Is the Serbian Church right to ban the work of Decan lavva Street? What the Law Says

A comprehensive response has been to ask whether it is lawful to work on road construction in a protected area. Against works on this road, all international representatives in Kosovo, the Serb community in Kosovo, but politicians from Belgrade, as long as Kosovo institutions are in charge of Prime Minister Haradinaj. But what does the Law for the Special Defense Areas foresee? Does the Government of Kosovo have the right to continue working that way...?

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren a few days ago has demanded that the works be suspended there, since according to them, the Kosovo Government illegally began construction on the Decani-Plav Transit Road, within the special protected zone around the Decani Monastery, Periscopi reports.

But such has opposed Kosovo's representatives, even though the Law on Special Protection Areas says that in the vicinity of the Orthodox Church there can be no specific construction or construction.

Local and international representatives have fallen into sharp disagreement on this issue, but that the Special Areas Law protects everything.

The law says that any new activity in the following areas will be prohibited:

a) construction or industrial developments, such as exploration and use of mineral resources,
Construction of dams, power plants or lines of tension, ovens and factories and roads
Transit in rural areas; and
b) Construction or developments that lead to deforestation or environmental pollution.

Referring to that very law, internationals have supported the disruption of work on Decan-Plava Street.

OSCE Mission to Kosovo came out with a statement saying they have followed recent developments with concern and illegal construction is being made there.

“E have followed with concern what appears to be illegal road construction, which is continuing since yesterday, within the Special Defence Zone (SPZ) of the Decani Monastery. We welcome today's afternoon decision to stop the work within the SPZ. O Monitoring Mission The SB has confirmed that street work has been banned and the heavy machinery has left SPZ”, O said SBE.

The American ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delaway, also came in favour of the decision to stop the work.

“The US fully agrees with the OSCE statement”, Delawie wrote in a post in Titter.

The immediate reaction came from EU chief in Kosovo Natalia Apostolova, who said the Law for the Protected Zone of the Decani Monastery should be strictly respected.

“is very important that and any possible action be approved by the Impnative and Monitoring Council”, it wrote in “itter”.

But all these reactions went against Kosovo institutions.

Minister of Infrastructure, Pal Lekaj was flatly declared against the interruption of works on this road, saying much Belgrade's policy has become on the issue. He insists the works are under way outside the Manchester Defence Zone.

The difficulties we have with the monastery have become more political. We are aware of the obligations we have made according to the Ahtisaari Plan, the works are under way outside the Protected Zone. It's true that there's an intervention by the company that's contracting the work, because there's a constant collapse of the soil, where we have to make the road mobile, accessible to”, Lekaj said.

He has said that no way will be allowed to violate an institution or give priority to another institution.

Likewise, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj thinks those works should continue, even calling on internationals to go to the scene and convince that the road being renovated has existed even before.

“There is a misinformation about the work on one of Decani's streets. I invite diplomats to go to the scene, to look at the situation, and to be convinced that the way it is being renovated has already existed, so to avoid pressing” statements, Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

And according to the Decani Community, the Serbian Orthodox Church has bad intentions against the 70 thousand citizens of the Decani municipality

In this case, the monastery personnel do better to be together with our concept and put aside malicious goals against the 70 thousand citizens of the Decani municipality.

Numerous reactions were made by other deputies and analysts. /Periscope.