North in a vacuum or in an institutional parallelism?

Politologist Ramush Tahiri, speaking of Radio Free Europe, says the resignation of the mayors of the northern municipalities on the one hand, as well as the same inaction on the part of the heads of six Serb majority municipalities in the rest of Kosovo, which all belong to the Serbian List, explains the different concept that this political subject has.

According to him, in northern Kosovo, there has so far been an informal parallelism, but it is now slipping towards formalism.

The “Forecasts are that the institutions in the north, which are led by the Serbian List, will seek to enter into negotiations with Kosovo structures. So, the withdrawal of the 100 per cent tax decision on Serbian products will be made and the other conditions related to the Serb municipal community or the north will lead a completely different policy, in which Kosovo institutions will not have access. After all, we can also have elections in Kosovo, as a trigger of this” crisis, Tahiri said.

Serbia's knowledge of political developments, Randjel Nojrik, tells Radio Free Europe that even earlier, despite the political situation, representatives of the Serbian List, who were part of Kosovo institutions, including the mayors, have in fact been returning to Belgrade. Even in the current situation, when the mayors of northern municipalities have resigned, according to him, they will try to retain power.

The problematic “Metohi” Reference of the chairmen resigned to the north

The “all this is an attempt for them to keep power parallelly in northern Kosovo with Belgrade's support. But, I think that just as taxes are not acceptable that have been imposed by the Government of Kosovo, and there have been reactions from the international community and the United States of America, so in the same way, if institutions in the north are decided to be annulled, the European Union, the United States and the entire international community will react, and no such” will be allowed, Nojkiq said.

Meanwhile, Petar Miletic, the former Kosovo Assembly deputies from the Serb community's ranks, estimates that the determination of Serbian List representatives regarding participation in local institutions in northern Kosovo will depend on official Belgrade, respectively, on Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

Whether these resignations will be sustainable or not, we will see when he speaks, who has encouraged these people of such a decision”, Miletic said.

But, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, days ago, has approved the actions of northern mayors and protests by Serbian citizens in that part of the country.

“I am happy that Kosovo Serbs are up and awake, as well as have realised how hit they are with these measures and have shown that they are important political factors in Kosovo”, Vuciq has said.

But has an institutional vacuum created in northern municipalities a dangerous situation for the country?

Politologist Tahiri claims such a thing, stressing that municipal leadership already exists in the north that does not accept Kosovo's central power.

“Now, will the Government of Kosovo respect its law on local government and announce the elections for mayor of municipalities in the 40 days, it remains to see whether there is courage, not just political, but whether it has the courage to implement decisions. However, on the other hand, if these elections are held, will the Serb population boycott them? If elections are boycotted by the Serb population, I don't believe that Kosovo has the power and the will to appoint violent administration, as Serbia does in certain municipalities where it rebels”, Tahiri said.

Nojjic expresses the opinion that the situation created in the north, with the resignation of mayors, is rather the intention of Serbia to create a realistic situation, to pave the way for Vuciki's idea of setting the border between Serbs and Albanians.

This is basically trying to create a realistic state, a position through which it's proving to be out of the problem. The situation is such that already, practically, there is double power, and on the basis of that, the international community will try to negotiate. But I don't think the international community is entirely unified for such a solution. However, it is true that what has been the idea of Vuciqi is now being implemented by mayors in the north”, Nokjic said.

On the other hand, the Kosovo government has so far given no signs that early elections will be announced for the four northern municipalities.

However, according to the law, only the Central Election Commission (KQZ) can change the deadlines for election proclamation, if needed due to circumstances.

But members of the Central Election Commission have expired with the mandate, while Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has the mandate of appointment, has demanded the Constitutional Court's opinion. The latter has not yet given any thought.