"KPS decision political, has no effect"

12 January 2011 | 09:40 | Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- The Kosovo police (KPS) decision to "ban vehicles wiht new license plates containing the initials of Kosovo municipalities" is political. Oliver Ivanović (FoNet, file) This is according to State Secretary for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanović, who also stated on Tuesday that the move will have no effect. The new license plates are being issued by the Interior Ministry (MUP) in Belgrade. “The order of the outgoing Minister Bajram Redzepi is regrettable and can have no practical effects, since it was brought by an outgoing minister who now holds his mandate only in technical terms,” Ivanović told Tanjug. Ivanović said that one more reason why the decision is wrong is that Belgrade and Priština are facing negotiations which will focus on the issue of license plates and personal documents almost immediately upon initiation. “Besides, Redzepi has no right to make such an order, all the more now that Serbia has adopted a decision to replace license plates in its entire territory, including Kosovo and Metohija, and nobody is being left out by this decision, which means that Albanian can also replace their plates, provided they meet legal criteria,” Ivanović stated. He pointed out that this is a "political decision aimed at earning some cheap political points for its makers, but it will have no effects as the replacement of license plates has not yet set deeper roots, but rather represents a voluntary act". The deadline for license plate replacement is one year.