Kosovo Serbs form separate parliament in show of defiance

13:45 Sun 29 Jun 2008 - Spasena Baramova

On June 28 2008, Kosovo Serbs convened their own parliament in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica, thus defying the authority of the newly-independent Kosovar state, world news agencies reported.

Forty-five delegates from 26 municipalities gathered for the first session of the Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija and drew up a declaration in which they proclaimed that Kosovo was an integral part of Serbia.

Slobodan Samardzic, outgoing Serbian minister for Kosovo-Metohija of the nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia, came to Mitrovica to attend the inaugural session of the Kosovo Serb parliament. “Serbs in Kosovo now have democratically elected representatives and bodies of authority [...] These bodies will be de facto a part of Serbia's authority in the field, that will function to enable Serbs, Goranis and other non-Albanians to live safely in their land and as citizens of Serbia,” he said, as quoted by Beta news agency, broadcaster B92 reported.

The date on which the Serbian assembly came to life was not selected randomly. On June 28, Serbs celebrate Vidovdan (St Vitus Day). On this day in 1389, Medieval Serbia lost the Battle of Kosovo to the Ottoman empire, a moment in history that makes Serbs especially attached to Kosovo, which they see as a historical and religious stronghold.

Thousands of Serbs gathered at the Gazimestan monument near Pristina to honour the date, with heightened security measures being taken by the Kosovo police. No incidents were reported.

The newly-created Kosovo Serb parliament consists predominantly of representatives of the nationalist Serbian parties. The pro-European Democratic Party (DS), whose coalition won the elections in Serbia on May 11 and is very close to forming a cabinet with the Socialist Party of Serbia, refrained from taking part in the assembly.

“We will wait until a new Serbian government is formed and a decision taken on whether this assembly contributes to the survival of the Serbian community in Kosovo, or, maybe, serves interests contrary to our struggle to keep Kosovo within our borders,” Goran Bogdanovic, Kosovo’s leader of the DS, said, as quoted by website Balkan Insight.

The Kosovar authorities were quick to slam the formation of the Serb parliament in Mitrovica. Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu defined it as a destabilising act. Head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo Lamberto Zannier, however, took a more moderate stance, saying he attached little importance to the event since to him the Kosovo Serb parliament was rather symbolic.

Kosovo broke away from Serbia on February 17, following decades of ethnic tension, genocide and war. The Kosovar have long struggled to form a statehood of their own, amidst severe protests on the part of Serbia, though with the support of the United States and most of the European Union countries. A total of 43 countries have recognised Kosovo so far, including 20 EU member states, according to website kosovothanksyou.com.

Comments

Comments by NeroN - 15:57 29 Jun 2008
	there has never been a genocide in Kosovo, not even Albanians advocate that stance. Your journalists really need to pay more attention on the sources their articles are based on. besides, ethnic cleansing of kosovo serbs in 1999 and 2004 was far more brutal.
Comments by Eta - 21:22 29 Jun 2008
	It is very sad that serb extremists still linger in Kosovo. With a 95% albanian population majority and the support of the world, Kosovo is clearly independant, as it should have been years ago. After serbs massacred in Bosnia and Croatia, it was Kosovo's turn, the number of deaths reaching tens of thousands and the number of refugees near 1 million. The ONU has recognised the massacre in Recak (the one in Gjakova is still debated), and the United States and UN countries have stated that this "war" (although the albanians only had peaceful protests) was ethnic cleansing against the Albanians. serbs tried to repeat what they did in Bosnia and Croatia, until the US intervened. What the serbs did was genocide, that's for sure. And since the world has accepted that fact and is helping the albanians rebuild their destroyed country, we know that we can finally hope for peace.
Comments by Anne - 22:28 29 Jun 2008
	...an illegal state of Kosovo is opposed by the vast majority of the world (over 150 countries). it is a dangerous precedant which will stay annuled by international law, including the UN which still considers it as part of Serbia (res. 1244).
Comments by Daniel - 06:47 30 Jun 2008
	Defiance for what? Kosovo will never be Serbia. They can show as much defiance as they want, but they will never rule Kosovo. Kosovo is an independent state, and it will never be part of Serbia again.
Comments by independencia - 11:51 30 Jun 2008
	I really do not understand Serbs. They are still living with rethorics, that Kosovo is their holy cradle of their civilization. Serbia ought to now that has permanently lost Kosovo. Kosovo wasn't and will never be part of Serbia. So, please, serbian people, look forward and take the advantage the EU is offering to you, to be integrated i the EU and other important organizations, and do not look anymore toward Kosovo.
Comments by NeroN - 16:53 30 Jun 2008
	throughout history kosovo was a cultural centre of the Serb medieval Kingdom and its Empire. after serbia reemerged by forcing out the turks it managed to reacquire Kosovo in 1912. There are 11,000 Serb churches and monasteries in the province, most of whom are ancient. Kosovo could be DE FACTO independent for some 43 nations, but its DE JURE independence will remain blocked by Serbia- for all the eternity. It will always remain a partially recognized periphery in the Balkans as Serbia further progresses.