Early elections in the north are still being held this year

Early elections in the four northern municipalities are not expected to be held this year. The executive does not confirm that he has launched any initiative by Serbian citizens in the north that through petition the current mayors leave, while opposition and election connoisseurs see the elections impossible to happen this year.

Although Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has said that they have agreed with EU requirements to avoid the request for the phone number under the petition signing, his office said that even after this development everything depends on the will of citizens there to start the petition.

On the other hand, Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Hajdar Beqa says of KosovoPress, that elections in the north should be organised on the basis of the country's law and Constitution.

Speaking of the possibility of resignations of the current mayors, he says he must be seen if he has political will for such a thing, as current mayors, despite the small number of votes, are legitimate.

“Under the Constitution and the Law for Elections should be organised provisional elections in the north, because we cannot get out of that framework. If there is political will, it can happen, but as we see we are wasting time. The mayors there are legitimate with that legitimate one, but the situation as it came there has a history and responsible for those actions is Prime Minister Kurti”, Beqa says.

Meanwhile, electoral processes connoisseur Mazum Baraliu says that on the basis of administrative instruction and the law on local elections, to have new elections in northern municipalities, there must be a request from at least 20 per cent of the electoral body for the dismissal of current mayors.

However, he stresses that after the September 24th terrorist attack in Zvecan Banjska and Serbia's impunity there should be no elections in the north, as even the Serbian List has been convicted and lost citizens' trust.

The key issue and legal requirement of administrative instruction and the Law for local elections is that to have elections, a request must be made at least 20 percent of the electoral body of all communities. That's the condition, and if that happens, there may be choices. But I think that in a situation where neither the EU nor Serbia have reacted in an adequate manner (the September 24th terrorist attack) despite neglecting the issue of Serbia's military aggression in the north there can be no elections and progress there. The Serbian list has been condemned and has lost confidence in our citizens and institutions. The international community must also take such an attitude”, Baraliu declares.

Likewise, international relations connoisseur Dritero Arifi is sceptical there will be new elections in four northern municipalities.

I don't believe there will be elections in four municipalities in the north at least this year. This year I see him lost in many ways... (The political agreement on the resignation of the current mayors) That could happen, but elections in the north will not succeed if there is any political agreement, as they will produce the same crisis”, Arifi says.

On the basis of an agreement with the European Union in Bratislava, Kosovo has shown readiness to organise new elections in the four Serb majority municipalities in the north: Northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq.

The Ministry of Management of Local Power in September has drafted administrative instruction enabling the removal of the current chairmans through petition.

Current mayors in four northern municipalities have emerged from April's extraordinary elections, which the Serb community has boycotted