Citizens of the Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo – North Mitrovica, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok – have an additional 12 days to gather the necessary signatures for the dismissal of their respective Albanian mayors, announced Kosovo’s Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi.

In the other northern municipality, Zvecan, the collection of signatures started later, he said, without specifying exactly when.

Albanian mayors were appointed to their official positions in the four municipalities with a Serbian majority after contested and boycotted elections by local Serbs in April of last year, leading to increased tensions in that part of the country.

Kosovo issued an administrative instruction, allowing citizens of these municipalities to seek the dismissal of their respective mayors through a petition.

“Yesterday we had a meeting with the diplomats from the QUINT and the EU on this issue. Citizens in the north of the country started their request in December and are in the process of collecting signatures. We have four groups of citizens in the north of the country authorized to collect signatures,” Krasniqi said on Wednesday.

He mentioned that citizens in North Mitrovica, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok started collecting signatures on December 22, and, according to the administrative instruction, they have until January 22 to gather 20% of the signatures of the voting population in their respective municipalities to enable the dismissal of the municipal mayor.

Steps towards elections, according to the instruction

The administrative instruction for the removal of the municipal mayor, issued by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, outlines these steps:

• The request must come from the so-called initiating group, consisting of three or more persons with the right to vote in the respective municipality.
• This group informs the president of the municipal assembly about the request and provides the necessary documentation.
• The group must then gather a minimum of 20% of signatures from citizens with the right to vote, requesting the removal of the mayor.
• The list of signatures must be sent to the president of the municipal assembly, which later goes to the Central Election Commission (CEC).
• If the CEC assesses that the conditions are met, elections are organized for the removal of the mayor.
• If in those elections 50% plus 1 vote are secured for the removal of the mayor, he is removed from office, and new elections are organized. Otherwise, the initiative fails. It can only be repeated after one year.

Based on the final voter list for the April elections, this means that, to move the petition forward, 3,600 signatures are needed in North Mitrovica, 2,600 signatures in Leposavic, 1,400 signatures in Zvecan, and 1,300 signatures in Zubin Potok. According to the Law on Local Self-Government, early elections for mayors can be held in three cases:

• If the current mayor resigns.
• If citizens seek his dismissal through a petition.
• If the mayor of the municipality does not appear at the workplace for more than one month without reason.