At the opening of the runoff campaign, the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, declared that as prime minister he will not allocate funds to mayors who, according to him, "do not work well or steal."
"We have promised and will keep our word: one billion euros of investments in municipalities and for municipalities. But, you know, I do not give the state budget and tax money to those mayors who do not know how to work well, or to those who steal. Do not vote for those who do not know how and do not want to work, nor for those who know how and want to steal. With them there is no investment or development, as there has been for 20 years after the war," Kurti said.
His statements have prompted immediate reactions from political opponents.
The current mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, has described this stance as a "state threat to citizens."
"Albin Kurti's statements are an open threat to democracy and the citizens of Kosovo. No one has the right to intimidate citizens with their budget! Public money is not the property of Kurti, nor of any party - it is the property of the people of Kosovo. Kurti is using state investments as a tool for electoral blackmail. This is shameful, dangerous and contrary to every democratic principle," Rama wrote.
He added that as mayor of Pristina "he will not remain silent in the face of an autocratic mentality that divides citizens into 'ours' and 'the others'."
Even the leader of the LDK, Lumir Abdixhiku, reacted to Kurti's words, describing them as an attempt at political blockage.
"It will not be your turn to stop anything, it will not be your turn to block anyone anymore. With a Pristina that is being illuminated like never before by the LDK and our government here, let's start the big week of the runoff. On Sunday, November 9, Pristina speaks first and gives the big answer to the populist leader who offers nothing but blockage and the threat of blockage", Abdixhiku wrote. /Telegrafi/
