South K. Mitrovica mayor slams Serb assembly, UNMIK

These structures are simply temporary and will provide the brave Serbs who continue to live under illegal Albanian rule to do so somewhat easier.

I say temporary because the current occupation of the province of Kosovo and Metohija will be somewhat shortlived. As we draw ever closer to the weakening of the Western empire Serbs will gain our God given rights once more and carry out justice so that our people can live in peace in our most sacred land.

Priština's daily Koha Ditore today says that UNMIK has offered Albanian municipal officials to meet with the representatives of "parallel Serb structures", and accused the UN mission of in this way, "quietly legalizing them".

These fine intellectuals of Koha Ditore are finally discovering the warm water. I know that I am getting boring but to me is very clear that Zannier's job is to get along with the "real" reality on the ground" (i.e. de facto partition) and I am always surprised that some still like to play with their own "imagined" reality on the ground.

Mike,

I think you'll find all cooperation you allude to will be through the only legitamate authority of UNMIK with regards the non-Albanian areas of Serbia's UN recognised province.

Serbia has all along suggested self rule for the ethnic-Albaninas be it by themselves or as they now choose now under "feith" tutelage!

Of course this informal process will never be as economically productive for the Serbian province and its citizens but what can Serbia do other then continue to insist on negotiation to resolve this formally in the best interets of all! I guess eventuly the reality will sink. You would have thought the last 9 years would have made many realise this is not economically productive for any of its citizens whether they respect the state they are in or not but I gueess they need a little more time to realise the reality of the state they are in!

Mike,

I understand where you are coming from when you say

"Thankfully nothing has spilled over into open violence, and I think both sides realize such an option benefits no one. Within time,

I have no doubt the Albanians will grudingly accept the political and administrative partition of Kosovo - at least north of the Ibar."

The paralelism you are making between Kosova-Serbia and Northern Mitrovica doesn't stand in any aspect.

What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?

Just as it is going to take some time for certain Serbs to understand that parts of Kosovo are no longer under their control, so too is it becoming clear that Albanians will have to realize the same realities. Calling something illegal, illegitimate, or whatever, but leaving it at words only only makes news headlines. Thankfully nothing has spilled over into open violence, and I think both sides realize such an option benefits no one. Within time, I have no doubt the Albanians will grudingly accept the political and administrative partition of Kosovo - at least north of the Ibar.

The real test will be what happens to the Serb enclaves in the center and south of Kosovo. The HAVE to cooperate on some level with EULEX, though it remains to be seen how effective the Serb Assembly in Mitrovica will be in managing affairs in these enclaves too.

UNMIK?

Serbs and Albanians should realize by now that UNMIK does not exsist. They are not going to get their hands dirty. They are going to let the Albanian populated and Serbian populated areas to do as they please.

EA,

I understand the rationale behind the whole "Presevo as a Mitrovica within Serbia Proper" argument. It's been used by Albanians here for some time, and if one briefly looks at the region, one could even say it holds some sort of merit: Serbs in Kosovo want to break away? OK, then the same applies to Albanians of Presevo.

Unfortunately, the rationale doesn't hold much water based on the following principles.

First, to my knowledge, there is no major movement in Presevo, Bujanovac or Medvedja for either outright territorial secession, or the creation of a government within a government. I understand relations with Belgrade are tenuous at best, but it is nothing compared to the lack of legitimate sovereignty that Pristina is trying to exert over Mitrovica. Albanians participated in last month's parliamentary elections and it is clear they are seeking to work with Belgrade. The Serbs of Mitrovica (and probably elsewhere) want absolutely nothing to do with Pristina or its elites.

Second, and equally as important, there is no international support for any further autonomy or outright independence for Presevo et al. You may rightly say that there's no international support for a Serb Assembly in Mitrovica either, but the difference is that Mitrovica is a problem contained in Kosovo, an already problematic region. I would say that if the K Serbs remain within Kosovo's boundaries, there will be some form of tacit recognition of Serbian self rule in the region apart from Pristina.

Third, many Albanians speak of Presevo as a tit for tat response to anything coming from the Serbs of Kosovo. In reality, Mitrovica is the responsive "tat" to Pristina's UDI "tit". So it's not the Serbs causing the domino effect, but rather a response to the first domino felled in Pristina. Albanians already broke away from Serbia. This is Serbia's response.

We could go back and forth over this ad nauseum, but the bottom line on my end is this: the international community may not like the establishment of a Serb Assembly in Mitrovica, but there's little they can do to prevent it. And if the Serb Assembly works within Kosovo and does not seek territorial secession (an RS model), I have a sneaking feeling the international community will allow it to function, however symbolically it may really be.

"The paralelism you are making between Kosova-Serbia and Northern Mitrovica doesn't stand in any aspect.

What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?
(EA, 30 June 2008 20:07) "

Of course there is no parallelism between Mitrovica and south Serbia. The entire world recognizes south Serbia as indisputable Serbian territory. You can't say the same about Kosovo's UDI. So of course a comparison between these 2 are inappropriate.

By the way, Albanians are now a minority in Medvedja. T

" "The municipal assembly appraises that the creation of an assembly by the Serbs is illegal, just as were the elections held in May, and as are the winners of those elections," Rexhepi told a local committee dealing with the divided town's security. "

Such will be the eternal argument by both sides in this Kosovo-Serbia issue. This is precisely why I have been saying that the question of status needs to be brought back to the table, because what we have now is a mess with one side doing what they want the other calling it illegal and then vice versa. I am curious to see how this impotent Pieter Feith will handle this, because his blabbering has achieved nothing thus far, and I don't see either side bending for the other in any way.

To conclude: Kosovo = frozen conflict. Get back to negotiations or end up like Georgia and Abkhazia and co.

>What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?

Exchange them. Presevo etc should open their own 'parliament.' They are close to 100,000 whereas in Northern Mitrovica they are only 40,000

Just as it is going to take some time for certain Serbs to understand that parts of Kosovo are no longer under their control, so too is it becoming clear that Albanians will have to realize the same realities. Calling something illegal, illegitimate, or whatever, but leaving it at words only only makes news headlines. Thankfully nothing has spilled over into open violence, and I think both sides realize such an option benefits no one. Within time, I have no doubt the Albanians will grudingly accept the political and administrative partition of Kosovo - at least north of the Ibar.

The real test will be what happens to the Serb enclaves in the center and south of Kosovo. The HAVE to cooperate on some level with EULEX, though it remains to be seen how effective the Serb Assembly in Mitrovica will be in managing affairs in these enclaves too.

Mike,

I understand where you are coming from when you say

"Thankfully nothing has spilled over into open violence, and I think both sides realize such an option benefits no one. Within time,

I have no doubt the Albanians will grudingly accept the political and administrative partition of Kosovo - at least north of the Ibar."

The paralelism you are making between Kosova-Serbia and Northern Mitrovica doesn't stand in any aspect.

What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?

These structures are simply temporary and will provide the brave Serbs who continue to live under illegal Albanian rule to do so somewhat easier.

I say temporary because the current occupation of the province of Kosovo and Metohija will be somewhat shortlived. As we draw ever closer to the weakening of the Western empire Serbs will gain our God given rights once more and carry out justice so that our people can live in peace in our most sacred land.

Mike,

I think you'll find all cooperation you allude to will be through the only legitamate authority of UNMIK with regards the non-Albanian areas of Serbia's UN recognised province.

Serbia has all along suggested self rule for the ethnic-Albaninas be it by themselves or as they now choose now under "feith" tutelage!

Of course this informal process will never be as economically productive for the Serbian province and its citizens but what can Serbia do other then continue to insist on negotiation to resolve this formally in the best interets of all! I guess eventuly the reality will sink. You would have thought the last 9 years would have made many realise this is not economically productive for any of its citizens whether they respect the state they are in or not but I gueess they need a little more time to realise the reality of the state they are in!

UNMIK?

Serbs and Albanians should realize by now that UNMIK does not exsist. They are not going to get their hands dirty. They are going to let the Albanian populated and Serbian populated areas to do as they please.

>What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?

Exchange them. Presevo etc should open their own 'parliament.' They are close to 100,000 whereas in Northern Mitrovica they are only 40,000

Priština's daily Koha Ditore today says that UNMIK has offered Albanian municipal officials to meet with the representatives of "parallel Serb structures", and accused the UN mission of in this way, "quietly legalizing them".

These fine intellectuals of Koha Ditore are finally discovering the warm water. I know that I am getting boring but to me is very clear that Zannier's job is to get along with the "real" reality on the ground" (i.e. de facto partition) and I am always surprised that some still like to play with their own "imagined" reality on the ground.

EA,

I understand the rationale behind the whole "Presevo as a Mitrovica within Serbia Proper" argument. It's been used by Albanians here for some time, and if one briefly looks at the region, one could even say it holds some sort of merit: Serbs in Kosovo want to break away? OK, then the same applies to Albanians of Presevo.

Unfortunately, the rationale doesn't hold much water based on the following principles.

First, to my knowledge, there is no major movement in Presevo, Bujanovac or Medvedja for either outright territorial secession, or the creation of a government within a government. I understand relations with Belgrade are tenuous at best, but it is nothing compared to the lack of legitimate sovereignty that Pristina is trying to exert over Mitrovica. Albanians participated in last month's parliamentary elections and it is clear they are seeking to work with Belgrade. The Serbs of Mitrovica (and probably elsewhere) want absolutely nothing to do with Pristina or its elites.

Second, and equally as important, there is no international support for any further autonomy or outright independence for Presevo et al. You may rightly say that there's no international support for a Serb Assembly in Mitrovica either, but the difference is that Mitrovica is a problem contained in Kosovo, an already problematic region. I would say that if the K Serbs remain within Kosovo's boundaries, there will be some form of tacit recognition of Serbian self rule in the region apart from Pristina.

Third, many Albanians speak of Presevo as a tit for tat response to anything coming from the Serbs of Kosovo. In reality, Mitrovica is the responsive "tat" to Pristina's UDI "tit". So it's not the Serbs causing the domino effect, but rather a response to the first domino felled in Pristina. Albanians already broke away from Serbia. This is Serbia's response.

We could go back and forth over this ad nauseum, but the bottom line on my end is this: the international community may not like the establishment of a Serb Assembly in Mitrovica, but there's little they can do to prevent it. And if the Serb Assembly works within Kosovo and does not seek territorial secession (an RS model), I have a sneaking feeling the international community will allow it to function, however symbolically it may really be.

"The paralelism you are making between Kosova-Serbia and Northern Mitrovica doesn't stand in any aspect.

What would you say to the fact that there are three Mitrovica in south Serbia and by that I mean Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja?
(EA, 30 June 2008 20:07) "

Of course there is no parallelism between Mitrovica and south Serbia. The entire world recognizes south Serbia as indisputable Serbian territory. You can't say the same about Kosovo's UDI. So of course a comparison between these 2 are inappropriate.

By the way, Albanians are now a minority in Medvedja. T

" "The municipal assembly appraises that the creation of an assembly by the Serbs is illegal, just as were the elections held in May, and as are the winners of those elections," Rexhepi told a local committee dealing with the divided town's security. "

Such will be the eternal argument by both sides in this Kosovo-Serbia issue. This is precisely why I have been saying that the question of status needs to be brought back to the table, because what we have now is a mess with one side doing what they want the other calling it illegal and then vice versa. I am curious to see how this impotent Pieter Feith will handle this, because his blabbering has achieved nothing thus far, and I don't see either side bending for the other in any way.

To conclude: Kosovo = frozen conflict. Get back to negotiations or end up like Georgia and Abkhazia and co.