Haradinaj’s invitation to political parties democratic
(TV21)
Ilir Ibrahimi, university professor and political expert, considers as normal the invitation of PAN’s Prime Minister designate Ramush Haradinaj to discuss constituting of government with VV and LAA. However, Ibrahimi criticised political parties’ refusal to communicate amongst themselves.
Arben Qirezi, another university professor and political analyst, believes that Haradinaj’s action is a winner’s initiative and behaviour on the verge of negotiations for constituting government.
Professor Ibrahimi believes that there is no danger of holding new elections, but he says that government will not be constituted without a compromise.
However, professor Qirezi does not totally rule out the possibility of new elections.
KDI: Constituting of institutions may be prolonged
(RTK1)
Based on political developments, constituting of new institutions may be prolonged. Albert Krasniqi of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) said that the Assembly is considered as constituted only when the Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected, not when MPs take oath.
“In case PAN coalition does not have sufficient numbers, there can be a prolongation, so that the Kosovo President will not call constitutive session before 30 days. Then, different candidates may be proposed for the Assembly Speaker, if other MPs do not support PAN proposals, which can seriously prolong constituting of the Assembly,” Krasniqi said.
In-depth electoral reform demanded
(TV21)
June 11 election results were certified almost one month later, namely on July 8. Adnan Rrustemi, VV member in the Central Election Commission (CEC), thinks that this period lasted more than the election preparation process.
The Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) representatives believe that delays in certifying election results were a consequence of poor management by CEC. According to KDI, CEC failed to address the issues identified by civil society and by international observers, such as simplification of counting system, better training for polling station committee members and recruiting them based on their quality.
Adnan Rrustemi thinks that the reform should start by changing ballot counting system. According to him, instead of polling stations, ballot count should happen at municipal centres conducted by special count team, as soon as polling stations are closed and materials are transferred. In Rrustemi’s view, besides being accurate and transparent, those results would also be final.
KDI believes that electoral reform is necessary, saying that it would allow for a better representation of citizens in the Kosovo Assembly. According to them, electoral reform would allow better elections, and a quicker ballot count.
A public debate on electoral reform has started since 2011, but, according to KDI, political parties and leaders have been reluctant to engage in it.
Number of post-war victims in Kosovo disputed
(KTV)
There are 1,270 persons who are considered to have been killed or disappeared in the period between 15th June 1999 and 31st December 2000. These are the data of the Humanitarian Law Centre. Out of them, 318 are Albanians, 715 Serbs, and 237 Roma and others.
However, Halit Berisha from Suharekë/Suva Reka considers those data as inaccurate. Berisha is one of the leaders of Shpresimi, an association which deals with identifying post-war civilian victims.
Bekim Blakaj of the Humanitarian Law Centre says that the data are accurate, adding that verification is going on.
Berisha claims that the data have been manipulated. According to him, the number of Serbs killed after the war is smaller. “Killing one person is a crime, killing 13,000 persons is statistics; that is the reason,” Berisha said.
Responding to Berisha’s denial, Blakaj stated that the data can be easily verified, as the list is publically available on the website.
Serbia hasn’t returned 12 million cadastral books to Kosovo
(KTV)
Even 18 years after the end of the war, Serbia is still keeping about 12 million cadastral book documents taken from Kosovo. Although an agreement was reached in 2011 talks with Serbia in Brussels for returning the books, it has not happened yet. This happened because Kosovo failed to implement the agreement, by not fulfilling its obligations.
Initially, it took Kosovo Assembly around four years to pass the Law on Property Comparison and Verification, which would be followed by establishment of the Agency, an obligation deriving from the agreement.
But even when the Law was passed, due to Presidential elections in Serbia and early Assembly elections in Kosovo, the agreement has not been implemented.
According to the agreement, Kosovo had agreed to receive only electronic copies of the documents.
