The work on the Statute of the Community/Association of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) runs smoothly, and as for the Management Team, the Statute can be completed as planned, until August, says the Minister of Local Self-Government in the Pristina’s Institutions Ivan Todosijevic for Belgrade based daily Vecernje Novosti.
He notes that although he is the responsible minister, the Brussels agreements do not leave space for him to insist on seeing the text of the statute before it is presented in a high-level dialogue.
When asked when the Kosovo institutions should adjust their legislation, in order for the ZSO to be formed, Todosijevic says:
– Adjustment of legal frameworks for the implementation of the First Agreement on normalization of relations was supposed to start five years ago, immediately after its conclusion. Pristina had to determine which regulations should be changed and without the draft of the ZSO Statute. Instead of being constructive, Pristina decided to block the process by placing the text of the ZSO agreement before the Constitutional Court – he said.
Asked whether the work on the Statute is a farce, because the vice-president of the Kosovo government, Enver Hoxhaj, believes that the ZSO should be included in the package for Kosovo’s membership in the UN, Todosijevic says that at this stage neither Kosovo President Hashim Thaci nor Hoxhaj have any powers, as they are not envisaged by the agreements on which the establishment of the ZSO relies.
– Belgrade immediately voiced doubts about candid intentions of Pristina to form a ZSO, and such statements only heat up – said Todosijevic.
In connection with this, he pointed out that the order for activation of the Management Team for the drafting of the Statute was given by the EU.
Asked whether he believes Pristina will respect the agreement by which the ZSO should have full control in five areas, Todosijevic says that “a young administration should create examples of positive practices that, inter alia, is established by respect of international obligations.”
– Instead, it has entered the cycle of violations of the agreements and the given words. My expectations are therefore, above all, turned to the EU, as a guarantor of the implementation of the agreed – Todosijevic said.
