Kostunica's Response to Patriarch on Kosovo Elections

Kostunica: I have no right to call the Serbs to participate in elections without guarantees
Tanjug - October 4, 2004

17:02 BELGRADE , Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian Premier Vojislav Kostunica on Monday said in response to Sunday's letter from Serbian orthodox church leader, Patriarch Pavle, that since there are no concrete institutional guarrantees for the Kosovo Serbs, he is not entiteled to call on them to take part in the October elections.

"The stand of the government and my own are unequivocally clear: since there are no institutional guarrantees I, as prime minister, have no right to call the Serbs to participate in the elections," said Kosunica in response to the Patriarch's letter sent to him and Serbian President Boris Tadic. The Patriarch said that "the unprotected people in Kosovo-Metohija should not be called to participate in the elections."