In a joint statement on Friday, the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU Office in Kosovo expressed concern after the Central Election Commission (CEC) refused to certify the Serbian List.

“We are concerned by political actors’ efforts to limit competition among parties representing minority communities ahead of the Oct. 12 local elections,” the statement said.

On Thursday, the CEC also did not certify the Serbian Democracy (Srpska Demokratija) party led by Aleksandar Arsenijević, who is wanted by Kosovo security authorities. QUINT and the EU said that “any action to exclude certain communities undermines democratic principles and public trust in Kosovo’s institutions.”

They added that they expect the caretaker government and all political parties “to refrain from further steps that could impede party registration.”

Two members of Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje party voted against certifying the Serbian List, while members of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Democratic League of Kosovo, and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo abstained.

Earlier on Friday, the Serbian List filed a complaint with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) against the CEC decision, describing the non-certification as “illegal and discriminatory.”

QUINT and the EU encouraged affected parties to fully use the electoral complaints mechanism to seek a resolution, emphasizing that “all procedures must be conducted strictly in accordance with the rules and mandate of the Central Election Commission.”

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