Central Kastrati shows whether he will again be a candidate for mayor of Kamenica

Kamenica municipality is among the first municipalities to be affected by the invisible virus SARS-COV-2. In addition to the health of many citizens, the city's economy was affected. In addition to COVIED, the mayor of this municipality, St. Kastrati, also faced disappointment over education reform. With the new local elections expected to be held in the autumn, Kastrati has still decided whether he will run for another term.

As a result of the pandemic in the municipality of Kamenica during the next year, over 30 businesses have disappeared, while about 50 people have lost their jobs.

Mayor Stand Kastrati says their number may be even higher, as there are businesses that have not formally closed their operations.

Kastrati stresses that Kamenica has been one of the smaller budget municipalities, where despite that, says how the municipality has managed to cope with the situation caused by COVID-19. He adds that they have managed to realise about 80 per cent of the budget during the year we left behind, saying this is the biggest success to take into account the drop in revenues due to pandemic.

In an interview for Kosovo Press, Kamenica's first one says they have made their best contribution to confronting pandemic.

 There are 29 businesses that have formally closed and had 43 employees. But for truth's sake, reality is much more than that. We still don't have a culture where business goes and shuts down. Kamenica has been slightly more affected by the fact that in us businesses mostly function or expand revenues during the summer season, where it estimates that every third of Kamenica is in the diaspora and are mostly in Switzerland, where the standard is higher and summer is an enormous aid. And during the summer season, Switzerland in particular has not allowed citizens to come to Kosovo or other countries, there has been a part during September, and now at the time of the end of the year's holidays, there is a greater return”, says Kastrati.

During the following year, Kamenica faced two serious death cases as a result of COVID-19, which was the death of a 27-year-old and the death of five members of one family, cases that Kastrati also estimates to be the worst for this municipality in 2020.

Despite the challenges they faced, he says the QKMF has managed to manage pandemic.

In addition, Kastrati says the municipality has taken care of helping its citizens with subsidies, with which it stresses that all the aid they have been offered remains symbolic, especially if compared to the assistance other countries have provided to their citizens.

 The “is over 400,000 euros that have been allocated subsidies, if you compare it to Pristina are few, if you compare it to the past in Kamenica, with only 9,000 euros for all categories, then it is a huge value. The help is more symbolic that the municipality is extending its hand and is able to help a little. There are also subsidies where they have been released from all the payments they had to make. In the QKMF each suspect has been released from these expenses and has been affordable and very good idea. Babies, students, associations, have also been subsidized. A generally, multiple more help has been done than it used to be, under normal circumstances, but still insufficient”, he says.

The Kamenica municipality, along with the challenge in fighting pandemic, also faced protests against reform in education, where it ended in court. The Constitutional Court in Pristina considers that reform should be suspended, but that the municipality has complained to it at the Court of Appeals.

Staying Kastrati says he will accept the court's decision, whatever it is, but adds that there are many factors that make reform necessary in education. And one of them, he says it's demographic.

Kastrati says it is understandable that reforms be expected in such a way, but that he stresses that he had first talked with relevant institutions and political subjects, where for the latter he says they have been withdrawn because of party interests.

According to him, there should be at least 20 students in the classroom for them to have a quality education and development.

 I first consulted with all relevant institutions, with all the political subjects and all had guaranteed me support that would push it forward. Then, when citizens' resistance began, many politicians think, "It's a moment to win a group of votes, and there's no way of supporting what's right and right for the future, for children, for education. Some 75 per cent, I'm talking like schools, like settlements, they're respecting reform, but if you turn it into more students, it's those who are not respecting it because it's homesickness in relation to the village. It's a difference of outlook. For me it's important and I've asked that children in Kamenica have a quality education and have a proper development, while someone thinks it's worth sacrificing even children, so that the village can use that object for school, even though we're thinking of using those objects for something else that has the character of education, education”, he points out.

And among the biggest successes this year, he says it is project implementation, or 80 per cent of the budget.

 Kamenica's <x0munum has been one of the smaller budget municipalities and which has been influenced most, these have been the biggest challenges, to dealing with the pandemic, which we are still dealing with, and managed to prevent all unknowns from being ready for each circumstance. It has become an extremely big job and I'm happy for what we've done so far and I wish that even the following months will be affordable to us as institutions to manage it. [...] after the mine. 1H27” Both successes, given both pandemics and measures, and colleagues regardless of age and health, I'm glad that 80 percent of the budget has been achieved, considering that many incomes have fallen”, Kastrati says as he adds that the assistance of the Government and the diaspora has been welcomed in this respect.

He also speaks of his candidacy for a second term at the helm of Kamenica, which he says depends on the needs of citizens. And from the position of Kamenica chairman, Kastrati says he could leave only if there was something more challenging and where he could contribute more.

 I believe it's from the last interviews I haven't decided yet, but I soon believe I have to decide. [...] It's related to projects, to learning, to governance. I try all the time not to think about the privileges the mayor gives, more to think about responsibilities, and whether citizens need such an approach. Now it belongs to me to offer the offer, the outlook, what we think has to be done. It is up to citizens to decide what is right or what is needed for the time”, he says.

All in the end, Kastrati wishes that the pandemic will be completed as soon as possible and that businesses will return to the right level, while expressing gratitude for the Kosovo Police and inspectors, who he says have done their work with full responsibility. /