Serbian List: Serbian institutions will not leave their offices in North Mitrovica

2023-09-06 15:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Serbian List: Serbian institutions will not leave their offices in North

The building in North Mitrovica that is used by four Serbian institutions.

Lista Serbe announced that the four Serbian institutions will not leave the facility in the Boshnjak Quarter in North Mitrovica, which according to local authorities belongs to this municipality.

The Municipality of North Mitrovica has given a deadline until September 8 for the Office for Kosovo of the Government of Serbia, the Directorate of the Pension and Invalid Insurance Fund, the Administrative District of Mitrovica of Kosovo and the Center for Social Work from Vushtrria to leave the facility. These institutions have been using this municipal building for a long time.

"Given Pristina's intention to continue at any cost with the escalation of the situation on the ground and to occupy the facility in Mitrovica, we want to publicly announce that we reject the ultimatum of the regime in Pristina to release our offices and request that this matter be is resolved in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina that is mediated by the EU and within the framework of the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, as provided for in the agreements of 2013 and 2015", it was said in the announcement of the Serbian List.

This party - which is the largest party of Kosovo Serbs and enjoys the support of official Belgrade - also said that the institutions located in the municipal facility offer services to all citizens, regardless of ethnicity.

"The pursuit and forced occupation of this building would threaten the exercise of human rights for tens of thousands of people, both in the field of pension and disability insurance as well as social protection of the most vulnerable layers of society," said this party.

She called on the international factor "to prevent" the Kosovo authorities, as she said, "from escalating the situation by causing additional tensions that may have unpredictable consequences on the ground".

The action for the removal of Serbian institutions from the municipal facility in North Mitrovica was scheduled to take place on August 25, but was postponed for two weeks.

Previously, the municipal inspectorate had sent these institutions a warning to vacate the offices since they had not submitted documents or contracts to prove that they have permission to use the facility.

The action for the removal of Serbian institutions from the municipal facility in North Mitrovica is postponed
August 25, 10:22

The authorities in North Mitrovica have said that the building is their property and that it must be vacated due to some "works". However, in an earlier statement to Radio Free Europe, they did not specify what kind of works it is. .

On August 23, the American Embassy in Pristina asked the Kosovo authorities to "refrain from taking any action that could increase tensions".

North Mitrovica is located in the north of Kosovo, an area inhabited by a majority of Serbs. Tensions in the north have been rising since the end of May, as local Serbs oppose the new Albanian mayors.

New municipal leaders were elected in April, in elections that were boycotted by the Serbian population.

After increasing tensions, the Government of Kosovo agreed in July to take steps towards a complete de-escalation of the situation. One of the steps agreed upon by Pristina and Brussels foresees the creation of the legal basis that would enable new elections to be held in the four municipalities in the north.

In this context, on September 5, a new administrative instruction was published that enables the removal of mayors of municipalities through a petition./ REL