The Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are advocating a comprehensive process of decentralization, primarily the forming of new multi-ethnic municipalities with a clear Serb majority. Furthermore, they seek authority over a host of new issues for the future municipalities, and a deadline for this process to be completed. In order for the basic interests of the Serb community to be protected in Kosovo, new municipalities must be formed, with a clear Serb majority, in areas that have been populated mainly by the Serbs until 1999. These are areas in central Kosovo, parts of eastern Kosovo and parts of Metohija. This, in principle, can be accomplished through the existing framework for the reform of local administration in the province. These municipalities also have to be interconnected in terms of jurisdiction over issues of joint interest, and appropriate bodies created for this purpose.

Jurisdiction of new municipalities should encompass full cultural autonomy, authority in the fields of education, media, protection of religious and cultural heritage, and the right for establishing special relations with Belgrade. The reform of authority would enable the Serbs to run the sectors of health and social, pension and disability insurance, and secure the right to receive assistance from Belgrade. We also seek jurisdiction in the economy, finance, property issues, privatization, municipal infrastructure, and the right to create spatial plans and privatize companies on municipal territory. The list of the Serbs' demands includes authority in local police and the judiciary. The ethnic composition of the police would correspond to that of the municipality, and local assemblies should have the right to appoint local police chiefs and municipal court judges, who would be approved by the province's central authorities. The last of demands of the Serb Ticket is that true decentralization be carried out by mid-2006, in order for the Serb and other minority communities to be able to prepare for local elections at the end of that year.

The insisting of the Albanian majority that decentralization should in no case be carried out according to the ethnic principle is unacceptable for the Serbs, because the situation in Kosovo is very difficult -- there is no rule of law, no freedom of movement, no respect of the people's right to stay in their homes or return to them, which directly points to the absence of respect of property rights. Therefore, I believe that decentralization should be an ethnic issue, not a political one. The Albanians' view of decentralization is not convincing and is not offering any reason for reducing the significance of decentralization in the solving of ethnic problems. One should also point out that, unfortunately, certain Albanian politicians are even trying to prevent decentralization.

The recent talks in Vienna have brought forward three segments Kosovo Serbs consider to be crucial:
- the forming of new municipalities,
- firm deadlines for decentralization, and
- new jurisdiction over a range of issues.

The Serbian government and Serbian President Boris Tadic support this approach.

The plan of the Kosovo government and UNMIK is not offering concrete solutions for the Serbs in Kosovo. The decentralization is not comprehensive and, coupled with this, we have had bad experience with promises that were never fulfilled. We do not want to create Albanian municipalities out of Serb-populated areas, according to the current decentralization rules. The beginning of implementation of pilot projects proves that the Albanians do not care for including the Serbs in the decentralization process. If they wished so, they could have accepted our objections and suggestions, the result of which would be the Serbs' joining the process. By activating municipalities in Junik, Djeneral Jankovic and Mamusa, the Albanians have proven that they do not want the Serbs to be part of the decentralization process.