Zlatan Elek, leader of Kosovo’s Serbian List, has vowed to appeal the Central Election Commission’s decision to block his party from participating in next year’s parliamentary elections. The move has sparked accusations of political interference from Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The leader of the Serbian List in Kosovo, Zlatan Elek, has vowed to appeal the decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to block his party from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections in February 2025.
The CEC’s ruling, made on December 23, disqualified the Serbian List, the largest political party representing Kosovo’s Serbian minority, from standing in the elections. Elek accused Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti of orchestrating the move to prevent the party from securing seats in the country’s parliament.
“This decision has no legal basis,” Elek said. “It’s an attempt to exclude Serbs from these areas and an abuse of power against the Serbian people.” He also claimed that Kurti preferred “compliant Serbs” in parliament, rather than representatives of the Serbian List.
The CEC’s objections centred on the use of the term “Kosovo and Metohija” in a campaign video and the slogan “Long Live the Republic of Serbia.” Elek defended the term, saying it was a valid historical reference and not an illegal act.
“I am proud to be Serbian and stand by every word I said in that video,” Elek said.
The Serbian List has been a dominant political force within Kosovo’s Serbian community, and Elek views the decision as part of a broader effort by Kurti to undermine Serb representation in Kosovo’s government.
Elek confirmed that an appeal would be lodged with Kosovo’s courts and thanked Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?, along with the U.S. Embassy, for condemning the CEC’s ruling.
Both the U.S. and German embassies, as well as the European Union, expressed concern over the decision, stressing that the certification process should remain a neutral and formal procedure.
