Belgrade could set up temporary councils in Kosovo

The government should set up temporary councils in Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, a negotiator says. The move should come in collaboration with the parties of the ruling coalition, “since the current local self-governments will be left without their mandate after the November elections which Serbs will boycott,” Goran Bogdanovic, a member of the Belgrade Kosovo negotiating team, told Vecernje Novosti. Belgrade could set up temporary councils in Kosovo He on Friday specified that because of the fact some Serbs had announced participation in the forthcoming Kosovo elections, in spite of the announcements that they would be boycotted by the leading political parties in Serbia, “there is a danger that someone who has the support of 50 or 100 people will claim that he has the right to take over the local government.” He pointed out that was referring to the municipalities of Leposavic, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Strpce and Novo Brdo, and that in case that the government set up temporary councils in those regions, he was convinced that the “people there would withdraw their candidacies.” According to Bogdanovic, this would help maintain the continuity of state authority in that province.

Belgrade could set up temporary councils in Kosovo

He on Friday specified that because of the fact some Serbs had announced participation in the forthcoming Kosovo elections, in spite of the announcements that they would be boycotted by the leading political parties in Serbia, “there is a danger that someone who has the support of 50 or 100 people will claim that he has the right to take over the local government.”

He pointed out that was referring to the municipalities of Leposavić, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok, Štrpce and Novo Brdo, and that in case that the government set up temporary councils in those regions, he was convinced that the “people there would withdraw their candidacies.”

According to Bogdanović, this would help maintain the continuity of state authority in that province.