- Haradinaj in Paris to advocate for visa liberalisation (All monitored broadcasters, RTK)
- Haradinaj: By tariff we showed the world that we are our own masters (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & Klan Kosova)
- Hodzic: No crisis in north (Klan Kosova)
- MI paid former parallel structure members who didn’t show up to work (KTV)
- Religious community leaders in support to war raped victims (RTK)
- Prepayment – the best way for funding Public Broadcaster (RTK)
News
Haradinaj in Paris to advocate for visa liberalisation
(All monitored broadcasters, RTK)
The Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on Sunday travelled to Paris, where he will meet with the French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, and with other institutional and political representatives.
The purpose of the visit is coordination and advancement of Kosovo’s agenda for visa liberalisation and for the EU integration, and increasing bilateral political and economic partnership with France.
“As a denied right to our citizens, we will strongly advocate to bring isolation of the youngest state in the region to an end. The people of Kosovo should be treated equally like other peoples, without any difference, in regard to freedom of movement,” Prime Minister Haradinaj said, adding that Kosovo has met each and every requirement put by the EU, and now it is the last time for reflection and for deserved decision for Kosovars.
Prime Minister Haradinaj is also accompanied by the Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs Behgjet Pacolli.
Haradinaj: By tariff we showed the world that we are our own masters
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & Klan Kosova)
Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has qualified the tariff on Serbian and Bosnia and Herzegovina goods and establishment of the Kosovo Army as some of the most important decisions made by his Government.
Addressing the AAK Convention, he said that by the tariff, Kosovo has strengthened its statehood.
“By the 100 percent tariff, we showed the world that we are our own masters, and that we do not allow Serbia or any other state to jeopardise Kosovo. We have fulfilled the visa liberalisation requirements, and we expect that the decision will be made just like Germany told us ‘yes’. Today I travel to Paris, where I will have meetings on this issue only, as Kosovo is ready, and that it has done its job,” Haradinaj said.
Talking about the dialogue with Serbia, Haradinaj said he expected a final framework agreement, resulting with mutual recognition in the existing borders.
On the other hand, according to the AAK vice chairman Ardian Gjini, AAK is ready, and it will win not only national, but local elections, too.
Klan Kosova reported that AAK concluded its convention successfully.
More than 600 delegates discussed changes to the party statute, establishment of Women’s Department, Political Academy, Code of Ethics, and platform for economic development. The majority of 602 delegates voted in favour.
Hodzic: No crisis in north
(Klan Kosova)
Simulation of a humanitarian crisis in four northern municipalities in Kosovo, would affect ordinary citizens the most.
This announcement, which happened because the 100 percent tariff against goods of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been revoked, is considered a politically fake plan by Minister of the Local Government Administration Adrijana Hodzic.
“It is not easy for citizens. This is a political game, these are political decisions that turn citizens into victims,” Hodzic said.
Adrijana Hodzic, former Head of Administrative Office in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, admits that there is a shortage of items from Serbia. Nevertheless, she does not think that there are no solutions for businesses in the north.
According to Hodzic, businesses can obtain goods from southern Kosovo, and she presumes that the reason why they are not doing so is because high politics is acting in the background.
MI paid 32 former parallel structure members who didn’t show up to work
(KTV)
Ministry of Infrastructure, led by Pal Lekaj, paid former members of parallel structures in the north, without any proof that they ever showed up in their workplaces.
According to the report of the National Auditor Office, following a letter of appointment-based recruitment process in 2018, Ministry of Infrastructure integrated 32 Serb community civil servants, who had been former members of the ‘Civil Defence’.
The employees were planned to be placed in northern Kosovo municipalities, at certain positions within relevant departments of the Ministry.
The Ministry does not have any proof confirming that the abovementioned officers showed up in their workplaces, as they are obliged pursuant to the Rules of Procedure no. 05/2010 on Working Hours; nevertheless, the Ministry regularly paid their salaries.
The amount paid in 2018 for salaries of 32 officers was 153,554€.
“This happened, because no managerial checks were applied to make sure that all employees are present at their workplaces during the working hours,” report of the Auditor reads.
Another serious violation is that an invoice has been paid twice.
At least in two cases, Ministry of Infrastructure signed contracts with operators that did not meet compatibility requirements in tender files.
In 2018, Ministry of Infrastructure spent 244 million and 826,293 €, namely 79 per cent of the final budget, with 19 per cent worse performance compared with 2017. The budget implementation remains at an unsatisfactory level, the report of the Auditor concludes.
Argjend Zenaj, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister, said by telephone that they had not read the report yet; however, according to him, the Auditor has made a mistake in its report, saying that Ministry of Infrastructure with its budget has paid members of parallel structures.
Religious communities in support to war raped victims
(RTK)
The Kosovo Islamic Community, Catholic Church, Protestant Evangelical Church, and Jewish Community tomorrow Monday will sign a statement in support to those who were raped during the last war in Kosovo.
The religious community leaders will make this statement after the first session of the conference ‘Everyone Together with one Voice’, which will be held tomorrow Monday, organised by the Kosovo Islamic Community.
According to a statement issued by the Kosovo Islamic community, speakers at the conference will be the Kosovo Mufti Naim Tërnava, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, former President Atifete Jahjaga, religious community leaders (Catholic Church, Protestant Evangelical Church, and Jewish Community ), representatives of the international presence in Kosovo, Head of the EU Office Nataliya Apostolova, Head of the OSCE Mission Jan Braathu, The United Kingdom Ambassador to Prishtinë/Pristina Ruairi O’Connell, our Ambassador to Washington Vlora Çitaku, as well as speakers and experts from local and international institutions.
“After the first session of the conference, leaders of religious communities in Kosovo (the Kosovo Islamic Community, Catholic Church, Protestant Evangelical Church in Kosovo, and the Jewish Community in Kosovo, will sign a statement in support to those who were raped during the last war in Kosovo,” the statement says.
The conference begins at 09:30hrs.
Prepayment – the best way for funding Public Broadcaster
(RTK)
Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) will soon be funded directly by Kosovo citizens through prepayment, not by the state budget as the case has been until now.
On 30th May this year, the Kosovo Assembly passed in the first reading the Draft Law on the Kosovo Public Broadcaster, voted by 61 MPs, 55 of them voted in favour, 1 against, and 5 abstained.
KALLXO.com got hold of the Draft Law on Public Broadcaster, Article 33 of which speaks about the prepayment method.
Point one of the Article says that RTK shall be paid through power bills.
But not all parliamentary parties agreed with passing in the first reading of this Draft Law.
Vetëvendosje Movement said that the prepayment provided by the Draft Law was not appropriate, announcing that if it passes the second reading, they will send the case to the Constitutional Court.
According to Vetëvendosje, the two private companies collecting money from electricity bills will be profiting from this prepayment.
The two abovementioned companies, KEDS and KESCO, disagreed with Vetëvendosje.
According to former Director of the RTK Board Rrahman Paçarizi, the way proposed by the new Draft Law is the best one, and it would resolve the funding issue for the public broadcaster.
“Having in mind good European practices and the current situation in terms of the rule of law in Kosovo, I am convinced that prepayment for the Public Broadcaster through electricity bills is the most efficient way that ensures sustainable funding for RTK, and at the same time it provides prerequisites for editorial independence and qualitative programme,” Paçarizi stated to KALLXO.com.
According to Paçarizi, who is a professor at the University Of Prishtina Department Of Journalism, the fee proposed by the new Draft Law is not high, and that ensures editorial independence.
“The 2.5 euro fee is not high, and it is affordable. The direct and sustainable funding will change the perception about RTK; it will protect RTK from political pressure, and will provide conditions for qualitative programme in line with requirements of the Law on RTK, which specifies programme content and other obligations. After all, this is not a new invention, but it is an application of standard financing policies for public broadcasters, just like in other EBU member countries,” Paçarizi added.
He stated that those political parties that oppose prepayment for RTK are putting pressure on it, highlighting that direct payment by citizens is the mechanism which brings back RTK to citizens’ control.
The RTK Board Chairperson Afërdita Maliqi said that the way proposed by the Draft Law ensures editorial independence and accountability to the public.
According to her, passing of the Draft Law in the second reading, would ultimately resolve the financing issue for the Public Broadcaster in Kosovo.
The RTK Director Ngadhnjim Kastrati has also agreed with the new way of funding.
On a Facebook post, Kastrati said that adoption of the Law on RTK would open the path for development of the Public Broadcaster.
“I as General Director and the RTK staff are willing to assist in amending of the Law on RTK in the second reading, also by providing assistance from experts of the European Broadcasting Union,” Kastrati wrote on Facebook.
Minister Hodzic believes that a satisfactory solution would be revocation of the tariff by the Kosovo
