Thaçi sets constitutive Assembly session on August 3
(KTV)
Five days before the deadline for calling constitutive Assembly session, President Hashim Thaçi announced that the first Assembly session will be held on 3rd August.
Thaçi did not announce this decision in his consultative meeting with political parties, but in a press release following the meeting.
President Thaçi’s meeting with political parties was boycotted by Vetëvendosje, the LDK-AKR-Alternativa (LAA) coalition, and Srpska List. Only PAN coalition took part in the meeting, as well as minority party representatives.
The PDK representative in the meeting, namely PDK chairman Enver Hoxhaj, said that PAN coalition has got sufficient votes, and that it is ready for the constitutive session.
On the other hand, Pal Lekaj of AAK criticised those parties that refused Monday’s meeting with the President.
Lekaj’s position against the parties that did not take part in the meeting provoked President Thaçi’s reaction.
Valdete Bajrami of Nisma për Kosovën stated that the Assembly Administration should be asked to make preparations for the session.
The Assembly Presidency will convene on Tuesday to set the agenda of the constitutive Assembly session.
President Thaçi accused of bargaining with numbers
(KTV)
While the PDK-AAK-Nisma (PAN) coalition continues to say that it has ensured the necessary votes for electing the Assembly Speaker and Prime Minister, the party that came second in these elections, Vetëvendosje, says that if they [PAN] had the votes, they would not wait for nine more days for the constitutive session.
Glauk Konjufca, who called President Thaçi as the President of PAN, said that these days will serve Ramush Haradinaj to finish his bargaining with purchasing MPs.
He said that Vetëvendosje with the LDK-AKR-Alternativa coalition and other non-Serb minorities have over 71 votes; therefore, according to him, after PAN failes, Hashim Thaçi should give the right to Vetëvendosje; otherwise , he said that the President will be sent to the Constitutional Court and he will end up being discharged.
In the meantime, Korab Sejdiu, deputy head of AKR, a party in coalition with LDK, reaffirmed their position against PAN.
Artan Murati of Kosovo Democratic Institute says that only in the August 3rd Assembly session it will be known who has and who does not have the votes.
According to him, if Ramush Haradinaj is sure that he has the numbers, than Kadri Veseli would also need to have the same votes.
KTV tried to get a stance from LDK as well, but none of the officials of this political entity responded.
Rashiti reserved about Vucic’s proposal
(Klan Kosova)
Upon taking over his position as President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic seemingly has a different approach towards Kosovo question. In an article published on Serbian media, he called on Serbians for an internal dialogue on this issue, in order for them not to leave it as a burden to future generations.
However, Vucic’s statement is taken with reserve by Balkans development experts. According to Naim Rashiti of the Balkans Policy Research Group, the whole thing may be a game of the Serbian President in order to please the European Union.
But if Vucic is serious, then Rashiti warns Kosovo politicians to roll up their sleeves, as the EU will be double demanding to Kosovo.
“If this discourse in Serbia changes, pressure on Prishtinë/Pristina will be increased to have a same approach, for implementing the agreements, such as the number plates and the Association of Serb Municipalities,” Rashiti said.
Commenting on Vucic’s article, former journalist and current politician Halil Matoshi stated in a Facebook post that that this was a good indicator that our countries are on a good track towards peace, and that by winter, Kosovo will no longer be part of Serbia’s Constitution.
Petrovic: SLS represents Kosovo Serbs, Srpska List Serbian Government
(RTK)
The SLS leader Slobodan Petrovic stated that it was possible that Serb community in Kosovo is entitled to more than one position in the Government of Kosovo, which is ensured by the Constitution.
“The Constitution provides one position in the Government of Kosovo for Serb community, depending on the number of their members,” Petrovic said, Serbian media report.
“Whereas now the circumstances are different, because it depends on the agreement – not only with Serb community, as forming of Government depends on it, which allows more than it is provided by the Constitution,”, Petrovic added, RTK portal reported.
Asked about the probability of SLS to be represented in the Government, while it has only one Assembly member, Petrovic said there was nothing clear in this case, because the Constitution and Law provides everything that Serb community, not Serb parties are entitled to.
Asked whether he feels a representative of Central Kosovo only, since Srpska List has three representatives from Strpce/Shtërpcë and six from north Kosovo, Petrovic answered: “Some analysts think that SLS is not only a representative of Central Kosovo Serbs, but of the entire Kosovo, because the other party, namely Srpska List, is a representative of Serbian Government,” RTK reported.
Tahiri presents report to EU on implementation of agreements
(KTV)
Caretaker Minister of Dialogue Edita Tahiri has published the official report, which she delivered to the European Union on implementation of Brussels agreements.
In this report the stress was put only on agreements which are expected to be implemented, underlining the blockades, obstacles and sabotage that Serbia has done to the process of implementation of the agreements and motives that it stands behind, a press release reads.
Tahiri said that blocked agreements on energy, justice, diploma and cadastre have impeded full revitalization of the Mitrovicë/Mitrovica Bridge and revitalization of main street in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, while dissolving of Serb parallel municipalities has sabotaged final implementation of the agreement on dissolving of the “Civil Protection.”
Young MPs: Regional cooperation one of biggest problems
(KTV)
Based on her personal experience in regard to The Hague War Crime Tribunal, Saranda Bogujevci, a new Kosovo MP, is convinced that Kosovo is to a great extent discriminated against by international mechanisms.
At a roundtable which addressed treatment of Kosovo and regional cooperation, it was stated that even Kosovo’s political representatives are not treated with the same respect as those of neighbouring countries.
The roundtable, which was organised by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, was attended by some of the certified young MPs, who are expected to take oath for the first time in the constitutive session on 3rd August.
Korab Sejdiu said that his fellow MPs, particularly young ones, should focus on empowering youngsters.
On the other hand, Betim Popaj, an AAK MP, was focused on the dialogue with Serbia, as a tool for accessing truth and regional cooperation.
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights is part of the International Network of Youth Forums, operating in the framework of political parties from different countries.
D4D calls on political entities to submit their financial reports
(TV21)
Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) has called on all political entities that took part in the June 11 elections to respect legal deadlines for submitting financial declaration on expenditures during the electoral campaign to the Central Elections Commission (CEC).
D4D Institute reminds on political entities that the legal deadline to submit reports is on 26 July.
