Serbian List, eight-month deadline to government for Association (Koha)
The Serbian List is expected this week to end the two-month boycott of the Kosovo institutions. Citing unidentified sources, the paper writes that the Serbian List has demanded that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, which is envisaged to be headquartered in Gracanica, become operational by November 2015. In regards to its competencies, the List has demanded that the health and education systems remain under Serbia’s system. The paper also writes that the current Mayor of Gracanica, Vladeta Kostic, has the greatest chances of leading the Association/Community. Kosovo government officials involved in the discussions said that these can be the aspirations of the Serbian List but they must be negotiated in Brussels.
North reacts on dissolving of Civil Protection (Zeri)
The representatives of Serbs in northern Kosovo have expressed their discontent for not being officially informed about the agreement reached between Pristina and Belgrade regarding the dissolution of the Civil Protection. The Mayor of Mitrovica North, Goran Rakic, told Radio Free Europe that they learnt from the media about the agreement and that it is still not clear to them. “They are talking about integration into the local government, while the latter has no idea about this. The Civil Protection works with the aim of helping local government and citizens,” Rakic said. Ksenija Bozovic, head of the Municipal Assembly of Mitrovica North, told Radio Free Europe that Belgrade should come up with concrete solutions on this issue. Both Rakic and Bozovic consider that the dissolution of the Civil Protection could cause frustration with members of this organization.
Vulin: Kosovo is not independent (Zeri)
The Serbian Government Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Aleksandar Vulin, on Sunday visited the northern part of Kosovo. Vulin commented on the status of Kosovo saying that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence. “For us, this place is administered by the international community, in accordance with the United Nations Resolution 1244,” Vulin said.
Limaj: I won’t remain silent (Zeri)
The leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Fatmir Limaj, told Kosova Press that he is disappointed with the justice system in Kosovo. He said that judiciary in Kosovo is influenced by politics and that it might completely collapse if things continue as they are. Regarding the recent allegations that European Union officials interfered on the judicial process against Limaj, he said that there is a need to investigate all the facts published in the media as this, in his view, would benefit Kosovo’s justice system.
Collaku: Number of citizens who left Kosovo is not 200,000 (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, said in an interview for Deutsche Welle that the migration of Kosovo’s population has created a negative image for Kosovo in the international scene and the EU as well as in the process of visa liberalization. However, he denied claims that 200,000 people left Kosovo. “The figures of the last year, used also by Eurostat, speak about 37,000 asylum seekers from Kosovo in all the European Union countries,” said Collaku.
