Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic said that the illegitimate local elections, organised by the so-called interim Kosovo institutions, have failed because most Kosovo Serbs adhered to the position of the Serbian government that these elections were illegitimate.

Bogdanovic told the press that not even the many manipulations made by the organisers at voting stations in order to increase the number of Serbian voters helped them to improve the outcome of the elections.

He said we must bear in mind the fact that, when it comes to Serbian municipalities, the voters who turned out at the elections were mostly Albanians.

Since the local elections organised by the interim Kosovo institutions failed, it is now clear to everyone that we must combine our forces and discuss legitimate decentralisation based on the true needs of the Serbian community. Belgrade and legitimate representatives of Kosovo Serbs have always been open to dialogue, Bogdanovic stressed.

He also noted that until then, the only local self-government authorities legitimate to Belgrade will be those elected on May 11, 2008 and the Serbian government will only cooperate with them.