Serb list exclusion sparks tensions ahead of Kosovo's elections

The decision not to certify the Serb List for the February 9, 2025, elections in Kosovo lacks a legal basis and reflects how much Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti desires to eliminate Serbs from these areas, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

This was stated by Zlatan Elek, the leader of the Serb List, during a press conference held at the party's headquarters in North Mitrovica.

He added that this represents institutional and legal violence against the Serb people and the Serb List. According to Elek, Prime Minister Kurti does not want the Serb List in Kosovo's Assembly, only compliant Serbs. However, he asserted that such threats will not deter his party from fighting with all democratic means for the rights of the Serb people in the region.

He also announced that an appeal would be filed with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP), expressing hope for a favorable outcome. The Central Election Commission (CEC) has not certified the Serb List for participation in the February 9, 2025, elections due to the "nationalistic rhetoric" of the party's leader, Zlatan Elek, during the presentation of the electoral list. Nevertheless, this decision has sparked reactions from the U.S. Embassy, the German and British ambassadors, and the European Union, all urging that the matter should not be politicized.