The United States, the European Union and Germany have expressed concern and regret for the non-certification of the Serbian List, the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, for the February 9 parliamentary elections.
The Central Electoral Commission has not certified the Serbian List, after concerns raised by representatives of the ruling party, Vetëvendosje Movement, that this party does not recognize the state of Kosovo and does not refer to it by its official name, but as "Kosova and Metohia".
"We are concerned by the apparent inclusion of politically motivated criteria in the certification process carried out by the Central Electoral Commission. Such actions undermine the basic democratic principles for free and fair elections, and open the door to subjective political influence on the electoral process", said a spokesperson of the American Embassy in Pristina.
The European Union office in Pristina has said that it regrets the decision of the CEC, assessing that all candidates should have the opportunity to participate in free and fair elections.
"The certification process should be done on the basis of legal standards and procedures in accordance with the laws, and not on the basis of political considerations", it was said in the EU's response.
The German ambassador in Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said that he shares the same concerns as the USA and the European Union for the non-certification of the Serbian List.
"Equal application of the law to all is essential. The certification process is a formal procedure that should not be politicized," he said through a post on X - the platform formerly known as Twitter.
For the certification of the Serbian List, only the chairman of the CEC, Kreshnik Radoniqi, voted against it, two members of the LVV, Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi, while the others abstained.
The USA has called on all parties that are not satisfied with the decisions of the CEC to turn to the appropriate mechanisms, such as the Electoral Panel for Complaints and Submissions.
"The CEC has an important role in supervising the elections, to guarantee that the law is applied in a fair and impartial manner. Its responsibilities must be deeply based on legal procedures and not on political considerations", it was said, among other things, in the reaction of the American Embassy.
The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, claimed on Monday that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, is trying to "eliminate the only opponent" in Kosovo, the Serbian List.
Lista Serbe has said that it will participate in the elections after a period of boycotting political processes in Kosovo.
In 2022, members of this party resigned collectively from the institutions of Kosovo, as a sign of opposition to the decisions of the Kosovo authorities for the extension of authority throughout the territory of the country.
In total, 27 political parties will compete in the February 9 elections.
Of these, 19 are political parties, five coalitions, two civic initiatives and one independent candidate.
The number of candidates for deputies has reached 1,232.
The February 9 parliamentary elections constitute the first regular electoral process in Kosovo, after the declaration of independence in 2008.
A number of early elections have been held so far. REL (A2 Televizion)
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