Hundreds of citizens gathered on Sunday evening at the Drashovica Monument in a protest against any decision that could lead to the dissolution of the Municipality of Selenicë. Residents oppose scenarios of including the area in the new territorial reform and are demanding that the local unit not lose its current status.
Gathering against the territorial reform
Residents of the area and community representatives took part in the protest, publicly opposing any merger or dissolution of the municipality.
The reaction comes at a time when the debate over territorial reform is raising concerns in several areas, especially where communities fear that decision-making and services could move even further away from citizens.
Public call not to touch the municipality
During the gathering, chants such as “Selenicë will not be shut down!” and “Hands off Selenicë!” were heard, in a direct message against any intervention that would place the municipality in a dissolution process.
According to the protesters, keeping Selenicë as a separate municipality is tied not only to the area’s identity and history, but also to local representation and access to services.
Residents raise concerns about services
Participants argued that closing the municipality would have consequences for citizens and for the area’s development. At the heart of their opposition is the fear that administrative centralization could translate into less institutional presence on the ground.
This is one of the main objections that usually accompanies interventions in the local map: promises of efficiency from above clash with communities’ concern that services could weaken in practice.
Political support and submission of signatures
Representatives and members of the Democratic Party were also present at the protest, expressing support for the residents’ demands.
At the end of the gathering, residents from the villages of the Municipality of Selenicë submitted the signatures collected for the petition, formally requesting that Selenicë not be included in the dissolution process and that it retain its status as a municipality.
The residents’ movement turns the issue of Selenicë into a direct test of how local communities will be treated in any new territorial intervention.
For now, the message from the protest is clear: opposition on the ground is being openly articulated and accompanied by a formal request not to touch the Municipality of Selenicë.