Ministry: Political pressure on Serbs

The power cuts and the restoration of Albanian houses in Brdjani are forms of political pressure on the Serbs, Kosovo Ministry official Oliver Ivanovic told B92. The ministry state secretary said that these were tests to see how far the Albanians would go in establishing control over the north of the province. Ministry: Political pressure on Serbs Ivanovic labeled as “dangerous“ the increasingly frequent warnings from the Albanians, and even members of the international community, that Pristina wished to take full control in the north, cautioning that it could lead to bloodshed. Part of this plan, he believes, is the restoration of Albanian houses in Brdjani. “Whoever tried to take over the north would be pulling the trigger. It would then no longer matter who started shooting first or second. And there would be shooting. That’s a very dangerous plan. Actually, I don’t think it’s a plan, rather a test. I think it’s an idea, to try with a small number, to see what the reaction is,” said the state secretary. He said that the privatization of the Kosovo Electricity Corporation (KEK) was one of the causes of the clashes, as it had not merely been a case of selling thermal power plants and power distribution, but also a database. And, as no such base existed, there was an insistence on completing it with Serbs, who, hitherto, had not signed up to these registers, he said. Ivanovic said that the Kosovo Serbs had to pay their bills, as the Serbian government could not offer them an alternative for supplying electricity. “We tried to explain that the ministry cannot help on the issue of electricity any more than it has done up to now, which is by allocating, together with the Energy Ministry, a certain amount of electrical energy that we’ll offer as a donation. But, even that has to go via KEK representatives, as it needs to somehow get to the people in the enclaves,“ the state secretary explained. Ivanovic said that parliament had received a report on the way money allocated to the province had been spent. He said that the report was detailed and contained every investment that had gone to Kosovo, with accompanying documentation. Oliver Ivanovic (FoNet, archive) Serbs resume protest in Pasjane Several dozen Serbs have blocked traffic on the Gnjilane-Presevo road today, demanding that power be restored in the village of Pasjane. The protest organizers announced that the demonstration would be peaceful and that it was a resumption of the protest that ended late last night. Riot police are on standby near the scene of the protest. Further protests have also been announced in the Serb villages of Korminjane and Ranilug near Kosovska Kamenica, which have been without electricity for over a week. More than 15 Serb villages in this region have been without electricity for days. Pasjane residents rejected talks with officials from the Kosovo Electric Corporation (KEK), who want a lump sum paid for electricity used last month and the signing of a new contract before the electricity is restored. Yesterday, Serbs blocked the Gnjilane-Presevo road, angry at the continuing power cuts.The blockade in Pasjane, near the Gnjilane-Presevo road, lasted almost three hours. Local police representatives from Gnjilane tried to persuade the Serbs to lift their blockade on several occasions. It then became a question of wait-and-see. Just before 21:00 CET the Serbs lifted the blockade, at which point the police fell back too, to receive reinforcements a kilometer back in the form of a special riot police unit. Over 15 majority-Serb villages in the Kosovsko Pomoravlje region, including Korminjane, have been without electricity for several days. Following clashes with police on Sunday that left around ten people injured, Korminjane residents began talks with Kosovo Electricity Corporation officials to resolve the problems concerning distribution and billing. Residents were offered the option of paying an initial lump sum, before concluding contracts with the corporation. The protests in Korminjane came in response to the arrest and harassment of one of their number, Miroslav Maksimovic. Five Serbs, who were arrested in clashes with police in Korminjane, remain in custody. They have been remanded for a further 24 hours, after which they will turned over to the courts. They were arrested, say police, for violent behavior.

Ministry: Political pressure on Serbs

Ivanović labeled as “dangerous“ the increasingly frequent warnings from the Albanians, and even members of the international community, that Priština wished to take full control in the north, cautioning that it could lead to bloodshed.

Part of this plan, he believes, is the restoration of Albanian houses in Brđani.

“Whoever tried to take over the north would be pulling the trigger. It would then no longer matter who started shooting first or second. And there would be shooting. That’s a very dangerous plan. Actually, I don’t think it’s a plan, rather a test. I think it’s an idea, to try with a small number, to see what the reaction is,” said the state secretary.

He said that the privatization of the Kosovo Electricity Corporation (KEK) was one of the causes of the clashes, as it had not merely been a case of selling thermal power plants and power distribution, but also a database. And, as no such base existed, there was an insistence on completing it with Serbs, who, hitherto, had not signed up to these registers, he said.

Ivanović said that the Kosovo Serbs had to pay their bills, as the Serbian government could not offer them an alternative for supplying electricity.

“We tried to explain that the ministry cannot help on the issue of electricity any more than it has done up to now, which is by allocating, together with the Energy Ministry, a certain amount of electrical energy that we’ll offer as a donation. But, even that has to go via KEK representatives, as it needs to somehow get to the people in the enclaves,“ the state secretary explained.

Ivanović said that parliament had received a report on the way money allocated to the province had been spent.

He said that the report was detailed and contained every investment that had gone to Kosovo, with accompanying documentation.

Serbs resume protest in Pasjane

Several dozen Serbs have blocked traffic on the Gnjilane-Preševo road today, demanding that power be restored in the village of Pasjane.

The protest organizers announced that the demonstration would be peaceful and that it was a resumption of the protest that ended late last night.

Riot police are on standby near the scene of the protest.

Further protests have also been announced in the Serb villages of Korminjane and Ranilug near Kosovska Kamenica, which have been without electricity for over a week.

More than 15 Serb villages in this region have been without electricity for days. Pasjane residents rejected talks with officials from the Kosovo Electric Corporation (KEK), who want a lump sum paid for electricity used last month and the signing of a new contract before the electricity is restored.

Yesterday, Serbs blocked the Gnjilane-Preševo road, angry at the continuing power cuts.The blockade in Pasjane, near the Gnjilane-Preševo road, lasted almost three hours.

Local police representatives from Gnjilane tried to persuade the Serbs to lift their blockade on several occasions.

It then became a question of wait-and-see. Just before 21:00 CET the Serbs lifted the blockade, at which point the police fell back too, to receive reinforcements a kilometer back in the form of a special riot police unit.

Over 15 majority-Serb villages in the Kosovsko Pomoravlje region, including Korminjane, have been without electricity for several days.

Following clashes with police on Sunday that left around ten people injured, Korminjane residents began talks with Kosovo Electricity Corporation officials to resolve the problems concerning distribution and billing.

Residents were offered the option of paying an initial lump sum, before concluding contracts with the corporation.

The protests in Korminjane came in response to the arrest and harassment of one of their number, Miroslav Maksimović.

Five Serbs, who were arrested in clashes with police in Korminjane, remain in custody. They have been remanded for a further 24 hours, after which they will turned over to the courts. They were arrested, say police, for violent behavior.