Krasniqi: Still no initiative for mayoral dismissals in the north

Krasniqi has said the administrative instruction that has already entered into force has been the best “platform to preserve democracy and ensure judicial security for mayors of”.

As a government, we are committed to fulfilling all the obligations that are on our table and that we must fulfill to set the good example of caring for each citizen and process. As a government, we initiated draft administrative instruction. It is in force, and every citizen or group of citizens who want to use this legal opportunity to get the mayor out of the office, wherever they can exploit him. So far there's no information that there's a petition initiative for running off. Mayors in the north remain in office, almighty in implementing their constitutional and legal mandate”, he has said. The “E bear in mind that recent elections were with small citizens' participation, for known reasons, that Serbia blackmailed and intimidated Serbian citizens, but the mayors are the result of the democratic and constitutional process. Their departure must be done by democratic, constitutional and legal means, and the petition is the best form to preserve democracy and ensure judicial security for the heads of”, he said at KTV.

He has said he cannot verify whether or not there is readiness for new elections in the north.

These are facts, from September 24th from now on, nothing is the same. We should remember that in the situation we are in, there is an address that is the main blame for all this situation, from November 5th 2022 when the then chaired resignations and the police and other institutions all had a plan dedicated to reducing the authority of the Republic of Kosovo in each corner of it”, he said.

Meanwhile, days ago the Government of Kosovo said it supports holding new elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo, on the basis of the legal framework it has offered.

New Albanian mayors in the north came out of the April elections after the polls were boycotted by the Serb List and local populations. They were opposed through protests in the north that began in late May, which escalated into violence.

The April elections were held following the collective withdrawal of Serbian officials from local and central institutions in November 2022, due to disappointments with a Kosovo Government decision dealing with converting Serbian illegal license plates to those Kosovo Republic RKS.

Kosovo, after facing EU punitive measures due to tensions in the north that began in May, pledged reshuffle of elections through administrative instruction allowing citizens to dismiss their respective mayors through a petition.

The petition should be signed by 20 per cent of the voting body in the designated municipality, which can then be pushed forward. If all the steps required with the administrative directive are met, which was released in September then vote is held for the removal of the mayor. The mayor's departure requires 50 percent +1 vote of citizens on the voter list. Next, new elections are announced.