PRISTINA – The EU on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the Central Election Commission’s failure to publish the final results for the Serb List in the recent parliamentary elections.
The EU Office in Pristina stressed that it is important for all elected members to be able to take up their seats in the new Parliament.
“The EU recalls that the next convocation of Kosovo’s legislature must again accelerate EU-oriented reforms and ratify the remaining agreements related to the Growth Plan, for the benefit of Kosovo’s citizens”, the statement added.
The decision regarding the Serb List’s results had earlier prompted a reaction from the US Embassy in Pristina, which warned that any effort to undermine citizen’s right to vote undermines the partnership between the US and Kosovo.
CEC fails to confirm Serb List results
At it session on 31 January, when final results of the snap parliamentary elections were announced following a repeated vote count, the Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the publication of results for all political entities except Serb List.
As KoSSev reported, two CEC members from the Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje) voted against publishing the Serb List’s results, while the CEC chair and two other members voted in favor.
As a result, final election results were published for all political entities expect the Serb List.
In response, the Serb List on February 2 filed an appeal with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel.
“On behalf of the Serb List, an appeal has just been filed with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel against the illegal, anti-Serb and discriminatory decision of the Central Election Commission to refuse publication of the final results of the snap parliamentary elections for the Serb List,” the party said in a statement, KoSSev reports.
The party emphasized that the move, as it claims, “denies 42.759 votes cast by Serbs,” and said it expects the panel to issue a decision in line with the law.
The CEC decision followed a full recount of votes conducted in January in all municipalities across Kosovo, due to serious suspicions regarding the integrity of the electoral process and irregularities in vote counting for candidates.
In the meantime, multiple investigations have been launched in at least nine municipalities, dozens of individuals, including members of polling station committees and presidents of municipal election commissions, have been detained, and one indictment has been filed.
