Nestorovic: The process of replacing mayors is being deliberately delayed

Nemanja Nestorovic, Deputy Director of the organization Community Building Mitrovica, tells Kosovo Online that he has the impression that the process of replacing mayors in four municipalities in northern Kosovo is intentionally being delayed.

In the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok, citizens collected signatures in January as part of a petition to remove mayors, however, they are still awaiting verification of these signatures by the Central Election Commission. Nestorovic says that authorities in Pristina are actually buying time to issue instructions for organizing a referendum, while they find a solution best suited to them.

"In such a status quo, authorities in Pristina are trying to find a solution that best suits them. As things stand, elections will take place, but it is difficult to say when due to the high tensions at both the central and local levels. I think this process will be postponed until the end of this year so that the current authorities in Pristina can secure their position in the upcoming elections," Nestorovic says.

The Central Election Commission, namely, should determine whether the minimum of 20 percent of signatures from registered voters has been collected in each of the four municipalities.