Key Figures in South Serbia

Riza Halimi
The only Albanian MP in the Parliament of Serbia, and leader of the Party for Democratic Action, the largest (by number of members) and most influential political party in the region. Halimi, before entering politics, taught physics in high school.

Shaip Kamberi
As a member of the Party for Democratic Action, Kamberi is now mayor of Bujanovac and Riza Halimi`s “right arm”. Kamberi was founder and, for many years, leader of the local Committee on Human Rights.

Jonuz Musliu
President of the local parliament in Bujanovac and one of the commanders of ethnic Albanian Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja during 2000. – 2001. armed conflict in souther Serbia. Musliu is the president of the Movement for Democratic Progress. He is a biology teacher. In the nineties, during the reign of Slobodan Milosevic, Musliu spent four years in prison in Nis, sentenced for "hostile activity".

Stojanca Arsic
Local Serb leader, as a first on citizen group ticket. By education, Arsic is a doctor, specialised physiotherapy and rheumatology. In times of conflict in southern Serbia, he was the mayor of Bujanovac, as the candidate of the Yugoslav Left, led by Mirjana Markovic, wife of Slobodan Milosevic, former president of Yugoslavia and Serbia.

Ragmi Mustafa
Mayor of Presevo and leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians. Before entering politics, Mustafa worked as a professor in Presevo High School, where he was teaching Computer Science.

Skender Destani
Leader of the Democratic Union of the Valley. By education, Destani is a doctor in pediatrics.

Orhan Rexhepi
President of the Albanian National Movement, a graphic designer by profession. During the conflict in southern Serbia, Rexhepi was one of the commanders of ethnic Albanian Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja during 2000. – 2001. armed conflict in southern Serbia.

Slobodan Draskovic
Mayor of Medvedja, economist by profession. Before entering politics, he worked as a teacher in elementary school.

Milan Markovic
Minister for human rights and Local Self-Government, and also President of the Coordinating Body for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. Milan Markovic is a member of Democratic party and, by education, graduate lawyer.

Galip Beqiri
President of Albanian National Council. Under a law adopted in 2009, all of Serbia’s ethnic minorities are empowered to elect national councils, which are bestowed with a number of competences in education, culture, use of symbols and the media.