„A Serb citizen, an ordinary citizen, is above a politician. The truce is not maintained by Srpska Lista, by the police, nor by anyone, but by citizens who protect their families and don’t cause problems. This is a test of democracy and I believe that we will successfully pass it,“ Skender Sadiku, deputy chairman of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, said today at the session of this assembly where 16 councilors took their oaths and the MA chairman was elected.
In the midst of the latest crisis in the north, the MA session passed without any problems, but under police protection.
Serbs in this part of Kosovo set up barricades on the main roads five days ago, after which the Kosovo police closed Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings. Schools and hospitality establishments were also closed in the meantime. Previously, additional police units were deployed in North Mitrovica.
In early November, Serbs from the north withdrew from the majority of Kosovan institutions, including the police and the municipality. Nonetheless, today’s session of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly was attended by a representative of GI Srpski Opstanak. The session itself was headed by two representatives of minority communities in the north – Albanian and Bosniak – Skender Sadiku and chairman Nedzad Ugljanin.
„We are sick and tired of talks of barricades!“ – Sadiku told KoSSev after the session ended.
„Well, dear people, for God’s sake, protect us. This city is an urban city. It has one barricade and it is a shameful barricade! There is a barricade on the bridge and it is guarded by the Carabinieri. Mitrovica is a university center. Mitrovica is a cultural center. Most of the problems that happened did not happen in these five square kilometers in the municipality of Mitrovica. It happened far from the city, because at the end of the day, people live here, citizens, all together. Especially the Serb community and it shares the fate of all communities“.
While calling for calm amid tensions, coexistence, and cooperation, Sadiku pointed out that the problems of minority communities are even more serious if the majority – Serbian community itself has problems.
„I appeal to protect the majority Serbian community. Because if Serbs as the majority community has problems, you can only imagine how we from other communities feel. When the Serbian community is fine, we’ll have it easier, we’ll have coexistence and cooperation,“ said Sadiku.
He repeatedly emphasized that the assembly in this composition „will not deal with high politics“, but „exclusively with the needs of citizens.“ Sadiku also underlined that it would not deal with the barricades.
In his words, Belgrade, Pristina, and the international community should deal with them through dialogue. He says that he noticed the tensions, admitting that he too is not happy that the police had to be stationed around town.
We are here to do things that may be small for Brussels, Belgrade, and Pristina but are very important for our citizens
„This municipality is a small municipality and provides services to citizens. Let’s focus on small things. Srpska Lista forgot the citizens with its big topics. We will not forget the citizens. We are aware that we are a minority and we are aware that we cannot carry the burden of the majority, but we hope that the majority will democratize and help,“ Sadiku said.
He called for the removal of „fences and bars“ and demanded normalization.
We are not monkeys to be put in cages, neither crazy nor endangered
„And that normalization leads to the idea that all citizens should be satisfied because we are raising our children here and we cannot think about the future of our children in these conditions. It’s an appeal,“ he concluded.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
