Belgrade – In the atmosphere of the campaign for the election of national minority councils, the rhetoric sharpens and the information on the situation in South Serbia, which has no connection with reality, is provided," Zoran Stankovic, President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said.  

In an interview for the "Vecernje Novosti" daily, when asked how much the election heated up the atmosphere, he said: "It surely did."

„There are currently around 38,000 Albanians with voting rights in the voter lists, and we expect that many more of them will sign up for voting. The desire of the participants in the election to gain the support of as many members of their people as possible is logical, but an atmosphere that will disturb the normal life of citizens in these municipalities must not be created  during the campaign,“ Mr. Stankovic noted.  

 He also pointed out that the National Council of the Albanian National Minority annually received 14 million dinars, and that there was a possibility of employment at various positions at the National Council. 

At the remark of “Vecernje novosti” that the Albanians complained that they could not achieve everything that was provided for by the law, Mr. Stanković said: "They should come out with concrete data on what it is that the Constitution of Serbia and the laws on national minorities provide for and they do not get.” 

Asked why the Albanians from South Serbia then persistently turned towards Pristina and Tirana, he said that he did not see any justified reason for the the problems, if any, to be resolved elsewhere but within the competent bodies of Serbia.  

He also said that there was no parallel between the situation in South Serbia and northern Kosovo.

„The Albanians from South Serbia exercise their guaranteed rights, while the negotiations on Kosovo and Metohija are being held in Brussels, " Mr.Stankovic said.

Source: “Tanjug” press agency, “Vecernje novosti” daily and Coordination Body