Concerned with the recent intentions of the municipal leaders of the new municipality in Mitrovica North, to include under administration of this municipality the entire space along the northern part of River Iber/Ibar, inhabited mainly by Albanians (which is in contradiction with Ahtisaari’s Plan), dwellers of these neighborhoods and villages, Doctors’ neighborhood, Kroi i Vitakut, Sventh September, Suhadoll, Vidimriq, Gushefc and Vinarc, gathered in the afternoon at Suhadoll school to meet Mitrovica mayor, Agim Bahtiri, who listened to the concerns of approximately 100 people present at this meeting.
“What you have heard is true, and I understand completely your concerns, being that I am concerned and worried as well regarding the developments on definition of the administrative borders between the municipality that I lead and the new one, established north from River Iber/Ibar, which is led by Serbs, after the violent changes made there,” said Bahtiri. He confirmed that Serbs want to expand in their benefit, despite the fact that they had initial accepted Ahtisaari’s Package. “I have made it clear to Serbs, the most senior leaders of the country the international representatives that Ahtisaari’s package should not change in any case and that this would be unacceptable for me as the Mayor, but also the people living there. If anyone is dissatisfied with Ahtisaari’s Package when Mitrovica is concerned, then Albanians should be the ones, because they were harmed seriously, because they are minority in the north of the city where they used to be majority,” said Bahtiri. If this issue is opened, he said, then Kroi i Vitakut inhabited by Albanians and all the surrounding Albanian lands, should join their legitimate municipality, from which they were divided unjustly and without being asked.
Representatives of the dwellers mentioned all their misfortunes caused by Serbs during and after the conflict, mentioning hundreds killed and injured, over 12.000 violently expelled and added that they will never accept to become inhabitants of the new municipality led by Serbs. “If someone tries to change these borders without our consent, then we will undertake all the required measures to defend our rights and properties and we will in no manner become citizens of this municipality,” they said.
