The first of nine conditions set by the Serbian List for a coalition with the prime minister of Kosovo is the Community/Association of Serbian municipalities (ZSO), whose formation was agreed in Brussels a year and eight months ago.
The ZSO was the main argument of the official Belgrade, led by Aleksandar Vulin, to motivate Serbs in Kosovo to participate in the Kosovo local elections held last year.
Only a month ago, the coordinator of the management team for the establishment of the ZSO, Ljubomir Maric (from Tuesday the Minister for Local Self-government in Pristina) announced that draft of the statute of the ZSO is completed and that have been used elements of different models of European regions. The Serbian List sought the long-awaited promise (Community/Association of Serbian Municipalities) from partners in the new government and its establishment within the next three to five months.
In the following three points the Serbian List seek special treatment of past and future privatization in municipalities with Serbian majority, the return of internally displaced Serbs and non-Albanians and security guarantees for this, as well as the return and protection of Serbian Orthodox Church property. The remaining five requests relate to the allocation of functions and positions of members of the list in the Kosovo government.
Although many Serbs welcome this agreement, there are those who believe that these conditions are not the priorities of the Serbian community in Kosovo. It seems that such thinking more is present in the north than the south of the Ibar/Iber River.
– These objectives do not reflect the real needs of the residents of the north and the Serbian community in general. The ZSO is some imaginary organization, it’s illusory to talk and place it as a first condition, because we do not know what it brings for the Serbian community. It is the question of time before the bubble (called the ZSO) burst, which is used for buying and promises to people. From the first day they are were aware of it, that there is nothing out of it, it cannot provide protection to the Serbs, at least not to the extent that we need – considered lawyer from Mitrovice/Mitrovica, Milos Subotic, adding that “the goal of the coalition Mustafa, Thaci, Vucic is a rapprochement between Pristina and Belgrade.”
– But I think Mitrovica still will be far away from Pristina. The Srpska is in fact exponent of Vucic, and not representative of the citizens, who have “elected” them – says Subotic.
Uncertain existence
Milos Subotic emphasized that for the Serbs in Kosovo more important subjects are “border” crossings and employment.
– We care about regulation of the crossing in the north, so that it does not function so chaotic. It is necessary to resolve the question of workers because people are afraid that they would lose their jobs due to transition. For example, employees of the Board of income are invited to go to Serbia, so it would lead to emigration – estimated Subotic.
