Pantina: Solution for elections in the north is mayors' resignations; Kurti lost international community's trust

Shqipe Pantina, a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo who was formerly a member of the Self-Determination Movement, stated that the best and simplest way to solve the issue of elections in the four municipalities in the north was for the mayors to resign as a moral and legitimate act, and she added that Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti had lost the trust of the international community due to recent actions, Ekonomia Online reported.

Pantina believes that apart from the resignation of the mayors, any other approach to holding elections would only prolong the process and that the EU hasn't lifted punitive measures against Kosovo precisely because of the lost trust in Kurti.

"Every matter related to the electoral process is regulated by the Constitution and subsequently by the law, and the manner of organizing elections and technical issues are governed by the Central Election Commission through its regulations. Therefore, matters such as how elections are to be organized, when they should be scheduled, and so forth, are under the authority of the CEC," Pantina pointed out.

She added that the elections in the four northern municipalities were primarily a political problem.

"I believe that Prime Minister Kurti failed to communicate several times with international mediators, despite having commitments to them. The actions on the ground varied, and as a result, he lost the trust of these allies. This is why Kosovo was penalized by sanctions for the first time in the history of the establishment of the state of Kosovo by the very side that supported its creation. Now, our government and Prime Minister Kurti face great difficulty in regaining the trust of international friends," Pantina stated.

She also noted that Kurti had changed his stance multiple times and had deviated from his principles entirely.

"You can't sell that to international diplomats. I believe this is the main reason, and unfortunately, the consequences are being borne by the citizens, the economy of Kosovo, and the municipalities, as many projects either haven't started due to the measures or have been halted due to the sanctions imposed by the EU and the US," Pantina concluded.