Yee reconfirms US support to Kosovo
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV, RTK2 & RTK1)
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary Hoyt Brian Yee called on the institutions to accelerate the work for Kosovo’s European agenda.
Yee stayed in Prishtinë/Pristina, where he met state leaders, following a visit paid one day before to Serbia.
At their meeting, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and Deputy Assistant Secretary Yee discussed bilateral relationships, role of the US in the region, Kosovo’s Euro Atlantic perspective, dialogue with Serbia, and other matters of common interest.
Thaçi highlighted that priorities for Kosovo remain visa liberalisation, conclusion of the dialogue with Serbia, and transformation of Kosovo Security Forces (KSF).
Yee reconfirmed that the United States would continue to support Kosovo.
RTK2 reported that Yee met also with Serb representatives in the Kosovo Government and Assembly. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communities Dalibor Jevtic, and Srpska List leader, MP Igor Simic expressed their concern that even 1,650 days after signing of the agreement in Brussels on establishment of Association of Serb Majority Municipalities, first steps towards its implementation have not been taken yet.
Yee also had a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. In a press release, Office of the Prime Minister stated that Haradinaj informed Hoyt Brian Yee about the developments in Kosovo and the dynamics of domestic affairs, with particular emphasis on the rule of law and economic development of the country, as well as engagement in meeting the criteria in the Euro-Atlantic integration process.
Yee stressed that the US will continue to support Kosovo in all its processes. He said that the path of European integration for Kosovo and the countries of the region are open, and he encouraged the country’s institutions to engage in deepening the internal reforms in the field of rule of law and in promoting economic development.
Koha.net reported that in an interview with the Voice of America Albanian Service, Hoyt Brian Yee called on the Kosovo Government to ratify the Border Demarcation Agreement with Montenegro, allowing for Kosovo citizens to benefit from a visa free movement in Europe.
Assembly fails to pass Draft Law on Amending Budget
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Even after a long debate with mutual accusations, Kosovo Assembly members failed to pass in the first reading, Bill on Amending the Law on Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for 2017.
This happened because the opposition MPs did not vote, although they were present in the plenary room.
Even though the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli put it twice to voting, the Bill did not get more than 60 votes in favour, no votes against, and no abstentions. Rules of procedure for passing budget require 61 votes in favour.
Consequently, Veseli stopped the session, to resume on Thursday at 10:00.
ECAP received many complaints about ballot box recount
(KTV)
Many complaints concerning ballot box recounting have been filed to the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP), but this Institution will not consider them before the Central Election Commission (CEC) publishes final election results, KTV reported.
Chairperson of the ECAP Secretariat Mule Desku says that those cases are considered provisional, since they will be dealt with in the set timeline, after publication of election results.
Most of the political parties breached election silence on social networks, and consequently monetary fines have been imposed in six cases, out of 39 complaints filed to ECAP.
In two cases LDK has been fined with 250 euro, PDK with 200 euro, AAK with 200 euro, AKR with 200 euro, and Turkish Party KTAP with 200 euro for breaching election silence.
Lumezi reacts to his bar examination issue
(KTV)
Chief prosecutor Aleksandër Lumezi presented his bar examination certificate of completion, saying that here he concludes the debate on the doubts raised by former Constitutional Court President, Enver Hasani.
Ministry of Justice keeps in its premises the original register books with bar examinations. However, Lumezi’s certificate still does not match with his file in the Archive.
In his explanation provided through a press release, Lumezi said he took the bar examination before the competent panel, and that passing of the examination can be proved by the original book, which, according to the chief prosecutor, is at the Ministry of Justice.
Lumezi presented the original certificate of his bar examination, which reads that he passed the examination on 25 April 1991. But his file in the Archive says that Lumezi, one day later, specifically on 26 April 1991, took oral examination, given that on 24 April he had retaken written examination.
The record of the certificate is 02 nr.152-1-217/90. This is the same record number both in the Archive file and in the register book, where under Lumezi’s, the name of Zymer Krasniqi is found.
KohaVision saw the book which is in the Ministry of Justice, where the name of Aleksandër Lumezi has been written properly and without any intervention. The difference between the original and the copy of the book is that the original was closed in 1991, signed by the Panel Secretary Sahit Shala, whereas this signature is missing in the copy.
This original, closed in 1992, continued recording bar examinations until 2001.
The book pages are loose, so that they can be easily taken out or inserted.
The Ministry did not provide any record on how did the books get to their premises, but Elbasan Dervishaj, Director of the Office for Freelance Occupations, says that the book was handed over to him by Sahit Shala in 2011.
Kohavision tried to contact two persons who signed and closed years in this book, Sahit Shala and Vesel Latifi.
While Latifi was reluctant to make any comment about this issue, Sahit Shala initially told KTV that he was fired in 1989, and that is why the records or minutes had not been signed. He said he could make a statement, but later on he changed his opinion, refusing to speak to KTV. Nevertheless, the book contains his signature upon closing of the book in 1991, written in Albanian.
Meanwhile, Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) reacted to the articles about doubts that the chief state prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi manipulated his bar examination. KPC says that Lumezi, initially as a prosecutor, then as chief prosecutor at the Appeal Prosecution, and finally as state chief prosecutor, has successfully gone through all recruitment and vetting procedures provided by the Constitution and laws.
The attempts to publish facts that allegedly the chief state prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi forged his bar examination are attempts to harm the image of the chief prosecutor and of the prosecutorial system; therefore, KPC calls on those who raised the doubts, to publically withdraw them.
Veseli advises Abdixhiku to deal with BIA rather than with SHIK
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
A harsh debate with mutual accusations happened in the Kosovo Assembly, regarding the exaggerated list of KLA members.
It was LDK MP Lumir Abdixhiku who addressed this issue, arguing with the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli. Veseli asked Abdixhiku to point at those who exaggerated the list. Abdixhiku responded that it was done by Veseli, together with Hashim Thaçi and other commanders.
In response, Veseli said that Abdixhiku hated and still hates KLA.
When Abdixhiku mentioned that Kadri Veseli used to be Head of SHIK (Kosovo Intelligence Agency), Veseli advised him to deal with BIA (Serbian Intelligence Agency) instead, saying that the misfortune to Kosovo comes from BIA, not from SHIK.