Mixed reaction in Serbia on Kosovo

By Nick Hawton
BBC News, Belgrade

Some Serbs pledge to never surrender Kosovo

There was no shock and dismay in Belgrade as UN Special for Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari announced his draft proposals for the future of the disputed province.

In fact, for some time, people have been resigned to the possibility of losing their spiritual homeland.

The Serbian President, Boris Tadic, warned of a "dangerous political and legal precedent" if Kosovo became independent.

The Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica, went further and accused the UN envoy of "meddling" in Serbia's affairs and trying to partition the country.

'Don't really care'

But on the streets of Belgrade, the reaction to the UN envoy's recommendations was mixed.

You cannot imagine what life is like for us, with two hours of electricity a day, surrounded by Albanians Marina Popovice, Serb student from Kosovo

"Westerners want to destroy our nation. Why didn't they come up with a similar plan for Corsica, Lombardy or even California?" said Dejan Savic, 37, a taxi driver.

"I don't really care about Mr Ahtisaari's proposal. We have enough problems in the country as it is," said Ana Marija Jovanovic, 26, model.

Marina Popovic, 19, a student originally from Kosovo said people just did not know what it was like to be a Serb living in Kosovo these days.

"Mr Ahtisaari's plan is flagrant proof of the failure of Serbian politics. Serbs from Kosovo only have empty promises. You cannot imagine what life is like for us, with two hours of electricity a day, surrounded by Albanians."

'I'm scared'

The Ahtisaari plan does not actually recommend independence, as such, but appears to pave the way for it, allowing Kosovo to adopt a constitution, apply for membership of international organisations and adopt a national anthem and flag.

Kosovo Serbs staged a protest rally against Mr Ahtisaari's plan

Nato troops would remain, a powerful international representative would be appointed to oversee the settlement and special protections would be afforded to the province's minorities, including the Serbs.

In Kosovo itself, some people were already preparing for the worst before Mr Ahtisaari's announcement.

"I'm scared. If Kosovo becomes independent, I'll leave," said Jablan Djukanovic, 67, who lives in the divided city of Mitrovica which has seen some of the worst violence between the Serb and Albanian communities.

"I was always sure that I'd end my life here and there is nothing more that I want. But now I might have to leave and join my children in Belgrade," he said.

Others said they would wait and see, if independence came, what it would involve in practice.

"I just want to live normally and to get a job. I will not automatically leave Kosovo if it becomes independent but everything is so unpredictable," said philosophy student Zdravko Djuric, 23.

The future is unpredictable, with Serbia still waiting for a new government to be formed following January's general election.

One question is whether there will even be a Serb delegation to be involved in a final round of negotiations with the UN envoy and the Kosovo Albanians.

But there is real pressure to find a solution, one way or another, very soon to try to allay the ever-present threat of violence in the province.