Bishop of the Serbian Church called on Kosovo Serbs to boycott the elections

Bishop Artemy - the head of the Rashki -Grazrel diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church , the department of which is located in Kosovo, called on Kosovo Serbs to boycott the parliamentary elections in the region, scheduled for November 17. This was reported the day before by Belgrade news agencies.

“The Serbs have no place in the authorities that strive to destroy our state, take our territory and prevent the normal life of the Serbian people,” RIA Novosti quoted the Bishop’s statement, which sounded in an interview with the Kosovo Mitrovitsa radio station.

Since the tragic March events of 2004, when 19 Kosovo Serbs were killed as a result of the waves of violence by the Albanians, Serbian houses were burned and Orthodox churches were destroyed, nothing was done to normalize the life of the Serbs, to protect their rights and to return refugees, the bishop recalled, explaining his position.

According to the bishop, negotiations on the status of Kosovo, which are carried out through the mediation of the "three" representatives of the contact group in Kosovo, are doomed to failure in advance, since "the Albanians are promised independence, which is why they are not prone to any compromise."

In the event that after December 10, Privitin unilaterally proclaim independence, Kosovo Serbs should not recognize her and put up with her, but must continue to behave as if Kosovo remains part of Serbia, Bishop Artemy believes.

The upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo will become the fifth in a row, starting in 1999, when the leadership of the region has passed to the international administration.