Arifi pronunciation for VVA: They're using the government to intervene in the Valley.

In the interview for Kosova Press, he also talks about the two million-euro Valley fund, Ardita Sinani's dismissal and parliamentary elections held in Serbia. Presevo's first one considers that Shaip Kamberi is not the representative of Albanians, but the delegate of Serbia's president, Alexander Vucic.

Upon taking power in Presevo, Shqirim Arifi says he has inherited debts from Ardita Sinan's government, the latter accuses him of extortion of the municipality.

My primacy was especially this year in the classification and clarification of the extortion that happened in the past power we had. And the second priority was to balance the year 2022 because we've been burdened with extra debt and it's been hard to manage these debts by the end of the year so we can spend the new year on new projects. In parallel, the third priority has been from where we left it before 2021, just to continue. So Presevo has lost us a year again, it's not the first time, it happened to us in 2017 when I was fired”, Arifi says.

In addition to criticism of past power, he declares that the Vetevendosje Movement made flagrant intervention in Presevo.

The “in 2022 has been once more serious for reasons of flagrant interference in the democratic processes in our country by Vetevendosje in Kosovo, which we have had a challenge with, unnecessary, which is based more on the anger of Albin (Curty) and Lieburn (Aliu) than on the targets of the case. Because, nobody has the right to interfere with democratic processes. Just as he was angry with Albin when he was fired when Yerenelli intervened with him to do those jobs, so he normally did the same to us. But this is where the chainsaws are at”, says Presevo's first.

Moreover, the first of Presevo says that Vetevendosje's tendency is to extend their political programme to the Valley.

“They are using their government and using the government institution and all other services to beat their Vetevendosje political programme to implement the country, but also in the Valley. He has tried the same in Albania but also in the Valley. Here it has made the situation once more difficult because it didn't have to be in the Valley because we don't need to be divided by the institution or any political party in Kosovo. We need unification, courtesy and respect, because we are the ones who still live in Serbia and who are still discriminated against and moved. You take it once more for what they've done”, he points out.

In parliamentary elections held in Serbia in April, Valley Albanians have run two electoral lists. This time Albanians have only one representative in Parliament of Serbia, but Arifi does not consider it to be Shaip Camber.

“Albanians do not have representatives in Serbia's Parliament, we have a delegate from Vuciqi, whose name is Shaip Kamberi. Because he has failed to participate in the list that has been unified in 2020, you understand in Kosovo. In 2020 we have arrived after 30 years to unify Albanians for parliamentary elections. Most of you know, I say that objectively that I have been one of the people that I have contributed to fully in this direction. But, Shaip Kamberi, with his megalomimy that he built there in parliament, in 2022 there was no interest in entering a joint list we had in 2020. And it's been sentenced to vote because it took me five-six times a vote just to allow Wuchiqi to go to Parliament. With Vuciqi not being disappointed with Shaip Kamberi's policies in parliament, he had done nothing in trials”, he declares.

The mayor of Presevo is also disappointed with the government's two million-euro government-sharing fund, since he says these vehicles have been looted and turned into Vetevendosje pockets.

The “is taken what happened, we are located in January this year and by November of last year the tools have not been distributed as promised to our citizens. But, it has been described just before the National Council elections a deal between a party here in our country and between Vetevendosje, that this does not serve as a normal government, that does an abnormal government. And it's also for abnormal reasons and subjects, because it has liked Ardita Sinan, Lieburn Aliou, Ragmi Mustaf and I now have the entire government and Kosovo must dedicate these three people. That's why I said it was abnormal. So these tools have been used to go and travel to America, people who don't know English or translate and don't know the issue of the Presevo Valley. These two million euros have been looted and turned into Vetevendosje pockets through their piunas in the Presevo Valley of”, adds Presevo chairman.

Arifi does not expect a quick deal with Serbia, since according to him, Albin Kurti will not sign the Association Agreement. In relation to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, he considers there are no national strategies, but only ideas of Albin Kurti.

The “is not that we have a Kosovo Albanian national strategy. We have a strategy which is built by the political programme, by Albin Kurti's idea of this dialogue. Even now we're seeing that it's going against itself. Albin Kurt told them that association should be implemented. He has made it clear to America, made it clear to the EU, made it clear when it was the first time in government, and especially now, the year we leave since”, he adds.

Last year, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has named Ardita Sinan political adviser to the three municipalities in eastern Kosovo. But the chairman of the Alternative for Change says it does not represent the citizens of the valley.

"Ardita Sinan" does not represent the Presevo Valley. Ardita Sinani is a woman who has a corruption indictment here. She doesn't even have a vote here, she's always the third or fourth party to come out in the election, never does she represent the Presevo Valley with such a small measure. It is a makeup for Vetevendosje policies”, Arifi declares.

He has also criticised Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, for failing to respond and support citizens of the Valley.

Meanwhile, he warns that they will not stand back in relation to the situation in northern Kosovo.

Our curiosity does not mean that we do not know the same policies, it does not mean that our silence does not mean that we do not understand developments, and our silence does not mean that we will forever be silent. For us 24 hours no, 24 seconds is organized to be blocked by highways, by the way and by the whole, it's not a big problem this”, it ends.

The mayor of Presevo will not give up joining Kosovo. Speaking of priorities this year, it cites assistance to businesses, capital investments, and construction of the industrial area.