The CEC provides several alternative centers for schools blocked by Serbs

The Central Election Commission has provided alternative centers after the Serbian principals' refusal to make schools in the north available for the April 21 vote to dismiss the mayors of four municipalities. And the Minister of Internal Affairs expressed his readiness to assist if the CEC asks the Police to open schools that are managed by illegal Serbian structures

The Central Election Commission has secured about 10 more voting centers to carry out the process of dismissing the mayors of the four northern municipalities with a Serbian majority, on April 21.
Of the 43 voting centers planned by the CEC, 33 of them were not made available by the Serbian school principals in these municipalities.

But on Thursday, the member of the CEC from the ranks of the PDK, Arianit Elshani, told KOĖN that so far they have received confirmation for the provision of about 20 voting centers in total. 

"Somewhere around 20 confirmations have been received so far of the spaces and I believe that somewhere will be brought, but I can't say exactly if they are 22 or 23 or how many, but around 20 voting centers out of the 43 planned which we had initially as the central election commission", said Elshani.

He stated that these voting centers will not be in containers, as when voting was done for these presidents on April 23, 2023, but in public spaces, sports halls and AKP property.

On Wednesday, CEC members insisted on the opening of all voting centers in the north, despite the opposition of school principals appointed by illegal structures.

And, if such a thing is requested from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its leader, Xelal Sveçla, said that the Police will fulfill the request. 

"We are in support of any decision of the Central Electoral Commission to organize, well, well, peacefully these elections. "Any legal request that comes to us from the Central Electoral Commission, we must, but I believe that all the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo are ready to assist", said Sveçla on Thursday after the Government meeting.

The Serbs have warned that they will boycott the process initiated by them for the dismissal of the mayors in North Mitrovica, Zveçan, Zubin-Potok and Leposaviq, giving several reasons, such as the number of voters, observing the process with cameras and others.

In order to dismiss the mayors, according to the instructions of the Ministry of Local Government Administration, a vote in favor of 50 percent of the electoral body of the respective municipality, plus one voter, is needed. 

If this process also passes, then new elections are organized in these four municipalities.

The April 21 process was initiated with a petition, which requested the signature of 20 percent of the electoral body of each municipality.

The Serbs and the Serbian parties had boycotted the elections of April 23, 2023 in the northern municipalities, but after the placement of the heads of the Albanian parties in the municipal buildings, they incited tensions and violent protests, where many journalists, police and soldiers of the NATO peacekeeping mission were injured. s, KFOR.