South K. Mitrovica mayor slams Serb assembly, UNMIK

The mayor of the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica says that the Serb assembly set up over the weekend across the Ibar River is illegal. Bajram Rexhepi, in charge of the southern, Albanian part of the town, also said the new body "has no legal value". South K. Mitrovica mayor slams Serb assembly, UNMIK "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. Only two political parties have formed this assembly, the Albanian media in Pristina quoted him as saying, "therefore, it has no legitimacy". "Even a significant part of the Serb leaders and Serb residents of Kosovo are rejecting this assembly, which demonstrates that some Serbs have begun to understand the new reality," the southern Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said. At the same time, he criticized UNMIK spokesman Georgy Kakuk "for not expressing a clear position on this issue" when he addressed the media over the establishment of the Serb assembly. This, Rexhepi continued, came despite the fact that UNMIK leadership earlier said any structure based on the May elections would be illegal. "This confusion on the part of UNMIK officials in Mitrovica shows that their leadership is cooperating with the parallel Serb structures and with the winners of the May elections, which has led UNMIK to lose its credibility," he said. Rexhepi also "thanked Albanians for calm they have shown during the past few days", although, as he said, "events were leading toward a tense situation". Pristina'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". "An offer for the two sides to cooperate came only a week after Kosovo's constitution came into force, and from Leposavic municipal administrator Monucher Marzbanian," the newspaper claims. According to the same report, the Albanian office head in Leposavic refused this invitation to meet with the newly elected Serb municipal chief. Meantime in Brussels, the European Commission (EC) holds that the new Serb institutions in Kosovo are legally invalid, Tanjug news agency quoted EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn's spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy. UNMIK stated that the local elections on May 11, their outcome and the municipal institutions the Serbs intended to create are all legally invalid and had no legal effect on Kosovo, Rehn's spokeswoman pointed out, and added that the commission "backed this position of UNMIK".

South K. Mitrovica mayor slams Serb assembly, UNMIK

"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.

Only two political parties have formed this assembly, the Albanian media in Priština quoted him as saying, "therefore, it has no legitimacy".

"Even a significant part of the Serb leaders and Serb residents of Kosovo are rejecting this assembly, which demonstrates that some Serbs have begun to understand the new reality," the southern Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said.

At the same time, he criticized UNMIK spokesman Georgy Kakuk "for not expressing a clear position on this issue" when he addressed the media over the establishment of the Serb assembly.

This, Rexhepi continued, came despite the fact that UNMIK leadership earlier said any structure based on the May elections would be illegal.

"This confusion on the part of UNMIK officials in Mitrovica shows that their leadership is cooperating with the parallel Serb structures and with the winners of the May elections, which has led UNMIK to lose its credibility," he said.

Rexhepi also "thanked Albanians for calm they have shown during the past few days", although, as he said, "events were leading toward a tense situation".

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".

"An offer for the two sides to cooperate came only a week after Kosovo's constitution came into force, and from Leposavić municipal administrator Monucher Marzbanian," the newspaper claims.

According to the same report, the Albanian office head in Leposavić refused this invitation to meet with the newly elected Serb municipal chief.

Meantime in Brussels, the European Commission (EC) holds that the new Serb institutions in Kosovo are legally invalid, Tanjug news agency quoted EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn's spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy.

UNMIK stated that the local elections on May 11, their outcome and the municipal institutions the Serbs intended to create are all legally invalid and had no legal effect on Kosovo, Rehn's spokeswoman pointed out, and added that the commission "backed this position of UNMIK".