Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic gave contradictory assessments about the troubled local elections in Kosovo at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

Leaders of Kosovo and Serbia have given opposing verdicts on the troubled local elections in mainly Serbian parts of northern Kosovo.

While Kosovo’s PM Thaci described the process as a “victory” for all citizens, Serbian PM Dacic said Pristina had “failed” in prepare for the elections in the north.

“Whereas Serbia invested maximum efforts to encourage Kosovo Serbs to turn out in large numbers, Pristina failed to provide even the most basic conditions for the ballot,” Dacic claimed in his speech held at the UN Security Council meeting.

Nationwide local elections were held in Kosovo on November 3, the Serb-run northern part included.

But most Serbs in northern Kosovo boycotted the vote. Masked men also attacked several polling stations in the divided town of Mitrovica, causing several to close early.

As a result, a repeat vote had to be held in parts of northern Mitrovica on November 17.

Thaci said the attacks on polling stations were “orchestrated” and would “harm [Kosovo’s] aspiration to establish a comprehensive and tolerant state and to integrate in the European Union”.

As none of the candidates in northern Mitrovica, achieved an outright victory on November 17, Krstimir Pantic and Oliver Ivanovic will compete again on December 1 in runoffs.

Runoffs will also be held in 24 other municipalities throughout the country.

The results of the local elections in Kosovo are seen as a crucial element of the EU-brokered deal on normalizing relations between Pristina and Belgrade.

It is also a pre-condition for the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities, an autonomous body foreseen in the deal./balkaninsight/