Untried Mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica about his decision not to take the oath: “I didn’t want to sign the statement under the coat of arms of Kosovo. I can’t cooperate with Vulin anymore.
By placing the signature under the text with the coat of arms of Kosovo and insignia which stipulate that Kosovo is the republic, I would violate the Constitution of Serbia”.
That’s how Krstimir Pantic, untried Mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica explains to Novosti why he didn’t take the oath and practically declined the post he won on elections.
Serbian councilors who signed statements claim that they were status neutral?
“There wasn’t status neutrality in the signed statements. It is sorrowful what our councilors and mayors were forced to accept. Not only that they are plundering our territory, but they are insulting our dignity and intelligence. Of course, Brussels agreement was violated too, because councilors and mayors were blackmailed and forced to sign something that doesn’t’ exist in it. Brussels agreement stipulates that elections should be held by Kosovo laws, not the laws of the ‘Republic of Kosovo’.
So, definitely you won’t be at the helm of Mitrovica?
“I am exclusively interested for the interests of citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. What will happen with me is the least trouble. I never chased posts. I will certainly not be the mayor of municipality in the ‘independent Kosovo’ and there is no price which I am not ready to pay.
Why do you claim that elections are the fraud of international community, when you took part in it?
“A lie has no legs, thus it happened in this case too. They promised and guaranteed status neutral elections, they provided us with the material which was really status neutral, but after we handed back the material to OSCE, they later placed insignia of Kosovo’s statehood. Isn’t that a fraud?
Why did you resign from the government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija?
“I’ll always be ready to serve my state and people, but I can’t cooperate with Aleksandar Vulin anymore. That is the reason for my resignation. I can’t only watch how infrastructure has been built of the Socialists Movement in Kosovo and Metohija at the expense of the party I belong to, SNS (Serbian Progressive Party). I don’t blame government of Serbia for it, but the minister in charge for Kosovo and Metohija, which used to lead a sort of his own policy, built his own party, and the least cared about the state and national interests of Serbia. He used to tell one thing and did another one.
Agreement to collapse
Could the last events jeopardize creation of the CSM?
“I think that Brussels agreement will collapse very soon. That won’t be the responsibility of the government of Serbia, but of the international community. Creation of the CSM won’t be easy at all, neither will Albanians allow the authority which we would prefer to have and which is agreed in Brussels, as they did not allow the status neutral creation of local self-governments either.
