Local elections were held in Kosovo on 11 May 2008, together with Serbia's parliamentary elections and elections in Vojvodina. UNMIK authorities have criticized Serbia organizing elections saying only the UN can organize elections in Kosovo. Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu accused Serbia of trying to challenge Kosovo's statehood.^[1]

There is a total of 115,712 registered voters and they were able to vote in 295 voting places. There are 157 voting places in Central Serbia and Vojvodina, and each of the seven major Montenegrin cities has one, for refugees from Kosovo.

Serbia's elections in Kosovo follow the unilateral declaration of independence by Albanian leadership in Kosovo, a declaration that Serbia considers illegal. This proposal for what many observers have called a de facto partition was said to be in response to unrest in Northern Kosovo and other Kosovo Serb areas. Establishment of Serb institutions in Kosovo is part of the "functional division" of Kosovo proposed by the Serbian government.^[1]

On 12 January 2006, the Serbian government appointed new coordinators for twenty-four of Kosovo and Metohija's municipalities.^[2] The coordinators were:

• Kosovo District: Slaviša Nikolić (Priština), Živorad Stamenković (Glogovac), Živoja Balošević (Kačanik), Petar Savić (Kosovo Polje), Mirče Jakovljević (Obilić), Darko Jakovljević (Podujevo), Nikola Živković (Štimlje), Slavko Janićijević (Uroševac)
• Kosovo-Pomoravlje District: Mladen Jovanović (Gnjilane), Milan Ristić (Kosovska Kamenica), Petar Vasić (Novo Brdo), Nenad Kojić (Vitina)
• Kosovska Mitrovica District: Velimir Bojović (Leposavić), Dejan Tomašević (Srbica), Svetislav Aritonović (Vučitrn), Dragiša Milović (Zvečan), Slaviša Ristić (Zubin Potok)
• Peć District: Radojko Dunić (Peć), Zoran Barović (Dečani), Snežana Paunović (Đakovica), Stojan Dončić (Klina)
• Prizren District: Zećir Zurapi (Gora), Dejan Baljošević (Orahovac), Negovan Vitošević (Suva Reka)

Velimir Bojivic of Leposavić, Dragiša Milović of Zvećan, and Slaviša Ristić of Zubin Potok were already recognized as the mayors of their communities from the 2002 Kosovan local elections, which were organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Northern Kosovo's Serb community generally participated in these elections.

Although not included in the main list of appointees from 12 January, Radoš Vulić was appointed as coordinator for Istok in the Peć District at around the same time.^[3] Miodrag Lazić served as the coordinator for Prizren.^[4] Stanko Jakovljević, mayor of the Serb enclave of Štrpce, was ultimately recognized as a coordinator as well.^[5] On 14 September 2006, Zećir Zurapi was replaced as coordinator for Dragaš by Alija Abdi.^[6][7]

In the predominantly Serb northern section of the divided city of Kosovska Mitrovica, UNMIK had dissolved the local administration in 2002 and appointed an advisory council. Srboljub Milenković became the leader of the council in 2006 and was recognized as a municipal coordinator by the Serbian government.^[8]

The Serbian government made the following changes on 12 December 2007:^[9]

• Dečani: Zoran Barović was replaced by Gojko Carević.
• Gnjilane: Mladen Jovanović was replaced by Predrag Stojković.
• Istok: Radoš Vulić was dismissed from office and, somewhat confusingly, was reappointed immediately afterward.
• Klina: Stojan Dončić was replaced by Milivoje Ribać.
• Kosovo Polje: Petar Savić was replaced by Dejan Nedeljković.
• Kosovska Kamenica: Milan Ristić was replaced by Srboljuc Đokić.
• Kosovska Mitrovica: Srboljub Milenković was replaced by Radenko Nedeljković. (Milenković continued to lead UNMIK's advisory council into 2008.)^[10]
• Kosovska Vitina: Nenad Kojić was replaced by Zoran Krčmarević.
• Obilić: Mirče Jakovljević was dismissed from office and, somewhat confusingly, was reappointed immediately afterward.
• Orahovac: Dejan Baljošević was replaced by Marjan Šarić.
• Štimlje: Nikola Živković was replaced by Dobrivoje Mladenović.
• Vučitrn: Svetislav Aritonović was replaced by Oliver Vojinović.

After being dismissed as coordinator for Štimlje, Nikola Živković served as coordinator for Lipljan.^[11] The main Serbian representative from this municipality had previously been Borivoje Vignjević, who was deputy mayor in a multi-ethnic government.^[12]

UNMIK considers the holding of local elections in Serbia without its agreement as invalid and as a breach of UNSCR 1244.^[13] It has, however, proposed to hold local elections in the mostly Serb-populated municipalities of Leposavić, Zubin Potok, Štrpce, Zvečan and Novo Brdo, where the 2007 local elections were declared invalid due to the Serb voters' boycott; however, UNMIK insisted that it would have to organise the elections there, not Serbia, and that the date would likely not be 11 May 2008. UNMIK has no problem with the participation of Kosovo Serbs in the parliamentary election.^[14]

However, on 14 April 2008 the Election Commission announced it would hold local elections in Serb areas of Kosovo; internally displaced persons, whether living in Kosovo or not, will be able to vote as if they were living in the municipality from which they were displaced.^[15] Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić subsequently called on Joachim Rücker to sanction the elections.^[16] UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko reiterated that UNMIK would view all elections held without its approval as illegal and in breach of UNSCR 1244.^[17]

On April 18, 2008 Joachim Ruecker, the Chief of UNMIK, said the elections would cross a "red line" if organized by Serbia.^[18]

The International Steering Group for Kosovo has expressed its support for the UNMIK position saying it opposes the "institutional separation by ethnic lines" in Kosovo.^[19]

Kosovo's Assembly adopted a statement condemning Serbia's plans to hold local elections in Kosovo and showing support for the position taken by UNMIK and President Fatmir Sejdiu.^[20] However, Kosovo police authorities have said they would not interrupt voting to prevent local elections.^[21] UNMIK declared the local Serb elections held in Kosovo in May 2008 null and void.^[22]

Marko Jakšić, a Kosovo Serb political leader and ally of then-Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, said Kosovo Serbs would form their own assembly following the elections. He argued that the Kosovo Assembly was dominated by "Albanian puppets" who would not work in the interest of the Serb minority.^[23]

Following the elections Samardžić outlined the makeup of the Kosovo Serb institutions consisting of municipal assemblies and executive councils. According to Samardžić municipal governments will act in keeping with the Serbian constitution and resolve all problems independently or in agreement with Belgrade.^[24]

UNMIK officials have said they will continue working with appointed Serb leaders declaring the local elections "illegal" and pledging not to negotiate with the elected officials.^[25] Yves de Kermabon, head of the EULEX mission to Kosovo, said he was "willing to talk to everybody" including officials elected on May 11, stressing that he would go to Northern Kosovo as soon as he found people there willing to talk. Kermabon said his reason was that he does not want the EU to be "forcibly deployed" there.^[26]

The mayor of Mitrovica condemned the formation of a parallel municipal assembly in North Mitrovica by Serbs following the election saying the institution was "illegal" as well as the elections.^[27] On June 13, 2008 a parallel assembly with 30 members, the majority from the Serbian Radical Party, was formed for Pristina with the first session being held in a warehouse due to a lack of space. Radovan Nicic was elected president of the municipality by the assembly. Another assembly was formed in Obilic north of Pristina the same morning.^[28]

Serbian parties (SRS, DSS, SPS, NS and DS) agreed to form a parliament for Kosovo Serbs including 45 delegates, 43 from the local assemblies and two seats reserved for Romani and Muslims.^[29] Slobodan Samardžić announced that the Kosovo Serb assembly would be formed on June 28. He said the body would be representative not executive.^[30] The parliament shall only be transitional before direct elections.^{[citation needed]} The parliament was officially scheduled on 16 June 2008 to be held in Priština on 28 June 2008, symbolically on Saint Vitus' Day. Its official name shall be The Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohia. The parliamentary majority has been formed by the Democratic Party of Serbia, Serbian Radical Party, Socialist Party of Serbia and Civic Initiative of Gora. The opposition Democratic Party supports its constitution, but will for now boycott it. The cause of restoration of parliamentarism since 1999 was specifically stated as a reaction to the recently put in act Constitution of Kosovo and will only officialize the two separate systems which were already in act for years. It is pointed out that it is the representative body of Kosovar citizens loyal to the Republic of Serbia.

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The turnout of registered voters was at 57%. Serbian Radical Party came first in 15 municipalities, the DSS has the most councilors in six, as well as various citizens' lists.^[24] The Radicals and DSS formed a coalition in the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.^[27]

In the predominantly Serb communities of northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zubin Potok, and Zvečan, the elected assemblies were able to form de facto municipal governments.

In several municipalities, the assemblies could not convene in their own communities and instead met in Central Serbia.