Northern Mitrovica and southern Mitrovica are holding 2 separate elections and will be electing 2 distinct communal mayors. On one side of Iber River lies the Albanian population and their candidates, whilst on the other lies the Serbian side and their own candidates for mayor.

Since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, this bridge has turned into a symbol of this violent split and ongoing tensions between Albanians and Serbians of Kosovo.

The northern parts of the city were filled up with Serbs of Kosovo, who moved there from other parts of Kosovo, during the war whereas the southern part was populated by Albanians. The bridge still divides them to this day in this silent and controversial ‘division of land’.

NATO and KFOR troops were deployed there following the withdrawal of Serbian forces. From that moment on, the fact that Mitrovica was getting divided became crystal clear.

Things became even more official in 2007, when the Special Envoy from the United Nations, Martti Ahtisaari, proposed the plan that would have the city of Mitrovica, divided into two separate communes.

South Mitrovica is governed by the commune of Mitrovica and is under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Kosovo. On the other side, lies North Mitrovica where things get a little more complicated.

Initially, the UNMIK Administration was set up there back in 2002, which was responsible for the northern territories of Mitrovica. This administration reports directly to UNMIK and doesn’t account to citizens from either side of the river.

In addition, there’s also a presence of Serbian parallel structures, which is another governing body in northern Mitrovica, created after the 2009 Local Elections in Serbia.

And lastly, according to Kosovo’s Constitution, northern Mitrovica is formally part of the southern commune of Mitrovica.

It was during the local elections in 2013, that North and South Mitrovica were officially considered as two divided entities for the first time. Since then, the city of Mitrovica has been divided into two.

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