Municipalities with a Serb majority refuse to participate in vote to oust Albanian mayors

In a stunning turn of events, only 253 out of 46,556 registered voters cast their ballots in a referendum in Kosovo on Sunday, where residents of four Serb-majority municipalities were asked to vote on removing their ethnic Albanian mayors from office. The low turnout was largely attributed to a boycott called for by Kosovo’s main ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista, which has close ties with Belgrade.

The referendum was seen as a crucial step in diffusing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, both of which are seeking to join the European Union. However, the boycott led to a dismal voter turnout, with no ballots cast at all in the Zvecan municipality.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani accused Serbia’s government of exerting pressure on Serbs in Kosovo to boycott the referendum, calling it an illegal interference in another country’s election process. Meanwhile, Srpska Lista defended the boycott, stating that they wanted to replace the mayors but did not want to participate in what they called games directed by the government in Pristina.

The referendum’s failure leaves the region in a tense status quo, with no immediate developments expected in the months ahead. The United States and the EU have been struggling to resume dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, with talks stalling after a deadly shootout between Kosovo police and Serb gunmen last September. Brussels has warned that the refusal to compromise jeopardizes both countries’ chances of joining the EU.