Petkovic: Local elections on Sunday of crucial importance for survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija

Photo: Tanjug/Sava Radovanovic

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said today that the upcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija are essential for the survival of the Serb people in the southern province and called on all Serbs living there, as well as internally displaced persons, to go to the polls on October 12 and vote for the Serb List.

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Petkovic said that these local elections are crucial in order to return the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija to the Serb hands and confirm victory in the six Serb municipalities south of the Ibar.

"We have entered the last week of the campaign. I urge all Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as internally displaced persons, to listen to the call and appeal of the state of Serbia and to respond and to vote for the Serb List, to circle number 170 on the ballot paper and show that Serbs in Kosovo and Kosovo still have their legitimate representatives," Petkovic told TV Pink.

He stressed that Serb List's victory also means the continuation of infrastructural projects and financial assistance from the state of Serbia, stressing that the Serb List has the full support of President Aleksandar Vucic and the state.

"With that victory, we should remove from the north the fake Albanian mayors who have for almost three years have done all they could with various anti-Serb decisions to change the reality on the ground, and return these municipalities to the Serb hands, for Serb mayors to come in, for the Serbs to have a say once again. This is of crucial importance," said Petkovic.

He pointed out that Albin Kurti tried to ban the Serb List and reduce the number of members of the party's election committees, as well as that in the previous elections he installed four fake Albanian mayors who, with only a few hundred votes, governed the Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, where 98 percent of Serbs live.

"He tried in a variety of ways, through institutional violence, arrests of Serbs, shutting down of Serb institutions, harassment of our people, militarization of the north of Kosovo and Metohija, he tried absolutely everything he could to drive out the Serb people," Petkovic stated and added that 20 percent of Serbs left northern Kosovo due to Kurti's terror.

Petkovic said that Kurti tried to install Albanians in the north of Kosovo and to integrate the north into the so-called the Kosovo system, but that the Serb people, both north and south of the Ibar, held their ground and were always looking in the direction of Belgrade and President Aleksandar Vucic.

"You can mistreat, trample on the people, but you cannot take away what they feel and what they carry in their hearts. And the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija carry the state of Serbia in their hearts. And that will be evident in these local elections," said Petkovic.

He added that a lot is being done for the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and that peace and stability are being preserved under impossible conditions.

Petkovic said that 200,000 citizens who are against (anti-government) blockades will take part in rallies against on October 11, which were announced by Serb President Aleksandar Vucic, and who will also show their support to the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and the Serb List.

"Weather permitting, Saturday will be especially dedicated to the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and the Serb List, and then on Sunday, October 12, the Serb List will win and we will continue to do everything we have been doing in the previous period in terms of various projects," said Petkovic.

He reminded that in February, an aid measure was introduced for the most socially vulnerable Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and that 5,000 citizens receive 20,000 dinars each month.

"Now in October, we will continue with the aid package and another 5,000 Serbs, who are unemployed and have no income, will receive 20,000 dinars per month from the state. This will amount to a monthly assistance for 10,000 Serbs, and in this way the state of Serbia further motivates them to stay and survive in Kosovo and Metohija," said Petkovic.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)