The four northern municipalities, following the return to power of the Serb List, a party supported by Serbia, have decided to withdraw from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. These decisions are now expected to be reviewed by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, which will decide on their legality and implementation.

The Municipal Assembly of Zvečan approved, by a majority vote, the decision for the municipality to withdraw from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, with 14 votes in favor and one against. The opposing vote was cast by the only Albanian assembly member in this assembly, Ilir Peci, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo.

According to him, the proposal was put to a vote by the mayor of the municipality, who emphasized that withdrawal from the Association has been sought since 2013.

“During my mandate, this decision was voted in favor of withdrawal. I was against it, but the decision was approved by a majority of votes. Now everything depends on whether or not it is approved by the Ministry of Local Government Administration,” Peci told KosovaPress.

He added that the Zvečan Municipal Assembly consists of 13 assembly members from the Serb List, one from another list, and only one Albanian assembly member, emphasizing that under these circumstances there was no real possibility to stop the decision.

“Every decision or regulation issued during our two-and-a-half-year mandate, they have tried to overturn. Now the decision is in the hands of the ministry, and it remains to be seen what decision will be made,” he said.

A similar decision was also taken by the Municipal Assembly of North Mitrovica, which at its first session of the new composition approved withdrawal from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. The decision was proposed by the mayor of the municipality, Milan Radojević.

Radojević said that the previous decision on membership had been taken without public debate and without consultations with citizens, emphasizing that the municipality has never benefited from this association.

“The request of the citizens who gave us the mandate is clear. The Municipal Assembly must vote for the withdrawal of the Municipality of North Mitrovica from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. Any further accession to any other association should be decided by the citizens themselves,” Radojević stated during the session.

In addition to Zvečan and North Mitrovica, Leposavić and Zubin Potok have also voted to withdraw from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities.

These decisions come after the Serb List returned to power in the four northern municipalities following the local elections held on October 12. All these decisions are now expected to be reviewed by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, which will decide on their legality and implementation.