Thaçi: International partners are not opposing KSF’s transformation process
(All monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
The initiative for transformation of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Kosovo Army is in full compliance with the competencies of institutions of Kosovo and country’s Constitution, President Hashim Thaçi said on Wednesday.
He said that international partners are not opposing this process and that there is no retreat from this initiative.
“This constitutional and legal obligation was not disputed and cannot be disputed by any of our Western partners, including NATO and its member states. Despite its publically voiced concerns, the United States of America has not questioned our legitimate right to establish the Kosovo Army under any circumstance,” Thaçi stressed.
President Thaçi said that this is not a unilateral move of Kosovo and that NATO should not be worried about this action of Kosovo.
“We should pay very great attention to our official stances regarding this matter and try patiently and with sufficient arguments to make clarifications to our international partners, neighbouring countries and anyone else that has dilemma regarding this process. The Republic of Kosovo is not making any unexpected move; it is not making any surprise, no unilateral or non-coordinated action, and no illegitimate or anti-constitutional action. It is not doing anything that could be considered as risk for peace and security in Kosovo, or the region. The Republic of Kosovo is moving in the same process as the other countries of the region did,” he added.
Thaçi said that Kosovo will never discuss decisions like these with Serbia, while he said that Army establishment through constitutional changes has proven to be impossible so far.
“For three years in a row, we tried to coordinate this action with Serb community MPs living in Kosovo, but they have made it clear that they will never vote Kosovo’s Army. This stance of Kosovo Serb community MPs is directly instructed and ordered by Kosovo’s neighbouring state, by Serbia. Therefore, I consider that if anyone thinks that there should be coordination about this issue with Serbia, this has ended once and for all. Kosovo is an independent and sovereign country. We take decisions on our own and Serbia is only a neighbouring country,” he underlined.
President Thaçi said that no one can guarantee that Srpska List MPs will vote constitutional changes for Kosovo’s Army, while he emphasised that if someone can guarantee their vote then the constitutional changes could happen.
Asked if there are clashes between Kosovo and the international community, President Thaçi said that relations with international friends are excellent. Thaçi qualified Serbia’s claims that establishment of Kosovo Army presents a risk for the region as inconsistent; while he said that extension of Russian influence is the greatest threat for the region.
Srpska List against KSF’s transformation
(RTK1&RTK2)
Representatives of Serbs in Kosovo will use all legal and political mechanisms to oppose the idea of transformation of Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Army, said chairman of Srpska List Slavko Simic, RTK2 reported.
In the meantime, RTK1 quoted Minister for Communities and Return in Kosovo Government, Dalibor Jevtic, as saying that Kosovo needs factories and new jobs more than it needs the Army.
He also said that Army is being established unilaterally and that this was not part of the coalition agreement plan between PDK, LDK and Srpska List.
Speaker Veseli calls on Srpska List to return
(RTK2)
Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli called on Serb representatives to return to institutions. However, in Srpska List say that their return is conditioned with the start of works on establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.
“They are an important part of the Republic of Kosovo. We call them every day to take part in Kosovo institutions, where their place is and to listen less to Belgrade, which does not think of them but rather thinks about interests of political leaders in Belgrade,” Veseli stated.
Although Serb MPs recently signed in presence records, Minister for Communities and Return Dalibor Jevtic says that Srpska List has not changed its stance regarding participation in Kosovo institutions and that it will remain unchanged for as long as the minimum of their requests is met, above all, until the establishment of Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in line with the Brussels Agreement does not start.
On the other hand, analysts consider that the manner how Srpska List is acting must change.
Kosovo Serb representatives informed EC representative on their situation
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK2)
Srpska List representatives discussed with the Director for the Western Balkans at the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, on the political situation, situation of Serbs in Kosovo, non-participation of Serb representatives in the work of Kosovo institutions, return and many other issues.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Branimir Stojanovic, Srpska List caucus leader at the Assembly of Kosovo Slavko Simic, and Minister for Communities and Return Dalibor Jevtic informed the European Commission’s representative with the reasons of their boycott in Kosovo institutions.
They stressed how important establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities is in the form it was agreed in Brussels same as implementation of other signed agreements, a press release issued says.
Opposition parties do not change their mind on Demarcation
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova&KTV)
Government has made the report of Commission for measurement of Kosovo public in its official website. The Government’s announcement reads that the Government of Kosovo welcomes the fact that this report also confirms that Kosovo does not lose any millimetre of its territory in the border delineation process with Montenegro.
Government calls on representatives of parliamentary parties and wider to be part of this historic process of delineation of an international border of Kosovo, which also paves the way to free movement of citizens in the European Union countries, Klan Kosova reported.
On the other hand, KTV reported that opposition is not even dealing with the report of the Commission for territory measurement that reached their mailboxes in the Assembly of Kosovo this Wednesday. They say that nothing will change their mind.
On the other hand, Government announces that within a week or two the Demarcation will be in the Assembly, while opposition warns that tensions shall return again in it.
Women’s Day marked with protests
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
The International Women’s Day was marked with protests in Kosovo, too. Although with a symbolic number, women and girls marched in “Zahir Pajaziti” square with the motto “MARCH, not celebrate!”
According to organisers, through this march and other activities they will continue to raise their voice in protection of women rights. The basic request of participants in this march was ‘eradication of gender distinctions’.
An almost the same march was also organised in ‘Shatërvan’ square in Prizren. Organized by the FEMaktiv initiative, the “March 8th with tie”, is aiming to challenge the current bad situation of women.
Tringa Kasemi, one of the initiators for establishment of this non-formal group of women and girls, said that on this Day women should not celebrate, but protest to raise awareness.
But, other women in Prizren have different opinions if it should be celebrated or protested. Women working in the Municipality of Prizren are not in favour of protest either, since most of them took leave for March 8 holiday.
In the meantime, at the National Library in Prishtinë/Pristina, the report “Addressing Sexual Harassment within Public Universities”, which addresses the existing situation related to sexual harassment within public universities, was published.
Assembly session postponed with request of Women Caucus
(KTV)
“A Day Without a Woman” is an initiative in the United States which started as a protest, where women do not show up at their workplace to demonstrate how important they are and that work cannot be done without them, KTV reported.
In Kosovo, women members of the Assembly made the same request, not to hold an Assembly session on the International Women’s Day, but not as a sign of protest.
The request addressed to Assembly Speaker was filed with the justification that most of women MPs are not in Kosovo and that there are activities for marking March 8th. The decision was taken without consulting the Board of Women MPs and with the initiative of chairperson of this caucus, Blerta Deliu-Kodra of PDK. She was not accessible to KTV during the Wednesday.
However, Shukrie Bytyqi of Nisma për Kosovën confirmed for this TV station that together with the caucus leader and a part of women MPs they are in a visit to Brussels, utterly due to March 8th. She and her party are in fact the only ones that have informed about this postponement and that they are part of this initiative.
Time Kadrija, an AAK MP, who is part of the Board of this group, told KTV that decision was taken without consultation. Women MPs of Vetëvendosje did not support this initiative.
According to a report of Kosovar Centre for Gender Studies, leading and decision-making positions in Kosovo institutions continue to be dominated by men.
Lumezi assigns a prosecutor to deal with cases of journalists
(TV21)
Chief State Prosecutor, Aleksandër Lumezi, informed that he has assigned a prosecutor of his Office as Coordinator for the cases of threats and other criminal offences that are committed against journalists, and that with this decision chief prosecutors of Basic Court will be obliged to assign a prosecutor who will also deal with reported cases where journalists are presented as the injured parties.
Lumezi made this decision public while meeting the Head of Kosovo Journalists’ Association Shkëlqim Hysenaj and Petrit Çollaku, a researcher from this Association.
