The Municipality of Gracanica, which was formed during the decentralization process and started to function in January 2010, now has new roads, pavement, more parking spaces and green areas, and there is a daycare center in nearly every village.
Mayor Stojanovic has kept promises given during the electoral campaign for investments in infrastructure.
According to a report from the Institute of Advanced Studies, GAP, there have been investments made in roads, parking spaces, schools and daycare centers.
“The road from the town to the village of Dobrati has been reconstructed and widened. The main road in town has been renovated, in four phases. The riverbed along Prepoc has been repaired. Also, the riverbed in Dobrati and Zhegova has been repaired.
The riverbed has also been repaired in the village of Llapnaselle. Parks in the center of town along the river that passes through town have been renovated, and the park in the village Dobrot has been reconstructed,” reads the GAP report.
Meanwhile, Stojanovic has been criticized for turning agricultural land in the territory of the municipality into construction sites. The mayor said this predates his election.
“You should ask why we have interrupted these construction sites … what has been constructed before the municipality of Gracanica was established is another issue. We have interrupted tens of such settlements- not only houses,” he said.
He said that all the illegal construction begun during his mandate has been ordered to be razed by the inspectorate. “You can verify this at the court,” Stojanovic said.
Regarding economic development, there has been no municipal plan or project drafted for this purpose. Meanwhile municipal officials say that the improvement of infrastructure, schools and other institutions impact and facilitate the economic development of this area.
Another electoral promise of the current mayor was drafting a feasibility plan with the aim of decreasing youth unemployment. However, the plan has never been drafted. The Economic Council- which was meant to collaborate with companies in Kosovo and abroad to find better opportunities for economic investments and create more jobs- hasn’t been established.
“I don’t know what we can consider as economic development, if we do not consider opening the gas pumps and hotels… something has been done in agriculture, whereas in other areas nothing,” said Agim Krasniqi, the only Albanian advisor in the Assembly of Gracanica and a member of the LDD party.