Dacic calls on Serbs to vote for northern Mitrovica mayor

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic called on Serbs to show up at polling stations in large numbers for the local elections on Sunday and vote for the mayor of northern Kosovska Mitrovica, northern Kosovo-Metohija.

“I believe it is very important for the re-run vote for northern Mitrovica mayor to be peaceful and for a considerable number of Serbs to vote in the polls so that we would not have the same problem which we faced in the previous elections, that is the risk of an ethnic Albanian ending up elected as the northern Mitrovica mayor,” Dacic told reporters after the ceremony to mark the Advocacy Day in Serbia.

Dacic underscored that it is important to create a peaceful atmosphere but it is very unpleasant that Oliver Ivanovic as one of the candidates is kept in detention.

“We protested this. We believe that this seriously damages the legitimacy of the international court system in Kosovo-Metohija and we wanted him (Ivanovic) and all other Serbs kept in detention to be released pending trial and we even extended the guarantees of the Serbian government. So far, we have received no positive reaction to our requests,” the prime minister said.

At this point, the most important matter for the Serbian government is for as many citizens as possible to vote in the northern Mitrovica elections, after which the community of Serb municipalities would be set up, Dacic said.

“This is our strategic goal which was made possible by the Brussels agreement - the community of Serb municipalities as the first legitimate and legal political body recognised by Belgrade, Pristina, Brussels, Washington and New York alike,” Dacic said.

Screenshot video Tanjug