Kosovo’s main parties in opposition with Vetevendosje have slammed the visit to the northern city of Mitrovica on Saturday by its leader Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, who is also the courty’s Acting President and Speaker of Parliament.
Kurti and Osmani visited the Trepca mine and held a rally in North Mitrovica on Saturday, a Kosovo city administered by the Serb List party backed by Belgrade. Videos posted online showed moments when some people shouted in Serbian against the two politicians.
Most Albanians were forced out of their homes or left the northern part of the city during the Kosovo war due to fear for their lives. It is still not usual for Albanian Kosovo politicians to visit the city controlled by Serbs.
The outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti of the second largest party Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) accused his two rivals of using “the cause” for political gains. He acknowledged that the northern city belongs to Kosovo, saying this “is not contested in any form”, but visiting the city “should not be used to show something that does not exist,” he said.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) also slammed Kurti and Osmani for “dishonoring and humiliating the Republic of Kosovo” in front of a group of Serb hooligans. They reminded them that visiting that part of the city was made possible by the war fought by the Kosovo Liberation Army, which transformed into the PDK later. They called on voters to support strong leaders who don’t go to the northern part of the city to take pictures during electoral campaigns.
The Serb List, a political party of Kosovo Serbs, criticized the visit for allegedly bringing too many heavily armed persons to protect the two politicians, who allegedly carried KLA symbols, according to the party leader, Goran Rakic.
After the visit, Kurti said everything went as planned and they were welcomed by North Mitrovica citizens. He added they were not surprised that the Serb List party structures had its supporters shout slogans against them and Kosovo.
