2023 Kosovo: Could the Serb Community permanently Cut Ties with authorities in Pristina?
In Kosovo, extraordinary local elections will be held on 23 April 2023 in four predominantly Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo (Severna Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zubin Potok and Zvečan) to elect the municipal mayors as well as councilors for the municipal councils in Leposavić and Zvečan.
The extraordinary local elections will be held after the mayors and municipal councilors from the Srpska lista /Serb List/ party had left the Kosovo institutions in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo as a protest against the decision of the Kosovo Government on mandatory reregistration of vehicles from former Serbian (KM) to RKS registration plates. The elections were to be held on 18 December 2022, but due to unfavorable security situation have been postponed for 23 April 2023. The official election campaign will take place from 4 April to 21 April 2023.
Srpska Lista is the largest political party of Kosovo Serbs and enjoys strong support of the official Belgrade. However, it has not registered to participate in the local elections under the explanation that its condition for return to Kosovo institutions had not been fulfilled. Specifically, their request for postponement of the decision on reregistration of vehicles, establishment of community of predominantly Serb municipalities (ZSO) in line with the 2013 Brussels agreement and withdrawal of Kosovo special police force from the north of Kosovo, that is Serb communities. The Srpska Lista, has won more than 90% of votes in Serb communities at almost all elections in Kosovo organized since its establishment in 2013.
The Kosovo Election Commission (CIK) has decided to reduce the number of polling stations from 44 to only six, and open 13 alternative polling centers.
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