My morning mail from Belgrade

My morning mail brought this from the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies in Belgrade, in reference to the upcoming municipal elections in Kosovo, including for the first time under Pristina authority in the north:

CEAS POLICY BRIEF

YOUR FACE SOUNDS FAMILIAR

REGARDING THE USE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY IN THE “CLEANSING” OF NORTHERN KOSOVO OF ELECTION MATERIAL, AND SOME OTHER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO THE UPCOMING LOCAL ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO

CENTER FOR EURO – ATLANTIC STUDIES, NOVEMBER 2013.

The Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CEAS) calls upon Serbian officials to pay attention and state their position on the use of public property in the action of “cleansing Northern Kosovo” from election materials for the upcoming local elections in Kosovo, which has been carried out on October 28, 2013 by “self-organized citizens”, as stated in the video available now for a couple of days already on the internet channel YouTube:

In the video, among other, the use of cranes for trimming trees and repairing traffic lights is obvious, both of which are hardly private property. The speed and professionalism in which individuals in the video are painting over the election materials with spray paint is also worrying.

The state has also failed to disassociate itself from the published documents in which citizens of Northern Kosovo are literally urged to vote for the Citizens Initiative Srpska, if they want to keep their jobs.

Such an atmosphere painfully reminds of the period of demonstrations in Jarinje, which were also, allegedly, the work of “self-organized citizens”, even though the gravel used for the barricades was brought by trucks belonging to Serbian public enterprises, and a labour obligation to take part in the barricades was in force, with a shift schedule issued by Serbian institutions. Like at the time, individuals and firms representing themselves as private security companies still operate in Northern Kosovo, although there is no official register of such actors, nor is the Serbian Business Registers Agency capable of verifying their operation.

The same situation is present regarding the so-called civil protection units, assembled by Krstimir Pantid, Deputy Director of the Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and also the Candidate Mayor for North Mitrovica, who is threatening to boycott the elections in case the election material is not “status-neutral”, blaming Prishtina and the EU for this in advance. These units should not be allowed to demonstrate with weapons, but did so, even in front of representatives of the international community. Their presence and activities disturb those Kosovo citizens who want to give their support to political options which will help them confront the many communal challenges they are faced with. The general dress-code of the mentioned individuals is uncomfortably reminiscent of the style of Aleksandar Vulin, and the so-called Faculty of Physical Science students from his vast entourage who rioted during a visit to Gračanica.

With concern, CEAS is also monitoring the fact that other election lists formed by Serbs in Kosovo are either faced with complete media blockage, in the best, or completely demonized, in the worst case scenario. CEAS calls upon those intending to take part in the

local elections to give up on the idea of desecration of election material, aimed at achieving “status neutrality” of the same, which they are virtually being encouraged to do by the Serbian Government insisting on this due to the potential for declaring such “polished” material as invalid, and having their results disqualified. Prior to any such action they should hold detailed consultations, primarily with representatives of OSCE.

The Western international community has punished the previous Government for its indecisive and/or hypocritical behaviour regarding Kosovo. It is however, for the time being, giving the current Government unconditional support for every positive step made towards the aim of normalizing relations with Kosovo, but this support must be justified.

Having in mind the wave of incidents that swept the whole of Kosovo prior to the elections, and above all, the still unresolved murder of the Lithuanian Customs Officer, CEAS calls upon the Serbian Government to take explicit measures to demonstrate its genuine interest for the local elections in Kosovo to pass in peace and be regular; and also to investigate the use of public property in activities calling for boycott. Additionally, the Government should pay a full attention to chains of command in all its security structure departments.

It should by no means be forgotten that holding local elections in Kosovo is, as the first major step towards advancing relations, also the first time that a mutual agreement has been reached between Belgrade, Pristina and Brussels. Belgrade should by no means jeopardize this.

Duplicity is not a smart option this time.

Belgrade, November 1, 2013

CENTER FOR EURO – ATLANTIC STUDIES

ADDRESS: DR DRAGOSLAVA POPOVIDA 15/II/15

11000 BELGRADE, SERBIA

PHONE/FAX +381 11 323 95 79

WWW.CEAS-SERBIA.ORG

OFFICE@CEAS-SERBIA.ORG