Jevtic: The Strpce Municipality has been a target of the current regime in Pristina for years

Following yesterday's raid by the Kosovo police on the premises of the New Public Utility Company in Strpce, the Mayor of the municipality, Dalibor Jevtic, announced that he has sent a written address to representatives of international institutions in Pristina today. He emphasized the urgent need to resolve this issue in order to prevent potential risks to public health for residents of Strpce and all those visiting the municipality.

In a Facebook post, Jevtic stated that he included certain facts in the letter.

“The Municipality of Strpce submitted a request to obtain a license for the public utility company. Expert bodies at the central level gave a positive opinion to the inter-ministerial group responsible for issuing the license, but someone, for political reasons, decided not to respond to that recommendation and our request. In addition, I informed the international representatives in Pristina that the regional company 'Bifurkacioni' had an agreement with the Municipality of Strpce signed in 2016, valid until 2024, and that not a single letter or comma of that agreement has been implemented by the said company. Another fact is that the company paid taxes, maintained proper records, and made social security contributions for some workers under Kosovo’s tax system, which proves that the market inspectors had no legal basis to act on political orders yesterday. At the end of the letter, I requested an urgent response from international representatives and proposed that, until the situation is fully clarified, the utility company be allowed to operate without hindrance, as that is in the interest of all citizens of Strpce,” Jevtic emphasized.

He also reminded that the Municipality of Strpce has been a target of the current regime in Pristina for years.

“Obstructions, police actions, closures of institutions, the seizure of our municipality’s resources – these are all part of Kurti’s political agenda and that of his followers. My position has always been that we must fight democratically and peacefully for our rights and a normal life. With yesterday’s action, someone aimed to endanger public health by shutting down the utility company, thereby threatening people’s safety and lives. For some, this is just politics, for me, it’s a matter of life and survival. This letter is part of the fight for justice and the right to live! We will never give up on that,” Jevtic concluded.