Za "Time" from North Mitrovica
Buses that transport sympathizers and blackmailed voters of the Serbian Progressive Party in an organized manner are not rare in Serbia. The same is the case with Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija who, when necessary, drive to SNS meetings, but also to central Serbia to vote. Since voting in cities in Kosovo is impossible, the polling stations were moved to central Serbia - in Raška, Ribariće, Vranje, Tutin and other cities, depending on where the voter's residence is in Kosovo.
"Serbs from Zvečan, Kosovska Mitrovica and Leposavić will vote in Raška, and Serbs from Zubin Potok in Ribarić, which means that, in the case of Zubin Potok, they need to travel several tens of kilometers," Andrija Lazarevic, editor-in-chief of the Zubin Potok INFO portal, told Vreme. He adds that, since the Serbian elections have not been voted in Kosovo, there have been large crowds at the administrative crossings since morning.
"I'm talking about Brnjak and Jarinje. This happens partly because the Srpska Lista organizes buses to transport people employed in the public sector to vote in Raško. When you take into account that a good number of people go to vote in private cars, there are really big crowds. At the crossing, you can even wait for several hours," explains Lazarevic.
WITHOUT A SLOGAN, BUT WITH ACCUSATIONS
An election campaign similar to the one in central Serbia does not exist in Kosovo and Metohija. There are some fights, accusations and statements of support. Lazarevic confirms that there are no billboards, no slogans, no pre-election atmosphere and excitement like in central Serbia.
"This is because for several years now, Serbs from Kosovo have not voted in Serbian elections in Kosovo. Although the OEBS mission has expressed its readiness to collect votes this year, it is unlikely that the Pristina authorities will allow it, and we will most likely see the same as in previous years - voting from across the administrative line," Lazarevic explains.
The student list - Students are winning in Kosovo and Metohija was supported by practically the entire opposition: the Serbian National Council, the Kosovo Alliance, the Civic Initiative "North for All", the Serbian People's Movement and Serbian Democracy.
The extended arm of the Serbian Progressive Party, Srpska lista, did not miss the opportunity to send support to the current president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. They stated that against the list Aleksandar Vučić - United Serbia are those who "blocked Serbia for months, who want to continue the dismemberment of Serbia, who have never condemned the evil that Kurti's regime did and is doing to our people in these areas and who were supported by the list by all Serb haters, including Aljbin Kurti and his followers". Referring to the "unofficial" campaign, Lazarevic points out that in recent days, Srpska lista has intensified the narrative that was current at the beginning of the student blockades.
"Students are being linked to Kosovo Prime Minister Aljbin Kurti, who during his visit to Croatia at the beginning of the student blockades said that he supported the students in Belgrade. That statement was taken out of context in all pro-regime media and used to dehumanize students and present them as someone who allegedly 'cooperates' with the state's number one enemy", reminds our interlocutor. He adds that all this is happening again now. "This time partly because the Student List was supported by Nenad Rašić, a minister in the Kosovo government and a political associate of Aljbin Kurti", says Lazarevic. Nenad Rašić recently announced that within his party For Freedom, Justice and Survival it was decided to "strongly support the Student List with all available means" in the upcoming elections in Serbia.
On the other hand, when it comes to the Serbian opposition in Kosovo, Lazarevic points out that they have intensified their criticism of the authorities in Belgrade, regarding the current Kosovo issue. "This is accompanied by the increasing mobility and engagement of students in the blockade, who these days are processing the balance sheet of the Serbian Progressive Party's Kosovo policy from 2012 to the present day, while using difficult words, for example the word 'treason'. These are the two poles between which the campaign is moving in Kosovo", emphasized the "Vremena" interlocutor.
We asked the Student Movement in Kosovo and Metohija, i.e. the students who organized 16 minutes of silence in Kosovska Mitrovica for more than a year, what they think about the accusations of the Serbian List, about the plan for the pre-election campaign and what message they are sending to the Serbs in this area, but until the publication of this text we have not received any answers. (If the answers arrive, they will be published later.)
WHO'S WITH WHOM IN KOSOVO
There are five people from Kosovo on the list of Aleksandar Vučić - United Serbia: Danijela Nikolić, a master of communication studies from Kosovska Mitrovica, Sonja Ilić, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation from Gračanica, Goran Rakić, a former functionary of the Serbian List, whose current residence is Raška, Lazar Aksentijević, a doctoral student, and Luka Jovanović, a master's historian from Zvečan.
On the Student list - Students win, from Kosovo and Metohija are four professors of the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica: Milena Petrović, Dušan Đurđević, Jugoslav Gašić and Emilija Marković.
These elections will come and go, and in Kosovo, hardly anything can stop the deadlock that has been happening since 2012. The balance sheet of Aleksandar Vučić's Kosovo policy includes many crises and troubles that befell the Serbian people in Kosovo. And what else is left? A Serbian hospital and school, a few cultural institutions, the Serbian Orthodox Church and crushed citizens who go to Raška and other cities on the "Kolašin transport" for the rest of their lives.
Election time! And someone has to report to you independently. That's why it's in October annual subscription the digital edition of "Vremena" even 2.500 dinars cheaper. Choose now!
