Efforts to marginalize the Serbian List are more of a political signal to domestic opinion, Emir Abrashi from the Democracy Plus organization told Radio Free Europe.
According to him, there is no legal basis - whether political or discretionary - to eliminate this party, which is the largest of the Serbs in Kosovo and enjoys the support of Belgrade.
On Saturday, members of the Vetevendosje Movement at the Central Election Commission voted against confirming the final election results for the Serb List.
The US Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe that the CEC's decision is contrary to the right of citizens to democratically elect their representatives.
"Any attempt to violate this basic principle undermines the partnership between the United States and Kosovo," a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe.
The CEC's decision also prompted a reaction from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which demanded respect for international electoral standards and the transparent publication of results.
Albin Kurti's Vetëvendosje Movement, which won the December 28 snap elections, had previously attempted to prevent the Serb List from participating in the elections, but the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel had repeatedly overturned these decisions.
This time, the Serbian List again complained about the CEC's decision, which it described as "shameful, discriminatory and illegal."
Belgrade political scientist Ognjen Gogić says that with these actions, Vetëvendosje is sending a message to the Serb community, which has mainly voted for the Serb List, that it is not important and that its votes are not taken into account.
"This is divisive for relations in Kosovo," he tells Radio Free Europe.
In the Kosovo Assembly, ten seats are reserved for the Serb community. The Serb List, with over 42 votes, won nine, while one was secured by Nenad Rašić from the Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival.
The Vetëvendosje movement insists on its position that the Serbian List is "an extended hand of Belgrade."
As one of the reasons why she does not want to cooperate with him, she cites the fact that she has never distanced herself from her former deputy mayor, Milan Radoićić, who took responsibility for the armed attack in Banjska in September 2023.
Vetëvendosje expresses its openness to cooperation with Rašić and insists that positions in the Government or the Assembly of Kosovo, which by the Constitution belong to representatives of the Serbian community, be given to his party.
However, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found last week that the deputy speaker of the Assembly from among the Serb community can only be appointed by the largest parliamentary party of this community, which in this case is the Serbian List.
Gogić estimates that efforts to eliminate the Serbian List from the political scene harm not only Kosovo Serbs, but the entire country, as, as he says, they risk causing an institutional blockade.
"Kosovo could also miss the deadlines for the constitution of the Assembly if Vetevendosje gets angry with the Serb List. Time is being wasted and nothing is being achieved, because eliminating the Serb List is not possible," he says.
After the elections of February 9 last year, Kosovo faced a deep institutional and political crisis, as Albanian parties failed to reach an agreement on the election of the Speaker of the Assembly.
The blockade then continued due to the election of the vice-president from the ranks of the Serbian community, as Vetevendosje refused to vote for the candidates of the Serbian List.
Abrashi from the Democracy Plus organization also says that the Serbian List cannot be eliminated.
According to him, political parties can only be excluded from the electoral process if they do not meet the established legal criteria, or if they are declared illegal by the competent judicial or security bodies.
“Without such a decision – including the declaration as a terrorist organization or other illegal entity – there is no legal basis for excluding the Serbian List solely for political or discretionary reasons,” says Abrashi.
He adds that the role of the Central Election Commission is administrative and procedural, not political, and that any action outside its clearly defined mandate is subject to review.
"The rule of law, legal certainty and equal treatment of all election participants remain essential for maintaining the credibility of the electoral process and trust in institutions," Abrashi emphasizes.
Gogić assesses that the gap between the Serbian List and Vetëvendosje is deepening, but adds that cooperation between them is necessary for the formation of new institutions.
In this context, he recalls the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo in favor of the Serbian List, according to which the Assembly of Kosovo cannot be constituted without the election of the deputy speaker from among the Serbian community, while the candidate for this position can only be proposed by the largest parliamentary party of this community.
"It would be important for Vetevendosje to compromise with the Serb List, which, for example, could secure the quorum for the election of the president. The system in Kosovo requires the participation of communities and their legitimate representatives," says Gogić, warning that Vetevendosje could cause harm to all of Kosovo if it continues to ignore the Serb List.
Otherwise, the acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, stated in December last year that Kosovo's disputes with the United States are mainly related to Serbia and its structures.
According to him, the US considers his stance towards Serbia to be very rigorous.
In September 2025, the US temporarily suspended the Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo due to concerns about the actions of the incumbent Government.
Efforts to eliminate the Serbian List from the electoral process have also prompted reactions from the European Union and Western embassies, which have demanded that minority communities be guaranteed equal participation in political processes. /REL/
