Kurti trying to ban Srpska lista from running in elections

PRISTINA - Pristina's PM Albin Kurti is attempting to ban Srpska lista from running in the February 9 elections in Serbia's Kosovo-Metohija province, Tanjug learns.

Kurti is trying to eliminate Srpska lista from the election race because he knows it has absolute support among the Serbs, a source told Tanjug after two members of Kurti's Self-Determination Movement in Pristina's central election commission voted against certifying Srpska lista for the upcoming elections.

In an unlawful and unilateral manner, Kurti's representatives tried to secure a decision to eliminate Srpska lista, even though they had no legal grounds for that or the required majority of votes, the source said.

It noted that all of Pristina's interim institutions had previously confirmed that Srpska lista had completed all procedures.

The formal reason cited by the Self-Determination representatives is that the Srpska lista leader did not say "Long live the Republic of Kosovo" during a presentation of candidates and that he used the term Kosovo-Metohija, rather than the term "Republic of Kosovo," the source said.

Srpska lista has 48 hours to appeal the decision.

Srpska lista is the strongest Serb party in Kosovo-Metohija and its representatives have noted on many occasions in the past that it was being targeted by attacks from Pristina as it was representing the interests of Serbs in the province.