Milovic: Kurti wants compliant Serbs who will listen to him

Incidents such as the explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac canal, the ban on Serb List MPs from attending the Kosovo parliament session, and their labeling as terrorists raise suspicions that Albin Kurti might declare the Serb List a terrorist organization to eliminate it from the election process and find obedient Serbs, Dragisa Milovic, Vice President of the Serb List, says in an interview with Novosti.

Milovic criticized the accusations, calling them shameful since they come from "those who have used tear gas in that same parliament, set EULEX vehicles on fire, and physically attacked political opponents."

"We fear what might come next, especially as Kurti has nothing to offer his voters. There are no new jobs, his ministers are under investigation, nepotism dominates the so-called government. It is easiest for him to cover all this up by accusing someone, and who else but Serbs and the Serb List," Milovic noted.

Why do you think that, if you don't win all ten guaranteed mandates, Serbs loyal to Kurti will enter the Kosovo Assembly?

Kurti will undoubtedly try in every way to deprive the Serb List of its ten guaranteed seats. He wants obedient Serbs who will listen to him, without whom he could hardly secure a majority. With such loyalists, he could push through crucial decisions harmful to the Serbian people, such as constitutional changes, abolishing all Serbian rights... there is no doubt about this.

Could the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal become another "Banjska 2," and further worsen the position of Serbs in Kosovo?

The explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac water system has worsened an already dire situation for Serbs, and Serbia and the Serb List were immediately blamed. This incident was a pretext for the so-called special Kosovo police to raid Serbian homes in the villages of Varage and Ugljare without warrants, destroying property and arresting innocent people. Ten Serbs were detained, with two still in custody, one of them merely because his boots were wet. After the explosion, 2,000 heavily armed police officers were deployed in the north. Serbs are anxious, not knowing what tomorrow might bring, especially since Kurti’s policy is one of hatred toward Serbs and everything Serbian.

Do you have data on how many Serbs have left northern Kosovo in the past two years?

Between 15 and 18 percent of the population has left, not due to economic reasons but because they feel unsafe. Even more distressing is that of the 220,000 Serbs who fled in 1999, only one or two percent have returned. This is a failure, primarily of the international community, which has not ensured safety for Serbs wanting to return, despite its mandate. Every incident creates unease among our citizens and pushes them to consider leaving their ancestral homes. The Serb List's policy is to unite and preserve the Serbian community, encourage them not to leave or sell their property, as Bishop Teodosije often emphasizes. These hardships and challenges we face will pass. We live on our land and have taken nothing that belongs to others.

To what extent do instability and protests in central Serbia affect Serbs in Kosovo? Does this further increase insecurity?

I am certain that all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija want a strong and stable Serbia. When we have a strong, stable, and economically developed homeland, we can rely on it for protection. Conversely, any instability in central Serbia reflects on us, and that is something only our adversaries welcome.

Looking back nearly a decade, can it be said that the Brussels Agreement and the unfulfilled promise of the Community of Serb Municipalities were merely a smokescreen to oust Serbia from Kosovo?

Unfortunately, the Brussels Agreement, signed in 2013 with the EU as a guarantor, has not been implemented in nearly a decade, and the CSM is still non-existent. Serbia has fulfilled its obligations, often to its detriment, trusting the EU and Brussels. However, it is now clear this was merely a tactic to buy time, allowing pressure on remaining Serbs and dismantling what they call 'parallel' Serbian institutions, thereby forcing Serbs to leave. The dinar has been removed, banks and post offices in the north have been closed, the PIO fund has been dissolved, and tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs. Municipal workers are now outside their workplaces. Only education and healthcare remain as the final bastions against this ethnic cleansing. Regarding the CSM, Kurti and his government are ignoring the EU's proposed statute. I am deeply pessimistic about the CSM, and even if it materializes without executive powers, as Albanians wish, it would be meaningless. For us Serbs, the most important thing now is to demonstrate unity, patience, and resilience. We must show that we cannot be broken and, with the help of Serbia, remain on our ancestral land, giving our children a future here.

What are the main challenges at the Clinical Hospital Center in Kosovska Mitrovica? Are you able to provide adequate medical care to people?

There have been improvements in the supply of medications and IV solutions, but we still face difficulties. The Clinical Hospital Center in northern Mitrovica is the largest tertiary care facility, serving not only Serbs but also Roma, Bosniaks, and even Albanians. We do not discriminate based on religion or ethnicity. For instance, we recently provided antivenom to a patient from the southern part of the city. We do not choose whom to help.