Osmani: Elections in northern Kosovo if 20 percent of voters sign a petition demanding elections

Vjosa Osmani / Photo: Armend NIMANI / AFP / Profimedia

In Kosovo, new elections can be held in the municipalities with a majority Serb population, affected by protests, if 20 percent of the voters sign a petition demanding elections, the Kosovo media reported today, transmitting parts of an interview with the Kosovo president. Vjosa Osmani for Reuters.

Osmani said he believed the petition was the "most democratic way" to move toward new elections. "In this way, I think we would ensure the participation of the Serbs, because the request will come from them, from the citizens," she stressed.

Osmani said the change of mayors by ballot petition would be "something like a referendum" that would pave the way for a second vote to elect new mayors. She said that this entire process can be done within a few months. However, it is not clear whether local Serbian voters will participate in the petition, the agency notes.

Osmani said that before new elections are called, Kosovo will need assurances from the international community that Belgrade will not interfere.

As tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flare, NATO has boosted its peacekeeping force in the north of the country. Osmani said he wants these peacekeeping troops to stay until Kosovo is admitted to NATO.

Osmani met with Vucic in a meeting mediated by the French president Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moldova last week. She described the Serbian president as a "drama king". "Vucic is a real drama king in most meetings," she said. "So, of course, he again tried to create a lot of drama, but he didn't present ideas that would contribute to peace and stability in the region."

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