Northern mayor says referendum will go ahead

Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantic stated on Friday that Serbs in north Kosovo "will not give up on a referendum scheduled for February 14 and 15". He spoke for Tanjug news agency to refuted speculations reported by the Albanian language media in Pristina. Northern mayor says referendum will go ahead “Everything is going according to the plan and we do not give up on the referendum scheduled for February 14 and 15. The municipal assemblies have made the decision (to hold the referendum), and have not scheduled new session meaning that the referendum will stay as planned,” Pantic told Tanjug. The Pristina-based daily Express reported Friday that Serbs in north Kosovo-Metohija have given up on the referendum after receiving messages from Belgrade which include new plans for north Kosovo and mention the offer for special status in autumn. Pantic said that this is not true, and that Pristina media have most probably misinterpreted his statement on Thursday. “I said that State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic told us that at the moment the referendum is not necessary, and that we should wait for the fall when the referendum question would be different,” Pantic told Tanjug. The referendum is meant to have the north officially reject the authority of the government in Pristina. North of the Ibar River Serbs are the majority population that also does not accept the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence, made four years ago. Tanjug

Northern mayor says referendum will go ahead

“Everything is going according to the plan and we do not give up on the referendum scheduled for February 14 and 15. The municipal assemblies have made the decision (to hold the referendum), and have not scheduled new session meaning that the referendum will stay as planned,” Pantić told Tanjug.

The Priština-based daily Express reported Friday that Serbs in north Kosovo-Metohija have given up on the referendum after receiving messages from Belgrade which include new plans for north Kosovo and mention the offer for special status in autumn.

Pantić said that this is not true, and that Priština media have most probably misinterpreted his statement on Thursday.

“I said that State Secretary Oliver Ivanović told us that at the moment the referendum is not necessary, and that we should wait for the fall when the referendum question would be different,” Pantić told Tanjug.

The referendum is meant to have the north officially reject the authority of the government in Priština. North of the Ibar River Serbs are the majority population that also does not accept the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence, made four years ago.