Kosovo Election Commission bans ethnic Serb party from parliamentary vote

By Talha Ozturk

SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina (AA) - Kosovo’s Central Election Commission on Monday barred the main ethnic Serb party from competing in the parliamentary election set for Feb 9.

The commission declined to certify the Serbian List, citing nationalist remarks by its leader, Zlatan Elek.

Elek said "Long live Serbia" when he presented the Serb List candidates.

The list had been expected to win all 10 reserved seats for Serb representatives.

The commission certified 16 out of 17 political entities on the list and 674 candidates for MP.

Kreshnik Radoniqi, the commission’s president, voted to confirm the list, while Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi from the Self-Determination Movement voted against it, and the other commission members abstained.

Kurteshi said he voted against confirming the list after it released an audio recording of Elek speaking against the Republic of Kosovo.

In a Monday phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he told him of Kosovo's intention to ban the Serbian List from participating in the upcoming elections. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, and views it as part of Serbia.

Kosovo on Feb. 9 will hold its first regular parliamentary elections since declaring its independence from Serbia in 2008.

Kosovo also has an ethnic Serb minority, particularly in northern Kosovo, near the border with Serbia. The area has seen ethnic unrest in recent years.