On the eve of local elections in Kosovo, scheduled for October 12, voices are increasing within the Serbian community calling for unity and the creation of a common platform of action.
The initiative to form a broader popular movement, which, it is said, would oppose the current policies in Pristina and Belgrade, comes from the ranks of opposition actors who are dissatisfied with the position of Serbs in Kosovo.
The leader of the Serbian People's Movement, Millija Biševac, says the time has come for the political struggle to be waged clearly, without division, fear or partisan calculations.
Meanwhile, Stefan Velkovic, from the Serbian Democracy Party, says that their calls for concrete action on the ground have long been ignored.
He does not rule out cooperation with others, except with senior officials of the Serbian List - the main Serb party in Kosovo, which has support from Belgrade.
Serbian political scientist Ognjen Gogić estimates that among Serbian opposition actors, there is still no mature awareness of unification, and that the Serbian List will not be significantly endangered in the upcoming local elections.
The Central Election Commission, meanwhile, has launched the application process for the certification of parties and candidates for the local elections, which will last until August 13.
To whom is the call for unity addressed?
Last week, the leader of the Serbian People's Movement, Millija Biševac, called on political actors, students, representatives of associations and organizations, businesses and intellectuals to support him, to show maturity and courage for joint action.
However, in a statement to Radio Free Europe, he explains that this invitation does not apply to representatives of the Serbian List or Nenad Rashiq - minister in the acting Government of Kosovo and member of the Kosovo Assembly.
"We think that this policy that the Serbian List has followed, but also [Nenad] Rašić, who is part of the institutions in Pristina, is not good for our people. There is no room for dialogue with them. They have contributed to the deterioration of the situation on the ground," Biševac assessed.
He criticizes Belgrade for, as he says, having for years only supported the Serbian List, which, according to him, has been involved in scandals and has not brought any good to Serbs in Kosovo.
Regarding the institutions in Pristina, Biševac says that they are not interested in the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, they do not want dialogue and peaceful solutions, but that with their actions, they "incite nationalism" and worsen interethnic relations.
Velkovic: "Let's focus on who is the main pillar of unity"
The Serbian Democracy Party also invited citizens, social and political actors, as well as other interested parties to join them in "continuing the fight."
The vice-chairman of this party, Stefan Velkovic, tells Radio Free Europe that, over the past year, they have invited opposition actors to unite "against the repression" of the Kosovo authorities, but that they have not found understanding.
"Now we don't see room for any major cooperation, because the parliamentary elections have been held, and we have won more votes as the Serbian opposition party. Therefore, we need to focus on who is the main pillar of unity," says Velkovic, adding that the opposition "needs to prove itself."
Parliamentary election results for Serbian parties
Velkovic also says that members of the Serbian Democracy Party have been arrested several times.
He says that their leader, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, is being "persecuted" and that no one has reacted.
Arsenijevic is not in Kosovo, as he is wanted because weapons were found on his property, which he himself said were "set up".
Previously, Arsenijevic and several other members of his party have been arrested for “disturbances” or “violations of public order” - mainly when they protested against Kosovo Albanian politicians who visited the northern part of the country, inhabited by a Serb majority.
"Unification of the opposition will only happen if there is political benefit"
Political scientist Ognjen Gogić tells Radio Free Europe that Serbs in Kosovo are caught between the Kosovo and Serbian governments, as well as between the two systems, and it is difficult for them to stay outside this influence.
"It's realistic, but in practice it's difficult," he says.
He adds that in the Kosovo Serb community, there are not many opposition actors, and that most likely the mayoral positions in the ten municipalities with a Serb majority will once again belong to the Serb List.
"If on one side you have the Serbian List, which is supported by Belgrade, and on the other side is Rašić, who is linked to Pristina, I don't think there is a third way for Serbs. If there is a union, it will be for pragmatic reasons, to pay off politically," says Gogić.
According to him, the possibilities for cooperation of the Serbian opposition are small, also due to the fact that in local elections it is easier to win councilor mandates in municipal assemblies.
However, Gogić emphasizes that the October local elections are important for the Serbian community in northern Kosovo, because Serbian representatives will return to the institutional framework, which they abandoned in November 2022 at the initiative of the Serbian List./ REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
