Serbs "could leave" govt. over failure to implement deal

Ahead of a final decision of the Constitutional Court in Pristina, Belgrade is saying it has no intention of giving up on what was signed in Brussels.
Source: B92 Monday, November 16, 2015 | 14:39

Representatives of Serbs in Kosovo are announcing they could leave the government if the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) is not formed.
Although Serbia has no alternative to dialogue, the possibility of breaking off the Kosovo talks is not being ruled out.

The situation in which one party is free to do anything, while they other can do nothing, is explained by Serbian officials by saying that "while Pristina is killing the dialogue, Belgrade is not agreeing to a circus show."

Has the time come to also be thinking about breaking off the Brussels negotiations? "The only option that is out of the question is to give up on living in this area, " Branimir Stojanovic, a Serb who is currently a deputy Kosovo prime minister, commented, and added:

"Everything else is an option. When we exhaust all possibilities for reasonable dialogue that makes sense, then I believe that, just as someone had decided to talk, a decision can also be made not to talk."

Serb representatives in Kosovo say that Pristina is currently carrying out "quiet ethnic cleansing by institutional means." They say their participation in the government of Kosovo will be reconsidered - specifying they will "likely leave the government" if the agreement on the ZSO - a part of the EU-sponsored Brussels agreement - is not respected by Pristina.

"Leaving would not mean an end to normalization of relations. I think that Brussels (EU), which has been passive and unconvincing in its reaction to Pristina, could become engaged, as well as Washington," says Chairman of the Serbian Parliament's Committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun.

Meanwhile, experts are categorical - whatever the other side does, it is best to stay at the table.

"I do not know of another model except conversation... I think closing the door is an invitation to conflict, and I do not see any possibility nor the desire to make it happen," said Nenad Djurdjevic of the Forum for Ethnic Relations NGO.

The final decision of the Constitutional Court in Pristina in connection with the establishment of the ZSO should be made very quickly. The reaction of Serbia is already known - Director of the Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric says what has been signed in Brussels will not be given up, and that Belgrade does not consider the court is question to be "a competent instance."