Goran Rakic

NORTH KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Mayor Goran Rakic called on the citizens of North Kosovska Mitrovica to remain calm and not to fall for provocations aimed at drawing the north of Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) into conflicts and violence.

Rakic urges for calm in the wake of violent protests staged by Albanians in south Kosovska Mitrovica on Sunday where a lot of people got injured.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Zeljko Bojic, regional head of the operative Kosovo police, has said that the night was peaceful after the removal of a barricade on the bridge between northern and southern Kosovska Mitrovica.

Bojic said that the police presence in the city will be stepped up.

Barricade removed, bridge remains closed to traffic

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- KFOR has welcomed the removal of a barricade built on the main bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica as a positive step that can be beneficial to reconciliation.

BELGRADE - Northern Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Goran Rakic said on Wednesday that he has adopted the decision to build a peace park next to the bridge on the Ibar River which divides the city into the northern and southern Mitrovica because he is aware that the removal of the roadblock from the bridge is a disturbing piece of news for a majority of Serbs in the city.

BELGRADE - Following the Serbian government's decision to back the participation of the representatives of the Srpska electoral list in the Kosovo-Metohija legislative elections, a meeting has been held at which the conclusion was made that Serbs in northern Kosovo will heed the government's call to vote in Sunday's elections, the government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said in a statement.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Goran Rakic Wednesday expressed a strong protest at the Pristina administration refusing to certify the charters of four majority-Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) for four months now.

Members of the Belgrade-backed Srpska List have started discussions with other Serbian parties in Kosovo, fleshing out options on how to run together in the upcoming general elections on June 8.

Goran Rakic, from the Srpska list, who became mayor of North Mitrovica in the last local elections, told Balkan Insight that consultations with other Serbian parties were ongoing.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Officials of the Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM), the Kosovska Mitrovica self-government and the organization of the war veterans of the 90s marked on Monday the tenth anniversary on the 2004 March pogrom laying wreaths at memorials to victims including two citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica, Borivoje Spasojevic and Jana Tucev.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Councilors of the North Mitrovica municipality, northern Kosovo-Metohija (KiM), have adopted their municipal charter and the newly-elected mayor Goran Rakic was sworn in.

Of the total of 18 councilors present at the meeting late on Wednesday, 13 voted in favor and five voted against the document.

ZUBIN POTOK - Municipal charters have been adopted in three municipalities in northern Kosovo-Metohija, while in northern Mitrovica the debate on adoption of this document is still underway.