Pristina's election panel rejects appeal against certification of Srpska lista

PRISTINA - Pristina's election complaints panel rejected on Thursday an appeal by Albin Kurti's Self-Determination movement against a decision by the central election commission to certify Srpska lista for the February 9 elections in Kosovo-Metohija.

In its decision, the panel said an appeal against a decision of December 31 had been rejected, Pristina-based media outlets reported.

Self-Determination has 48 hours to appeal the decision.

On December 31, the commission certified a Srpska lista application for registration to run in the elections after the panel upheld the Serb party's appeal against a previous decision by the commission not to certify the application and Pristina's so-called supreme court also rejected a previous Self-Determination appeal.

On January 2, Self-Determination filed an appeal with the panel against the commission's decision to certify the application and requested that the decision be annulled.

Srpska lista is the strongest Serb party in Kosovo-Metohija.

Its representatives have said on multiple occasions that Kurti was trying to prevent the party from running in the elections as it was representing and defending the interests of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs.