Radojevic: The condition of municipal buildings is catastrophic and shows Pristina’s stance toward Serbs

Mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojevic, said that citizens of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo waited three years for the moment when legally, legitimately and democratically elected mayors and councilors would take office in their municipalities. According to him, the handover process went without major problems, but previously required serious preparations and intensive talks with international partners.

Radojevic stressed that coordinated activities have taken place over the last few days to ensure the handover proceeds without obstruction.

“For instance, the leadership of the Serb List held several very important talks with international community representatives, KFOR commanders, NATO representatives, where they pointed out the possibility of obstruction by Pristina. We saw increased presence of both KFOR and Kosovo Police in recent days. Regarding that technical aspect, everything passed without major problems,” Radojevic told TV Prva.

He added that the condition the new mayors found upon entering municipal buildings was “sad, disappointing and catastrophic.”

“That shows what kind of attitude Pristina has toward the Serbian people and citizens of these four municipalities. As you know, in the municipality of Zvecan the building is in extremely poor, catastrophic condition, where pictures that had enormous value have disappeared. Also, icons are damaged, the saints’ eyes on those icons appear to be cut out, it is truly a very sad, disappointing picture that colleagues found,” he said.

Speaking about plans in North Mitrovica, Radojevic emphasized that he will work in the interest of all citizens, with no exception.

“Until 2022 we proudly pointed out that the municipality of North Mitrovica was the only urban multiethnic community in Kosovo and Metohija. We want to restore that, to stop one minority from affecting life of the majority. In the previous period there was long discussion because in the municipal buildings police members had been housed, so the leadership of the Serb List insisted at those meetings that police officers leave municipal buildings and be placed in police stations where they should be. That is a sign of how Kurti, his government, the Ministry of Interior treated citizens in northern Kosovo and Metohija. That municipal buildings were used as police bases, as police barracks, and it is clear to everyone that police was used to implement some decisions that lacked legal basis,” Radojevic commented.

He also reminded that the Electoral Panel for Appeals and Complaints upheld the appeal of the Serb List against the decision of the Central Election Commission not to approve their participation in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 December, saying that pressure on the Serb List is no surprise.

“It is not only to the presidency of the Serb List, but to all citizens and all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija it is clear that Kurti exerts pressure on the Serb List because he is aware that it has absolute and unconditional support of Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and that in these elections it will win a convincing victory and will secure all 10 mandates guaranteed for the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija and in the Parliament in Pristina. We expected this, we still expect that he will continue pressures on the Serb List because he has no political or economic program to help Albanians in Kosovo improve their lives. So the only program is pressure on the Serbian community, pressure on the Serb List, but as in the previous period, both in local and February elections, and in these elections they will receive an adequate response from the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija,” Radojevic concluded.