Seven Serb villages without power

The Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) has shut down the power in seven Serb villages, stating that it will not tolerate non-payment of bills. Electricity was turned off yesterday in the Serb villages of Priluzje and Grace in Vucitrn municipality, in Gorazdevac (Pec), Dobrotin (Donja Gusterica), Livadje (Lipljan) and Silovo (Gnjilane), while the village of Gornja Gusterica in Lipljan has also been left without power today. Seven Serb villages without power Gornje Gusterice residents say they are disgusted by KEK's conduct and have gathered to voice their indignation at the latest cuts. Around 280 Serb households in Dobrotin were left in the dark yesterday, where the cuts were carried out in phases that left the village without electricity in the space of two hours. Zivojin Nicic, a Serb official in Dobrotin, said that the cuts in the three biggest Serb villages were a political ploy. Milos Dimitrijevic, the municipal president of Pec whose HQ have been relocated to Gorazdevac, said that KEK and international community representatives had given Serbs in Gorazdevac until April 27 to sign a deal on future bill payment methods. However, he added that the latest power cut was “another form of pressure on the remaining 250 Serb households in Gorazdevac.“ Local authority representatives have informed the Serbian Kosovo Ministry and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic of the latest developments, said Lipljan Municipal Vice-President Slavko Janicijevic. A KEK media representative told Beta that company practice was to switch off the power for all non-payers. Kosovo Energy Minister Justina Siroka Pulja told Beta said that under an earlier deal, the agreement on power supply and bill payment should already have been signed by now. “We no longer have any reason to go to them. The Serbs should come and sign the agreements,“ said the minister, adding that power had also been turned off in Albanian villages where less than 30 percent of electricity had been paid for. A senior Serb official, Goran Arsic, said that the Serbian Kosovo Ministry had decided to offer material assistance to at-risk Serb families in the province. “Our ministry will help 100 families in every Kosovo municipality by giving them RSD 1,000 each. There are 29 municipalities in Kosovo overall, which means the ministry will help 2,900 families,“ Arsic told Beta. He said that ministry officials would begin talks with international community representatives on Monday in order to find a permanent solution to the problem of electricity supply and payment in Serb-populated regions.

Seven Serb villages without power

Gornje Gušterice residents say they are disgusted by KEK's conduct and have gathered to voice their indignation at the latest cuts.

Around 280 Serb households in Dobrotin were left in the dark yesterday, where the cuts were carried out in phases that left the village without electricity in the space of two hours.

Živojin Ničić, a Serb official in Dobrotin, said that the cuts in the three biggest Serb villages were a political ploy.

Miloš Dimitrijević, the municipal president of Peć whose HQ have been relocated to Goraždevac, said that KEK and international community representatives had given Serbs in Goraždevac until April 27 to sign a deal on future bill payment methods.

However, he added that the latest power cut was “another form of pressure on the remaining 250 Serb households in Goraždevac.“

Local authority representatives have informed the Serbian Kosovo Ministry and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković of the latest developments, said Lipljan Municipal Vice-President Slavko Janićijević.

A KEK media representative told Beta that company practice was to switch off the power for all non-payers.

Kosovo Energy Minister Justina Siroka Pulja told Beta said that under an earlier deal, the agreement on power supply and bill payment should already have been signed by now.

“We no longer have any reason to go to them. The Serbs should come and sign the agreements,“ said the minister, adding that power had also been turned off in Albanian villages where less than 30 percent of electricity had been paid for.

A senior Serb official, Goran Arsić, said that the Serbian Kosovo Ministry had decided to offer material assistance to at-risk Serb families in the province.

“Our ministry will help 100 families in every Kosovo municipality by giving them RSD 1,000 each. There are 29 municipalities in Kosovo overall, which means the ministry will help 2,900 families,“ Arsić told Beta.

He said that ministry officials would begin talks with international community representatives on Monday in order to find a permanent solution to the problem of electricity supply and payment in Serb-populated regions.