It is paradoxical, but majority of Serbian tickets who participated in local elections in Kosovo want, if they win, to be the part of the association of Serbian municipalities, hence few of them in the leadership know what is it about.
Amongst the few politicians who are better informed is the leader of Civic Initiative ‘Srpska’ ticket Vladeta Kostic, who is also not aware how far the thing had gone with the statue of the future association of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija. The document, according to official version, is prepared by the managing team for the association which was appointed by the Government of Serbia.
“Association of Serbian municipalities is institution which should be created by 10 local self-governments with the majority Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija. It will be defined by the Constitutional Law which will be adopted in the Serbia’s parliament and with the laws which are in force in Kosovo. Association of municipalities should be recognized not only by Belgrade and Pristina, but the international community as well,” explained Vladeta Kostic.
According to him, cooperation in future association of municipalities will depend on future councilors and Serbian tickets which will be in power in local self-governments. He says that those who will be part of it ‘will be all those who want to work in the interest of Serbia, since association of municipalities is the only institution which can help Serbs to survive in Kosovo and Metohija.”
Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Civic Initiative SDP and candidate for the mayor of North Mitrovica said to Danas that ‘main goal of the SDP is cooperation with the Government of Serbia, where participation in the association of municipalities comes first’. Ivanovic admits that he is not aware of the rights and authorization of the association of municipalities, and its institutional connection with Belgrade, but hopes that SDP will decide about it based on its political stances and will try to influence on the statute of the association, even though the topic is ‘locked with the ruling coalition in Serbia’.
“There was never dilemma amongst us, we’ll cooperate with the association of municipalities, no matter on the frame, hence we are suspicious. I don’t know what concretely future association is about. According to Brussels agreement, its statute should have been developed already, instead of making a campaign of it. They laugh in the international community when they hear claims that it will be a special entity,” says Goran Bogdanovic head of the Democratic Initiative, and MP in the Serbian parliament from the ranks of the Democratic Party and former Minister for Kosovo.
Asked whether it is immature to call citizens to vote for something that is still not known what is it about, Bogdanovic replies that Democratic Initiative is ‘the only one that did not deceive its voters, but had clearly said to them that association will not be what is claimed about it – it will not have the authority and power, but will be something like association of municipalities which exists in the Kosovo’s system for local self-governments.”
“If we win local elections we’ll cooperate with the association of Serbian municipalities. What is it going to be exactly, will be known after Kosovo assembly adopts its statute. The document is currently with the parliament committees and, through the caucus ‘Joint Future’ we have already forwarded our objections which are undermining interests of Serbs, said to Danas Sasa Djokic, the head of Social-Democracy, the parliamentarian party which took part in local elections.
Independent Liberal Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, announced even before the election campaign that it wants to cooperate and to be the part of the united Serbian ticket, however, official Belgrade refused it publicly.
Office in Brussels
Marko Djuric Advisor to the President of Serbia stated that association of Serbian municipalities, after its establishment, will open its representative office in Brussels and will we actively involved in lobbying for Kosovo Serbs. Djuric said to TV Prva that association of municipalities will become the strong political entity and mechanism of Serbian people and Serbia in Kosovo.
