Mustafa: Serbia greedy for Valley Albanians

Presevo Deputy Chairman Ragmi Mustafa speaks critical of the budget shared by Kosovo, saying that two million euros have not been spent last year on what, according to him, the local executive is responsible.

Albanian Democratic Party Chairman ( The PDS) in the interview for KosovaPress “

In Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanoc have not implemented the two million euros separated by the government in 2023, Ragmi Mustafa says.

“2m euros have not been implemented for Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanoc in any project. Two million euros have been burned, not implemented, even though they have been the line cut from the budget approved by December 2022 by the Republic of Kosovo, from the Kosovo Assembly that has not opposed any MP, who has not opposed any political and economic subject. But it was not realised and that is the responsibility of the Government of Kosovo, because they are responsible for implementation, and they have been given confidence by the Kosovo Parliament to implement the budgetary lines that have been approved. In 2024, three million euros have been separated. One million euros have been distributed to students, students on Presevo territory allegedly for education, but there are less than onem euros. While two million euros have again failed to realise”, he says.

Criticism also expresses to Albania, what it considers “fraud” recently separated tools.

“On two projects, Albania's Foreign Ministry is granting between 15 thousand euros and 15 thousand euros. But that's a joke, that's getting a bonboon and three kids sharing a third of it. But perhaps 30 children were separated from a bonbonne. Does that make sense and logic? This is called fraud, this has a name”, Mustafa adds.

Presevo's deputy chairman emphasises that this municipality is in serious economic condition due to Serbia's discriminating approach.

“Viewing as a tight hand in financial terms from the Republic of Serbia, we are always in very serious economic situations. Very serious developmental planning situation. But, however, the previous power has contracted 1m euros contracts -- 700 thousand euros, 500,000 euros, another contract close to 1m euros, and those which you have no idea where material tools can come from, he said.

Mustafa has also expressed concern over the economic situation of the Albanians in the Valley, citing the fact that 75 percent of them are unemployed.

“The Presevo unemployment middle being over 97.5 per cent Albanians, 75 per cent of them are unemployed, meaning five times is expressed unemployment in the Presevo municipality compared to average in Serbia. This is done with very open intentions, only a madman would not understand. This is with the sole aim of creating uncertainty situations for Albanians to release their autochthon lands. Just like they left them in Medvedja. Let's not forget that postwar in Kosovo, over 4 thousand Albanians have lived in Medvedja, today not even 400 per cent of them”, he claims.

Because of unemployment and non-recognition of diplomas from Kosovo, Albanians from the Presevo Valley are migrating largely. He says measures must be taken to keep Albanians in their settlements.

There are no more than four, five or six students in a settlement with more than 450 residences in each classroom. 450 residence houses have only 4 students, which means there's a baby in a house? That's not true. There are children born but do not live in these settlements and are forced to flee to other countries, and that is horror. This is the bell falling for Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanoc that we are empty, we are empty and we are nowhere to stay”, he said.

Harsh is also expressed by former Chairman Shqirim Arifi, whose power he calls “harlatan”.

It's true that after a power, which I say is charlatan, we've had and we're going to have numeric problems, especially in a financial way. The Presevo municipality does not have the capacity to link millions of contracts expressed in euros because it does not have such a budget. The Presevo Community budget is so poor that it allows it to survive. Paying salaries and personal incomes of workers in municipal administration, workers in institutions where the municipal assembly is founder, maintaining as much as possible purity, drinking water supply, keeping expenses for primary and secondary education in eight and two high schools, and at children's nursing facilities”, he says.

In June 2024, Presevo held early elections, since the municipal assembly never succeeded in nine months. Thus, conditions were created for the distribution of the assembly. At the top of the municipality is Ardita Sinani from PVD, while Deputy Mayor Ragmi Mustafa from the DPA.