Calls for Serbian Minister Paunovic’s Dismissal After Statement on Kosovo’s “Ethnic Cleansing”

Shaip Kamberi, an Albanian member of Serbia’s parliament, announced that a formal request for the dismissal of Snezhana Paunovic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, was submitted on Thursday. The request follows her statements concerning the ethnic cleansing of Albanians during the 1990s.

The initiative was submitted by the parliamentary group Free Citizens’ Movement – SDA of Sandzak and the Party for Democratic Action, with the support of other opposition MPs.

“The prime minister has the political and institutional responsibility to respond and demonstrate that there is no place in the Government of Serbia for a minister who defends ideas of expelling people based on their national affiliation and promotes actions outside the law and judicial procedures,” Kamberi wrote.

He said that Gjuro Macut, if he does not propose Paunovic’s dismissal, will bear responsibility for the continuation of her mandate in the post, as well as for the normalization of such a policy within the Government of Serbia.

“Unfortunately, our initiative was not supported by the national minority parties that are part of the government. Therefore, the dismissal of Minister Paunovic was supported neither by Zukorlic’s Bosniak party, nor by Ljajic’s Bosniak party, nor by Pastor’s Hungarian party!” he stated.

According to KosovaPress, Paunovic said on Serbian television channel “Kurir” on Saturday that, if she had the freedom of action that Slobodan Milosevic had in 1999, she would have “ethnically cleansed Kosovo.”

The statements have prompted reactions in Kosovo, the region and the EU.

Andin Hoti, the acting minister in the Government of Kosovo, compared the Serbian minister to former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, stating that any attempt at ethnic cleansing in Kosovo would end in the same way.

According to Hoti, people who call for ethnic cleansing are not only a threat to Kosovo, but demonstrate that Serbia has still not abandoned what he describes as “Milosevic’s genocidal ideology” and the policy that produced wars, massacres and “historic shame.”

The Institute for Crimes Committed During the War (ICCW) also responded, assessing that the Serbian minister’s statement revives discourse linked to the policies responsible for war, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Kosovo.

The ICCW stressed that crimes committed during 1998-1999 have been addressed in international judicial proceedings, in which senior political, military and police officials of the Milosevic regime were found guilty. According to the Institute, confronting the past, acknowledging the crimes and offering an institutional apology are prerequisites for building trust and lasting peace in the region.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s opposition has called for Paunovic to be removed from her ministerial post.

The Free Citizens’ Movement (PSG), a Serbian opposition party, called for her immediate dismissal, describing the statement as hate speech and open support for persecution on ethnic grounds.

According to PSG, an official who justifies the expulsion of people because of their national affiliation cannot hold office in the Government of Serbia. The party stressed that the case is even more troubling because the statement was made by the minister responsible for public administration and local self-government, an institution that must ensure equal treatment for all citizens and respect for the Constitution and the law.