Kosovo’s Security Council has accused Serbia of attempting to “sabotage the establishment of new institutions” and the ninth legislature of Kosovo, resulting from the February 9 parliamentary elections.
The Kosovo government announced that the Security Council held a meeting on April 6 at the request of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti to discuss the security situation and Serbia’s alleged destabilizing plans.
The government reiterated previous accusations that Serbia interfered in the February 9 elections through the Serb List party – accusations also made by Germany and the EU election monitoring mission.
“Serbia is now interfering with some deputies from non-majority and non-Serb communities to sabotage the establishment of the new institutions of the ninth legislature. With threats and inducements, and especially with blackmail, it is trying to incite interethnic and inter-party tensions in Kosovo and destabilize Kosovo,” Kurti’s office said in a statement, without specifying which deputies or communities are involved.
The Security Council said this constitutes interference in “the state sovereignty, democratic functioning and institutional integrity of our country.”
Kurti, whose Vetëvendosje Movement won the February 9 elections, has held meetings with minority community parties in Kosovo to discuss the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the government.
On April 2, Kurti met with Emilija Rexhepi, chairwoman of the New Democratic Party (Bosniak community), and Nenad Rasic, chairman of the Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival (Serbian community). Both expressed willingness to cooperate with Kurti’s Vetëvendosje Movement.
Subsequent meetings were held with representatives of other non-Serb parties.
According to the announcement, the Security Council also discussed a grenade attack on the Kosovo Post Office in Zve?an on April 1 and the arrest of four “Serbian pilgrims” in Gjakova on Saturday evening.
The Council alleged that one of those arrested was a lieutenant in the Serbian police and another a captain in the Serbian army. Police reports state that four suspects were arrested in Gjakova on April 5 after knives and an axe were found in their vehicle.
