SAMI SALIU: THE GOAL OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PRESEVO, INCLUDING A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH BELGRADE

22. February 2018.

Presevo – The new ruling coalition in Presevo, which consists of members of the Alternative for Changes party and the civic group “Movement for the Reform” of the Democratic Party of Albanians, aims to initiate economic development in the municipality of Presevo, said Sami Salihu, the President of the Municipal Assembly.

Mr. Saliu, who is the Leader of the Movement for the Reform of the DPA, said for the “Beta” news agency that two councilmen from the Serbian list had been asked to join the ruling coalition in order to contribute to the establishment of better relations with the authorities in Belgrade.

“We expect to begin working better than the parties that were running the municipality of Presevo over the past 27 years. The priority of the new government is economic development and an improvement in the social situation of the municipality of Presevo, where the unemployment rate is around 70 percent, "Mr. Saliu said.

He said that the Movement for the Reform of the DPA, which was formed around members of the Democratic Party of Albanians, which had separated from that party the year before, would not deviate from pursuing the national interests of Albanians, but that, at the same time, more energy would be focused on better cooperation with state bodies and institutions, towards which members of the Serbian list, who are part of the ruling coalition, were expected to contribute.

“We do not perceive Serbs differently from any other citizens, and we accepted the Serbian list that had supported our coalition because we believe that it is normal that Serbs, as the citizens of Presevo, would do their best to contribute to the welfare of the municipality of Presevo," Mr. Saliu said.

According to him, it is expected that the state will start viewing the municipality of Presevo differently, and that investments will start arriving in Presevo, which have, so far, mostly ended in Nis and Leskovac, possibly in Vranje.

The new ruling majority in the municipality of Presevo was formalized at the constitutive session of the Municipal Assembly, held on February 19, after the early local elections in the municipality, when Sciprim Arifi, the Leader of the Alternative for Changes party, which is the youngest party in the municipality, established two years ago, was elected to the post of the Mayor. Two deputies from the Serbian list are also part of the new ruling coalition in Presevo, while the Democratic Party of Albanians, led by Ragmi Mustafa, the Party for Democratic Action, led by Riza Halimi and the Democratic Union of the Valley party, led by Skender Destani, are in opposition.

Source: “Beta” news agency and Coordination Body