PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s parliament on Saturday handed a decision banning ethnic Serbs from voting on Kosovan soil in Serbia’s nationwide referendum on constitutional amendments.
Serbia will maintain a referendum on Sunday on amendments to the structure that may change how judges and prosecutors are elected, a transfer the federal government says is geared toward securing an impartial judiciary, a situation for EU membership.
Kosovo’s independence backers – the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and the EU mission – urged Prime Minister Albin Kurti to permit Serbs in Kosovo to vote within the referendum.
But in a rare session on Saturday afternoon, 76 out of 120 deputies voted in favour of a declaration banning Serbia from opening polling centres in Kosovo.
Kurti instructed parliament that establishing polling stations in majority Serb areas of Kosovo can be in opposition to the structure, and that ethnic Serbs may vote by mail or in Belgrade’s authorities liaison workplace in Pristina.
“Kosovo is an impartial and sovereign state and ought to be handled as such,” Kurti mentioned.
Serbia, which nonetheless considers Kosovo a part of its territory, has been organising elections for its ethnic kin for the reason that Kosovo War led to 1999.
Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence however has pledged to normalise relations with its former breakaway province earlier than becoming a member of the EU.
The head of Serbian Office for Cooperation with Kosovo mentioned the ban was geared toward “annulling political and civic rights of Serbs (in Kosovo).”
“Kurti and his extremists mustn’t suppose that sooner or later they’ll reach banning Serbs in Kosovo from voting, notably in April 3 elections,” Petar Petkovic mentioned in an announcement.
Serbia is holding presidential and parliamentary elections on April 3.
Early on Saturday, Kosovo police confiscated two vehicles of the Serbian election fee transporting poll papers as they crossed the border at Merdare to move in direction of Serb-majority areas.
“We name on the Kosovo authorities to permit Serbs in Kosovo to train their proper to vote in elections and electoral processes in accordance with this established follow,” Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, United States and the EU mentioned of their joint assertion on Friday.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci;Editing by Ros Russell)
