**Kosovo Banns Ethnic Serb Party from Elections**
The Central Election Commission in Kosovo has banned the main ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista, from participating in the upcoming general election. The decision was made because of the party’s nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia.
The leader of Srpska Lista, Zlatan Elek, called the ban “institutional and political violence” against the ethnic minority. He said it was done on the orders of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to gain easy political points.
Kurti has accused the party of being behind incidents in the four northern municipalities where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives. The prime minister also accused Belgrade of planning terrorist attacks in Kosovo during new year festivities and Orthodox Christmas.
**Background**
Kosovo was a Serbian province until a war broke out between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999. The war left about 11,400 dead, mainly ethnic Albanians. NATO‘s bombing campaign ended the war and pushed Serbian forces out. Kosovo proclaimed independence in 2008, which Serbia doesn’t recognize.
The ban on Srpska Lista has raised concerns among Western powers that it may further aggravate already tense ties between Kosovo and Serbia.
**Reaction**
Serb President Aleksandar Vučić criticized the move, saying “Kurti is trying to root out the Serb people from our southern province.” Vučić also accused Kurti of being behind the ban in order to gain easy political points.
The situation has raised tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. The European Union-facilitated negotiations to normalize ties with neighboring Serbia are a top priority for any Cabinet in power after the polls.