Serbs in northern Mitrovica seek to return to work in parallel municipality

The people protesting Monday were employees of the Serbian parallel municipality administration in this municipality.

The rally comes days after Kosovo authorities closed five parallel Serb institutions in northern Kosovo, including the parallel municipality of Mitrovica, saying these institutions were working under Serbia's leadership, reducing the constitutionality and laws of the Republic of Kosovo”.

The August 30th event, carried out by Kosovo institutions, was described as unilateral and co-ordinated by the international community, and was also rejected by the Serb List, the main party of local Serbs in Kosovo that has Belgrade's support, and by officials in Serbia.

Kosovo Police Chief for the Ferizaj region Petrit Feyza told Radio Free Europe that they closed this facility on August 30th, following suspicions that false documents were in it.

Workers, who said their Monday rally is not a protest, said they have offered services to citizens at this facility for years.

But, Fyza said they would not be allowed into the facility until authorities conduct investigations.

In the vicinity of the country where Serbs gathered on Monday morning were seen also members of Kosovo Police Special Units, as well as two European Union for Rule of Law vehicles in Kosovo (EULEX).

This rally in northern Mitrovica took place a day after plates of Kosovo Government ministries were placed on objects used by Serb parallel institutions.

In addition to the five institutions closed last Friday, Kosovo authorities closed seven other parallel Serb municipalities in other parts of Kosovo.

In Kosovo, there are municipalities, companies and public companies, nursery, elementary school, high school and public universities that are directly financed by the Government of Serbia, and which are found in the towns and settlements where the Serb community lives.

Those institutions under the laws in Kosovo are illegal.

In 2013, Kosovo and Serbia in the dialogue on normalisation of the reports in Brussels had reached an agreement to eliminate parallel institutions, but still this agreement has not been fully implemented.