“If the municipality acted according to the law and in the interest of citizens, what exactly would be sensitive in these documents?” Miodrag Marinković, director of the Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA), said in response to recent statements by outgoing municipal officials, who said they were unsure whether to hand over certain documents—or whether to remove them altogether—when the transfer of power in northern municipalities takes place.
These concerns were first raised in an interview with the Pristina-based daily Koha, where outgoing leaders from four northern municipalities claimed that documents could be “misused” by the incoming Serb-led administrations.
They said they were awaiting instructions from the Kosovo government regarding how to handle this “sensitive” material before formally handing over their posts.
Last week, Nedžad Ugljanin, the outgoing chairman of the municipal assembly in North Mitrovica, echoed similar concerns. Addressing fellow councilors, Ugljanin accused previous administrations of leaving the municipality in “chaos and anarchy” and said he was “afraid” to hand over control to those who will succeed him.
“They are at a preschool level when it comes to running a municipality,” he said, referring to the incoming officials.
“I’m Afraid to Hand the Municipality Over”: Ugljanin Lashes Out at Incoming Authorities and Media
“Not Crimes, But Chauvinism”
In a statement to KoSSev, Marinković described such statements as deeply troubling and out of line with legal norms. He suggested that the real reason behind the hesitation may lie elsewhere.
“In my view, they are not referring to violations of the law, but to decisions that expose the true nature of the outgoing administration—that it acted as a political arm of Vetëvendosje and its ethnocentric policies, which, as we now openly see from Prime Minister Kurti’s statements, pursue the dismantling of Kosovo’s multi-ethnic character and unification with Albania,” Marinković said.
He speculated that some files might reveal instances such as the municipality allegedly paying employees to spend time in cafes and restaurants owned by Kosovo Albanians in the north—justified under the discretionary powers of local authorities to allocate funds.
“I don’t believe this is about criminal activity, but about chauvinism,” he stated, saying he expects more such examples to be uncovered in the coming weeks.
“A Never-Again Opportunity”
According to Marinković, the reactions from outgoing officials also reflect a deeper frustration.
“We’re witnessing open despair at the end of an era in which Kosovo Albanians, with barely three percent of the vote, effectively controlled Serb municipalities,” he said.
“They know such an opportunity is unlikely to come again, and they can’t hide their disappointment.”
Their statements, he added, also suggest an inability—or unwillingness—to accept the principles of the system they served.
“The desire remains that decisions continue to be made in Pristina, not by the people living in these municipalities. Much like what we see at the central level—democracy has become an obstacle to national dreams.”
Marinković also pointed to the “disastrous” policy of political boycotts by Serb
representatives, saying it had been “an open gift to the Kurti government.”
“It’s hard to say whether this strategy was intentional or the result of sheer political incompetence,” he said. “Either way, it’s deeply troubling—especially since those now coming to power are the very ones who advocated for it.”
Transfer of Power Likely Delayed Until Mid-December
Asked when the new local authorities might formally take office, Marinković clarified that it depends on the certification timeline of the Central Election Commission (CEC), which has no fixed deadline for finalizing the results.
Given the political climate, he expects the process to be drawn out.
“The CEC is not immune to political pressure or calculations,” he said. “I don’t expect the transfer of power before the second half of December. In this climate, that feels like an eternity.”
Rada Trajković: No Sensitive Documents in Public Administration Unless They’re Illegal
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
