Kosovo Serbs protest in Belgrade: “Public sector layoffs for Serb List opposition”

Ivan Petrovic, one of the workers who lost his job, told N1 that leaders of the Serb List, which is backed by the Serbian Government, are issuing dismissals to all public sector employees who dared to challenge their political monopoly.

“Several opposition Serb parties have emerged, putting forward their candidates for mayors and councilors and for the past month, and local Serb List officials have been handing out dismissal notices to all of them who are employed in the public sector,” he said.

Petrovic added that people thought unlikely to vote for the Serb List are receiving numerous threats.

“In addition to the various pressures coming from Pristina, we are enduring another circle of hell – violence, harassment, and intimidation from individuals appointed by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, who are supposed to protect our general interests in Kosovo and Metohija. To me, that’s outrageous,” Petrovic said. (Kosovo and Metohija is the official name for what the Serbian authorities consider to be the country’s southern province)

According to him, Kosovo Serbs decided to stage a protest outside the Serbian Government in order to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to all these problems.

“We have just delivered a protest letter and provided all the information to give a true insight into the situation on the ground. We hope the Serbian Government will react and protect us from the officials it appointed, who now have a free hand to do whatever they want with the people in Kosovo,” Petrovic said.

He also added that no disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him or the others who were dismissed prior to their dismissal, and that, despite everything, he expects justice.