• PDK leader Kadri Veseli presents seven points against corruption (media)
• Kurti: As prime minister I will respect Kosovo’s symbols (DW)
• Osmani: Rule of law, top priority of the LDK (Koha)
• “Candidates, parties to refrain from denigrating speech and attacks” (media)
• Political parties not respecting Law on Gender Equality (Gazeta Blic/Zeri)
• Czech Republic will not change position on Kosovo’s independence (Zeri)
• Haradinaj writes to Czech PM explaining absence from V4 summit (media)
• Rasic: Serbs are against border changes, it would be fatal for us (Klan Kosova)
• Still no international arrest warrant for Milan Radoicic (RFE)
• €548,000 bill by the political army of the Ministry of Agriculture (Koha)

PDK leader Kadri Veseli presents seven points against corruption (media)

All media report that Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader and candidate for Prime Minister, Kadri Veseli, presented on Thursday seven points from his anti-corruption plan. He pledged there will be an anti-corruption bureau with a special structure and in close partnership with the U.S. and the European Union. The anti-corruption bureau, he said, will be an umbrella organisation that will include the special department of the prosecution to fight corruption, the special judicial department against corruption and special judicial police. Another point Veseli presented is the formation of a fund to confiscate wealth that was created through criminal activities. “Another initiative relates to the legalisation of 350,000 buildings without permits, where billions of euros of usable capital are blocked. This involves citizens that are blackmailed by officials who threaten to bring down their buildings,” he said. Veseli also suggested the formation of a permanent parliamentary committee against corruption which would be led by the biggest opposition party. He also said that his full anti-corruption plan containing 25 concrete points will be presented in the next couple of days.

Kurti: As prime minister I will respect Kosovo’s symbols (DW)

Vetevendosje leader and candidate for prime minister, Albin Kurti, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle that he respects Kosovo symbols and will continue to do so if elected prime minister.

“I respect the symbols and institutions in Kosovo and I will respect Kosovo’s flag and anthem as prime minister,” Kurti said from Berlin.

He said that Vetevendosje’s priority will be fighting crime and corruption, economic developments, fighting inequality, building bridges. He said Albanian national unification is something that every Albanian wants but “our top priority will be fighting crime and corruption and employment of youth in order to replace emigration with employment, replace corruption with justice and discrimination with equality,” he said.

Asked about dialogue with Serbia, Kurti said that Vetevendosje’s priority is Kosovo. “We cannot exist for dialogue with Serbia, Serbia needs to face its past. It owes a lot to Albanians and we have to have the principles of a well-prepared dialogue that would include review of agreements reached so far, their implementation level and their impact on the reality of Kosovo citizens. Also, we have to look at how Serbia can respond to Kosovo’s demands for reparation of war crimes.”

“There will be dialogue, as prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo I will take the responsibility of dialogue, but I will dialogue with Brussels about dialogue with Serbia,” Kurti said.

Osmani: Rule of law, top priority of the LDK (Koha)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) candidate for Prime Minister, Vjosa Osmani, said during a debate in Pristina on Thursday that they will very soon announce the government program which she said is based on five pillars: the rule of law, family, education and healthcare, employment and international partnership. Osmani said her top priority will be the rule of law seeing the terrible influence of politics and crime in the judiciary. “It is impossible to have economic development or foreign investments or quality in education and healthcare without the rule of law,” she said.

“Candidates, parties to refrain from denigrating speech and attacks” (media)

Most media report that “Democracy in Action”, a coalition of non-governmental organisations that will monitor the upcoming October parliamentary elections, has issued a communique on Thursday in relation to a physical confrontation between Dardan Molliqaj from the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSD) and Haki Abazi from the Vetevendosje Movement, following a TV debate. “The freedom of speech is one of the basic human rights, but it is limited whenever other basic rights are threatened. A denigrating and sexist speech in TV debates between the candidates not only damages the election process but also undermines the value of the debate and fuels tensions in the political landscape. Moreover, any form of violence is inexcusable and unacceptable. Acts of violence damage the credibility of the election process, create an unsafe political setting and risk provoking civic clashes,” the reaction notes. “Political parties and their candidates need to foster the basic values of democracy by displaying maturity and professionalism in debates and allowing the competition of ideas and platforms. Democracy in Action calls on Kosovo Police to react swiftly and efficiently in clarifying situations and informing the public. Law enforcement mechanisms need to guarantee conditions for a peaceful political campaign, with equal opportunities for all political parties to present their election programs”.

Political parties not respecting Law on Gender Equality (Gazeta Blic/Zeri)

Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) warned that the Law on Gender Equality is not being respected by political parties running in 6 October elections when it comes to equal representation of women in their tickets.

“From what we’ve seen so far, majority of the parties have not incorporated 50/50 ratio with the vast majority of them applying the 30% quota which is a requirement by the Law on General Elections. The Law on Gender Equality meanwhile stipulates the two genders have to be equally represented,” said KDI’s Blerta Aliu said.

Czech Republic will not change position on Kosovo’s independence (Zeri)

The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said his country will not be changing position on Kosovo’s independence after recognising it in 2008.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the Visegrad Group summit underway in Prague, Babis said: “The Czech Republic’s foreign policy is in the hands of the government. I see no reason why the Czech Republic would change position on Kosovo.”

The comments come as response to those made earlier by President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman that he ‘does not like Kosovo” and would initiate procedures to revoke recognition of its independence. Babis also said that Zeman’s remarks are nothing new and that he made similar ones even back in 2013.

In face of Zeman’s statement on Kosovo, the U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Stephen B. King, said after meeting Kosovo’s Ambassador Arber Vllahiu that he reaffirmed “United States’ steadfast support for a sovereign, independent Republic of Kosovo, fully integrated into the international community.”

Haradinaj writes to Czech PM explaining absence from V4 summit (media)

Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has written to Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babis explaining the reasons behind his decision not to attend the Western Balkans summit in Prague.

“Kosovo has entered the cycle of early elections and engagement at this important time for the country prevents me from participating at the V4 and WB6 Summit, under the chairmanship of the Czech Republic,” Haradinaj said in the letter.

He said Kosovo and the Czech Republic enjoy excellent bilateral relations and expressed appreciation for the Czech Government’s support to Kosovo’s efforts for visa liberalisation and Interpol membership bid last year.

Haradinaj said Kosovo shares the view that reestablishment of friendly relations between the Western Balkans countries and the European Union is an important step towards stability and prosperity of the region and “we are very much committed to move forward on this journey.”

Rasic: Serbs are against border changes, it would be fatal for us (Klan Kosova)

Nenad Rasic from the coalition of Serb political parties Sloboda (Freedom) said in a debate on Klan Kosova on Thursday that eventual border changes between Kosovo and Serbia would be fatal for Serbs living in the north and south of Ibar River. “We are firmly against such an option. Any border changes could lead to the mass exodus of Serbs living in the south,” Rasic said. “Serbs in the north will not have a good future either because they will be living in some corner forgotten by both God and men. It would be similar to Kursumlija, a passive region in Serbia, and would have no economic development. We are categorically against any border changes. We are firmly against it and every normal citizen, especially those living in the south, are absolutely against it because it would be fatal for us.”

Still no international arrest warrant for Milan Radoicic (RFE)

Kosovo prosecutor working on the murder case of the Kosovo Serb political leader Oliver Ivanovic, Syle Hoxha, said that investigations are still ongoing but cited lack of cooperation from Belgrade authorities as an obstacle.

At the same time, although Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri had announced that the request for issuing an international arrest warrant for Milan Radoicic, a suspect wanted in connection to Ivanovic’s murder, had been completed, it has not yet been issued.

This was confirmed by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Izmi Zeka. “So far no international arrest warrant has been issued for Radoicic. We hope there will be one very soon.”

€548,000 bill by the political army of the Ministry of Agriculture (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that over a two-year period, the political staff of the Ministry of Agriculture have spent over half a million of euros from the Kosovo budget. Around €100,000 from this amount was spent in luxury expenditures. During this period, at this Ministry there were two ministers, seven deputy ministers and 43 political advisors, assistants and drivers, appointed with decrees and without any vacancy announcements. Former Minister Nenad Rikalo alone spent €71,000, and the total amount of the bill he and his associates had was €240,000.