In regards to the statement of the South Mitrovica mayor, Agim Bahtiri, who proposed the abolition of municipality with Serbian majority- Mitrovica North in order to "prevent the ethnic cleansing of Albanians," mayor of Mitrovica North Goran Rakic says that Bahtiri is trying to cover up his own failure.

Rakic ​ said that Bahtiri is mayor of the town in which not even one Serb live, except one priest who had recently returned to the St. Sava church in Mitrovica south and which Albanians burned in 2004.  “Such statements serve to distract attention from the main problems that Albanians face, which is bad economic situation and the fact that their mayor, so far, done nothing to improve this situation. Mayor Bahtiri could easily find the traces of ethnic cleansing if he would visit Orthodox cemetery in his municipality, where almost 80 per cent of gravestones were destroyed and desecrated,” said Rakic.

Mayor of North Mitrovica urge all to refrain from inflammatory statements that could destabilize the situation and cause unforeseen consequences in a city where still there is no agreement on the demarcation between the two municipalities.