Assembly adopts resolution against Serbian referendum in Kosovo

English

Gazeta Express

15/01/2022 17:36

Kosovo Assembly convened Saturday in an extraordinary session and adopted a resolution against organizing of Serbian referendum in Kosovo’s territory. The resolution was approved with 77 votes in favour out of 78 MPs who attended today’s urgent session. One MP abstained. Serb MPs of the Srpska List boycotted the voting.

Serbia is set to hold a referendum on constitutional changes on Sunday (16 January) and asked international community to Kosovo Serb minority cast their ballot. Ambassadors of QUINT (US, UK, Germany, France, and Italy) and EU representatives issued a joint statement Friday urging the Government to allow Kosovo Serbs exercise their right of vote referring to a practice established in Serbian elections held until now, but the Government of Kosovo rejected the call of QUINT and EU. Kosovo state leaders, the President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, issued a joint statement after meeting Ambassadors of QUINT stating that Serbs can cast ballots by mail or at Belgrade’s Liaison Office in Pristina and that they will not allow setting up voting centres in Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo territory. Prime Minister Kurti asked the Assembly hold an urgent meeting today (Saturday) to decide on this issue. The text of the resolution reiterated that organising of Serbia’s referendum in Kosovo violates Constitutional order and applicable laws of the Republic of Kosovo, and is in violation with international practices. The Resolution states that Serbs with dual citizenship are free to vote by mail and at the Serbia’s Liaison Office. The Assembly asked the Government and other relevant institutions of Kosovo to take actions and now allow violation of country’s constitutional order, namely allowing organising of a referendum of another country in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

MPs in their resolution expressed their concern with Serbia’s continuous actions to instrumentalize and misuse Kosovo Serbs in favour of hostile policies of Serbia towards Kosovo. The Assembly also urged international community to support the legitimate rights and treat Kosovo equally as other countries of the region.

Kosovo Police stopped late Friday two trucks transporting documentations for Serbia’s referendum in Kosovo and held a Serbian Elections Committee at the border. The Police said on Saturday that they have released Serbian official and truck drivers and returned them to Serbia. /GazetaExpress/