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Assemblies will be supreme authority bodies in Serb municipalities of Kosovo
Belgrade,
19 May 2008
Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said that assemblies elected on May 11 in local elections will be supreme authority bodies in Serb municipalities of Kosovo.
Slobodan Samardzic
Samardzic told a press conference that apart from assemblies, executive councils will be formed within municipal structures.
He said that these elections will show who represents Serbs in Kosovo and noted that the election of local authorities is very important because of communication with UNMIK.
According to him, there is no division amongst Kosovo Serbs in the wake of the election, and municipal authorities will act in accordance with the Serbian Constitution and existing laws in order to solve issues independently or in agreement with Belgrade.
The Minister said that although the Serbian Electoral Commission has not officially stated election results, it can be said with certainty that, IDPs in central Serbia included, between 45% and 46% of voters voted at elections in Kosovo.
Samardzic said that holding elections will not solve the problems with which Kosovo Serbs are faced, but that now they will have someone who will help them solve those issues.
Samardzic also said that the message by the Russian, Chinese and Indian foreign ministers, according to which a continuation of talks between Belgrade and Pristina is to be anticipated, refers to the status of Kosovo-Metohija.
When the Russian foreign minister speaks about the continuation of negotiations, he is talking about the status and referring to the fact that the negotiations have not been concluded the way they were supposed to. I do not believe that Russia has changed its mind because its stance has always been consistent, explained Samardzic.
According to him, Serbia is counting on India and China’s stance that talks have been left incomplete and that they are the best way to solve essential issues, such as the status of Kosovo-Metohija.
He said that it is a positive fact that foreign ministers of the aforementioned countries made their stance clear, since judging by the State Department’s immediate reaction a few hours later, it is evident that Washington understands the purpose of the proposal by Russia, China and India.
We can see an obvious conflict regarding the Kosovo issue at a parliamentary level which will have to be resolved by the leading powers, as well as representatives of Belgrade and Pristina, said Samardzic.
What we did not finish last November, we will continue one day and this is the stance taken by Russia, China and India, said the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija.
He said that these elections will show who represents Serbs in Kosovo and noted that the election of local authorities is very important because of communication with UNMIK.
According to him, there is no division amongst Kosovo Serbs in the wake of the election, and municipal authorities will act in accordance with the Serbian Constitution and existing laws in order to solve issues independently or in agreement with Belgrade.
The Minister said that although the Serbian Electoral Commission has not officially stated election results, it can be said with certainty that, IDPs in central Serbia included, between 45% and 46% of voters voted at elections in Kosovo.
Samardzic said that holding elections will not solve the problems with which Kosovo Serbs are faced, but that now they will have someone who will help them solve those issues.
Samardzic also said that the message by the Russian, Chinese and Indian foreign ministers, according to which a continuation of talks between Belgrade and Pristina is to be anticipated, refers to the status of Kosovo-Metohija.
When the Russian foreign minister speaks about the continuation of negotiations, he is talking about the status and referring to the fact that the negotiations have not been concluded the way they were supposed to. I do not believe that Russia has changed its mind because its stance has always been consistent, explained Samardzic.
According to him, Serbia is counting on India and China’s stance that talks have been left incomplete and that they are the best way to solve essential issues, such as the status of Kosovo-Metohija.
He said that it is a positive fact that foreign ministers of the aforementioned countries made their stance clear, since judging by the State Department’s immediate reaction a few hours later, it is evident that Washington understands the purpose of the proposal by Russia, China and India.
We can see an obvious conflict regarding the Kosovo issue at a parliamentary level which will have to be resolved by the leading powers, as well as representatives of Belgrade and Pristina, said Samardzic.
What we did not finish last November, we will continue one day and this is the stance taken by Russia, China and India, said the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija.
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