"Serb citizens in North Mitrovica also signed a petition on Tuesday, the second day of the petition, against the construction of two new bridges in Mitrovica. Despite the insistence of the television, Serbian citizens did not tell us why they are against the construction of these two bridges. Meanwhile, the Serbian List did not say how many signatures were collected on Tuesday."
Serbian civil society in the north says that their community was not involved in the drafting of this project.
“From a local perspective, there are still many concerns from the Kosovo Serb community, the majority in the northern part of the country, who have essentially remained completely silent on this process. What does this mean? It means that the consultation process has not actually been organized at all. There has been no decision taken by the municipal authorities, which, as you may recall, do not enjoy legitimacy. Also, a whole part of the community is completely disconnected from this process, not only Serbs, but also other communities living in the North Mitrovica region,” says Miodrag Milicevic from Civil Society.
Albanian citizens on the southern edge of the Ibar Bridge are in favor of building two new bridges and say that Serbs who are opposing it have no reason.
"They have orders from somewhere other than the locals here, from the northern part, where I grew up, and I don't believe the locals here are against it and will never be against it," says a citizen.
"I don't understand them, I really don't understand them, the intention or tendency was there even before, even without the war, it was always said that there was a need, Albini is making it happen, I don't understand these voices at all, especially us Albanians," says another.
Milicevic also connects the construction of bridges to current political events in Kosovo, especially with the new local elections in the fall.
"Currently, nothing sufficiently justifies the decision to build two new bridges, right next to the main one, which is otherwise fully open to pedestrians. Both sides, the residents of the south, as well as other communities living in the north, are using it every day, regularly and without any major difficulties," says another.
There are citizens who are initially demanding the opening of the main bridge in Mitrovica to vehicle traffic.
"This is because I was always raised and born here with this bridge and we have to live with this bridge, two bridges don't hurt, but the ones we had were better, in my opinion," says another citizen.
The two new bridges will be built on either side of the main bridge, which remains partially open and guarded by Italian carabinieri. (A2 Televizion)
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