Petkovic: Holding of December 17 elections not possible in Kosovo-Metohija

BELGRADE - The director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic on Wednesday informed the Serbian national electoral commission the holding of the December 17 parliamentary elections was impossible in Kosovo-Metohija due to an unacceptable condition set by Pristina and its PM Albin Kurti, the Office told Tanjug.

"Based on your request to determine the possibility of holding the December 17, 2023 vote for members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija, we inform you that it is currently not possible to carry out the electoral procedure in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija in the manner that would be in line with legal regulations and the state and national interests of the Republic of Serbia. The reason for this is the fact that the regime of the interim self-government institutions in Pristina, headed by Albin Kurti, is making the holding of these elections conditional upon a recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo by Belgrade," Petkovic wrote in a letter to the commission.

"Without fulfilment of that condition, which is unacceptable to Belgrade, Albin Kurti is refusing to ensure the required conditions on the ground for activities of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe mission in Kosovo-Metohija, which, under a model agreed in 2012, should assist the state authorities of the Republic of Serbia in carrying out the electoral procedure in the territory of the Province," Petkovic added, noting that the model was based on an agreement that was fully in line with UNSCR 1244.

The model was the foundation for the holding of all Serbian elections in Kosovo-Metohija between 2012 and 2020, Petkovic added.

"Through these moves, and by making it impossible for Kosovo-Metohija Serbs to vote in their places of residence, the Albin Kurti-led regime in Pristina continues to openly violate the rights of our people in the Province," he also noted.