Bahtiri: Serbian intellectuals have signed the petition for Mitrovica union

Mitrovica municipality Chairman Agim Bahtiri has spoken of the initiative undertaken to sign petition by Mitrovica citizens for the city union, as well as talk with President Thaci and statements by Prime Minister Haradinaj, dealing with uniting the divided city.

Bahtiri showed three reasons that have sent him to such an act, such as the signing of a petition by the citizens of Mitrovica.

He said that at the beginning of his rule, Mitrovica has found him with 150,000 residents of northern Mitrovica displaced in the south, barricades on the Ibri Bridge, as well as many tensions.

I found Mitrovica with 150,000 people displaced from the north, with 9,876 incidents, with tons of sand on the Ibri Bridge, with barricades, with a very serious security situation. And I've been through all of this thanking the embassies for starting a new process, to reduce tensions, because my goal is to economic development”, he indicated.

According to him, Mitrovica's problem has known not only Pristina, but also Brussels and Washington because Mitrovica, as he said, has been called the town of problems.

My primary goal was stability. Serbs wanted the Iber River to be part of the city's division. I didn't allow it, I went to Brussels. I have signed the memorandum for the administrative borders of the Ahtisaari plan, while former President Rakic has not signed it. That was my first step. The second step was the opening of the Ibër Bridge, but that was impossible... At the Apostolova office we talked to Goran Rakiqi, and he didn't let this bridge open. His formal reasons are not yet ripe for joining the bridge. It's where we got the tensions raised. I just got out of the meeting. And the third one that has brought me into this process has been the resignation of mayors in northern Mitrovica”, he said.

Bahtiri said the petition for the union of Mitrovica has been signed by intellectuals of Serbian nationality, as they do not want to be guided by Serbian illegal structures.

“Intellectual people in the northern part have signed the petition which is in the Serb community, because there it leads people of crime. Now I have sent through competent bodies this petition and they are left to support this petition signed by citizens”, he stressed, urging senior officials in Pristina to take concrete steps and make Mitrovica's status a reality.

The mayor said mistakes have been made 20 years ago, and that Mitrovica citizens have not yet enjoyed Kosovo's freedom and independence.

We've tried every time to help you, but unfortunately, the mayor's competencies are divided. I started building some houses in the north side and the former head of the north led the police, the inspection for their ban. I have no authority as mayor to influence. The government will probably influence and deal with them”, Bahtiri said away.

Asked whether he has received support from the heads of state for this petition, he said that “President Thaci has officially supported me for this petition. Parliament must make a decision... I talked to parliamentary groups and they supported me. I can't believe there are Kosovo deputies who don't support this petition”.

As for Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj's statement, that he does not understand Bahtir's idea of the union of Mitrovica, he indicated his statement has been misunderstood.

And I appreciate his work and his previous, but his sacrifice. I have respect for him. In front of the media there's a man who can make mistakes. I've heard it, and its meaning has been that Mitrovica can't join. He told Kadri Veselin and Hashim Thaci. He knows I didn't split Mitrovica because I was in Holland. That's how I understood. If someone's understood otherwise let me take it and hear”, explain Bahtiri. /Telegraphy/