“It is a matter for the Central Election Commission,” said acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, when asked about the non-certification of the Serbian List’s parliamentary candidates. Kurti was also cautious about commenting on the U.S. Embassy’s reaction to LVV following the CEC’s non-certification of the Serbian List, a decision that was later overturned by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel.

Regarding the statement from the U.S. Embassy, which said that “VV’s efforts to block the certification of the Serbian List to participate in Kosovo’s elections are short-sighted and divisive,” Kurti briefly replied that these are matters for the embassy and that he is the acting Prime Minister of Kosovo.

“That is a matter for the U.S. Embassy, it is a matter for the CEC, I am the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo,” he said.

On Wednesday, the CEC did not certify the Serbian List’s candidates for the early parliamentary elections on December 28.

Weeks earlier, the CEC had also not certified the Serbian List as a party to participate in the elections. However, after their appeal, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and later the Supreme Court certified the list.

Regarding the non-certification of the Serbian List’s parliamentary candidates, Democracy in Action (DnV) also reacted on Thursday, expressing concern that “this is not the first time the CEC deviates from previous practices and from the decisions of ECAP and the Supreme Court.”