Government is required to address all municipalities equally, not favour those where the VV heads

The implementation of many local-level projects without central support is almost impossible. Given this, the Government is being asked to treat all municipalities equally and not direct investments to the municipalities where the Vetevendosje Movement leads.

The treatment of sewage, the extension of the water supply network, infrastructure investments are some of the projects that require greater government support.

The head of the Kosovo Communists Association, Saban Ibrahimi, says municipalities should be treated all in the same way and not seen on the basis of political affiliation.

He says supporting the local level on the part of the government is extremely important for the realisation of many projects the citizens benefit from.

 The government is obliged to address all municipalities equally, regardless of political affiliation or ethnic affiliation. As for budgetary divisions in the general grant, there are criteria, as well as in the health, education grant, but the largest hylja has been from the ministries of the line that have invested in municipalities, taking into account more political and ethnic criteria than professional ones. For this reason we've always tried to stop putting such criteria forward with legislation in force, and we've requested that a grant be established that all of these tools will channel through that grant so that all municipalities can profit equally, not invest in certain municipalities because of political affiliation and in some ethnic and nonethnic cases treat all municipalities equal to”, he says.

Ibrahimi says he hopes that this year the Law on the Finances of Local Power will be enacted, in which the creation of the fourth grant or grant for capital investments is envisioned. Of the same, he says municipalities will benefit over 90m euros more than the previous years.

Prizren Mayor Shacir Totaj says he expects the central level to provide support for the implementation of projects he has envisioned over the next four years.

  Despite the fact that the government is another party and local level is another party, for me this is no obstacle and I expect a constructive approach on the part of all ministers. On my side at no time will I lack the willingness to co-operation, because I think that citizens don't care which party he is in, but they care about the realisation of projects that have to do with establishing the quality of their lives. I honestly expect cooperation and think that there is no reason not to cooperate and I am optimistic in this regard. [...] Prizren is an important city for Kosovo, it is the second city for any criteria, a city that has a reputation even outside Kosovo territory, so I do not expect discrimination in this respect, I expect favouring the city of Prizren”, he says.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Gjakova municipality, Ardian Gjini, says many projects can only be realised thanks to government support.

  Kosovo's “government keeps most of the budget and necessarily needs to be invested in municipalities to complete infrastructure. We need to see, the budget that has now passed does not leave much to hope, but we are confident that Government has other opportunities to get funds, create grants of other kinds so that municipalities can fulfill their obligations to citizens. But after all, the Government has to carry out its obligations to the citizens because it is the Government of all citizens, and as such it should be brought around<x1...

Even Obilic Community Chairman Xhafer Gashi emphasises that he expects all projects that are necessary for this municipality to receive central level approval.

“Most projects would not be possible without co-operation with the central level. I believe that this co-operation will continue further, we hope that all projects that are necessary for the citizens of Obiliki will be supported by the central level of”, Gashi says.

That the central level should not favour or exclude municipalities depending on the parties led by Bekim Salihu, from the GAP Institute, says.

He says it is important that the Government reflect accuracy and legitimacy against the local level and thus treat them equally.

  The government not to view municipalities as political parties, not to look at municipalities and not deal with municipalities depending on political beliefs, but to consider them to be specific units of local self-government, and of course, each municipality has its priorities and problems, so to approach them. Suppose a multitude of municipalities have a problem with sewage, a host of other municipalities have a problem with drinking water shortages, lack of sanitation, lack of lighting, parks, property, economic areas, and so on. So there are 38 municipalities and each municipality has some problems compared to other municipalities. As a result, the government will thus have to see municipalities, address them and try to help you in these areas where municipalities have pronounced problems”, Salihu says.

During a campaign-time statement, Prime Minister Kurti had said that mayors of municipalities who did not come from LVV know to do some kind of opposition against the Government, but Salihu says that from monitoring that GAP in no case has noticed that there has been political access on the part of mayors in relation to the government.

In the local elections, which were held on October 17th 2021, the Vetevendosje Movement has won only in four municipalities -- in Gjilan, Kamenica, Shtime and Podujevo.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo will government in Prizren, Drenas, Kacanik, Vushtrri, South Mitrovica, Skenderaj, Ferizaj and Han of Elez.

Meanwhile, the Democratic League of Kosovo won in Pristina, Fushe Kosovo, Istog, Year, June, Dragash, Lipjan and in Pec.

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo leads in Gjakova, Cline, Rahovec, Decani and Suhareka.

In the municipality of Obilic has won the Civic Initiative for Obilic, the Social Democrat Initiative in Malisevo, while in Mamusha Kosova Democratic Kosova Turk Partis.

The Serbian list has managed to win in Klokot, Leposaviq, Novoberda, Shrpca, Zubin Potok, Zvecan, Gracanica, Ranilug, Partesh and North Mitrovica.