Thaçi may lead dialogue, but not sign agreements
(KTV)
Kosovo Constitution expert say that President Hashim Thaçi may lead dialogue with Serbia even before the institutions are constituted, but he may not sign any agreement without a previous consent of the Assembly.
Civil society representatives considers Thaçi’s travelling to Brussels as an attempt to draw attention by using the institutional vacuum in order to take over lead of the dialogue.
The dialogue which has taken place following Kosovo’s independence declaration, started on technical issues, and then moved to normalisation of relations. It was based on two Kosovo Assembly resolutions; the first one was adopted in March 2011, and the second one in October 2012.
Both resolutions oblige Kosovo Government to report the Assembly on regular basis about the dialogue process. However, in case the dialogue is led by President, it is up to his/her will whether or not to report.
Vucic announces amending of Constitution concerning Kosovo
(Klan Kosova)
”I solemnly swear that with all my forces I will be committed to retain Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Kosovo and Metohija as its integral part.”
This was the oath taken by Aleksandar Vucic on 31st May, when he was sworn in as President of Serbia. However, only one month later, the Serbian President said he was considering amending the Constitution, starting with the preamble which he read when he took oath.
Furthermore, On Sunday 2nd July, in an interview with a Russian news agency, Vucic said that soon he was intending to make the amendments to the section that refer to Kosovo, which, according to him, would allow Serbia to have a Constitution which would stand for 50 to 100 years.
Avni Mazreku, professor of EU Integration, believes that Belgrade’s new approach to Kosovo is an obligation to Serbia on its path towards the EU integration. In addition, Mazreku thinks that Serbia will give up Kosovo in the constitutional and in other aspects, because this request has been made long time ago by Germany, as a key EU Member State.
Belgrade media have started writing a lot about the idea of Serbia’s new relationship with Kosovo, a state which Serbia has not recognised yet. Blic daily, publishing a separate map of Kosovo on its front page, has announced a range of articles, asking the simple question: Kosovo, what’s next?
But a Serb journalist in Prishtinë/Pristina did not find this campaign strange. “Kosovo was always on foreground of Serbian media before some big process happened. The present campaign also is preparation for another big thing, perhaps a settlement for normalisation of relationships or for removing Kosovo from Serbia’s Constitution,” Nicic said.
Nicic thinks that Serbian media provide little information to the local public on the Kosovo reality.
“They mostly report on negative topics, such as murders or various assaults. They cover statements of Belgrade politicians, who lie the people about success and victories in Brussels. They refer to Kosovo’s institutions and Prime Minister as provincial. The whole thing is not related to the reality at all,” Nicic added.
On Wednesday, Klan Kosova asked the University of North Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Faculty of Law leaders about Serbia’s initiative for removing Kosovo from the Constitution. The Department of Law representatives said that a referendum needs to be held on this issue in Serbia, not like President Vucic is intending to make the amendments with two thirds of votes in the Parliament.
Hoti: PAN hopes to form government by smuggling MPs
(KTV & Klan Kosova)
Abdullah Hoti, nominee for Prime Minister of the LDK-AKR-Alternativa (LAA) coalition, told KTV that he was not happy to hear statements from the PDK-AAK-Nisma (PAN) coalition that they have got sufficient numbers to constitute government. According to him, this implies that they hope to form government through smuggling MPs. According to Hoti, all 29 LAA MPs will not leave the coalition to make a government led by Haradinaj get sufficient numbers.
Hoti says that LDK is willing to cooperate with all other parties, except PDK, but based on programmes, not based on posts.
On the other hand, Klan Kosova reported that VV keeps having red lines for PDK and Srpska List, but that does not apply for other parties, including LDK. Despite this position, VV will vote for Assembly Speaker, who, according to the Constitution, should belong to PAN. This position was made clear by Rexhep Selimi of VV.
Although he is known as a person who objected any possibility of a pre-election coalition with LDK, Selimi said he would respect any decision of the party for post-election coalition, except with PDK and Srpska List.
Indictment for vote purchase attempt in Pejë/Pec
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
The Basic Prosecutor Office in Pejë/Pec filed indictment against A. S., suspected of criminal offence of giving or receiving bribe related to votes.
According to the indictment, on 26th May in the village of Vitomirica, Pejë/Pec municipality, the defendant promised gifts to an eligible voter, so that he would vote for NDS, a political party led by the defendant.
The defendant sent a Facebook message to D. S., asking him to vote for this party as an exchange for 50 EUR, and adding that travel costs would be covered, too.
