The Albanian municipality in the neighboring country closes its doors, the staff is threatened with life

The mayor and the administration of the Albanian municipality of Hara?ina in the Skopje region have closed the doors of the facility. They won't go to work until they feel safe after some life threats.

The mayor of the municipality of Hara?ina, Ridvan Ibrahimi, in a press conference, recalled that earlier he was physically attacked, while now he is threatened with his life because he works according to the law and this does not interest a group of people.

"We have scheduled this conference as a result of some incidents that happened in the past, and are still happening now. And if we leave it like this without reacting, it will happen in the future as well. The law enforcement agencies know, they also know the people who threaten not only me as the president but also the entire administration. Therefore, from Tuesday after that incident, the municipality will be closed until the full case is resolved," Ibrahimi declared.

The reasons for the attacks, according to the mayor, are some state agricultural lands that the attackers have usurped and do not allow their use for public goods such as the construction of a stadium and an economic zone. Ibrahimi also says that appointments to other positions in the municipality are not allowed, scaring any potential candidate.

"In addition, for a long time I have had a problem with the appointment of principals of primary schools within the municipality of Hara?ina, because every candidate given to me by the school council, the same people threaten them and none of these candidates accept to be selected as a school director. In order to prevent the situation from escalating further, I invite the law enforcement agencies, as well as the public prosecutor's office, to act. We ask for the support of your media as well. Haraçina deserves dignified development," said Ibrahimi.

The police of North Macedonia will file criminal charges against the threat for endangering security, while the interior minister demands the functioning of the municipality. According to him, political differences should be put aside for the benefit of the citizens.

"I think that all that is happening in Haracina are things that should be resolved between them, because the mutual conflicts that people with the same political origin and with the same interests have, should not reflect negatively on the citizens of the Municipality. I am sorry that the Municipality is returning to a time in which there was no functionality and none of the citizens' problems are being solved," said the Minister of the Interior, Oliver Spasovski.

Eight months ago, the mayor of the municipality of Hara?ina was physically attacked by three people, for whom a criminal proceeding was initiated, while now the 69-year-old threatner has also been questioned by the police.