WILL KOSOVANS (SERBS) VOTE THROUGH INTERNET

Click online to vote

Around 1 million and 500 thousand Kosovans have the right to vote, 180 thousand of which will be voting for the first time.


By Arben Llapashtica (KIJAC)-STUDENT
llapashticaarben@hotmail.com

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Prishtinë — Just a click done to download the voting formulary on the internet may become fatal for the final result of the Kosovan parliamentary elections that are planned to be held on 17th November.

This e-form that allows voting from internet is considered a controversial method due to the fact that the small Kosovan political parties think of if as a tool in cheating or manipulating during the parliamentary elections.

The small Kosovan parties that claim that Kosovo Serbs living outside Kosovo will vote more than one time through internet and undermine the right results of the elections consider this controversial method as a scandal.

Mr. Joachim Ruecker Special Representative of the Secretary General in Kosovo has caused quite e debate with his declaration that Kosovans that are living abroad can vote through internet with no need to come to Kosovo and vote.

Aleanca e Re e Kosovës (AKR) together with Reform Party (ORA) have strongly opposed the idea of voting through internet for the third Kosovo elections that are going to be held in Kosovo in November 2007.

These two parties have expressed their concerns that this mode of voting may cause serious manipulations of the votes that come from the internet.

Veton Surroi member of Kosovo Parliament and the leader of the ORA Reform Party says that the regulation that offers the possibility to vote through internet for those Kosovans that live abroad is very shocking.

“We have sent our complaint letter to ODIHR which is a committee inside OSCE that deals with elections. I think that this will be written in the comical analysis because things like this do not happen even in Central Asia”, said Surroi while adding examples of possible manipulations with internet votes.

He said that in Smederevo the Serb secret services could use the stolen databases from Kosovo to fill thousands of forms and at the same time a breadwinner of a Kosovan family in Zurich can take the ID number cards of his family and vote for each of them depriving his family members from their individual right to vote.

“This is a scandal that is trying to be hidden by different interpretations and it would be even a greater scandal if the voting letters would be published in the newspapers”, ended Veton Surroi head of ORA Reform Party.

In addition, the Aleanca e Re e Kosovës (AKR) condemns this way of voting because there could be lack of control in this way of voting. Ibrahim Makolli deputy head of AKR says that if there would enough assuring control then this form of voting could be implemented but otherwise no.
“There is a need to have strict control on this and only then can be applied”, said Makolli.

Nevertheless Serbs living outside Kosovo will have the possibility to vote in the upcoming elections with the use of internet, Mr. Werner Wnendt head of OSCE said during his last week of stay in Kosovo as head of the OSCE. He assured the Kosovan political leaders that the way of voting through internet will not create any problems during the elections in November 17th.

However it is not yet known will Serbs take part in the elections for the national Parliament but also to chose their representatives in the local governments.

Until now 8 Serb political subjects have applied to be certifies but Serbs are still in between and indecisive of boycotting or taking part in the elections. While Prishtina authorities say to them to be part of the elections, Belgrade orders them to do the opposite – to boycott the triple elections.

In Gračanica the largest Serb enclave, the local Serbs are divided in their preferences to boycott or be part of the elections. “I think that we should take part in the elections because we will decide ourselves for our fate. We live here and we need to vote here”, says Dragan Miletić from this Serbian enclave in Kosovo.
On the other hand, Momir Ilić also a Gračanica inhabitant says that he will vote on those elections that will be organized by Republic of Serbia and her president Boris Tadić. In Belgrade have said to us to not to participate in the elections organized by Albanians, and me and my family will not participate”, he said.
Slobodan Samardžić, the Serb minister for Kosovo, made the firs call that Serbs should not be part of the elections organized by the Provisional Joint Institutions of Self Governance (PISGs).
“Kosovo Serbs will not participate in the elections of the 17th November because if they do they will legitimate the unjust standpoint that the Albanian majority has to decide for the Serbian minority. In this way they if Serbs take part then they will always be a minority”, says Serbian minister Slobodan Samardžić.

He said that even if a Serb party will take part in the elections it would not create any possibility that would be good for Serbs needs in Kosovo.

Less provocative was Boris Tadić the actual Serb president, who claimed that he has not the power to instruct Serbs in Kosovo to be or not to be part of the elections process.
“I respect the rights of Albanians but I also want to defend the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”, says the Serb president.

In Kosovo Serb politicians are divided around the participation in the triple elections in Kosovo. While Oliver Ivanović has registered his political subject “The Serbian list for Kosovo” in the Central Election Committee but it seems that he is late in being certified for the elections.

“I personally will vote and many Serbs will vote for the Serbian list of Kosovo. We have not given in time the application and it has not been accepted because that we have not fulfilled the conditions”, says Ivanović adding that he aggress with the standpoint of Serbia that Serbs need to boycott the elections in Kosovo.

The Serbian governments call for boycotting the elections in Kosovo is being ignored by Slaviša Petković an ex minister in the Kosovo government that was in charge of the returns programme.

He and his party Srpska Demokratska Stranka will take part in the elections.
“The decision not to take part in the elections is not a serous one. I think that Serbs need to go out and vote”, says Petković.

Central Elections Committee (KQZ) has extended for a couple of days the deadline to political parties to work on their candidates lists, before doing the final certification of candidates’ names.

Eight Serb political subjects have respected the deadline and applied to take part in the triple elections process.

Mazllum Baraliu the head of the secretariat of the Elections Committee (CEC) said, “CEC is being maximally organized for the elections process and everything is going as it should” He also added that until now received 97 applications, but on the second round of certification only 61 finished second round of certification.

Ilir Dugolli a Kosovan analyst says that the Belgrade position is harming Kosovo Serbs.
“The Belgrade call to Kosovo Serbs not to participate in the forthcoming election is harmful for the later and is fails to take in to account interest of Kosovo Serbs. That will only further entrench Kosovo Serbs in their isolationism from Kosovo institutions and make it more difficult for the former to protect and promote their interest”, he said.

This year will be the first time that voters can vote for their preferred candidates. If elections will be harmful in any way to the Kosovo status they will be postponed.

Kosovans for the last time have voted in 2004 in the parliamentary elections. While the local elections needed to be held, a year ago but they were postponed. Around 1 million and 500 thousand Kosovans have the right to vote, 180 thousand of which will be voting for the first time.