Petkovic: Belgrade welcomes Srpska lista decision to run in Kosovo-Metohija elections

BELGRADE - Belgrade welcomes the Srpska lista decision to run in the February 9 elections in Kosovo-Metohija to win a landslide victory by taking all ten seats guaranteed to Serbs in Pristina's assembly to continue to fight for the survival of Serbs in the province by democratic means and through institutions, says the head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic.

"All that has been happening to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, especially in the past several months and in the north in particular, has just given additional strength to our people and to Srpska lista to run in those elections and win a landslide victory. The list of 48 Srpska lista candidates says enough about its seriousness. It is a political party and a political factor representing the strength of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, and they are the only legitimate representative of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija," Petkovic told Prva TV.

He said the electoral list included the most reputable medical doctors, university professors, holders of other doctoral degrees and many significant and courageous people, including Dragica Gasic, the first woman to return to her native town of Djakovica since the 1999 war.

Petkovic said Pristina's PM Albin Kurti would spare no expenses or influence in an attempt to call the legitimacy and electoral victory of Srpska lista in question.

What matters to Kurti is to fill the ten guaranteed seats with Serbs who are loyal to him and who are looking after "their personal interests and Pristina's interests, rather than after the interests of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija," Petkovic noted.