Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday that the Kosovo Albanian special police would shoot Serbs if they organized voting in Kosovo.

“The Serbs would probably retaliate or not but there would be dozens if not hundreds of dead. The intention of (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurti is to try to get technical recognition of the independence of Kosovo, that is the Serbian government recognizing the Kosovo government,” Vucic said in a live appearance on the state TV (RTS).

The Kosovo government has refused to give permission to set up polling stations for the Serbian elections on April 3. Serbs in several places across Kosovo protested that decision on Friday.

He said that Kurti does not want him to win the 50,000 Kosovo Serb votes that he claims he would win so that Vucic wouldn’t sit across the table from him.

“The important thing is to avoid conflicts and we will never recognize Kosovo as independent,” Vucic said.

Commenting his claim on Thursday that the Kosovo government intended to replace all Serb police commanders, Vucic said that did not happen because of pressure from the Quint. “They know that the Serbs would leave all institutions creating a situation in which it’s just a question of time before a major incident happens. Who needs that if not Kurti. The West does not or at least I hope it doesn’t,” Vucic said.

Vucic said he does not expect the authorities in Pristina to change their decision on the vote, adding that voting will be organized for the Kosovo Serbs at polling stations in Serbia proper.