Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said that the President of the Bujanovac Municipal Assembly Jonuz Musliu was wrong if he thought that his radical viewpoints would “contribute to the integration of Albanians and the progress of population of the three municipalities.”   

“The mentioning of a referendum of the so-called fighters of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (LAPBM) and of the fictional terror against the Albanians is an unacceptable rhetoric for someone who is supposed to be a link between the Albanian population from the region and the competent governmental bodies that should solve the existing problems,” said Mr. Stankovic. 

Mr. Musliju stated that Serbia must recognize the status of LAPBM combatants who, in 2001, fought against state security forces, as well as the results of the Albanian referendum from 1992, which would enable South Serbia to join Kosovo and Metohija.  

Mr. Stankovic said that Mr. Jonuz Musliu hadn’t yet been elected the President of the Albanian National Council (ANC).  

“His latest statement is in line with his previous political conduct and it is nothing new.  What is new is that he might soon assume the position of the President of the Albanian National Council and, therefore, must be aware that the position refers to the observance of the laws of this country,”said Mr. Stankovic. 

According to him, this position means that Mr. Musliju becomes part of the Serbian state apparatus, because, among other things, the ANC is financed from the budget of the citizens of Serbia, and the one who heads it should act in compliance with the Law on National Minority Councils.  

“I’ll repeat it one thousand times – the Constitution and laws of this country must be respected, and Mr. Musliju is mistaken if he thinks that such attitudes contribute to the integration of Albanians and the progress of the population of the three municipalities,” said Mr. Stankovic.

The topic was also addressed by Nenad Djurdjevic, the Coordinator of the Forum for Ethnic Relations, who said that the statement made by Mr. Musliu that Serbia should recognize the status of the fighters of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja didn’t  contribute to “the political, social and economic integration of the Albanians from South Serbia  in the state system of Serbia.”  

Mr. Djurdjevic said that the President of the Bujanovac Municipal Assembly and the former member of the LAPBM, Jonuz Musliu, had made similar statements previously, too.   

“What poses a serious problem is that Mr. Musliju has became a candidate for the President of the Albanian National Council, which is an institution established under the laws of the Republic of Serbia,” he said. 

According to him, such a statement revokes the organization of national communities through National Councils.  

Mr. Djurdjevic is confident that the visit of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Belgrade will show that the message to the Albanians from South Serbia is that they should look for a better future, political or any other one, within Serbia. 

Source: “Politika” daily and Coordination Body