan Insight, Javno.hr - 14/04/08; Balkan Insight - 11/04/08; Reuters - 09/04/08) Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu (left) and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci oppose holding Serb elections in Kosovo. [Getty Images] Serbia made it clear Monday (April 14th) that it intends to hold local elections in Kosovo next month, despite warnings that the vote would violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and thereby would be illegal. UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker insists only the UN has the right to conduct elections in Kosovo. However, he has said Serbia could help organise UN-run local elections in Serb-dominated municipalities this year, and he acknowledged Belgrade's right to conduct parliamentary elections in Kosovo. "Local elections of Serbia in Kosovo would be illegal based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244," he wrote in response to a letter by Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, that disclosed Belgrade's plans to hold elections in Kosovo. "However, parliamentary elections may take place." Serbian local and parliamentary elections will take place simultaneously on May 11th. A decision by Serbia's election commission, published in the country's official gazette Monday, contained instructions on the organisation of local elections in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on February 17th. It listed 16 municipalities, including Pristina, where polling stations for both votes will be established. Serbia rejects Kosovo's independence, although three dozen countries, including most EU member nations, have recognised it thus far. A rift between the pro-European and nationalist parties in Serbia's ruling coalition over how to respond to Kosovo's declaration of independence led to the government's collapse last month, and early elections were scheduled. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica told Belgrade-based B92 on Monday that the main purpose of holding the vote in Kosovo is to "simply legitimise" it as a part of his country, irrespective of what UNMIK wants. Samardzic, who is a member of Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia, meanwhile urged the UNMIK chief to call local elections in Kosovo, to be organised by Serbian authorities. "UNMIK is not able to organise and hold local elections for Serbs in Kosovo because last summer Ruecker made amendments to election regulations. [thus violating] Security Council Resolution 1244," the government quoted Samardzic as saying. Belgrade's push for holding local elections in Kosovo sparked criticism by ethnic Albanian leaders in Pristina. Viewing it as an attempt to sow instability in Europe's newest state, they called on UNMIK to prevent the vote from taking place. "Independent Kosovo is one electoral zone for all of its citizens," President Fatmir Sejdiu was quoted as saying. "It is the responsibility of UNMIK to give a better response to such initiatives, which aim to destabilise Kosovo and to de-institutionalise it in practice." As it would be difficult for UNMIK and KFOR to prevent Kosovo Serbs from voting in the local elections, international officials indicate that if they do happen, the results of the poll would not be recognised. UNMIK "has not received any answer to the letter sent by Mr. Ruecker to Belgrade authorities... but if local elections are held in Kosovo, then it is evident they will be considered illegal," Balkan Insight quoted Sven Lindholm, a spokesman of the UN mission, as saying.
