Jevtic: Delaying government formation benefits Albanians, situation detrimental to Serbs

The Mayor of Strpce, Dalibor Jevtic, stated today that the Albanian political parties in Kosovo benefit from the delay in forming a new government due to the upcoming local elections, and that such a situation is detrimental to Serbs—especially considering that the acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti is using the situation to continue repressive measures against the Serbian population, RTV reports.

"Because of the local elections, it’s not in the Albanians’ interest to take on the responsibility of leading the government at this moment, especially one that potentially wouldn’t last more than a few months. On the other hand, almost no one seems to have the desire or will to overcome this situation—because if there were, even under these absurd circumstances, the Self-Determination Movement’s candidate for Assembly President would have been elected," Jevtic told Tanjug.

He added that this would have triggered the legal deadline for government formation, giving the opposition a chance to form a cabinet, since, as he said, it is evident that Kurti does not have enough support to secure a majority in the Pristina assembly.

Jevtic noted that some expected representatives of the international community to step in and help find a way out of this crisis, but that no one in Washington or Brussels has stepped in to take on such a role.

"In the end, it is the citizens who lose the most. The Serbian community is facing increasingly difficult circumstances day by day, as Kurti is taking advantage of the current situation to continue enforcing his ethno-nationalist policy of repression against the Serbian people. Every day, I would say, there are actions in which he uses the police to deny Serbian children the right to engage in sports, to deny them the right to properly celebrate the end of the school year," Jevtic said.

He added that, according to recent polls, the Self-Determination Movement’s ratings have dropped, and that this is why Kurti is resorting to actions against the Serbian people—because it’s the only way he can maintain his party’s popularity.

"What we all need to understand ahead of the local elections is that the Self-Determination Movement will not enjoy the same level of support as it does in parliamentary elections," Jevtic emphasized.

He pointed out that Serbs in Kosovo have been enduring pressure for decades, and that some people are counting on them to eventually give up on living and surviving in these areas precisely because of that constant pressure.

"Our determination remains strong, and as much as we as political representatives of the Serbs can influence certain situations—we do so," Jevtic stated. He added that the question remains what the international community will actually do regarding the position of Serbs in Kosovo, noting that they are "strong" when it comes to issuing statements.

However, he recalled that a part of the international community did react appropriately when Kurti attempted to shut down a municipal company in Strpce.

"At that time, part of the international community did react—and it must be someone concrete, primarily the U.S. in Pristina—and we found a solution. That was a concrete example. There were no press statements then, but actual meetings," Jevtic said.

He emphasized that this marked the beginning of resolving the issue, which was soon settled, and after a few days the workers returned to work and are still employed there today.