The Parliament of Kosovo voted on Saturday January 16 against the organization on its territory of a constitutional referendum organized by Serbia. This consultation, supposed to make justice more independent in Serbia, is demanded by the European Union in the context of Serbia’s accession negotiations to the EU.
Unlike previous elections organized by Serbia, there will be no polling stations this Sunday in the majority areas populated by Serbs in Kosovo.
The approximately 100,000 Serbs living in Kosovo will be able to either vote by post or exercise their right to vote in four towns in central Serbia. “ The organization of a referendum by a foreign country is a violation of the Constitution and the sovereignty of Kosovo says a resolution adopted by 76 Kosovar deputies.
Ballots prevented from crossing the border
A sign of the tensions between Belgrade and Pristina, the Kosovar police prevented the entry into its territory of two trucks carrying ballot papers. This reform of the Constitution wanted by the European Union aims to make the judiciary independent and to allow the election of judges and prosecutors without political influence.
The initiative has provoked an outcry from the majority of opposition parties in Serbia, which sees it as a maneuver by the ruling party and calls for a boycott of the election. Many observers also question the validity of a referendum that does not require a majority to pass.
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