A second-tier body of Kosovo’s electoral commission on Wednesday overturned a decision announced on Monday, banning the main party of Kosovo Serbs from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“The Central Electoral Commission is ordered to certify the political entity Serbian List and its candidates” ahead of the election, which is scheduled to be held on February 9, the electoral commission’s protest and application review body said in its decision, distributed to media.

Of the 120 seats in Kosovo’s parliament, ten are reserved by quota for the Serb community. They are all currently occupied by members of the Serbian List.

But the central electoral commission refused on Monday to allow the participation of the Serbian List in the elections, because it does not recognize the statehood of Kosovo and acts “as if it were in Serbia and not in Kosovo”.

The Serbian List appealed against this decision, judging that it completed “all” the necessary “legal procedures” and fulfills the conditions.

The ban on the party’s participation in the elections was decided “by order” of Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and was “politically motivated”, he argued.

Last Tuesday, Mr. Kurti went against the main faction of the Kosovo Serbs, alleging that it was directed by Belgrade.

“The Serbian List is the most loyal local organization of the ruling party in Serbia”, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), and therefore it is nothing more than a tool for “interference (…) of Serbia in the internal affairs of Kosovo”, judged Mr. Kurti.

Serbia has never recognized the independence declared in 2008 by Kosovo, a former Serbian province with a large majority Albanian population.

Belgrade politically encourages and financially supports the Kosovo Serb community to maintain a separate education and health system in particular and to remain loyal to Serbia in general.