• Institutions without a plan for continuation of talks with Serbia (KTV)
• Delays in holding elections block Kosovo institutions’ work (RTK)
• Nisma ready for elections (KTV)
• Kurti lists three reasons why elections must be entered immediately (Klan Kosova & KTV)
• Serb suspected of Sllovi massacre arrested (Klan Kosova)
• 239 Serbs receive salaries without working (Klan Kosova)

News

Institutions without a plan for continuation of talks with Serbia

(KTV)

Kosovo institutions do not have any other plan for representation of the country in talks with Serbia after declaration of the team established last year as unconstitutional.

Few weeks ago, the Constitutional Court found that the Law on Dialogue and competencies of the delegation established by the Government are interference in the exercise of powers of the institutions defined by the Constitution.

Group for Legal and Political Studies urges the Government to carry out its functions as set out in the Constitution with regard to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Although it has not announced anything about the actions that it will take, Kosovo Government said it is ready for a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue.

“Only such a conclusion of dialogue is the guarantee of a lasting peaceful solution that ensures a common Euro-Atlantic future,” a response of Government to KTV reads.

“The Government of Kosovo has an unwavering stance and full readiness for a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue towards reaching a final agreement, which will result with mutual recognition in the existing borders,” reads the response of Kosovo Government’s Press Office.

The PSD deputy chairman Visar Ymeri says that the responsibility for political consensus now belongs to his colleagues from opposition.

Talks between Kosovo and Serbia have been frozen since their boycotting by the Serbian side, as a sign of revolt against the 100% tariff.

 Delays in holding elections block Kosovo institutions’ work

(RTK)

 Following the resignation of Ramush Haradinaj from the Prime Minister’s post, early elections are being seen as inevitable. Political analysts say there is no room or legitimacy for the PAN coalition to propose a second Prime Minister. Political parties are also ready for new elections, same as the Central Election Commission.

Extraordinary parliamentary elections are inevitable, following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. This is the statement that Taulant Kryeziu from the EPIK institute made for Radio Kosova. According to him, following Haradinaj’s resignation and his readiness for the country to enter elections, there is no room for the PAN coalition, along with the President, to mandate a second candidate for Prime Minister.

“With the resignation of Prime Minister Haradinaj and the request of his party for the people to decide on the future government, it is understood that within the PAN coalition there is no possibility of consensus for a second candidate, and consequently it comes out that best way would be to dissolve the Assembly and set the date of early elections,” Kryeziu said.

Political analyst Imer Mushkolaj also says that there is no room to have a second mandated person. According to him, the delay in holding elections could block the work of country’s institutions.

“President Hashim Thaçi should respect constitutional deadlines and announce early elections as soon as possible. Otherwise, if there will be any effort to prolong the process for a certain purpose, then it may happen that we will face with blocking situations, similar to those we had in the past,” political analyst Imer Mushkolaj considers.

Political parties have expressed their readiness to hold elections as soon as possible. Addressing a press conference upon his return from Washington on Saturday the PDK chairman Kadri Veseli stated that elections are inevitable.

“The former Prime Minister’s decision to resign is a personal decision. We have accepted this despite the fact that we did not have any prior notice or consultation. Therefore, holding of early elections is already inevitable,” Veseli said.

In the meantime, Abin Kurti, leader of the opposition party Vetëvendosje, called for the election date to be set as soon as possible.

“President Thaçi should only invite us to set the date for elections, that’s it. I urge him not to procedurally prolong the process of holding free and democratic elections,” Kurti said.

Meanwhile, at the Central Election Commission said they are ready to hold extraordinary elections. Spokesperson Valmir Elezi told Radio Kosova that CEC is a permanent institution the main task of which is to organize elections whenever they are asked to do so.

Nisma ready for elections

(KTV)

Following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, members of Social Democratic Initiative (Nisma) said they are ready for new elections.

This party held a meeting on Sunday with members of the Presidency and heads of branches. After the meeting they said that situation created in the country following Haradinaj’s resignation was discussed.

“Social Democratic Initiative estimates that after the situation that was created the country is on the verge of early elections, therefore the Initiative is ready to enter these elections,” the announcement reads.

Regarding the summon by the Specialist Chambers for the Chairman of the Nisma’s National Council, Jakup Krasniqi, chairman of this political party Fatmir Limaj said that “as he has several times known to protect the purity and fair fight of Kosovo Liberation Army, this time around Mr. Jakup Krasniqi will also know how to defend the fair fight of the KLA.”

Limaj said that Kosovo will successfully overcome this challenge and that justice will prevail in the face of slanders.

Kurti lists three reasons why elections must be entered immediately

(Klan Kosova & KTV)

Vetëvendosje’s chairman Albin Kurti listed three reasons why Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi should immediately call the parties to set the election date, following Ramush Haradinaj’s resignation from the Prime Minister’s post.

In a Facebook post, Kurti said that elections should be held immediately and any delay in this process would harm the state of Kosovo.

According to him, the passing of Alliance for New Kosovo (AKR) to PAN Coalition, the leaving of Vetëvendosje MPs to Social Democratic Party (PSD) and voting of the budget by them, the proclamation as unconstitutional of the Law on Dialogue and statements of political entities on elections, are sufficient for the Assembly to be immediately dissolved.

In the meantime, the Social Democratic Party MP, Dardan Molliqaj, said that the Vetëvendosje chairman Albin Kurti is coquetting with President Hashim Thaçi for power.

According to him, Kurti’s personal anger against the PSD has brought him to the point where he addresses Thaçi with respect and recognizes his presidential authority, Klan Kosova reported.

Serb suspected of Sllovi massacre arrested

(Klan Kosova)

 Goran Stanisic, one of the suspects for the massacre in Sllovi, Lipjan/Lipljane, was arrested on Saturday upon the order of Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office.

This Serb from Lipjan/Lipljane is also suspected of committing other war crimes: “Using military force, abuse, looting and intimidation, they have initially forced Albanian civilian out of their homes and then from the families that were trying to flee the attacks and violence, the defendants have separated dozens of people and murdered them after.”

Witnesses of these murders aren’t all that euphoric regarding the news on Stanisic’s arrest, since those that they addressed to UNMIK prosecutors first, and then to EULEX ones, did not serve their sentences.

Sllovi residents say that they know some other Serbs who were together with the arrested person in question, who caused this tragedy, and never saw them again after the war.

Head of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric reacted against Stanisic’s arrest.

239 Serbs receive salaries without working

(Klan Kosova)

Members of the Civil Protection had signed contract for their integration into Kosovo’s system. However, hundreds of them do not show up at work although they are paid from Kosovo’s budget.

Other Serbs from Kosovo north, employed in ten Kosovo institutions, act the same.

The National Audit Office has found that 239 officers are paid without working.

There are 29 Ministry of Environment officers, out of 38 in total from the north in this institution, who do not show up at work. They justify themselves by saying that they feel threatened.

“A flaw that remains to be addressed is that the agreement specifies the workplace should be in the northern part,” said Arben Çitaku, Ministry of Environment Secretary General.

Çitaku used an example to illustrate their risk at work.

“We identified a location and then an attack occurred at that building and this put these officers at risk,” he added.

At the Ministry of Health do not face the same problem. Officials of this Ministry said they have signed work contracts with Serb community members, who are also requesting to be re-licensed in order to be able to perform doctor’s work.

“In January 2015, 22 Serb community members have signed work contracts for an indefinite period of time with Ministry of Health based on the Law on Labour,” officials of this Ministry said.