Serbs in north Kosovo vote against Pristina control
Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:52 GMT
* Referendum could complicate Serbia's EU candidacy
* Result rejected by Pristina
* Vote follows ethnic clashes last year
By Branislav Krstic
BELGRADE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo have overwhelmingly rejected the authority of the government in Pristina, in a referendum that could aggravate relations between Kosovo and Serbia and complicate Belgrade's bid to join the European Union.
Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after a NATO air campaign launched to stop the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians. However Serbs remain the majority in a small northern swathe bordering Serbia, and residents have resisted efforts by the ethic Albanian government to extend its authority there.
Preliminary results out late on Wednesday showed that 99.7 percent of voters rejected Serb participation in Pristina-governed bodies.
The mayor of the Serb stronghold of Mitrovica said the result sent a message to foreign missions in Kosovo to respect Serb rights that many say are being trampled on.
"The referendum states the obvious ... that Kosovo is part of Serbia. It sends a message to the international community that pressure on northern Kosovo should be eased," Krstimir Pantic told a news conference in the town.
The government and parliament in Pristina has declared the referendum null and void and also accused Belgrade of meddling in Kosovo's internal affairs, that despite Belgrade's plea to the four towns' leaders not to hold the vote.
Political watchers say the referendum could further stoke ethnic tensions and damage Belgrade's efforts to revive its EU membership bid. Brussels delayed a decision to grant Serbia candidate status in December, citing concerns over its fraught relations with Kosovo, which gained independence in 2008.
"Serbs in the northern Kosovo did not vote against the government in Pristina, but against the government in Belgrade," said Serbia's state secretary for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic. "Four municipalities cannot set Serbia's long-term interests."
Other Serb enclaves dotted around Kosovo, which account for 60 percent of ethnic Serbs in the country, did not take part. Around 75 percent of the 36,000-strong electorate braved deep snow and sub-zero temperatures to vote. No international observers monitored the referendum, called in December following clashes earlier in 2011.
In July, Kosovo authorities tried to take over two border crossings with Serbia, but local Serbs resisted their efforts and erected barricades. Dozens were wounded in weeks of clashes and one ethnic Albanian policeman was killed. (Reporting By Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Zoran Radosavljevic and Ben Harding)
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