municipalities north distanced by Serbs south of Kosovo

The decision by the mayors of four majority Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, Leposaviqi, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Northern Mitrovica, to resign from their posts is a poor, incorrigibly and potentially cost-effective decision, Serbian connoisseurs of political developments in the country.

Such a decision, the mayors of the northern municipalities who belong to the Serbian List, have argued in response to the Kosovo Government's decision on the 100 per cent tax on Serbia's products, and have said the “administration of local government on the part of Pristina in the north no longer exists”.

Rada Trajkovic, former Kosovo Assembly delegation from the Serb community's ranks, speaking of Radio Free Europe, estimates that the resignation of four northern mayors is a violation of the Brussels Agreement and integrations, which, she says, have been the essence of this project. The increase in the tax on Serbian goods, she described it as a political decision, which, as such, would be in limited time terms.

“As far as the Serbian decision is concerned, it is primarily incorrect towards other Serbian fellow citizens living on the lower side of the Iber River, because the mayors and the institutions of Serb municipalities south of the Iber River have not resigned, are not demonstrating. By themselves, they are opening the way to question what is actually the essence of protest. This is the warning of the slow partition of northern Kosovo from the rest of Kosovo. This is a very dangerous project for me, which Serbia's president, Aleksandar) Vucinciqi and (Kosovo President Hashim) Thaci are trying to create a fact-finding situation”, Trajkovic stressed.

The other former Kosovo Assembly delegation from the ranks of the Serb community, Petar Miletic, tells Radio Free Europe that the resignations of northern mayors are a warning for a new round of dialogue in Brussels.

I think this is a hysterical decision, which is not good. It seems that both sides in the dialogue will now continue dialogue by other means. Pristina has sent special police units to the north and imposed taxes of 100 per cent on Serbian products. Meanwhile, in response to this, municipal mayors and councilors in the north have resigned and demand that Serbia's Parliament Speaker announce elections under Serbia's system. I see this as setting in the initial positions for the new round of talks”, Miletic said.

The situation created, according to Serbian connoisseurs of political developments, can produce undesirable consequences, at least for citizens of ethnic communities living in Kosovo.

Trajkovic stresses that one of the major consequences will be the return of antagonisms between Serbs and Albanians.

This is the worst. It means, the renewed collapse of what has been the goal of the Brussels Agreement, which is reconciliation and normalisation of life. Now we're going towards destabilizing and hating each other. Will they go with Thaci to tear down Ramush Haradinaj's government, as well as what their fate will be, we still do not know. This would cause additional homogenisation of Albanians in the Kosovo, opposition and part of Albanian parties supporting Haradinaj. This would be a new challenge for additional clashes in this space”, Trajkovic said.

Even Miletic does not rule out the dangerous consequences created following the resignation of local mayors and their decision to cut local self-government under the Kosovo system.

“The consequences may be one of the worst ones, such as the physical conflict, but it can end exactly as it is currently or anything between the two. It's hard to predict what the consequences could be, but that it would come to a certain severity, that's completely safe”, Miletic stressed.

Serbian leaders in the north have organised citizens' protests in northern Mitrovica to challenge the Kosovo government's decision to raise the tax on Serbian goods. Organisers have announced that the protests will continue in the coming days, until Kosovo withdraws this decision. / REL