INTERVIEW THAT MILAN MARKOVIC GRANTED TO “POLITIKA“DAILY

„Our investigation is going to show if the bomb explosion in Presevo is linked to the attack on members of the gendarmerie near Bujanovac, which occurred last week. However, considering everything, the terrorist attack was aimed at causing trouble and restlessness, at compromising the capacities and abilities of the Serbian governmental bodies, at intimidating the Albanian population and at causing the Serbian population to leave Presevo“, said Milan Markovic, President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, who is constantly in touch with representatives of the local self-governments in these three southern Serbian municipalities.

Minister Markovic says that „the situation in South Serbia is difficult and complex and it’s therefore logical that no one is satisfied. “ One of the problems, as he points out, is education of the Albanians and a lack of textbooks in Albanian.  While commenting dissatisfaction of both Albanians and Serbs with the current situation in Presevo, Milan Markovic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, said that with the exception of the police, Albanians were almost not represented in the republican institutions in South Serbia.

Upon signing the agreement on reconstruction of the Coordination Body, Albanians are again participating in the Coordination Body’s work, but they’re still not represented in the republican institutions in the southern Serbian municipalities, whereas Serbs aren’t represented in the local governmental bodies. What have you done to make this possible?
We have set a path for solving the issues, but we can’t deal with most of the issues without the Ministries of Education and Justice. There are some rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the laws but which aren’t exercised in these municipalities. On the other hand, it seems that Albanians often don’t want to have these problems solved, hoping that they would be their instruments and arguments in some situations.

In what situations?
First and foremost, in relations with international officials. Both Serbs and Albanians disapprove of the Coordination Body because it has an increasingly advisory role, because it organizes plays and concerts instead of resolving the real integration problems... I understand them completely, but the Coordination Body doesn’t have the power to solve such problems. It may ask the competent bodies to resolve problems, which is exactly what we do.

What does reform of education in South Serbia imply?
Apart from preparing textbooks for primary and secondary schools in Albanian, it implies the opening of extended departments of the Nis University’s Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics in Medvedja this September, where both Serbs and Albanians will be educated. Our aim is to make it possible for Albanians from Bujanovac and Presevo to do their studies in Albanian and according to the programs of the Serbian government.

You said that these three municipalities were inactive. What do you expect their top leaders to do? 
Mayors not only of these three municipalities, but also of many others, should be far more active.

Does that mean that they’re not working well now?
No, it doesn’t, but one can always do more, and hence everyone should make more effort. They’re often burdened by relations in their political parties or by those existing among various political parties. I suggest that we establish multi-ethnic governments and that Serbs become members of local self-governments in Presevo and Bujanovac, for these two things would contribute to a reduction in tensions. I call on Albanians to do the reconstruction of governments in those two municipalities as soon as possible.