OSCE to provide technical expertise in drafting Association’s Statute

(Klan Kosova)

Klan Kosova reported that the OSCE has been invited to contribute with technical expertise in drafting the Statute of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.  This was confirmed to ‘arbresh.info’ news portal by officials of this international mission in Kosovo.

Kosovo Deputy Minister of Local Government Administration, Bajram Gecaj, said that the OSCE was foreseen to assist in establishing the Association since the signature of Brussels Agreement in 2015.

While the spokesperson of the U.S Embassy in Prishtinë/Pristina, Michelle Schohn told ‘arbresh.info’ that the time has come for all interested to leave aside personal political remarks and start working on preparation of the Statute, as soon as possible.

Gecaj: Association will not be submitted to Assembly

(TV21)

Despite the constant requests of Srpska List and the recent calls of the European Union to Kosovo Government to speed up establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities, Kosovo Government officials said that this process has not been launched yet.  Moreover, they warn that negotiations with Serb representatives on this issue might take lots of time due to disagreements between both sides.

“As soon as Srpska List returns fully in institutions, we must discuss when to launch this process. The Managing Team, composed of four Serbs, together with the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) and with the assistance of the OSCE and EU should draft the Statute of the Association. I believe that this process will take some time due to different perceptions that both sides have about this Association,” Deputy Minister of MLGA, Bajram Gecaj told TV21.

Gecaj denied claims that Srpska List has requested inclusion of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë University as an institution within the Association.

“Kosovo Government will not accept any conditions.  To us, Association is a legal obligation. We have a Law which was adopted in 2013 with 84 MP votes and this Law obliges us to establish this Association. Concerning the University, we learned about this issue from media and so far we have not received any official requests from the Serb side about it. When we start the negotiations, this might be a request of Serbs and as such it will be reviewed and handled in compliance with Kosovo laws and Constitution,” said Gecaj.

Ramush Tahiri, a political analyst, also considers that no one should condition the establishment of the Association. According to him the principles of the Association are stipulated in the Brussels Agreements

On the other hand, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi recently said that Association should be submitted to the Assembly, but in contrary to him, Government officials insist that Association does not need to go to Assembly.

“This Statute should be adopted in the Assembly of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities and after this Kosovo Government through a decree submits it to the Constitutional Court. If the Constitutional Court rules that this Statute in in compliance with Kosovo Constitution and laws, then this Statue immediately enters into power and there is no need to submit it to the Assembly,” said Deputy Minister Gecaj.

But the political analyst, Ramush Tahiri does not share Gecaj’s view.  He considers that the Association should be put at vote in the Assembly of Kosovo.

“Any documents, especially this one which is of particular importance, should go through Assembly Committees, because it is not an NGO but is part of Kosovo institutions and should undergo regular Assembly control,” Tahiri said.

While, Vetëvendosje Movement (VV) representatives once again said that they would not allow any attempt to pass the Association through the Assembly.

“VV stance is clear and firm. There should be no Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in Republic of Kosovo. We do not dare to bargain with our country and we will not allow Bosnization of Kosovo,” said VV MP Albulena Haxhiu.

 NATO official hopes Serbia and Kosovo tensions will ease after Serbia’s elections

(TV21)

Navy Admiral Michelle Howard, who heads NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, expressed her hoped that engineered provocations between Kosovo and Serbia in recent months would calm down now that Serbia’s presidential election was over.

Howard said that he region remained an area of concern for the U.S. military and NATO, which still has 4,500 troops in Kosovo after intervening in 1999 to stop Serbia’s killings of ethnic Albanian civilians.

Delawie congratulates Kosovars on Constitution Day

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

U.S Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie congratulated Kosovo on its Constitution Day.

“Happy Constitution Day! Proud to be part of long story of U.S. support for Kosovo, hope to see institutions further strengthened this year,” wrote Ambassador Delawie in his Twitter account.

Haradinaj’s statement triggers reaction in Serbia

(Klan Kosova & RTK)

On Friday, Daut Haradinaj told TV Dukagjini ‘InfoBox’ show that potential extradition of Ramush Haradinaj to Serbia would trigger a new war. This statement incited reaction of Serbian politicians, RTK portal reported.

“This can lead into a new war, nothing else. I do now know about others, but I know that if they make such a mistake, then they should be prepared for more serious moments. If they want ethnic Kosovo without Serbs, then let them make fun,” Haradinaj stated on Friday.

After this statement, Serbia’s Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Aleksandar Vulin issued a harsh statement against Ramush Haradinaj, Klan Kosova portal reported.

“Not all Albanian are terrorists but Ramush Haradinaj is a terrorist,” said Vulin.

In the meantime, Daut Haradinaj, through a Facebook post, reacted against the statement of Vulin.

“Vulin, if it would be depending on you and on your historic bosses no Serbian church would have remained in Kosovo.  Albanians, who you call ‘terrorists” have preserved and cultivated those for 500 years, not because of you but because this is how we Albanians are made. We, Albanians are Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox and we love each other. You have destroyed yourselves by putting religion before nation.  Albanians have not and will never do ethnic cleansing. We have demonstrated that we keep our promises but persecution by criminals in Belgrade will always receive the same response,” wrote Haradinaj in his Facebook account, RTK portal reported.

On the other hand, U.S Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie also reacted against the statement made on Friday by Daut Haradinaj.