Todic: Northern municipalities left the AKO because their membership did not reflect the will of the citizens

The Mayor of Leposavic, Zoran Todic, said today that the four municipalities in northern Kosovo withdrew from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKO) because their membership in that organization was the result of political decisions made by previous mayors who lacked legitimacy, rather than an expression of the will of the citizens.

“It is obvious that time is needed for Pristina to accept the new reality—that decisions must be made in accordance with the will of the majority of citizens, and not exclusively on the basis of political directives. The four northern municipalities left the Association of Kosovo Municipalities because membership in it was the result of political decisions by the previous authorities and then mayors without real legitimacy, rather than an expression of the citizens’ will,” Todic emphasized.

Responding to the Minister of Local Government in a technical mandate, Elbert Krasniqi—who earlier today said that the decision of the assemblies of the four municipalities to withdraw from the AKO was unlawful because the agenda item had been proposed by the mayors—Todic stressed that under the Law on Local Self-Government, mayors have the right to propose regulations, decisions, and other acts.

Instead of making sweeping accusations, Todic noted, it would be more appropriate to ask where the decisions of the northern municipal assemblies are that should exist in municipal archives.

“In the municipality of Leposavic, for example, such decisions were not found, nor were computers, contracts, or a significant portion of municipal inventory and documentation,” Todic said.

He added that Krasniqi is well aware of the fact that the assemblies in the four municipalities were neither convened nor held in accordance with the law during the period of the previous authorities.

“That was a period of institutional blockade and lack of accountability. Even in situations where the previous convocation formally functioned without full capacity—with only 14 of the 19 councillors required by law—there was no reaction from the competent ministry, although procedures were clearly being violated. Precisely for this reason, a comprehensive review of other decisions adopted during that period will be carried out in the coming period in order to determine their legality and institutional validity. That period is over. Today begins a time of order, legality, and institutional responsibility. Everyone will, evidently, have to adapt to this new reality,” Todic concluded.

Meanwhile, councillors in the local assemblies of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo—North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok—voted on Friday to withdraw from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities.

According to procedure, every decision adopted by local assemblies must also pass through the Ministry of Local Government.

The four northern municipalities with a majority Serb population joined the Association of Kosovo Municipalities in 2023, after the decisions were adopted by majority Albanian councillors in these municipalities, elected in elections boycotted by Serbs.