Elek: Serb List to launch petition against new bridge over Ibar River on Monday

Photo: Filip Plavcic

Serb List leader Zlatan Elek said on Friday that Serbs oppose Pristina's plan to build a new bridge over the Ibar River.

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Elek also announced that the Serb List is launching a petition against the construction of the bridge (for both pedestrians, and vehicles), which citizens will be able to sign starting on Monday, in front of the party's headquarters.

Elek pointed out that the bridge announced by Pristina will not be a symbol of unification, but of discord and separation.

"We have had intensive discussions these days with representatives of the international community and we expect a more serious response from them to this obvious provocation by Pristina. After all, the task of the international community is to ensure peace for every citizen, and I hope that they will succeed in that," Elek told TV Most.

He stressed that the international community was reminded of the symbolism of the bridge over the Ibar River, which divides the northern from the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

"We all know very well that the bridge on the Ibar is a symbol of the suffering of the Serb people, who saved the north of Kosovo with their lives, as well as a reflection of the international community, which constantly talks about multiethic (values)," said Elek.

He added that the representatives of the Serb List let everyone know that the Serbs have not been consulted or asked about the construction of a new bridge and emphasized that they are against it.

Acting Prime Minister of Pristina's provisional institutions Albin Kurti this week laid the foundation stone for two bridges over the Ibar River in Kosovska Mitrovica, near the main bridge, and said one will be for vehicles and pedestrians, and the other for pedestrians only.

According to Pristina's announcement, the bridges will be located next to the main bridge on the Ibar River, which is closed to vehicles and constantly guarded by KFOR.

After the war in 1999, numerous incidents happened on the main bridge over the Ibar River, as ethnic Albanians from the southern part of the town made repeated attempts to invade the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, where Serbs are the majority.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)