A week ago start of the election campaign in Kosovo, representatives of the Serbian List attended the liturgy in the Church of Saint Sava in South Mitrovica. They took the cameraman with them. At the end of the liturgy, as soon as they left the church, the video was already on the member's Instagram profile Serbian lists Igor Simić. With him at the liturgy was the candidate for mayor for the municipality of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojević, and the candidate for councilor in that municipality, Nemanja Biševac.
They marked the beginning of the pre-election campaign at midnight on the promenade, and the morning at the pre-election convention at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in North Kosovska Mitrovica.
That's what they're on students of the University of Pristina with a temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica, who months ago gave a 16-minute post for the victims in Novi Sad, complained and wrote that it was a "violation of the autonomy of the last Serbian institution for the sake of self-promotion of traitors".
Everyone for brother Milan
In front of the faculty and in the closed space, Serbian flags were flying, promises were being made, and the citizens were cheering for the Serbian List. On the wall in the amphitheater there was an inscription: "All for brother Milan!!!". It remained unclear to whom the message referred - whether to the candidate for mayor Milan Radojević or the former vice-president of the Serbian List, Milan Radoičić, who admitted that he led the armed conflict in Banjska, after which he formally resigned from the position of vice-president of this list.
The Serbian List held conventions in 10 municipalities where they ran. In Zubin Potok, the candidate for mayor, Miloš Perović, told the citizens that he addresses them as their friend with the desire to become a "grandfather together with everyone".
The holder of the list in Zubin Potok, Srđan Vulović, said that they made a mistake by leaving the institutions in November 2022.
Alluding to Aljbin Kurti and the Self-Determination Movement, Vulović said that nobody likes him (Kurti) - neither Serbs nor Albanians. However, he is loved by Serbs who "sold themselves for a cultivator and a tiller".
The grand finale of the pre-election campaign of the Serbian List will be on October 8, when Breskvica is scheduled to perform in North Mitrovica. Those interested can buy tickets for this concert at the headquarters of the Serbian List.
Leaving institutions
What weight does the admission of several candidates of the Serbian List have that they made a mistake when they left the Kosovo institutions in November 2022? Political scientist Ognjen Gogić explains for "Vreme" that it does not mean much to Serbs.
"It is important for Serbs that the local structures (Kosovo system) do not make their lives miserable. They are more interested in what they get from Serbia and what Serbia can do. The Serbian List is the only one that speaks on behalf of Belgrade," says Gogić.
He adds that the Albanian authorities made some decisions that the Serbs opposed, but that they are more interested in what Serbia will provide them, in the form of services, employment or material aid.
"Serbska Lista plays that card all the time," Gogić points out.
And what will it mean if the political representatives of the Serbs return to the municipalities? Gogić replies that nothing will change, except that there will be no more provocative moves by the Albanian municipal authorities.
"It shouldn't be that Albanian mayors and municipal structures can change street names, remove different inscriptions in the city (like the Cyrillic sign "I love K. Mitrovica"), that's one difference. There will be no provocations in the form of sending a municipal inspection to some Serbian facilities and stores. "Recently, Serbs have often paid fines to municipal inspections, and some shops have been closed," explains the interlocutor of "Vremena".
However, Serbs return to elected positions, not to the administration.
"The employment process will be difficult for the municipality because it requires the consent of the Government, i.e. the competent ministry. And, the ministry and the government can skip the local self-governments and carry out some things themselves, to carry out, for example, expropriation or some project initiated by the ministry. It is expected that the practice of government interference in the work of local self-governments will continue, and that the space in which the new local authorities can act will be greatly limited", Gogić points out.
Self-determination – the cornerstone for the Albanian school in the north
Self-determination did not have a large rally in the north as it did for the parliamentary elections when Albin Kurti promised to win half a million votes. In this pre-election campaign of Self-Determination in North Mitrovica, the Albanian and Kosovo anthems were sung on stage. The gathering was secured by several members of the Kosovo Police.
However, during the pre-election campaign, the Kosovo government in the technical mandate with Kurti at the head had a number of actions. The PIO fund and RFZO in North Kosovska Mitrovica, which work as part of the state system of Serbia, were closed; the Cyrillic sign "I love K. Mitrovica" was removed and a new one was installed with the coat of arms of the municipality of northern Mitrovica and the Latin inscription "I love Mitrovica"; the seats in the sports hall in Mitrovica, which were in the colors of the Serbian flag, were changed, so they are now in the green and white colors of the municipality of North Mitrovica.
The implementation of the Law on Foreigners was also announced, as well as the abolition of the possibility of driving a car with Serbian license plates.
Kurti laid the foundation stone for an Albanian school in the northern part of Mitrovica in the neighborhood of Bošnjačka.
Other representatives of Kosovo Serbs
Serbian Democracy started its campaign with the sentence that "the clock has struck for the Serbian list". At the same time, Srpska lista wore watches that tick the time of the current Albanian mayors in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo.
While blowing out the candles on the cake in front of the holes in the asphalt that have been standing there for years, the Serbian democracy promised on social networks a solution to a number of local problems, as well as the construction of a better walking path and benches on it. The candidate for mayor of this list is Aleksandar Arsenijević because weapons found, on the estate where his horse was, is still not in Kosovo because he would be arrested upon entering.
That's why he came to Jarinje a week ago and pitched a tent near the administrative crossing on the Serbian side. He claims that as soon as he becomes mayor, he enters Kosovo.
Gogić reminds that a larger number of Serbian parties have never participated in elections.
"Serbian democracy and the People's Movement have invested more in creativity on social networks to compensate for the fact that they cannot currently offer citizens anything concrete", explains our interlocutor.
He cites the example of Nenad Rašić and his party For Freedom, Justice and Survival, which, like the Serbian List, engaged in an official campaign and distributed houses and various aid grants to citizens. The only difference is that the aid came from the Kosovo system.
There are also Serbian parties that are not particularly represented, such as the Kosovo Alliance or Narodna Pravda, and that they mostly rely on direct contact with the people. "Those candidates for councilors call their acquaintances, friends, family to vote for them."
Gogić points out that the opposition political representatives of the Kosovo Serbs made a decision by coming out in so many different columns, and that this only strengthened the support enjoyed by the Serbian List.
Possible results
The campaign went more peacefully than expected, Gogić points out, no harsh words were spoken. "The campaign focused more on local issues, but without major tensions."
What should citizens expect in municipalities with a Serbian majority?
Gogić says that a convincing victory of the Serbian List is expected. "I think the only question is to what extent Albanians and Albanian parties can get more councilors in some municipalities, for example in Gračanica, Mitrovica, maybe in Klokot", indicated our interlocutor.
He concludes that possibly the second round can be held in Kosovsko Pomoravlje, Klokot (where the second round traditionally takes place) or Ranilug. "That is the only unknown, but I think that in all municipalities the candidates for mayor of the Serbian List will win in the first round."
This October, "Vreme" celebrates and honors - as much as 35 percent discount for our 35th birthday! Valid for semi-annual and annual subscriptions. Subscribe now!
