The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kosovo has officially set April 21 as the scheduled date for holding referendums regarding the dismissal of four Albanian mayors from municipalities. This comes as a response to pervasive tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, intensified by last year’s elections of these mayors.
In the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zubin Potok and Zveçan, which have a Serb majority, citizens initiated petitions advocating for the dismissal of these mayors. The electoral commission confirmed that a quarter of the voters in these municipalities were in favor of holding a new vote and finally, the CEC decided to hold referendums on April 21. This decision was greeted with approval by the European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, who applauded the set date for the removal of mayors and encouraged a fair voting process.
In 2023, an Administrative Instruction was introduced detailing the process of mayor dismissal by petition. It stipulates that at least three citizens from the municipality must form an initiating group for the dismissal process to begin. Then, the chairman of the municipal assembly needs to be officially informed about the intent to collect signatures for a petition to remove the mayor.
A valid petition requires signatures from at least 20 percent of all registered voters within the municipality. If the petition crosses this threshold, the mayor can be dismissed if more than 50 percent of registered voters vote in favor of the dismissal. If this is not achieved, another round of voting may be held the following year.
In earlier years, mayors from ethnic Albanian parties won their respective offices in North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, despite a dismal voter turnout of 3 to 5 percent. This resulted in newly-appointed mayors in these four predominantly Serb municipalities, which were previously governed by Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista mayors. Consequently, Kosovo Serbs boycotted the local elections in April 2023.
The selection of new mayors incited protests from the Serb majority, which escalated into clashes with the Kosovo Police and NATO’s peacekeeping mission Kosovo Force.
The conflict between Serbs and Albanians can be traced back to 1998-1999, when Serbian forces clashed with ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. This period witnessed around 13,000 deaths, primarily among ethnic Albanians. Despite Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008, Belgrade refuses to acknowledge it as a sovereign state. Kosovo is currently engaged in an EU-facilitated dialogue focused on normalizing relations with Serbia.