- Thaçi: Kosovo’s relations with US and EU can never be infringed (Voice of America)
- Freedom Coalition seeks safety for holding campaign in north (RTK)
- Parties promise to convey their message to Serbs, too (KTV)
- PDK collects data of persons who sign anticorruption pact; most of them don’t trust it (KTV)
- A polling centre in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north relocated to PDK official’s property (KTV)
News
Thaçi: Kosovo’s relations with US and EU can never be infringed
(Voice of America)
The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi stated to the Voice of America that governments can come and go, but relations of Kosovo with the United States and the European Union will never be harmed.
President Thaçi made these comments in an interview with the VoA in Iowa, where he visited the National Guard, the General Assembly of this US state, met the governor Kim Reynolds, as well as students from Kosovo.
President Thaçi said that after the early parliamentary elections of 6th October, Kosovo should swiftly form a new government, which will be facing the challenges that await the country.
“But initially there will be internal priorities, and then the possibility of overcoming all obstacles to resume the dialogue will be discussed, so that neither Kosovo nor Serbia can be an obstacle,” he said.
The talks have been suspended since November last year, when Kosovo imposed 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods, as a sign of opposing the approach of Serbia towards Kosovo’s statehood. Belgrade conditions resumption of talks with revocation of the tariffs.
President Thaçi said that an internal debate concerning the tariffs is needed, which should involve political parties, Government, Assembly, and Kosovo society.
The United States has continuously called for suspension of the tariffs, while the European Union has called for revoking them, in order for the talks with Serbia to resume; however, the outgoing Government of Kosovo has resisted this pressure, provoking concerns for undermining relations with its allies.
“Governments can come and go, but our relations with the United States and with the European Union will never be infringed,” President Thaçi said.
He believes that the appointment of Mr Mathew Palmer as special envoy for the Western Balkans is a clear message that the United States will be active in the region and in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process. Mr Palmer stated to the Voice of America this week that the Unites States wants a locally owned solution, which will be sustainable and acceptable for both sides.
President Thaçi said that only an agreement which leads to mutual recognition makes sense for the people of Kosovo…
“Of course, as part of the dialogue and negotiations that will happen, there will be different opinions, and I think that finally they will result with a final, historic agreement, with mutual recognition,” he said.
President Thaçi said that the border change was never an option at the negotiation table, referring to the ideas that were raised in summer last year as a possibility of reaching an agreement between the sides. The Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic highlighted that he advocated for setting a border between Serbs and Albanians, which implies partition of Kosovo, while President Thaçi came up with the idea of border correction, which, according to him, implied that Presevo Valley, an Albanian majority populated area in southern Serbia, would join Kosovo.
“Border change was never at the table. Territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo is intact. All those who spoke about changing Kosovo borders, presented an electoral deception to the public. Kosovo’s territory is intact. However, I always respect the right of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac to join the Republic of Kosovo, without violating a single centimetre of the Kosovo territory. All other opinions are lies,” he said.
Resumption of the talks may be expected after the elections in Kosovo, and diplomats hope that it will happen before Serbia enters the election period, which will take place in spring next year.
Freedom Coalition seeks safety for holding campaign in north
(RTK)
Three days before the official launch of electoral campaign for October 6th elections, the pressure against Serb parties that are rivals to Srpska Lista is going on.
Candidate for Prime Minister from the Freedom Coalition, Nenad Rasic, said that the more the Election Day is approaching, the more the campaign, pressure and blackmail against them is stepping up. Rasic said they are endangered at any moment; furthermore there is fear that someone might suffer as same as Oliver Ivanovic.
The Serb candidate for Prime Minister says that they have constantly sought the support of institutions in Kosovo, including support of security institutions. They also seek the support of international community in Kosovo.
“It would be good if we could receive the diplomats’ support as well, because we have two more weeks but I also fear that someone might again pay the highest price possible, as Mr. Ivanovic did,” Rasic stated.
On Wednesday, Serb politician Rada Trajkovic will head to north. She will have a presentation in front of the premises where Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic was murdered. She will go on further with a ceremony in front of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North Municipality’s building. The message that Trajkovic will convey is how dangerous it is to deal with politics in Kosovo against a radical structure in power in Serbia.
Rasic said he will be in areas with Albanian and Serbian mixed population to show that coexistence and tolerance are the pillars for a developed country.
Rasic said that the moment they are meeting individuals they (Srpska Lista) are contacting and threatening them with arrests.
RTK also asked Kosovo Police regarding this matter. Their response reads that in the police aspect Kosovo Police treats every single piece of information and in conformity with the assessments it takes legal actions in cooperation and coordination with the justice bodies.
The pressure of Srpska Lista has started some time ago. Furthermore, many employees in institutions managed by them were fired only because they were not supporter of their policies.
Parties promise to convey their message to Serbs, too
(KTV)
The Albanian political entities have not actively campaigned in Serb-majority municipalities in any round of elections.
Twenty years after the war, civil society believes it is the time for the parties to target the Serb population as well.
Krenar Shala says they have the opportunity to run an internal dialogue with the minority community, the Serb community in particular, as their integration has stagnated due to lack of economic development and rule of law.
Most political entities competing in the October 6th early elections say they will present their platform in all the municipalities.
Shpend Ahmeti, a candidate for MP from PSD, an entity which is in coalition with AAK, says that they will hold election campaigns in the north as well.
Social Democratic Initiative is also expected to hold campaigns in Serb-majority municipalities
“We already have a branch in Leposavic/Leposaviq and meetings with our supporters happen there,” Valmir Gashi of this party told KTV.
Election campaign for the early parliamentary elections will officially be launched on 25 September, 2019.
PDK collects data of persons who sign anticorruption pact; most of them don’t trust it
(KTV)
Besides other political entities, PDK has asked also for citizens to sign the anticorruption pact.
Since Tuesday, PDK activists at several locations in the capital city have started to collect signatures from citizens through a petition, where personal identification number is also required.
Some citizens consider this as a possibility of ballot abuse on the Election Day, and they refuse to sign the petition.
However, other citizens who signed the petition on Sunday say that the anticorruption pact will not serve PDK only.
In addition, PDK has intruded in the privacy of Kosovars by sending many of them text messages to their mobile phones, calling on them to sign the pact.
KTV tried to contact PDK to ask them about their stance on the petition, but no response was provided on Sunday.
At the beginning of September, the PDK leader Kadri Veseli presented the anticorruption pact, calling on all other parties to sign it.
Laughing at it, all other parties refused the call, because it came from Veseli.
A polling centre in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north relocated to PDK official’s property
(KTV)
In the 6th October elections, residents of Bosniak Neighbourhood will go to a different building to cast their ballots.
This will happen because the Administrative Office, in the premises of which they voted up to now, has been relocated to the premises of the Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north Municipality.
The new building, which is located a few metres away from the former Administrative Office building, is owned by the municipal official from PDK, Bashkim Cimili.
This has been opposed by LDK and Vetëvendosje Movement.
According to Fidan Ademi of Vetëvendosje and Safet Kamberi of LDK, this may influence voters.
But Bashkim Cimili, Deputy President in the Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north Municipal Assembly from PDK, considers the reactions of Ademi and Kamberi as absurd.
