The North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, following a proposal made the mayor, decided to join the Association of Kosovo Municipalities last week, with only one vote against. This is exactly what the Prime Minister of Kosovo has been insisting on for months, while at the same time opposing the formation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. The proposal was put to the vote on Friday at the last minute, despite the fact that, as one of the councilors claims, it was neither included on a previous agenda items nor was it discussed during a meeting of Committee for Politics and Finance before the session. Additionly, the Mayor of North Mitrovica also proposed to allocate land located next to the Fire Station to the Directorate for Emergencies. This proposal was not passed.
In an interview with the only ethnic Serb councilor in the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, Dusan Milunovic, we discussed what happens during MA sessions during a time when the public’s focus is almost entirely on the remaining three northern municipalities.
Speaking about what took place during the seven sessions of this MA held since the Serbs withdrew, Milunovic claims that the Serbian side’s interests are completely sidelined, while important decisions are being made.
At the same time, although the Kosovo government promised transparency, democracy and to work exclusively for the benefit of citizens of Mitrovica, Milunovic points that this has not happened, while also warning about the misuse of this institution for the sake of high-level political agendas.
During the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly held last week, a proposal presented by the mayor, Erden Atic, was adopted, despite it not having been made public beforehand.
The Assembly decided to join North Mitrovica to the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, which was forwarded to the Kosovo government for consideration.
Dusan Milunovic, the only ethnic Serb councilor and the only one who did not support the decision says that it was made in violation of the municipal statute and that he will try to challenge it.
He announced that he will use the right to object.
„The Statute was violated – Article 48, which states that the mayor has the right to propose an item on the agenda, but that the Committee for Politics and Finance, which meets the day before the session of the Municipal Assembly, will be consulted regarding points that concern citizens and are of great interest, especially for inter-ethnic cooperation,“ said Milunovic, who is also a member of this committee.
He added that he attended the meeting before the Municipal Assembly session, and that this topic was not raised.
Article 48 of the Statute clearly states that the mayor can propose a degree inter-municipal cooperation that is in the interest of the public, but only after consulting with the Committee for Politics and Finance
He underlined that the topic of joining the Association of Kosovo Municipalities was raised as a priority at the session of the MA.
„It was presented as the second item on the agenda at the session. That topic was not discussed at all, and the mayor or any of the councilors failed to explain to us what the Association of Kosovo Municipalities means, nor did he explain to us the benefits of our municipality being part of that system, instead it was presented as a priority, as something urgent, that had to be voted on, which was done by the majority of votes,“ Milunovic told KoSSev.
He went on to state that there are mechanisms for consultations with citizens is in the form of public discussions.
„None of that was done. Why we didn’t do it earlier, why this is being done under the table, it was unclear to me at this moment. I was against this decision and I claim that I will dispute this decision through legal means, and not by writing statements and pretending that it is some kind of game by Kurti or Vucic or whatever,“ he said.
Milunovic claims that there is another legal basis that disputes the legality of the decision.
„After the meeting of the Committee for Politics and Finance ends, the items of the agenda that are proposed to be included subsequently, cannot be voted on at that session of the assembly,“ Milunovic said.
This councilor says that he respects the municipal statute, which is valid.
„According to that statute, it was violated and this decision is not valid,“ he emphasized.
They want to build a Directorate for Emergencies, to benefit a man named Srdjan from the municipality of Zvecan
At last week’s session, mayor Erden Atic presented a proposal to annex land located near the Fire Station in North Mitrovica to the Directorate for Emergencies.
The chairman of the assembly, Nedzad Ugljanin, however, refused to consider this proposal, stating that it was not presented to the councilors, after which Atic stormed out of the session.
Milunovic, however, confirmed that this topic was discussed at the meeting of the Committee for Politics and Finance, and that the statute was partially respected, but not in form.
He underscored that councilors were asked to give their ascent to allocate the land, but without information in what manner or for what length of time it would be used, other than to construct a building on for use of the Directorate for Emergencies.
He said that this reminds him of Civil Protection, adding that it is a paradox.
„Part of that sector for emergencies is comprised of former members of Civil Protection who were voted as a terrorist organization in the Assembly of Kosovo. These are former members of Civil Protection who are integrated into that sector, and that proposal comes to us from the mayor, as something that is in the interest of the citizens of North Mitrovica,“ Milunovic argued.
He says that Atic, speaking about this proposal, said at the Committee meeting that everything is in accordance with the law and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, but also that it will benefit local residents, because the members of this directorate provided assistance during the February floods.
Milunovic claims that he was told that the man who „demands that this be resolved urgently is a man called Srdjan“ from the municipality of Zvecan.
He says that the deputy chairman of the North Mitrovica MA, Skender Sadiku, told him that he is a man „whom we should accommodate.”
„He did not deign to come before that assembly. It would not have been a problem if he had come and presented the request and we would have considered it, but without a conceptual solution. Let him come before the municipal assembly, whatever it may be. Let him present a conceptual solution, say why citizens need this, answer some questions and there will be no problems,“ Milunovic said.
In his words, some things seem to be done “under the table“.
He says that the newly created situation, and therefore the decision, is a consequence – „or a product of Srpska Lista and their actions“, that is, the withdrawal from the institutions.
About the opening of the bridge
The North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly passed another decision in April that did not receive Milunovic’s support.
Moreover, on the same day, it was met with strong criticism not only from the Serbian side, as well as from the international community.
The decision in question relates to a request sent to the Kosovo Ministry of Local Self-Government and Administration to open the main bridge on the Ibar River.
„I was clearly against the opening of the bridge and I said so publicly,“ he said.
Milunovic claims that there are 30 more decisions of the Municipal Assembly and that none of them have been implemented, but that all of them are used to „play the angle“.
They create an escalation, then offer de-escalation
According to Milunovic, this is another mechanism of what is being done „under the table“.
„I believe that these decisions are used to play an angle by the ruling structures in Pristina and Belgrade,“ Milunovic said.
He accuses both sides of causing the escalation, and now calling for de-escalation.
„The term de-escalation, which is used now in these areas, is the biggest problem for me now. You carried out an escalation on the ground, and now you offer de-escalation. They don’t want the situation to be resolved,“ Milunovic said.
He claims that the Serbs in the north fear daily whether they will be arrested.
„These are my fellow citizens. Every man is afraid of whether he will be arrested and whether life in the north will continue tomorrow. We wake up to sirens and news,“ Milunovic said.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
