LOCAL PRESS

Senators: You’ll have to give something in order to gain something in return (B92, Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated, after the talks with U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Chris Marfy, that both sides should lose equally, in order for both sides to gain equally”. “This is the only way to strike the deal” Vucic reiterated.  He told reporters after the meeting that he conveyed to the US senators an unequivocal stance that Serbia expects the abolishing of taxes and wants a compromise, but that a deal can’t be about fulfilling one side’s goals, without the Serbian side getting anything. “This should be an agreement in which both sides lose equally, in order for both sides to gain equally” Vucic said during a press conference. Vucic said that Belgrade is ready for any conversation because that is healing, adding that improving relations between Serbs and Albanians and establishing lasting peace would be of great benefit to Serbs and Albanians, as well as to all peoples living in the region. He thanked the senators and said that he highly appreciates their efforts to find a solution to resuming the dialogue. Vucic also said that Serbia’s interest is to intensify high-level political dialogue and that relations between the two countries need to be based on a partnership. He said he was grateful to the senators for visiting and engaging in the region and for their desire to preserve stability and achieve lasting peace. “I am convinced that the desire to improve relations between Serbia and the US is mutual”, said Vucic, adding that there was also talk about economic cooperation that will greatly benefit the citizens.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson said that Belgrade and Pristina should give something in order to gain something in return.  Senator Chris Murphy said that resolving the Kosovo issue requires a major compromise and can only be done if sacrifices are made by both sides. Probably the agreement won’t be satisfying to either side, but when it be in effect, potential benefit of the whole nation will be much better” Johnson concluded on the press conference.

“Of course, the biggest pressure will be on Serbia. But Serbia cannot recognize Kosovo’s independence unless a compromise is reached. And there’s no great philosophy here. And whoever likes to, can torment us” Vucic said at the news conference.  He said that Serbia is making progress and that US appreciates it and wants to encourage it.

Metropolitan Amfilohije: Belgrade will recognize Kosovo, shame on Vucic (Beta)

Bishop Amfilohije, the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, warned that the government in Belgrade would “betray Kosovo and Metohija if given anything” in return. The metropolitan said a recent statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Kosovo would not be recognized without a “compromise solution,” confirmed this conclusion. “Shame on him and anyone else who denies his own being, memory, holy sites… It isdisgraceful” Amfilohije said. The metropolitan blasted those who declare the Kosovo covenant “a myth,” stating that the covenant was “integral to the history and very being of the Serb people.” “They say there’s nothing in Kosovo. Nothing is in their heads, not Kosovo. Not just graves and cemeteries, but holy sites and God’s people remain there” Amfilohije said.

Zeman won’t rule out eventual Czech withdrawal of Kosovo recognition (Beta)

Czech President Milos Zeman said, ahead of a visit to Serbia, that he was not ruling out that his country might possibly, someday, withdraw its recognition of Kosovo’s independence. In an allusion to Kosovo, Zeman told that “war criminals should not lead” any European country. I appreciate the statement of Defense Minister Lubomir Metnar that recognizing Kosovo was a diplomatic misstep. I share that opinion and, if more countries withdraw their recognition of Kosovo, I won’t rule out that the Czech Republic might be among them, said Zeman. The Czech president said he had checked to see which 15 countries had withdrawn their recognition of Kosovo and found some islands in Micronesia, i.e. nothing particularly relevant. Zeman said a possible withdrawal of recognition was hampered by the Czech Republic’s lack of a large ethnic minority. Don’t forget that Spain, with its Catalonian minority, declined to recognize Kosovo. Cyprus, for similar reasons. Slovakia, with its Hungarian minority also. It will be difficult to make that happen. But, I repeat, I’m not ruling out that it will happen eventually. Still, war criminals should not be leading any country in Europe, the Czech president said. Zeman said that his talks with Serbian officials during his Sept. 10-12 visit to Belgrade, would cover Kosovo.

Vucic: Foreigners paying Serb candidates to run against Serb ticket (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused “foreign representatives” of bribing Serb politicians in Kosovo into running against the Serb Ticket in an early parliamentary vote in Kosovo. President Vucic wondered if anyone could possibly expect a person receiving money from foreign embassies to defend Serbia’s interests. He said it would make the unity of Serbs even stronger, and that the Serb Ticket would win a landslide victory in the next elections, on Oct. 6. In a separate statement Vucic said that the election conditions in Kosovo “appear ideal,” since the opposition parties that had decided to boycott elections in Serbia would not boycott the Kosovo polls. Vucic reiterated that Serb opposition politicians in Kosovo had been under pressure to take part in the elections only to take away votes from the Serb Ticket. “We have received reports of various pressures on certain people, aimed solely to curb the Serb Ticket’s influence, and make sure that gets the fewest votes possible” Vucic said.

Convincing Victory of SNS in Medvedja (Tanjug)

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) announced on Sunday evening that they achieved a convincing victory at the local elections in Medvedja and that they won 63.8 percent of votes. The opposition did not take part in these elections and SNS claimed that the turnout was a record breaking – over 67 percent. SNS claimed that all tickets that took part in the elections, the total of six of them, crossed the threshold. They are followed by Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), two minority tickets of Albanians and Serbian Right led by Misa Vacic.

Opposition leaders: Boycott of elections is a necessity (Politika, Blic, Beta, N1)

Dragan Djilas, the leader of the opposition Freedom and Justice Party, said that the boycott of elections was a necessity because it is not possible to accept that the “abnormality we live in is something normal.” “Resistance to the insanity we live in. Once people are no longer harassed because of their opinion, once they are no longer blackmailed, once Serbia is capable to hear the ones who think differently, only then we will be talking about elections,” said Djilas in an article for Politika daily. Accordingly, he added, elections will not take place until then and “we can’t take part in something that doesn’t exist.”

Zoran Zivkovic, the New Party leader, announced that his party will launch a campaign for electoral conditions, and he urged those who decided to boycott the elections to join them in this campaign. “It doesn’t mean we won’t join the boycott once the elections are called, but maybe something can be done in these few months, then run in the elections and make good results,” said Zivkovic speaking for Blic daily. Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian President and the leader of the ruling SNS party, cannot be defeated now because this is not the presidential election, stressed Zivkovic, adding that this could be the first stage in toppling him. “After that happens, he will be defeated in the first presidential election” he added.

Bosko Obradovic, the leader of the opposition movement Dveri said his and other organizations that decided or would decide to boycott the next spring elections in Serbia, saying they couldn’t be free and fair, told N1 that “our aim is not the boycott, but fair elections.” He added the boycott was a way to come to free and fair elections. “We are not boycotting the elections, we are boycotting political madness we live in, we are boycotting the abnormality of our life under this regime” Obradovic said. He added that free and fair elections were not possible without at least a slight chance to appear in media.

“For him (Vucic) to fall we have to rise, he cannot lose power if we sit at home,” Obradovic added. “I cannot change the president. Only people can do that in free and fair elections.”

“We are not fighting to watch Bosko Obradovic on TVs every day, but for a possibility for people to hear a different opinion in the media, to have a debate, to hear the opposition, for something opposite to what we have now – 24-hour propaganda” Obradovic said. He also said that an agreement with the authorities was possible, “but you know what that means – six to 12 months of free media. Since the protests started nine months ago, no opposition leader, no one who thinks differently, not a single protest’ organizer had a chance to appear in the public broadcaster’s news” Obradovic said.

Referring to some recent local elections, he said that “we know how the bullies look like and jeeps with dark windows and without license plates. These are not elections anymore; there is no choice between two options. We will fight to the end using our methods – protests and election boycott.” Obradovic said people asked him when Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic would lose power? “For him to fall we have to rise, he cannot lose power if we sit at home,” he added. “I cannot change the president. Only people can do that in free and fair elections.”

Asked about the declining number of people coming to Saturdays’ #1 in 5 million protests, Obradovic said that they would be more extensive in autumn. “But,” he added, “if people don’t come to the streets, it means they are happy with their life.” “You remember protests against Slobodan Milosevic. People demonstrated nine years, and we only nine months,” Obradovic said, adding he thought the opposition “isn’t exactly of high quality. We have many shortcomings; we are human beings; we make errors, don’t do everything in the best possible way…”

In a separate statement, carried by the Beta news agency, Vuk Jeremic, the leader of the opposition People’s Party, said “the struggle for the opposition soul” would be fought in next weeks due to new “terrible pressure from the regime and the part of the international community to force Vucic’s opponent to take part in the next spring elections.” Jeremic said Vucic had the foreign countries’ support to solve the Kosovo issue and “got the green light to do that however he wants.”

Brnabic: EU enlargement equally important to Balkans and Europe (RTS)

Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic is Luxembourg, where she continues talks about the cooperation between the two countries that have started during her Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel’s stay in Belgrade.  Brnabic said she asked Bettel to continue his support of the European enlargement within the European Commission (EC). “I must say that I fell in love with Europe again” Brnabic told a news conference, during her two-day visit, adding that Luxembourg was the best place to discuss the EU enlargement and Schengen zone. She added that “we in the Balkans have lost much time during the 1990s and it continued in the 2000s.”

“It occurred to me that the Balkans could look like Schengen or Europe one day. I think that is possible, but only within united Europe” Brnabic said, adding the enlargement was equally important to the Balkans and Europe.

Bettel told the joint news conference with Brnabic that his country was Serbia’s long-time partner in Belgarde’s efforts to join the EU. He added Serbia should continue with reforms in the judiciary, the rule of law and media freedom. “We both have to do our homework, as we have already said. Your country and the whole Western Balkans have a key role in keeping stability and peace in Europe” Bettel said. He added that “peace cannot be understood as something that goes without saying and that’s why an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is important for your people and for preserving peace. And that’s why it is vital to reach a compromise.”

Serbian officers banned from Croatia (Beta)

The Serbian Defense Ministry said in a press release that, an Army of Serbia delegation had been prevented from entering Croatia and attending a commemoration at the former Jasenovac Nazi camp. The Croatian authorities were given advance notice of the arrival of the delegation, which included commissioned and non-commissioned officers and cadets, the ministry said. Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin asked Croatia for an apology. Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied claims by Croatian authorities that the visit was unannounced. Vucic said the police station in the Croatian border town of Novska was informed of the visit well in advance. “These were our cadets, ready to pay their respects in Jasenovac in civilian clothes, but were told they ‘won’t get in today.'” “At Mauthausen, no one had a problem with them, but someone has a problem with them in Jasenovac” Vucic said.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik says he would accept EU Commissioner Hahn’s invitation for meeting with members of B&H Presidency (ATV)

Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik confirmed he accepted the invitation of EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn for a meeting in Brussels. Hahn extended the invitation to all three members of the B&H Presidency, in order to find a solution for the formation of state-level authorities in B&H, but according to some media in B&H, the other two members, Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic respectively, rejected the invitation. Commenting Hahn’s invitation, Dodik told reporters he is not avoiding talks, that it is not a problem for him to talk and say what he wants and what he does not want, but it is impossible if that which should be accepted is imposed in advance. Dodik previously announced that Republika Srpska (RS) will have a response to this newly-emerged situation. SNSD plans to create a political platform, which will be sent to the RS National Assembly (RSNA) for deliberation. That being said, he underlines there is still time for the leaders of HDZ B&H and SDA to reconsider their current stances and conclude the implementation of the agreement signed on August 5.

Dodik stated that he has nothing against these talks, but it is first necessary to form the B&H CoM – and then there might be a proposal of the first Annual National Program (ANP) at the first session of the new convocation of the B&H CoM. “We have never said that we should not cooperate with the NATO. We have some form of cooperation. We understand what this great military integration is and we are ready to cooperate to the extent to which Serbia cooperates as well. Implying the membership is absolutely something that was imposed. Therefore, I am calling on people in the NATO to annul the decision to give the MAP (Membership Action Plan) to B&H, simply in order to avoid being the main reason as to why institutions in B&H do not function. I think this is a possible development but even if it does not happen, the B&H CoM should be appointed first and I have nothing against putting a document – which will be prepared and called no matter what – on the agenda of the new convocation of the B&H CoM, so that the B&H CoM can make a decision on that. (…) Nobody, not even Zoran Tegeltija would disapprove if a proposal of the ANP was discussed at the first session of the new convocation of the B&H CoM” Dodik told reporters.

Komsic and Dzaferovic send letter to Commissioner Hahn (BHT1)

Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic sent a letter to EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn as an answer to his invite for a meeting in Brussels on Friday. Komsic and Dzaferovic offered a proposal for the formation of B&H authorities. They said that the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers (CoM) will have to submit the Annual National Program (ANP) to Brussels within 30 days, starting with the day of his appointment. They stated that, in case the Chairman of the CoM does not do it, the Chairman of the B&H Presidency will submit it. Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik does not agree to this condition.

Komsic and Dzaferovic declined the Hahn’s invitation to meet in Brussels in order to try to unblock the process of formation of B&H authorities. Komsic and Dzaferovic explained this meeting would not be useful unless some stances are harmonized before it. According to RTRS, two members of the Presidency deem that stances would be harmonized if Hahn manages to convince Dodik to accept a modified version of the ANP.

Dzaferovic stated on Friday that EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn is still willing to be a mediator in relations in B&H in order for the crisis to be resolved. Dzaferovic noted that Komsic had a telephone conversation with Hahn and he told him that he should first talk to Dodik as to whether there is a possibility for harmonization of their views before they go to Brussels. “They discussed the possibility for the three members of the B&H Presidency to hold a meeting with Commissioner Hahn in Brussels. There is no formal invitation or meeting scheduled, they only talked about the possibility for such a meeting. Mr. Komsic informed me about details and the two of us agreed that we are not the problem. We are ready to form the authorities at all levels in B&H as soon as possible. However, it is first necessary to abide by the Law on Defense, the decision of the B&H Presidency from 2009, the Foreign Policy Strategy of B&H and to submit the first ANP” Dzaferovic explained.

HDZ B&H leader Covic: Agreement on authority formation in B&H was obstructed by blackmails of Bosniaks (Hayat)

Commenting on SDA’s call for HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) to stop with deceitful policy, HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said on Saturday that the August 5 agreement on formation of authorities in B&H was obstructed by blackmails of Bosniak representatives.

HDZ B&H noted that consciously deepening the political crisis, violating established agreements, violating the state identity, violating the rulings of the Constitutional Court and international courts, denying constitutionality, challenging equality and advocating for the recognition of illegitimate representatives are part of the destructive behavior of Bosniak representatives gathered around SDA.

77th anniversary of Ustasha crimes against Serbs in Stari Brod takes place (ATV)

The 77th anniversary of Ustasha crimes committed against Serbs in Stari Brod and Visegrad was marked in Stari Brod on Saturday. Ustasha forces entered the area around Visegrad and started killing Serbs in spring of 1942. Many of the civilians tried to save themselves by jumping into the Drina River. Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said that the truth about crimes against Serbs in Stari Brod was kept silent for decades. He stressed that it is necessary to gather and remember the victims every year. Viskovic said that the Suffering of Serbs was repeated during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) as well.

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said that it is an obligation to mark and remember the places of Serb suffering. She said that many answers lie in the Drina river. Cvijanovic stated that the freedom of the RS is the most important thing and the RS is growing stronger and stronger.

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik said that Stari Brod is a place of double suffering, since it was hidden by the communist regime. He added that the museum and memorial in Stari Brod would not be possible without the RS. Dodik stated that the fight for the RS was justified.

Plenkovic, Vucic, Krsticevic comment on recent incident at Bajakovo border crossing (ATV)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated on Sunday that Croatia reacted as a serious country when 11 members of the Serbian Army recently attempted to enter Croatia without prior announcement. Plenkovic stressed that Croatia strongly responds to such provocations, protecting its dignity and legal order. On the other hand, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reminded that cadets and pupils of the Serbian Army even go to Mauthausen wearing uniforms and nobody disapprove that, unlike in Jasenovac. He added that the truth is only one, but Croatia can cherish its own truths if it wants to. “I cannot see any kind of insult in the uniform of a Serbian soldier. It is not the uniform of Ustashas who committed crimes in Jasenovac” Vucic argued. He stressed that he is grateful to Republika Srpska (RS) and Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik for the common idea on construction of a memorial center for victims of the Ustasha-run concentration camp ‘Jasenovac’ from WWII in Donja Gradina. “We expect a strong American company  to present us with a proposal of how this memorial center should look like. We will invest a lot of money on the territory of the RS in Donja Gradina” Vucic said. The Ministry of Defense of Serbia issued a statement claiming that the arrival of Serbian Army’s delegation was announced. Reporter commented that they failed to provide any evidence for this claim. Croatian Minister of Defense Damir Krsticevic said that Serbian leadership forgets this is not 1991 when soldiers entered Croatia as they wished.

Serbian Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin said that “Krsticevic must understand it is neither 1991 nor 1941 and that racial laws of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), which prohibited Serbs and Jews from moving freely, are no longer in force”.

Minister of Veterans Tomo Medved called on Serbia to end with its provocations. Leader of opposition SDP Davor Bernardic said that Serbia violated legal norms in this case. However, Bernardic called on for reduction of tensions and protection of minorities in Croatia.

Croatia

Serbian army personnel try to enter Croatia (Hina)

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Zagreb on Saturday that a group of Serbian army personnel had attempted to enter Croatia at the Bajakovo border crossing in the morning, unannounced and in violation of international law, with the aim of causing an incident, but were prevented by the Croatian border police.

“This morning, around 6.30, Croatian police stopped 11 Serbian army personnel from entering Croatia at the Bajakovo border crossing. Their visit was not announced or agreed and their aim was to visit Jasenovac in Serbian army uniforms. Their attempted visit obviously was not of a commemorative nature, as it should have been, to pay tribute to the victims (of the WWII Jasenovac concentration camp), but was obviously planned as an act of provocation with the aim of causing an incident” Plenkovic told reporters at the government headquarters. He said that an unannounced entry of members of a foreign army into the territory of another state was against international law. “This is unacceptable to the Croatian state and we strongly condemned this act,” the prime minister said. “Croatian citizens should know that the Croatian government and all its institutions protect our legal order and do not allow such provocations. The Croatian state institutions effectively exposed this attempt by the Serbian army to provoke an incident” Plenkovic said.

Asked if the Croatian government had contacted the authorities in Serbia about this incident, Plenkovic said it would have been normal if the Serbian authorities had announced their visit to Jasenovac.

Asked to comment on Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin’s statement that Croatia should apologies and that it was “the follower of Pavelic’s fascist ideology” Plenkovic ironically said that “these Vulin’s eleven” should honor the rules and refrain from provocations and violations of international law. “Everything else is a classic exercise of petty politicking and raising tensions between Croatia and Serbia. We have heard this story from them many times and have never fallen for it. We are pursuing a serious policy as a member of the EU and NATO.”

“We respect the rights of ethnic minorities in Croatia, including the Serb minority, and we expect the same from Serbia. We want Serbia to treat Croatia and the Croats in Serbia with respect” he added.

Asked what Serbia wanted to achieve with this provocation, Plenkovic said that the question should be addressed to the government in Belgrade.

Montenegro

Montenegrin President to receive Matthew Palmer (CDM)

President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic will receive today Matthew Palmer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs of the US State Department and the newly appointed Special Representative for the Western Balkans of the US State Department. The U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer as his Special Representative for the Western Balkans at the end of August, and this will be his (Palmer’s) first visit to Montenegro following the appointment as Special Representative for the Western Balkans.

Montenegro only gained benefits from restoration of independence (Pobjeda)

The Balkans hasn’t been in the spotlight of the US foreign policy for a long time, but it’s not necessarily a bad news. To be in the spotlight means to be in a terrible crisis, and let’s hope that kind of crisis won’t happen to the Balkans again, the first US Ambassador to Montenegro, Roderick Moore, told Pobjeda daily.

Moore left Montenegro almost decade ago. When asked to comment on the changes he noticed in the country when compared to the period he performed duties of the US Ambassador to MNE, he said: “Unfortunately, I visited Montenegro only once over the past few years so my abilities to comment on the scope of changes in your country are somewhat limited. However, I keep monitoring the events in MNE and talking to as many Montenegrin people as possible. It’s evident that Montenegro has made a significant progress.”

On the relations between Serbia and Montenegro 13 years after the restoration of Montenegro’s independence, he said: “I’m sure there are many people in Montenegro and Serbia as well, who regret that there’s no more a joint state of Serbia and Montenegro. But that’s a history. I think it’s obvious that Montenegro has gained many benefits from the restoration of its independence in terms of geostrategy, politics and economy. There’s no doubt – both countries gain much more benefits while working together, as partners, and respecting each other as is mostly the case nowadays. Maybe the most important element that SRB and MNE need is the lack of alliance between the two countries that existed throughout the greatest part of the modern history of the two states. I hope Serbia will change its opinion when it comes to NATO so that this gap might be fulfilled one day.”

Republic of North Macedonia

Zaev congratulates Independence Day: Long live North Macedonia! (Republika)

On September 8, 1991, Independence Day showed us that freedom and independence have the most beautiful colors. The joy, happiness, and beauty that flooded our fatherland should always be remembered. Long live the Republic of Norther Macedonia, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev stated on the occasion of Independence Day.

Pendarovski: Let’s renew unity shown at onset of independence (Republika)

Back in 1991, during challenging times, we the people, united around an idea of an independent state. That great challenge became a reason for unity instead of division. We all huddled around the idea of independent and sovereign Macedonia, says President Stevo Pendarovski in the note of congratulations on 8 September-Independence Day. Over the years, as the president points out, we have had ups and downs, mistakes and successes, but together, we have overcome all temptations. In 1991 we chose independence, in 2001 inter-ethnic coexistence. Today we are at the gates of European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. To reach the goal, we need to restore the unity we had at the beginning of independence. We need civil reconciliation, and for lasting reconciliation we need efficient justice and state institutions with integrity, says Pendarovski.

If we want the younger generations to stay in the country and live, work and create the future here, as the president emphasizes, we must do much more as a state and provide them with conditions to realize themselves and succeed at home, in their own country. Speaking about the differences, Pendarovski stressed that our diversity is our privilege.

Katica will be dismissed after Sept. 8th- Independence Day (Nezavisen vesnik)

As rarely seen, parties in both the government and the opposition have agreed to dismiss Katica Janeva from the post of Head Special Prosecutor. MPs went through the first filter yesterday in less than an hour, and the final one will be completed shortly after the country’s Independence Day on September 8th. Until then, the parties will continue to negotiate over the new Prosecution law, which is set to appoint a successor to the detained prosecutor. If not, the SPO cases will require another solution. However, Parliament’s Committee on Elections and Appointments held a closed-door meeting yesterday. President Ilija Dimovski said he stayed on his stance that it would be good for everyone to hear the details of the investigation into the “Racket” case, but nonetheless, the Council of Prosecutors’ position was respected, according to the report on Janeva’s “unprofessional, unlawful and unprincipled work conduct contains confidential information and materials that must not be declassified. He noted, however, that the public will find out key information one way or another in the coming days. “I saw the report and it contains a lot of details”, Dimovski claimed before the beginning of the session.

The committee comprises 13 MPs (six each from the government and opposition VMRO-DPMNE, as well as one MP of Besa), with ten of them having the necessary security clearances to review confidential information. The rest were represented by their deputies. The session lasted only a few minutes, MPs were not very interested in replying when no one was watching, and everyone had an identical stance – that Janeva must be dismissed.

“The Committee unanimously, and without a debate, approved the proposal to the Parliament for the dismissal of Katica Janeva. MPs from most political parties attended the session. Those who had the right to vote – voted without exception. The decision was unanimous by 13 votes, with no political party voting ‘against’ the proposal. I hope for the same result of voting in the plenary session procedure”, Dimovski said after the session. This was also confirmed by Muhamed Zekiri of SDSM, who, however, denied that the report by the Prosecutors’ Council contained as many interesting details as his VMRO-DPMNE colleague said.

“We are waiting for Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi to convene a plenary session to vote on the conclusion. And we, as a party, regret that it was not open to the public, but you need not worry of something “very interesting” in the report. We hope that the trial will start soon and the fog around this case will be cleared up”, said the SDSM vice president.

The Commission’s conclusion is sent to Speaker Xhaferi, who is to convene a plenary session on Janeva’s dismissal. It will not discuss the report of the Council of Prosecutors, but only the proposal for dismissal. The decision is taken by a two-thirds majority and a Badinter majority, and should ultimately be confirmed by the Council of Prosecutors. According to information from Xhaferi’s office, the session will be scheduled shortly after the holiday – on Tuesday or Wednesday. That session will move fast, even though it will be open to the public. The session will directly got to voting. Judging by the sentiment of the parent committee, Janeva will be dismissed unanimously or by a vast majority.

Janeva’s term expires on September 15th. MPs will dismiss her based on a report by the Council written in ten pages and without a court ruling.

Kostadin Kostadinov, a SDSM MP, and a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Elections and Appointments, demanded the dismissal of President Ilija Dimovski before yesterday’s session on the dismissal of suspected prosecutor Katica Janeva. According to Kostadinov, Dimovski is indicted in one of the SPO cases, and because of conflicts of interests with his own personal interest, he requested that the Committee be led by Zoran Ilioski, who is also an MP of VMRO-DPMNE. Dimovski responded that the rights and obligations of the MPs derive from the citizens, but also that if one goes in line with Kostadinov’s request – many SDSM MPs who are members of the Committee are also suspected of involvement in the “Racket” affair, and yet VMRO – DPMNE have not requested their exclusion because the opposition party respects the right to presumption of innocence.

Zaev: From what I heard, there is no evidence that Katica Janeva took money in “Racket (Republika)

From what I heard in the tapes there in no evidence that Katica Janeva took money and was involved in the case, says Prime Minister Zaev in an interview with “Fokus” on the Racket case when asked why even after it was mentioned that there was an investigation or pre-investigation he was defending the prosecutor. Even when it come to my political opponents, I have always respected the presumption of innocence. Because you can hurt someone with words, especially if the prime minister says it. I have to be careful. The presumption of innocence is very important. I am one of those who started protests outside the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office. And I believe in that system, says Zaev.

Regarding the meeting with Kamcev, Zaev said that during the election campaign, Kamcev requested an emergency meeting with him, they met and the businessman presented the evidence to the Prime Minister. I watched the tapes and listened to them, said Zaev, pointing out that he reported the case the next day, because, as he said, we should an example of how such cases are handled, says Zaev.

Asked whether as opposition they respected the presumption of innocence and when they published the bombs they at least condemned or blamed VMRO-DPMNE officials, and now many private conversations of the wiretapped conversations are aired, Zaev says that they always chose the words at their press conferences, to tell indications leading to suspicion.