Belgrade wants political agreement for association (Koha)
The paper reports on the front page that Belgrade is trying to use talks for the creation of the new government of Kosovo to strike a political deal on the association of Serb majority municipalities. Serbian officials have recently said that education and healthcare for Kosovo Serbs will remain under the Serbian system, but representatives of the outgoing government in Pristina are adamant that the association will be formed in full compliance with the constitution and laws of Kosovo. Marko Djuric, Director of the Serbian Government’s office for Kosovo, told Serbian media on Monday: “I expect the legitimate representatives of the Serb people to participate in the provincial institutions and to contribute to a large extent to what has been discussed in Brussels so far. This issue now needs to become a topic of direct talks between us and Kosovo Albanians.” Meanwhile, Lumnije Demi, spokeswoman for Kosovo’s Ministry for Local Government, told the paper that the Ministry has yet to meet with mayors of Serb municipalities on the topic of the association.
Belgrade drafts statute for Serb municipalities (Zeri)
Serbian officials are insisting that they are completely independent in their decisions about Kosovo and that they face no pressure from the international community as far as the association of Serb majority municipalities and direct funding for Kosovo Serbs are concerned. In an interview for the paper, Marko Djuric, Director of the Serbian Government’s office for Kosovo, said Serbia is drafting the statute for the association which it will propose to Pristina after the establishment of institutions there. Djuric said Belgrade would continue to support Kosovo Serbs and that it would not stop funding in several areas. “We want to talk to Albanian politicians in Kosovo as soon as possible and to establish the association. We want institutions in Pristina to be formed as quickly as possible,” Djuric added.
Serbs decisive for forming of the new Kosovo government (Tribuna)
Serb senior officials have openly begun to state that Kosovo Serb MPs, particularly from the Serbian List, will have a decisive role in the forming of the new Kosovo government. Minister for Returns and Communities Dalibor Jevtic said yesterday during a visit to Ajnovce, Kamenica, that he was certain there would be no new elections in Kosovo and that the nine Serb MPs will be a decisive factor. At the same time, the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, is quoted as saying that the government in Pristina cannot be legitimate without the Serbian List’s participation.
Coalition to decide over representation at Constitutional Court (Tribuna)
Bajram Gecaj, representative of the post-election coalition between the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), said the parties will meet today and decide who will represent the LDK at the Constitutional Court’s hearing, which is set to take place on 21 August. Gecaj said leaders of the coalition parties will hold a press conference after the meeting to announce their positions.
Osmani: Lladrovci’s appointment illegal and unconstitutional (Bota Sot)
Vjosa Osmani, senior official of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), reacted on Monday to the appointment of Ramiz Lladrovci as officer-in-charge of the Kosovo Embassy in Tirana. Osmani argued that the appointment of the former Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP was illegal and violated the constitution, “because people that were never part of the diplomatic corps cannot be appointed to these positions”.
Gani Geci suspected of murdering Ruzhdi Shaqiri (Bota Sot)
Several dailies report that the Kosovo Police are searching for Gani Geci, former MP of the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD), for the killing of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veteran Ruzhdi Shaqiri in the town of Skenderaj/Srbica on Monday evening. “He swore at me and reached for his gun, but I shot first and I don’t know for sure if he is dead,” Geci was quoted as saying. Media report that Shaqiri succumbed to his wounds on the way to the regional hospital in Mitrovica. Some media quote eyewitnesses as saying that Shaqiri was killed after a verbal conflict with Geci.
Special Chamber gives additional time for reorganization of Trepca (Koha)
The Special Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kosovo has adopted a request from the Privatization Agency of Kosovo (PAK) for an extended deadline to draft the plan for the reorganization of the Trepca mining complex. The Chamber decided on Monday that PAK would have to submit its plan by 2 April at the latest. Meanwhile, the government and the assembly will have to pass the law on public enterprises so that Trepca can become a public enterprise, and competencies for the mining complex would then be transferred from PAK over to the government.
