Serbs protest at water, power cuts

A protest has been held in the Kosovsko Pomoravlje village of Gornje Kusce, after 6,000 people in several villages were left without electricity for six days.

Izvor: B92

Friday, 30.01.2009.

11:25

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A protest has been held in the Kosovsko Pomoravlje village of Gornje Kusce, after 6,000 people in several villages were left without electricity for six days. An appeal was lodged with the authorities and the international community to turn the electricity back on as soon as possible, otherwise every school and clinic will be compelled to suspend work. Serbs protest at water, power cuts Additionally, schools in Serb areas in northern Gnjilane had to close down today because of electricity and water shortages. Officials from the Serbian electricity company say they can do nothing and their hands are essentially tied after the arrests of several of their workers in the region for carrying out only symbolic repairs, while the Kosovo Energy Corporation continues to insist on full payment of electricity bills. More than 100 citizens in Kosovsko Pomoravlje held a protest march and announced that they would gather every day until the problem was resolved. The villages that have been without electricity for six days are Gornje Kusce, Straza, Stanisor, Gornji Makres, Melinci and Draganac. Predrag Stojkovic, the director of the Kosovo Ministry’s office in Kosovsko Pomoravlje, announced the school closures earlier today. Meanwhile, Kosovsko Pomoravlje District President Dragan Nikolic told B92 that local residents could not meet the conditions that the Kosovo Energy Corporation was setting to turn the electricity back on. “They want payment of bills from years ago and for meters in homes to be read. That’s been coming round in cycles for years now, and everyone knows that the Serbs in Kosovo are unemployed and live on social welfare,” said Nikolic. “They want them to fulfill all of these conditions, which are maybe normal for normal circumstances, but we, as a people, live in abnormal circumstances, so that all of this is impossible for us,” he said. Nikolic believes the lack of electricity and water is another manifestation of pressure on Serbs in Kosovo. They have turned to the Serbian Kosovo Ministry, as well as UNMIK, KFOR and OSCE, in order to help solve the problem, he says.

Serbs protest at water, power cuts

Additionally, schools in Serb areas in northern Gnjilane had to close down today because of electricity and water shortages.

Officials from the Serbian electricity company say they can do nothing and their hands are essentially tied after the arrests of several of their workers in the region for carrying out only symbolic repairs, while the Kosovo Energy Corporation continues to insist on full payment of electricity bills.

More than 100 citizens in Kosovsko Pomoravlje held a protest march and announced that they would gather every day until the problem was resolved.

The villages that have been without electricity for six days are Gornje Kusce, Straža, Stanišor, Gornji Makreš, Melinci and Draganac.

Predrag Stojković, the director of the Kosovo Ministry’s office in Kosovsko Pomoravlje, announced the school closures earlier today.

Meanwhile, Kosovsko Pomoravlje District President Dragan Nikolić told B92 that local residents could not meet the conditions that the Kosovo Energy Corporation was setting to turn the electricity back on.

“They want payment of bills from years ago and for meters in homes to be read. That’s been coming round in cycles for years now, and everyone knows that the Serbs in Kosovo are unemployed and live on social welfare,” said Nikolić.

“They want them to fulfill all of these conditions, which are maybe normal for normal circumstances, but we, as a people, live in abnormal circumstances, so that all of this is impossible for us,” he said.

Nikolić believes the lack of electricity and water is another manifestation of pressure on Serbs in Kosovo.

They have turned to the Serbian Kosovo Ministry, as well as UNMIK, KFOR and OSCE, in order to help solve the problem, he says.

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