- CEC mobilised for October 6 elections (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- LDK nominates Vjosa Osmani for Prime Minister (Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
- Bislimi provides details from Vetëvendosje-LDK meeting (Most monitored broadcasters, RTK)
- Srpska Lista to consult Vucic prior to deciding about participation in elections (KTV)
- SLS leader Petrovic refutes Srpska Lista (RTK)
- Opponent parties challenge Srpska Lista (KTV)
News
CEC mobilised for October 6 elections
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Immediately after the President Hashim Thaçi called early elections on 6th October, the Central Election Commission (CEC) has been activated.
It is expected that CEC will convene on Tuesday to make the first decisions that will serve organising of the election process.
The news has been confirmed by CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi, who said that it was up to CEC members to make the decisions.
“Of course, CEC will hold a meeting on Tuesday. Several decisions are expected to be on the agenda: shortening the election activity deadlines by adjusting them to the days available to CEC, approval of the operational plan, and approval of planned budget for this election process,” Elezi stated to KosovaPress.
He added that in order for CEC to fulfil all its constitutional and legal obligations, at the meeting it will take the decision to extend working hours of the staff.
This is the seventh election process for the Kosovo Assembly since the end of the war. Since the declaration of independence, all parliamentary elections in Kosovo so far (in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019) have been early election processes.
LDK nominates Vjosa Osmani for Prime Minister
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
On Monday, LDK held its chairmanship meeting, where it nominated Vjosa Osmani as the candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo.
Such a meeting had been held also on Saturday, but it resulted without any nominee.
That happened due to the absence of Agim Veliu and Lutfi Haziri, who, reportedly, were not happy with Vjosa Osmani’s candidacy for Prime Minister of Kosovo.
Bislimi provides details from Vetëvendosje-LDK meeting
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK)
Besnik Bislimi of Vetëvendosje Movement made a statement regarding the Monday afternoon meeting between the Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti and the LDK leader Isa Mustafa. The meeting was also attended by Glauk Konjufca of Vetëvendosje, the LDK’s nominee for Prime Minister Vjosa Osmani, and by LDK deputy chairman Lutfi Haziri.
“The key topic was discussing possibilities of making a pre-election coalition, which would finally restore hopes of citizens for a substantial change of the governing model in the country,” Bislimi wrote on Facebook.
He stated that at the meeting, they agreed that the key priority of the next government should be to release the state from Pronto Clan’s capture, by combatting organised crime and corruption, as a prerequisite to focussing on policies that create jobs and enhance wellbeing.
“More than ten months ago, Vetëvendosje Movement sent a concrete proposal to Mustafa about modalities of building the next government and the key priorities, and we can say that since that day, not even a single character has changed from it. That applies also to our conviction that this option would create the right synergy by placing Albin Kurti as its (government’s) Head, with the possibility of agreement for a period of two mandates and rotation. I consider of great importance the fact that both we of Vetëvendosje Movement and those of LDK have pledged that at no moment or circumstance will be meetings with any of the other entities participating in elections. Both Vetëvendosje and LDK have only one strategic partner for building the next government. We have three more days to reach the eagerly expected agreement by the vast majority of citizens of the country,” Bislimi added.
However, no statement to the media was issued after the Monday afternoon meeting between officials of Vetëvendosje and those of LDK.
Srpska Lista to consult Vucic prior to deciding about participation in election
(KTV)
Srpska Lista will make its decision about participation in the early elections on 6th October in Kosovo, after consultations with the Serbian President Aleksandër Vucic and with Director of the so-called Serbian Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric.
Deputy Chairman of Srpska Lista Igor Simic stated to Tanjug that the consultations are expected to happen in the next ten days in Belgrade.
Simic said that all decisions concerning actions of Srpska Lista on the ground and of Serb people in Kosovo are taken in consultation with Belgrade.
“The next period, as President Vucic has continuously said, will be turbulent, and we call upon all Serbs to join Srpska Lista,” Simic said.
SLS leader Petrovic refutes Srpska Lista
(RTK)
The Independent Liberal Party (SLS) held a press conference with regard to recent developments between SLS and Srpska Lista.
The SLS leader Slobodan Petrovic said at the press conference that after filing criminal reports, a trial proceeding will be initiated for, as he put it, the false presentation that some members joined Srpska Lista recently.
Petrovic thanked the SLS members and supporters for their persistence and for coping with the pressure they are going through.
At the press conference it was also emphasised that SLS would be open for cooperation and coalition with all Serb parties whose platform is based on improving life quality in Kosovo, as well as survival and safety of Serbs.
Opponent parties challenge Srpska Lista
(KTV)
Representatives of Kosovo Serb political parties have refused calls of Srpska Lista to unite under an umbrella for competing in the upcoming early parliamentary elections.
Slobodan Petrovic, chairman of the Independent Liberal Party (SLS) told Radio Free Europe that the Gracanica/Graçanicë based SLS was willing to enter the elections independently or in coalition with some other Serb party in Kosovo.
“We are sure that there is indisputable support by our community for this party, especially in the last period. Trust on us is increasing, and all political factors, particularly Srpska Lista, are aware of that. This is the reason why they are nervous. The campaign has not started yet, and they have started to grab people,” Petrovic said.
Petrovic said that discussions about a joint competition in elections are taking place amongst more Serb individuals and political parties.
Rada Trajkovic of the Alliance for Serbia in Kosovo, qualified the call of Srpska Lista as a Bolshevik, totalitarian message.
A negative reaction to the call of Srpska Lista was made also by Nenad Rasic, chairman of the Progressive Democratic Party, also based in Gracanica/Graçanicë.
“… They are proposing us to accept without any condition what they believe to be fair and reasonable,” Rasic stated to Radio Free Europe.
He added that his party would take part in elections, but it is not yet certain whether it will take part alone or in any coalition.
Rada Trajkovic thinks that Serbs should take part in the upcoming elections, although it might be objected by the opposition in Serbia.
“I think that it is of great importance for us to participate. Although we have restricted opportunities and resources, we should somehow try to reduce the control of Vucic over Kosovo Serbs in the three levels of power,” Trajkovic said, alluding to the local and central power in Kosovo.
“A large number of Serbs is controlled so that employees in the Kosovo system are representatives of Srpska Lista. Then there is also the third level which comes from Belgrade, and here I mean healthcare, education, pensions, and so on,” Trajkovic explained.
Ksenija Bozovic of the civic initiative Freedom, Democracy, Justice, the leader of which was the murdered Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, stated that she has not yet decided if she will take part in elections. However, she highlighted that she was open for discussions and cooperation.
“We are discussing almost with everybody, but we still have not received any invitation from Srpska Lista. Nothing has changed on the ground, neither the Law on Elections nor anything else in relation with the two previous election processes. Having in mind that we have gone through a great deal of unpleasant things, anxieties, and even a murder which still have not been shed light on, we will very cautiously make the decision regarding our participation in elections,” Bozovic said.
