North Mitrovica

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The parliamentary elections in the north of Kosovo run by the Pristina authorities will be held on Sunday for the first time, preparations are under way as planned and seven polling centers have been opened in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

Members of the Belgrade-backed Srpska List have started discussions with other Serbian parties in Kosovo, fleshing out options on how to run together in the upcoming general elections on June 8.

Goran Rakic, from the Srpska list, who became mayor of North Mitrovica in the last local elections, told Balkan Insight that consultations with other Serbian parties were ongoing.

ZVECAN - The members of the four municipal assemblies in northern Kosovo-Metohija on Thursday voiced concern over the announced plans of the Pristina authorities to form a Kosovo army.

"We see this as an act of open threat to security in the region and the safety of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija", North Mitrovica mayor Goran Rakic said at the assemblies' joint session in Zvecan.

BELGRADE - Certain progress has been made in calming the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Milivoje Mihajlovic, the head of the Serbian government's press office said on Tuesday, adding that he expects Oliver Ivanovic and Dragoljub Delibasic to be released pending trial.

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has announced that, at Monday's United Nations Security Council session in New York, he will point to problems in Kosovo-Metohija that are related to the lack of respect of fundamental human rights, as well as the issues of security and the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church.