On Thursday, Izmir Zeqiri, Ilir Peci and Lulzim Hetemi who are the new mayors of the three northern municipalities of Kosovo, Leposavic, Zubin-Potok and Zvecan, swore outside their offices.

Because of security concerns they did not use the facilities of municipality building and instead the new mayors swore in other public buildings.

The new mayor of Zubin Potok, Izmir Zeqiri, who comes from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, has taken his oath at the Local Office for Return and Communities in the village of Çaber.

The new head of Zubin Potok emphasized that they will be focused on respecting the laws of the Republic of Kosovo throughout the territory of Zubin Potok.

“I will also go to the office that is in the municipality facility, today or tomorrow. All the facilities that belong to the municipality and the citizens will be in the possession of the directorates, departments,”  added Zeqiri.

Furthermore, he added that he expects Serbian professionals living in Zubin Potok to be part of the team of the municipality’s directorates.

The object of the institution where Zeqiri swore was initially secured by the security forces of the Kosovo Police, and members of KFOR and EULEX were also seen near the object.

The Mayor of the Municipality of Zvecan, Ilir Peci, who is also a member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, took the oath at the “Isa Boletini” school in Zvecan.

Meanwhile, Lulzim Hetemi from Vetëvendosje Movement, LVV, made his swearing in ceremony in a local office which operates in the “Kadri Bistrica” school in Leposavic.

Mayor Hetemi told the media that until he is allowed to enter the municipality, he will continue to work from Bistrica and not from the municipal facility.

On Wednesday, May 24, the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, announced that the swearing-in of new mayors will take place in public buildings in these municipalities. He also described as abnormal the fact that these municipalities have been without mayors for 6 months.

“Six months have passed since these municipalities were left without a mayor and two of them without assemblies, and the residents without municipal services. This is not normal,” said Kurti.

Erden Atiq, the mayor of North Mitrovica, has sworn into office on Friday.

The new mayors, all from Albanian parties, were elected in the April 23 elections in the northern municipalities predominantly inhabited by Serbs. The previous mayors resigned to express dissatisfaction with the Kosovo Government’s decision to re-register illegal Serbian cars under the Republic of Kosovo.

 The majority of residents in the four Serbian-majority municipalities boycotted the election process.

According to the Central Electoral Commission, only 1,567 voters, which is 3.47 percent of the electoral body, participated in the elections.