Osmani accuses Serbia of interfering in local elections in Kosovo

2025-10-09 19:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Osmani accuses Serbia of interfering in local elections in Kosovo

Vjosa Osmani

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani accused Serbia of directly interfering in the local elections to be held in the country on October 12. Osmani made these statements during a meeting with the head of the Central Election Commission, Kreshnik Radoniçi.

"President Osmani placed special emphasis on the direct interventions that Serbia is making in local elections, a phenomenon repeated over the years, which is manifesting itself through vote buying, external interference, intimidation and violence," the Kosovo Presidency said in a statement.

Osmani called for commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process, "severely condemning the interference of official Belgrade."

"She also appealed to all political and institutional actors, as well as international ones, to contribute to the protection of the free vote and to condemn any unlawful act that violates the democratic will of the citizens of Kosovo ," the announcement said.

Two days ago, Kosovo's acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, also accused Serbia of interfering in the October 12 elections, through promises of jobs and financial benefits.

Kurti stated that the recent actions of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, and other Serbian actors, state and non-state, "cannot be characterized otherwise than as interference in the process of the October local elections in Kosovo."

"Promises of jobs, luring through financial support, conditioning and blackmail with social benefits, and statements by Serbian state officials that only the Serbian List protects Serbia in Kosovo, as the former Prime Minister of Serbia, Miloš Vu?evi?, recently did, and as President Vu?i? himself has done, are repeated methods of Serbia's intervention in Kosovo," he stated.

Kurti called on the European Union to sanction Serbia for these actions. Over the weekend, Vu?i? told Serbian media that “we will open 400 new jobs in the healthcare structure in Kosovo.”

"This is something very big for Kosovo, and we will do this within the next ten days, so that people know that we will always take care of it," Vu?i? said.

Vu?i?, as well as other officials in Serbia, have also called for Serbs in Kosovo to vote for the Serbian List - the main Serb party that enjoys the support of Belgrade.

Serbia was also accused of interfering in the February general elections, and the EU observation mission said at the time that Serbia had interfered in the elections through pressure on Serb voters in Kosovo.

Serbia was also accused by Germany of interfering in the February 9 elections in Kosovo. In the October 12 elections, the Serbian List is expected to regain power in the Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo. Four other Serbian parties, as well as several civic initiatives, are also competing in the elections.

The four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo - North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok - are led by Albanian mayors, after in November 2022, all representatives of the Serbian List resigned from Kosovo institutions, in reaction to the decision of the Kosovo authorities to remove Serbian car license plates.

At the request of the Serbian List, Serbs in these municipalities boycotted the April 2023 elections, when Albanian mayors were elected. The following year, Serbs also boycotted the vote to dismiss these mayors.

Serbia allocates revenues from the state budget to members of the Serbian community in Kosovo. This includes salaries, pensions, child allowances and other financial assistance./REL