• Kosovo Assembly dissolved, elections imminent (media)
• Political leaders react to Assembly’s dissolution (media)
• Thaci: I will soon announce early elections (media)
• Joseph: Pompeo’s statement opposite to Bolton’s (VOA/Zeri)
• Kurti: This why we want pre-election coalition with LDK (RTK)
• NISMA and AKR reach pre-election coalition, sources say (Gazeta Blic)
• Gashi: LDK might decide today for PM candidate (RTK)
• Daut Haradinaj: Kulla and Cakorri will remain in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: Haradinaj authorised Thaci to divide Kosovo, LDK prevented it (media)
• Mihajlovic: Tariff should be lifted, and dialogue resumed (RTK)

Kosovo Assembly dissolved, elections imminent (media)

Kosovo MPs voted yesterday in favour of Assembly’s dissolution paving way for extraordinary elections, media report.

Of 105 MPs present at the session, 89 voted in favour of the motion for Assembly being dissolved, one voted against and two MPs abstained. Serbian List MPs were not in attendance.

Following the vote, Klan Kosova quoted the Law on Elections stipulating that extraordinary elections should be announced by the president of Kosovo no longer than ten days upon Assembly’s dissolution and that the voting itself has to take place not earlier than 30 days and no later than 45 days after the Assembly is dissolved.

Before voting on the motion for Assembly’s dissolution, MPs ratified the draft law of the financial agreement between Kosovo and the European Union on Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). EU hailed the move saying it “ensures a continuous EU support for reforms in good governance, rule of law, environment, energy, education, employment.”

Political leaders react to Assembly’s dissolution (media)

Leaders of parliamentary parties have welcomed Assembly’s motion to dissolve as a sign of political maturity and functioning democracy.

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and now former Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, congratulated people of Kosovo on new elections and declared he will run for the post of prime minister as someone who keeps his word and who will fight corruption. “I am Kadri Veseli and I will be a candidate for prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo. I know one thing in life and that is to keep my word. I always do and I said there would be elections and there will be. I told you I would remove all usurpers from usurped property because the law is stronger than anyone in Kosovo. The same will apply to corruption,” Veseli told reporters after the Assembly’s vote to dissolve. “People of Kosovo cannot afford to fail and Kosovo will not fail, it will move forward. Congratulations to all citizens of our country. Let us be happy that the democracy is working.”

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said Kosovo demonstrated political maturity and stressed that it in the hands of the citizens now to decide who is going to lead with Kosovo in the future. “I hail the endorsement of the IPA Agreement and dissolution of the Assembly by the political parties as a sign of maturity. I strongly believe that citizens of the country will use their right to decide who will govern in the future stages of the country. I am pleased that everything occurred with such a great political maturity,” Haradinaj said adding that he is ready for cooperation with the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) and the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR).

Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti hailed the dissolution of the Assembly of Kosovo as a joyous development. “When we take into account the dizzying speed with which they increased the public debt, enormously increased the budgetary deficit, of course today is a joyous day for all the citizens of the republic,” Kurti said yesterday.

At the same time, head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group Avdullah Hoti called on President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci to announce early elections as soon as possible in light of Assembly’s dissolution. “Majority of time during the sixth legislature in this Assembly we dealt with trying to prevent President Thaci from dangerous talks with Serbia, Haradinaj government’s failures, abuses of this government and so on. The whole legislature was an arena of confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties to uphold the constitutionality of the Republic of Kosovo.”

Thaci: I will soon announce early elections (media)

The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said that he will soon make the decision to decree early parliamentary elections in Kosovo based on constitutional and legal competencies and in complete agreement with yesterday’s decision of the Assembly to dissolve.

“Today’s dissolution of the Assembly accelerates steps of organizing early parliamentary elections, after the resignation of the Prime Minister of Kosovo and due to the lack of readiness of political parties to create a new government. Now, it is in interest of Kosovo citizens to, after a democratic election process, have a functional and accountable government which faces the challenges that await us as a state and as society, as soon as possible. Based on my constitutional and legal competencies, and in complete accordance with today’s decision of the Assembly, I will soon make the decision to decree early parliamentary elections in the Republic of Kosovo,” Thaci said yesterday in a press statement.

He added that upcoming elections should be well-organised and professional in order to ensure a fair, democratic process which enables a complete monitoring by international and local organisations.

Joseph: Pompeo’s statement opposite to Bolton’s (VOA/Zeri)

Edward Joseph from the Johns Hopkins University spoke to Voice of America in Serbian about the statement of the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his meeting with the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

“I did not hear the Secretary of State Pompeo saying something like Bolton said in Ukraine, namely that the United States support any solution on which Kosovo and Serbia agree. I did not see something similar to this in Pompeo’s official statement and I think it is a good thing. His focus was on resumption of dialogue as so it should be. They need to stay away from dangerous solutions,” Joseph said.

Kurti: This why we want pre-election coalition with LDK (RTK)

Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetevendosje Movement said he was clear that he wants a pre-election coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). “If political parties compete separately, then there will certainly by harsh polemics, everyone will believe that they are going to win. I am convinced that Vetevendosje is going to win. Those who will not win, will get angry, and when they get angry, they do not know what they do. However, if we agree on pre-election coalition, then the winners are obvious, VV-LDK coalition will be the winner and together, we will have 70 MPs. Those who remain, who governed, will fight for the second place. They will certainly praise us and speak badly about each other because they will think that we will take them in the governing after the elections,” Kurti said. He said Vetevendosje Movement is also ready to compete on its own, however he added that expectations to gain 61 seats are not realistic. He also added that in this case, they will have to work hard to find governing partners. He however added that this will not be mission impossible. Several news websites quote Kurti as saying that the fight against corruption would be one of the first actions of his party if it comes to power. Kurti also said they would enable prosecutor Elez Blakaj to return to Kosovo. “Blakaj is currently in the United States as he was persecuted. With our government, Blakaj would return to Kosovo,” Kurti was quoted as saying.

NISMA and AKR reach pre-election coalition, sources say (Gazeta Blic)

Citing unnamed sources, the news website reports that the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) and the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) have reached a pre-election coalition. “NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj and AKR leader Behgjet Pacolli met on Thursday evening in a restaurant in the outskirts of Pristina. The meeting lasted several hours, and the two leaders have agreed on a pre-election coalition,” the source told Gazeta Blic.

Gashi: LDK might decide today for PM candidate (RTK)

Arben Gashi, MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said his political party is expected to make some important decisions on Friday with regards to the parliamentary elections that are expected to be held in early October. “The LDK will hold the meeting of the General Council tomorrow and several decisions will be made there. One of them is expected to be the election of the new leadership and there will also be a debate on how we plan to go to elections,” he said. He added that they could also decide on their candidate for the post of the Prime Minister at this meeting.

Daut Haradinaj: Kulla and Cakorri will remain in Kosovo (media)

Several news websites report that Daut Haradinaj, senior member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said on Thursday that Kulla and Cakorri will remain in Kosovo. “This is why there is a committee and an agreement with Montenegro. Montenegro is a friendly country and we have excellent relations with them … Maps and history have proved that Kulla and Cakorri were always part of Kosovo,” Haradinaj added.

Osmani: Haradinaj authorised Thaci to divide Kosovo, LDK prevented it (media)

Vjosa Osmani, MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) took to Facebook to publish a paragraph which notes that the Assembly of Kosovo confirms that President is authorized to discuss reaching a legally and internationally binding agreement with Serbia. On the second picture, Osmani published the signature of LDK caucus Avdullah Hoti, proposing a resolution which stresses that the territory of Kosovo is one and indivisible and that neither the President nor anyone else has the mandate to negotiate about the territory of Kosovo. “Calculate yourselves who prevented division of Kosovo, a political party with ten MPs or a political party with 25 MPs” she wrote.

Mihajlovic: Tariff should be lifted, and dialogue resumed (RTK)

Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said on Thursday that dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo must resume as soon as possible. Mihajlovic, who is also Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said it was important for Kosovo authorities to lift the import tariff on Serbian goods and for dialogue to resume as soon as possible so that a compromise on the Kosovo issue can be reached. “It is high time for the two nations, Serbs and Albanians, to reach a compromise that will enable a better future for all,” she added.