PRIŠTINA CEC REFUSES TO ACCREDIT SERBIAN MEDIA FOR ELECTION COVERAGE

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 9 /SRNA/ – The Central Election Commission /CEC/ in Priština has refused to accredit all Serbian-language media outlets to cover the elections in Kosovo and Metohija on Sunday, October 12.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia /UNS/ has called for an urgent response from international journalist organizations and the international community to jointly pressure for a reversal of this discriminatory decision. The decision of the CEC was published without explanation, and among those barred from covering the vote are journalists from Serbian editorial offices, as well as several Albanian and regional outlets. On the other hand, the CEC approved accreditations for 42 media organizations, 29 domestic and 13 international. This evening, UNS has informed the President of the European Federation of Journalists, Maja Sever, and the OSCE about the CEC’s decision in Priština, which has provoked dissatisfaction and protests among Serbian journalists. Radio KiM noted that their newsroom has been covering elections in Kosovo since they were first organized in the post-war period in 2000, but that the CEC decided to reject all submitted accreditation requests for the journalists and cameramen of this Serbian radio station.