Thaci had pledged new municipalities, but Haradinaj government does not have something like that in the agenda

President Hashim Thaci, in 2011 when he was prime minister of Kosovo on the eve of the election campaign, had pledged to the residents of Rugova, Gjonaj, Zegra, Kieva, Hogotch, Komorani that these countries would return to new municipalities.

Even in the campaign for the 2014 parliamentary elections, Thaci had reiterated the promise of new municipalities, which still today maintain the status of villages, writes Indexline.

Now since Thaci is president, the current government led by Ramush Haradinaj has no intention of dealing with this promise of the head of state.

A response to Indexline from the Government says: “for this address the question at the Presidency. Prime Minister Haradinaj does not have this issue”, it said in response.

To do so, however, the completion and change of the Law on Administrative Borders, the Law for Local Self - Rule, budgetary planning, and some real tests had to be done for sustainability and functionality.

The National Co-ordinator for State Reform, Besnik Tahiri, in a proposal for Indexline, says establishing one or several new municipalities should be a comprehensive, transparent, and consultative process.

According to him, the current municipalities have had sufficient legal opportunities to provide services through the inter-communal co-operation law in spaces that have set out requirements for establishing municipalities.

“Do not want institutions to offer service as close to citizens as possible through administrative offices or municipal communities, has prompted demands for new municipalities to increase. The establishment of new municipalities must undergo clear criteria and analysis; otherwise it will lead to a confusion by increasing citizens' expectations”, Tahiri said.

He estimates that this process cannot be without analysis and consultation, and depends largely on the financial and administrative capacity of municipalities thought to be established.

Kosovo may have more municipalities, but in advance we have to answer two questions: how functional and in the service of citizens and second, can we change the law regulating the number of municipalities without increasing the number of ethnic municipalities?” has added Tahiri.