By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbs in Kosovo will not be able to vote in next month’s Serbian general elections due to Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti's involvement in the electoral process, claimed Serbia’s president on Tuesday.
Aleksandar Vucic's remarks came when Anadolu asked whether NATO will take additional security measures for the Serbs in Kosovo for the snap general elections in neighboring Serbia set for Dec. 17.
Serbs living in Kosovo were not allowed by Kosovar authorities to participate in the last Serbian elections held in 2020, when the alliance led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by Vucic at the time came to power
“People thousands of kilometers away can vote but at the same time people who think they live in the same country as we do cannot vote. They are going to be barred from their basic rights,” said Vucic, likely referring to Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence. Serbia claims that Serbs living in northern Kosovo, near the Serbian border, actually still live in Serbia, even though Kosovo has been independent since 2008.
He added: “I know in advance what will happen. Kurti wants to help some people in the electoral process. That is why he will not allow elections to be held in the north as well as in the south.”
At a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Serbian capital Belgrade, Vucic said the real issue is Serbs exercising the right to vote.
“Serbs will exercise that right in Australia, in the US, and all over Europe but still it is in doubt whether those people not only in the north (Kosovo), in the south as well will be able to exercise their right to vote. Why? Nobody questions that. Because it’s just Serbs.”
He added: “Serbs will not vote in Kosovo. This is what will happen as always.”
- Stronger NATO presence
Stoltenberg said that due to rising tension in the region this year NATO decided to increase its presence with its peacekeeping mission.
“We are now conducting a review of our presence ... The review is looking into whether we should strengthen the mission on a more enduring basis. Because so far we called in reserves and now we are looking into a more enduring presence. No decision has been made. This is not only about using the reserves but having a higher baseline for our presence. We are looking at different options,” said Stoltenberg.
Earlier, Stoltenberg visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
During his visit to Kosovo, Stoltenberg visited NATO’s Camp Nothing Hill and met with Commander Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas and addressed the troops.
Next month Serbians will vote on all the members of Serbia’s 250-seat parliament as well as the 120-seat Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the municipal councils of cities and districts across the country.
General elections in Serbia are held at least every four years.
Under a UN Security Council resolution, NATO has led a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo since 1999. Currently, the mission has approximately 4,500 troops contributed by 27 NATO allies and partners.
Türkiye took command of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) on Oct. 9, with Ulutas formally assuming charge at a ceremony in Pristina.
Among 27 NATO member countries and partners, Türkiye has the second-largest contingent in KFOR, contributing 780 of its approximately 4,500 soldiers.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and was recognized by many countries, including Türkiye. But Belgrade has never recognized Kosovo and claims that it is still part of Serbia.