All numbers presented here are based on estimates by the Municipal Government

General Information

The Obiliq/Obilic municipality is located on the road from Prishtinë/Priština to Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. Inter-communal relations suffered significantly due to the March 2004 riots, during which many Serb houses and a Serbian Orthodox church were burnt. Since then, interaction between the different communities has been difficult. However, nowadays the communities interact through the Municipal Community Office, the Officers for Returns, the Deputy Mayor for Communities and informally through individual contacts. Moreover, the intervention of mediators seems no longer needed. According to the Municipal Community Office, unemployment is the biggest issue of concern for all residents of the municipality, together with environmental pollution, regional waste dumps and a lack of a market for the agricultural products.

Important Contact Details

Website:  http://kk.rks-gov.net/obiliq/

Telephone: 038/560-130

Demographics

After 1999, a large number of the Ashkali, Roma and Serb communities moved away from the Obiliq/Obilic municipality as refugees. There were some returns up to 2004, but the violence of the March 2004 riots has seriously hampered the return process and caused many community members to leave the municipality. Moreover, while the town of Obiliq/Obilic was multiethnic before March 2004, nowadays it is almost completely Albanian. The Serb community now live in the periphery of the municipality of Obiliq/Obilic, and together with the vast majority of Ashkali and Roma in the villages of Plemetin/Plemetina, Miloševo/Millosheve, Babin Most/Babimoc, Caravodice/Crkvena Vodica, and Janjina Voda.

Accurate population statistics are not available for Kosovo. The numbers presented here are estimates by the Municipal Community Office, cross-checked with OSCE Municipal Profiles and civil society organisations. For more information on Statistics in Kosovo click here

* The 1991 census results are considered unreliable due to a boycott by the Albanian population

Political Representation

The Mayor, Mehmet Krasniqi, represents the LDK and was elected in the second round of the mayoral elections with 52.56 percent of votes. His party and the PDK form the ruling coalition in Obiliq/Obilic. No political party representing minority communities made it into the Municipal Assembly, but communities are represented through the Deputy Mayor for Communities and, in the future, through the Communities Committee, which will have nine members (two Serbs, one Bosnian, one Egyptian, one Roma, one Ashkali and three Albanians). The Municipal Community Office has 17 employees. There are two officers for returns and two officers working in the Municipal Human Rights Unit. Serbian and Albanian are the official languages in the municipality and the Regulation on the Use of Languages has been drafted.

Safety and Freedom of Movement

Obiliq/Obilic, where security is guaranteed by (Slovenian) KFOR and the Kosovo Police, has not been without incidents in the past. However, the communities are nowadays feeling safe and can move freely. In the last year, no incidents were reported concerning ethnically-motivated violence or threats. Moreover, communities are satisfied with the services of the Kosovo Police, as established in the weekly safety meeting.

Education

The municipality offers pre-school education (one establishment), primary education (six establishments), secondary education (two establishments). There are also ten separate class buildings. Four schools offer education in another language than Albanian. A significantly higher rate of drop-out can be observed among Roma and Ashkali pupils.

*these numbers refer to the parallel educational institutions

*These numbers refer to the parallel educational institutions

Returns

The most important issues affecting a successful return process are security, the high unemployment rate, and occupied property. The majority of people who returned to Obiliq/Obilic headed back to Serbia after a while, because of a lack of support by the international community and Kosovo government towards a sustainable return process. Before the March 2004 riots, some returns were taking place, but today there are more people leaving the municipality than people returning.

Economics

Most Serbs work in the market. Members of the Roma and Ashkali communities are mostly employed in seasonal agricultural work and private businesses, while many Albanians are employed in public institutions and corporations (e.g. KEK Kosovo Energy Cooperation).

*Official institutions

Access to Health Care and other Public Services (police/administration/public companies/etc.)

Health Care
The municipality includes one main health centre for family healthcare, five local clinics for family healthcare in villages, two centres for family healthcare and six private healthcare centres. The communities experience no problem in accessing the healthcare centres and receiving help in their own language.

Other Public Institutions
The community members do not face problems in accessing the public institutions. They can receive documents in their own language.

List of Community Organisations