In an interview with Danas, Rexhepi shared his thoughts on the upcoming federal and local elections, the actions which he is undertaking as the mayor of Mitrovica and "the old dangerous" problem of security. "I'll close the windows so the noise doesn't bother us. You can ask me anything, without censorship," says Rexhepi.
DANAS: Recently you explained the idea that 17 Serb families move to the southern part of the city, more precisely, into the building across the road from UNMIK headquarters. Has this idea been realized?
REXHEPI: The idea is five or six months old. We wanted it to be realized as the first step, the first phase in the coming of the Serbs to the south side. We have done everything possible for the Albanians who occupied those apartments to sign the necessary documents of their own free will and to vacate them, while we have taken on the responsibility of finding adequate housing for those Albanian families. However, nothing has happened yet; most probably someone from the Serb side intervened to prevent the loss of this alibi for separation and partition of the city.
DANAS: Does that mean that Serbs are safe in the southern part of the city?
REXHEPI: I think that they can be safe in that zone because security there is at a high level. We spoke with families in the northern part of the city and we promised them as Albanians what we could do, and that is to free up those apartments, to ensure a good climate with political leaders and with the Albanian population, to create a climate of mutual coexistence. Everything was ready for August 15. The Albanian residents promised to turn their keys in to me so that I could turn them in to representatives of UNMIK and so that the Serbs could move in as of September 1. However, a day or two before the deadline, perhaps because of the situation in Zvecan with the smelter and everything around it, UNMIK told us, that is, Mr. Wanderstein advised us that the project had been delayed apparently at KFOR's request. For now this initiative has been forgotten but we can renew it any moment, only a date needs to be given.
The responsibility undertaken by the people who occupied these Serb apartments will be carried out by them. We have enough power to do this.
DANAS: The attacks on Serb children in the vicinity of Pristina will hardly speed up the realization of your plan for the return of Serbs to the southern side.
REXHEPI: I think that it is easier for Serbs to coexist with Albanians in Mitrovica than in Pristina due to the fact that the majority of Albanians on the northern side are not in a good situation and that they also are afraid of Serb extremists. It is our moral obligation to accept individual solutions which appear not to be the best ones in order to show solidarity with the Albanians who lived on the northern side. This pilot project is not conditional upon the return of Albanian families to the Serb side, at least not right away. But it will move the status quo and create conditions for this process to go further in the future and for the Albanians to return to the northern part of the city, and the Serbs to the southern part.
DANAS: Is this the policy of the DPK or are you doing this as the mayor of Mitrovica?
REXHEPI: Both as the mayor and as the president of the local board of the DPK I have no prejudices. Even though the rest of my colleagues do not like some of what I am doing, I stand behind it and I am attempting to finish it. I have enough credibility and my goals are completely clear, regardless of whether anyone likes what I am doing or not. I am advocating what I think is leading toward progress, what will unblock the city and create conditions for a normal life for everyone.
DANAS: How do you view the most recent events regarding "Trepca"? What is the Albanian position regarding "Trepca"?
REXHEPI: I think that this is a good step and that it is the greatest success of UNMIK in this post-war period. I think that both Albanians and Serbs have illusions about "Trepca". It will never be what it was 10-15 years ago but it is an important facility for the future of Mitrovica, and of Kosovo also, and without control, pollution would certainly be at a very high level. The people who managed the smelter before were not concerned for human lives. No one gave them the right to poison the environment for a small profit and therefore the operation of UNMIK and KFOR was essential.
DANAS: What do you think of the decision of Bernard Kouchner to allow the Yugoslav elections to be held in Kosovo?
REXHEPI: As far as the federal elections are concerned, Albanians are not interested in participating in them.
DANAS: Are you familiar with the fact that the voter lists which will be used are from 1996 and that they include Albanian voters?
REXHEPI: As far as manipulations are concerned, I know that they will happen. I think that Milosevic will win the elections again. First, because the Serbian opposition is disunited and, second, because he has the police and the courts, as well as all institutions which can manipulate the results. The very fact that he changed the constitution says that he will certainly do everything possible to win the elections and I think that he will win them, with the Albanians or without them. Albanians are not at all willing to participate in these elections, we have local elections in which we will participate. I think that the Serbs who are in Kosovo will be used only as objects of manipulation in the Yugoslav elections because the technical conditions do not exist for them to vote freely which, in my opinion, is unacceptable. Kouchner should have been more specific in his decision.
Some Serbs will participate in those elections, perhaps in Serbia, perhaps voting stations can be organized for them here as well but to organize a campaign or the arrival of Gorica Gajevic in Gracanica is unprecedented and it is completely unacceptable. It is common knowledge that Kosovo is a protectorate, both in the military and the civil sense, and that until the final resolution of its status Kouchner and the international community must be much more specific, first and foremost with regard to jurisdiction.
DANAS: On what will the DPK base its campaign and what do you expect from the Kosovo local elections?
REXHEPI: We do not expect a lot but with respect to relations with the Serbs, we hope for some progress. I have proposed that a certain number of Serbs participate in the council which is being created, regardless of the fact that this is undemocratic, if this is acceptable to the international community. Albanians and other minorities will participate in these elections and, as a result, they will have legitimacy. Serbs will be appointed for practical reasons, so that the administration is united and so that it is together with UNMIK. For the documentation to be valid, we have accepted their appointment; however, whether they will come, I do not know.
I expect that, after our elections, it will be much more stable in the city, that the majority of services will begin functioning, I am thinking primarily of utilities and city services, and traffic which is now catastrophic: there is no vehicle registration, for example, and people are driving without driver's licenses. Our task will be to create much better security conditions. Perhaps we will not have control over the police but we will be able to officially request that normal conditions be created so that we can carry out our tasks. I think that many things which are important in life will be much better. In relations with Serbs I think that there will be some progress but I am not expecting miracles after these elections. The fact is that they are rejecting the elections which is, I think, wrong, because we did not call the elections but the international community and UNMIK. Therefore, to reject these elections is to reject the international factor, not the Albanians.
REDZEPI: We are not involved and we have clearly stated as much. We are just losing political points and we are not interested in such violence. We think that we will win the elections in the majority of municipalities which is what we need. This is our goal and we are putting up a fight in the pre-election campaign against any kind of violence.
I cannot say that there has not been political violence but most of it was planned and later it was found not be political violence at all. Someone who does not wish well for Kosovo is launching such stories. Perhaps someone is presenting himself as the victim of an assassination attempt in order to gain political points. Those are all second-hand stories or they are from media or various individuals who want some profit from this situation. I cannot claim that there will not be any political violence but it will certainly be minimal.