Shqiprim Arifi, the former president of the Presheva Valley who was recently dismissed from his post, in a Skype connection for "Breaking" with journalist Fiori Dardha in Top News explained the unspoken things behind this move by Serbian President Aleksandër Vucic .
Arifi said he was fired after flying the Albanian flag on the balcony of the municipality he ran in the south of Serbia, as well as for his constant criticism of Serbian policies. He told how he was initially fined by the court and soon after that, he received the news of his dismissal.
"Besides the actions I have taken with the national flag, I have also been critical of Serbia's policies in Preševo and in the region in general. At the beginning of the week, President Vucic only threatened publicly, especially the Albanians of the Presheva Valley, and after 3 days I received a fine from the Serbian court that I will be punished for placing the national flag, and after the fine, I was fired in the middle of the night. So at 11:00 on Friday night" - said Arifi.
Among other things, the former head of the Presheva Valley raised claims that there may have been a coordination between Vučič and Kurti for his dismissal since the management of the municipality was taken over by Albanian officials from Vetëvendosje.
"I have never belonged to one or the other, but to the people here in Presheva. My dismissal could not have been accomplished if there had been Albanians from the Presheva Valley who are replacing me now until the next elections on June 2. These Albanians from Presheva, who have taken the technical leadership until the next elections, are people of Kurti.
Serbia and Vučić dismissed me in the tradition of Milosevic. But this time it wanted to be a prerequisite, coordination with Kurti's Self-determination. The people who have entered the technical leadership until the next elections, have received Kurt's approval" - added the former mayor.
Arifi emphasized, among other things, that the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, did not react to his dismissal.
"I have not seen public reactions, but I have had many messages from colleagues. I have made it known that Kurti has nothing to do with my dismissal. Both Kurti and Vučič have removed a critical voice in the Presheva Valley" - Arifi added.