Aliu again president of the Association of Municipalities, VV and Krasniqi say there were irregularities

The Mayor of Ferizaj/Urosevac, Agim Aliu, has received another mandate as the President of the Association of Municipalities. The organized process, however, was criticized by the Vetëvendosje Movement and the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi.

While thanking the mayors and delegates of the Electoral Assembly, Aliu said that the new four-year mandate will serve "for the citizens and the advancement of local government as the first gateway for each citizen."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, of which Aliu is a part, has said that his election is "clear evidence of his performance as a leader and his governing model."

However, the process was criticized by Vetëvendosje and Minister Krasniqi.

Alban Hyseni, mayor of Gjilan from the ranks of VV, said that the electoral process was accompanied by significant irregularities. According to him, there was coordination of three other parties to dictate mechanisms of functioning. He accused of statutory violations. He said that VV and LDK should have the weight they deserve in the leadership and on the Board, considering that both lead seven municipalities each.

"Although the VETËVENDOSJE! Movement and the LDK govern with an equal number of municipalities (7 each), through maneuvers with sub-criteria, an artificial inequality was created, favoring certain entities and bypassing the will of the citizens we represent. The Assembly was attended by members arbitrarily delegated, not elected by the Municipal Assemblies as required by the law and regulations in force. This makes every decision taken today legally contestable. Moreover, during this process there were clear attempts to smuggle the Mayor from a third entity, through procedural maneuvers and pre-determined agreements, bypassing every standard of open and fair competition. Changes to the regulations and the board of directors were made without respecting the foreseen procedures, turning the AKM into a tool for narrow party interests, instead of being the voice of all municipalities without distinction," he wrote in Facebook.

Hyseni has warned of pursuing official channels to contest the process "and to restore legality to this institution."

Meanwhile, in a later reaction, Minister Krasniqi said that he has serious concerns about the legality and legitimacy of the Association's elected bodies.

"Although the Law on Local Self-Government, namely Articles 31 and 32, clearly define the right of municipalities to organize and cooperate within associations for the protection of common interests, this organization must be supra-partisan and serve all municipalities equally. Today's process in fact violates these principles and rules. It was, unfortunately, characterized by a series of procedural violations and deviations from the norms that regulate the functioning of the Association. Furthermore, there was a clear deviation from respecting the procedures established by the Statute and the Rules of Procedure, thus violating the legitimacy and integrity of decision-making," he said. write he.

According to Krasniqi, there are indications of organized efforts to exclude mayors of municipalities led by a certain political entity.

He said that the cooperation report with the Association will also be evaluated.

"Any cooperation must be based on clear principles of legality, inclusiveness and political impartiality," Krasniqi wrote.

The Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) was established in 2001 after the first democratic municipal elections in post-war Kosovo. The establishment of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities is based on Article 10 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government of the Council of Europe (right to association). AKM is a non-profit organization, a legal entity that represents the general interests of its members – local authorities. Members of the Association are local authorities of Kosovo. Local authorities are admitted to the Association by the Assembly of the Association after a decision taken by the Municipal Assembly.