It's a shame that the internet is a virtual medium, because there are a lot of people out there that I'd like to express my deep feelings of friendship to, and having spent the last two years here in Serbia, I'd like to do it in a truly Serbian way.
‘Belgrade is Taking South Serbia’s Problems for Granted’
Bujanovac | 17 November 2009 | By Nikola Lazic
South Serbia politician and former mayor of Bujanovac, Stojanca Arsic, says Belgrade is to blame for the deadlock in the Coordination Body, the body tasked with dealing with Serbia’s ethnically divided and underdeveloped southern borderland.
Q: Has the Coordination Body not worked better since March, when representatives of local Albanians and Serbs joined?
A: Since the reconstruction [of the Body] in March, when we expected something to finally move the logjam, the people in charge of the institution in Belgrade fell into complete apathy. For example, four working groups were formed – I am a member of the one for healthcare and social welfare policy. But we haven't held a single meeting since March. I haven't even had the opportunity to be introduced to my colleagues on my group. As far as I know, only the group for education met several times, as well as the Presidency of the Coordination Body. But I only found out about that in the media.
Q: What are the consequences of this passivity?
A: The Coordination Body hasn’t fulfilled the prerequisites for overcoming the crisis [in South Serbia], which are sustainable economic progress and a sustainable multi-ethnic society. …You cannot have economic progress without a multi-ethnic society, and there is no multi-ethnic society without multi-ethnic rule.
Q: For 17 months, the town of Bujanovac has not managed to form a multi-ethnic local authority. Who is responsible for this?
A: Multi-ethnic rule is one of the conditions for the region to overcome its crisis, which was one of the purposes of founding the Coordination Body in the first place. However, the stances of Serbian and Albanian politicians differ on the issue, which is why the Coordination Body must mediate in order to reach a compromise. Without stable multi-ethnic rule there is no economic progress or investment. No one wants to invest into an unstable region.
Q: Why doesn’t the Coordination Body work? Is it incompetent, or, as Albanians claim, is it lack of political will in Belgrade?
A: We have a case of taking the problems in South Serbia for granted, which cannot be a good thing. I am angry with the Serbian authorities, who behave as if Serbia was nothing more than the capital, Belgrade. This region is strategically significant, not only because it is close to Kosovo and is exposed all the time. If the [Serbian] authorities want to retain this territory, they must retain the people, provide them a good life – and for that, the prerequisites I was talking about must be met.
Q: Is the Coordination Body carrying out the task of mediating between the authorities and local government?
A: There is no cooperation whatever between the government and local community. For example, it was envisaged that people from crucial ministries – economy, justice, healthcare, education – be present all the time because you can only solve problems by being present in the field. Instead, only one of the Coordination Body vice-presidents is here and he can’t manage everything by himself.
Q: Should we change the concept of the Coordination Body or just disband it?
A: The Coordination Body should do what its job description states. The state must try harder and be present at all times. The government should see South Serbia as a priority and not delude itself that the crisis in the region is in the past.
Q: What could be the consequences of the lack of effort on the state’s part?
A: Underdevelopment can easily led to social unrest, which could easily turn into inter-ethnic unrest, although I would rule out large-scale conflicts of the type seen in 2000 and 2001. This is still a crisis area, which is why even the slightest problem can have unfortunate connotations.
Q: What are the economic consequences of the Coordination Body’s inactivity?
A: Two years ago, a company from Norway was interested in investing here, but they had no one to talk to. Instead of attracting potential investors, the Coordination Body boasts of organising theatre plays for children, which it organises only occasionally, and of distributing school bags… I have nothing against that, but it’s not what Coordination Body was assigned to do.
Q: Are the authorities alone responsible for this situation?
A: Local leaders are to blame too, both Serbs and Albanians in equal measure. You have individuals on both sides that don’t like the idea of multi-ethnic rule. These are people who enjoy the privileges of power. They are also those who use the fact that Albanians are alone in power [in Bujanovac] for the purposes of nationalist rhetoric, attractive to a certain number of citizens, thus collecting cheap points.
Q: As a local Serbian leader, have you talked about the problems with Milan Markovic, the head of the Coordination Body?
A: No, because no one has ever called me when they visited, including Markovic. The problems that exist here are well known and Markovic promised he would resolve them when he accepted his post.
Nikola Lazic is journalist with Vranjske novine. This article is produced through training of journalists in South Serbia made possible by the support of the British Government.
A: Since the reconstruction [of the Body] in March, when we expected something to finally move the logjam, the people in charge of the institution in Belgrade fell into complete apathy. For example, four working groups were formed – I am a member of the one for healthcare and social welfare policy. But we haven't held a single meeting since March. I haven't even had the opportunity to be introduced to my colleagues on my group. As far as I know, only the group for education met several times, as well as the Presidency of the Coordination Body. But I only found out about that in the media.
Q: What are the consequences of this passivity?
A: The Coordination Body hasn’t fulfilled the prerequisites for overcoming the crisis [in South Serbia], which are sustainable economic progress and a sustainable multi-ethnic society. …You cannot have economic progress without a multi-ethnic society, and there is no multi-ethnic society without multi-ethnic rule.
Q: For 17 months, the town of Bujanovac has not managed to form a multi-ethnic local authority. Who is responsible for this?
A: Multi-ethnic rule is one of the conditions for the region to overcome its crisis, which was one of the purposes of founding the Coordination Body in the first place. However, the stances of Serbian and Albanian politicians differ on the issue, which is why the Coordination Body must mediate in order to reach a compromise. Without stable multi-ethnic rule there is no economic progress or investment. No one wants to invest into an unstable region.
Q: Why doesn’t the Coordination Body work? Is it incompetent, or, as Albanians claim, is it lack of political will in Belgrade?
A: We have a case of taking the problems in South Serbia for granted, which cannot be a good thing. I am angry with the Serbian authorities, who behave as if Serbia was nothing more than the capital, Belgrade. This region is strategically significant, not only because it is close to Kosovo and is exposed all the time. If the [Serbian] authorities want to retain this territory, they must retain the people, provide them a good life – and for that, the prerequisites I was talking about must be met.
Q: Is the Coordination Body carrying out the task of mediating between the authorities and local government?
A: There is no cooperation whatever between the government and local community. For example, it was envisaged that people from crucial ministries – economy, justice, healthcare, education – be present all the time because you can only solve problems by being present in the field. Instead, only one of the Coordination Body vice-presidents is here and he can’t manage everything by himself.
Q: Should we change the concept of the Coordination Body or just disband it?
A: The Coordination Body should do what its job description states. The state must try harder and be present at all times. The government should see South Serbia as a priority and not delude itself that the crisis in the region is in the past.
Q: What could be the consequences of the lack of effort on the state’s part?
A: Underdevelopment can easily led to social unrest, which could easily turn into inter-ethnic unrest, although I would rule out large-scale conflicts of the type seen in 2000 and 2001. This is still a crisis area, which is why even the slightest problem can have unfortunate connotations.
Q: What are the economic consequences of the Coordination Body’s inactivity?
A: Two years ago, a company from Norway was interested in investing here, but they had no one to talk to. Instead of attracting potential investors, the Coordination Body boasts of organising theatre plays for children, which it organises only occasionally, and of distributing school bags… I have nothing against that, but it’s not what Coordination Body was assigned to do.
Q: Are the authorities alone responsible for this situation?
A: Local leaders are to blame too, both Serbs and Albanians in equal measure. You have individuals on both sides that don’t like the idea of multi-ethnic rule. These are people who enjoy the privileges of power. They are also those who use the fact that Albanians are alone in power [in Bujanovac] for the purposes of nationalist rhetoric, attractive to a certain number of citizens, thus collecting cheap points.
Q: As a local Serbian leader, have you talked about the problems with Milan Markovic, the head of the Coordination Body?
A: No, because no one has ever called me when they visited, including Markovic. The problems that exist here are well known and Markovic promised he would resolve them when he accepted his post.
Nikola Lazic is journalist with Vranjske novine. This article is produced through training of journalists in South Serbia made possible by the support of the British Government.
