Serbian local elections will not be held in Kosovo because the security risks are too high following the lack of support from the UN Mission to Kosovo (UNMIK) and the objection of the Kosovo authorities, Belgrade's media said on Saturday, adding that according to representatives of the Serbian authorities, the decision on whether the elections would also be held in Kosovo would be known after an agreement with international organisations.
Citing unnamed high-ranking officials, Vecernje Novosti said that without UNMIK's logistic support, it was impossible to organise voting in municipalities south of the Ibar river in north Kosovo and that incidents were possible in north Kosovo.
Belgrade estimates that insisting on local elections would "jeopardise Kosovo citizens' vote for the republic's parliament, which has been greenlighted by the most powerful countries," the paper said.
The media quoted Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic as saying that, depending on an agreement with international organisations, it would soon be known whether the elections would be held in Kosovo.
She said the Serbian government was in negotiations on the matter and that there were no definite answers, especially regarding the parliamentary election.
Serbian Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic told Vecernje Novosti that the government was in contact with UNMIK and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo regarding all details of the parliamentary election.
"UNMIK has clearly told us that they can't take part in the local elections. Holding them is in accordance with the Constitution and laws, but we must take into account the specific situation on the ground and all the circumstances that don't play into our hands," he was quoted as saying.
Serbia called parliamentary and provincial elections for May 6. The parliament speaker called local elections for the same day, including Kosovo. Kosovo's parliament then adopted a resolution banning the holding of Serbian parliamentary and local elections in Kosovo, with Speaker Jakup Krasniqi saying that Serbian elections in Kosovo would be stopped by force if necessary.
