Kosovo's election authority has made a significant decision by barring the main ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista, from competing in the upcoming parliamentary election. The Central Election Commission justified this move by citing the party's nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia.
The commission highlighted that Srpska Lista leader Zlatan Elek has consistently referred to Kosovo as 'Kosovo i Metohija,' indicating Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo, in line with Belgrade's terminology. Additionally, the party's strong connections with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serbian leaders who do not recognize Kosovo's independence were also mentioned as reasons for the disqualification.
There has been no immediate response from Srpska Lista following the decision. This development is likely to further strain the already tense relations between Kosovo and Serbia, despite ongoing international efforts to normalize the situation.
The parliamentary election in Kosovo is scheduled for February 9 and is expected to be a crucial test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose governing party secured a landslide victory in 2021. Kosovo, a former Serbian province, declared independence in 2008 following NATO's intervention in 1999, which ended a conflict between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists.
However, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence and still regards it as its province, exerting significant influence over the ethnic Serb minority residing in the region.
