Serbs exert influence by participating in Kosovo election

Serbs exert influence by participating in Kosovo election

The possibility of a change in the ruling coalition in Kosovo will not derail the integration of Kosovo Serbs, experts said.

A possible change in the government after this month's elections will not halt the integration process of Serbs into Kosovo institutions, according to experts who said dialogue remains the best way for Kosovo to resolve open issues with Serbia.

According to Azem Vllasi, a politician and lawyer, Kosovo Serbs' participation in the June 8th elections shows the minority's involvement.

"They have 10 seats in the assembly, guaranteed by the constitution, and their turnout, which was almost the same as Albanian voters in percentage, shows they have voted for their representatives in the Kosovo assembly," Vllasi told SETimes.

According to Milovan Drecun, president of the Serbian parliament board for Kosovo, the recent elections contributed to on-going improvements in the political life of Serbs in Kosovo.

"The Serbian list has been formed and it is linked, directly, with officials in Belgrade. A kind of unity has been established as well, especially with MPs that were a part of the previous parliament," Drecun told SETimes.

Dusan Janjic, director of the Belgrade-based Forum for Ethnic Relations, said the elections represent the implementation of the Brussels agreement reached last year.

"Holding the elections, never mind their results, enables the realisation of the constitutional act on representation of Serbs in the institutions, and in parliament and government, as well as in public companies that are connected with the government," Janjic told SETimes.

The Kosovo Central Election Commission said that with the...