Poll finds majority of Serbians willing to accept Kosovo independence

Excerpt from report by Kosovo Albanian television KohaVision TV on 19 July

[Announcer] Sixty-two per cent of Serbians are ready to accept a resolution of Kosova [Kosovo] status that satisfies the will of the majority of Kosova citizens, and that is independence. The Albanian and Serb populations of Kosova are ready to mobilize in order to protest against a status resolution that does not please them. These are some of the findings of a survey organized in Kosova and Serbia jointly by the Kosova Institute for Political Research and Development [KIPRED] and Strategic Marketing Research in Belgrade.

[Reporter Xhemajl Rexha] Serbia's citizens continue to become more flexible where future Kosova status is concerned. A survey organized by KIPRED and Strategic Marketing Research shows that 62 per cent of Serbians are willing to tolerate Kosova's independence. According to KIPRED officials, this contradicts Serbian politicians' claims that all of Serbia is unwilling to let Kosova go.

[Genc Krasniqi, KIPRED] As an example we could take the declarations by Serbian politicians that they cannot negotiate Kosova's independence because of Serbia's population, because of radical views in Serbia. This research shows that this is not true. The fact that 60 per cent of the Serbian population in Serbia is open to a resolution which may be viewed as pro-Albanian proves this.

[Reporter] On the other hand, the survey documents that 90 per cent of ethnic Albanians in Kosova view independence as the only possible option. The survey targeted the Kosova Albanian and Serb population, Serbians and displaced Serbs in Serbia. Mayor differences in opinion have been found between the Albanian and Serb populations of Kosova [Passage omitted]

Source: KohaVision TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1700 gmt 19 Jul 06