• PDK leader Kadri Veseli’s interview to KTV
• Vetevendosje leading in Diaspora votes (Koha)
• Konjufca: Disagreement with LDK sends us to new elections (Express)
• Haziri: Vetevendosje didn’t find courage to stand behind woman PM (Express)
• British Embassy responds to Vucic’s remarks on flag in VV premises (media)
• Osmani meets U.S. Special Representative Matthew Palmer (media)
• Haradinaj: KFOR remains necessary in Kosovo (media)
• Ministry of Defence: KSF was not part of yesterday’s police operation (Bota Sot)
• Tahiri: I received invitation from Specialist Chambers two weeks ago (Klan)
• Gucati: First indictments from Specialist Chambers this month (Zeri)
• Hahn: Negative vote for Albania would affect Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RTK)

PDK leader Kadri Veseli’s interview to KTV

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Kadri Veseli said in an interview to KTV on Wednesday evening that the United States do not favor the land swap idea as a solution for the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue. He said U.S. Presidential Envoy for the Kosovo – Serbia peace talks, Richard Grenell, said in a recent visit to Pristina that Washington will support any settlement that Kosovo and Serbia agree upon. “Anything that comes from the U.S. is positive. Ambassador Grenell is one of the most trusted aides of President Trump. The U.S., the most special investor in peace and stability, sees Kosovo as part of their project for the stability of the Balkans. It does not matter who is in government and who is in the opposition. Kosovo must go through this process. [North] Macedonia found their settlement with Greece, Albania is finding an agreement with Greece, Kosovo with [North] Macedonia. We are in a phase that is trying to overcome the Russian influence. And Russia’s greatest influence could come from Serbia. I pray to God that the new government will have a different assessment because they have exhausted us with manipulation. I have had several meetings. The U.S. position is in support of Kosovo. Kosovo needs to safeguard its statehood and sovereignty. We have harmed ourselves with allegations that the U.S. is favoring a land swap. Land swap can never happen. We need to safeguard Kosovo’s territorial and institutional integrity,” he said. Veseli added that Grenell’s message was that the sooner dialogue with Serbia resumes and an agreement is reached the better it will be for Kosovo.

Veseli criticised former prime ministers, Isa Mustafa and Ramush Haradinaj, as well as the opposition for damaging relations with international allies. “I never would have believed that during my governance there would come a time when Kosovo would be put in such a situation in relations with the U.S. and the EU. A forward-looking government should directly deal with challenges that Kosovo has. These are real challenges,” he said.

Veseli said that in the opposition, PDK will “not strike a blow to our country or damage the future of our youths”. “It is not a success of the opposition if it sinks its own country only because it is not in power.”

He also spoke about PDK losing elections for the first time since he took over party leadership but did not comment on whether he plans to step down following the 6 October election results. “Early elections caught us by surprise. I will continue deep reforms. These will strengthen PDK and will soon restore the trust of the citizens,” he noted.

Veseli rejected any possibility of PDK joining the future government of Kosovo. “Under no option will PDK enter the government. At no price,” he said adding: “We did not make the statement because of 6 October, but I believe in a cause. It was my idea and I will see it through.”

Veseli said the process of appointing new notaries must be frozen until the new government comes to power. “In the case of an outgoing government, it should only make decisions in order not not obstruct the lives of citizens, such as payments for the infrastructure, salaries and aid,” he said.

Vetevendosje leading in Diaspora votes (Koha)

Koha reports that the counting of votes from abroad has concluded and the results show Vetevendosje in the lead with 7,030 votes, followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 2,158 votes, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) is the third with more than 2,139, NISMA-AKR-PD coalition has won 916 votes while the coalition between AAK and PSK won 555 votes.

According to Koha, Vetevendosje has now a total of 209,902 votes while LDK has 199,840. PDK stands at around 171,000 votes while AAK-PSD coalition has less than 93,000. NISMA-AKR-PD coalition has neared the 5 percent threshold and now stands at 4.99 percent compared to 4.96 before the Diaspora votes were counted.

Konjufca: Disagreement with LDK sends us to new elections (Express)

Vetevendosje (LVV) senior member Glauk Konjufca said in an interview to T7 on Wednesday that this party will try hard to reach an agreement with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). “An eventual disagreement with the LDK would send us to new elections,” Konjufca said, adding that they would not enter a coalition with any other party. Konjufca said a priority of a new Vetevendosje-led government would be to crack down on monopolies. “We will first address the vehicle homologation and then the operations of Z-Mobile,” he added.

Asked to comment on the suspected poisoning of CEC staff from votes with mail, Konjufca said “the scandal with poisoning could have happened for two reasons. One is that there is really something there. Two perhaps someone could benefit from delays in certifying the election results. But I cannot understand who would want to delay the process. The PDK has made it clear that they will continue their activities in the opposition. Kadri Veseli confirmed this immediately after the elections,” he added.

Haziri: Vetevendosje didn’t find courage to stand behind woman PM (Express)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) deputy leader, Lutfi Haziri, said in an interview to T7 on Wednesday evening that their candidate for Prime Minister, Vjosa Osmani, is leading in the counting of votes for candidates. “Before the elections it was said that the candidate with the highest number of votes is nominated for Prime Minister,” Haziri said. “The Constitution and the laws provide that this mandate is given to the winning party. In these elections, no single political group won, because citizens voted for change and voted for two parties. Change won in these elections, and the LDK and LVV are winners as a political family”. Haziri said the two parties failed to reach an agreement before the elections because Vetevendosje did not want to enter a list with the LDK in which Osmani would have been the candidate for Prime Minister. “They didn’t find the courage to stand behind a woman prime minister”.

British Embassy responds to Vucic’s remarks on flag in VV premises (media)

The British Embassy in Kosovo responded to the criticism of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic after a photo from the Ambassador Nicholas Abbott’s meeting with Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti showed an Albanian flag in the background.

Vucic had tweeted on Wednesday: “The question for the UK Ambassador in Pristina: Which elections did Kurti win, in what country? And the flag you stand in front of with him belongs to which country, your Excellency? I will keep asking until you provide the answer to these questions.”

The British Embassy then said in a statement: “A recent photo of the Ambassador meeting one of the political leaders in Kosovo has attracted attention regionally. It is the Embassy’s job to engage with leading political actors in Kosovo. We did not choose how our interlocutor, acting in a party capacity, arranged his rooms”.

Vucic has in turn responded to Abbott’s statement. “Thank you for you clear answer. We all understood it.”

Liburn Aliu, former Vetevendosje MP has also reacted. He said Vucic should know that Kosovo is a democracy where no one is imposed an identity or symbols. “The Movement has won the elections and will govern, in cooperation with minorities by freeing them of blackmail and instrumentalization. Our goal is deepening of democracy, fighting inequalities, economic development and peace. This last one is being threatened by intensive process of Serbia’s armament, non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence and Serbia’s failure to face its criminal and cleansing past,” Aliu wrote.

Osmani meets U.S. Special Representative Matthew Palmer (media)

Vjosa Osmani, candidate for prime minister from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), met the U.S. Special Representative for Western Balkans Matthew Palmer.

“Today at the State Department I was received by deputy assistant secretary of state, Matthew Palmer, who is also special representative for Western Balkans. We discussed Republic of Kosovo’s relations with the United States and the important work ahead,” Osmani wrote on social media.

Haradinaj: KFOR remains necessary in Kosovo (media)

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, attended yesterday change of command of the KFOR Multinational Specialized Units. “Kosovo has managed to maintain and promote peace and stability in the country, as inviolable values, also thanks to NATO mission’s engagement. In this direction, presence and role of KFOR, remains necessary,” Haradinaj wrote.

Ministry of Defence: KSF was not part of yesterday’s police operation (Bota Sot)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defence has rejected reports that the Kosovo Security Force was involved in yesterday’s Kosovo Police operation in the north which led to the arrest of two persons in connection to the murder of political leader Oliver Ivanovic.

“There was no engagement of KSF in the north of Mitrovica during the Kosovo Police operation,” the Ministry of Defence said after certain media outlets reported that a KSF vehicle was spotted alongside police cars during the operation.

Tahiri: I received invitation from Specialist Chambers two weeks ago (Klan)

Kosovo’s outgoing Minister of Justice Abelard Tahiri is the next invited by the Specialist Chambers in Hague. He told RTV Dukagjini that he has received the invitation as a witness two weeks ago.

Tahiri said the invitation was not a surprise to him due to some unclarities that followed the communication. He said that as Minister of Justice, he has responded to the Specialist Chambers in several occasions, however he added that the institution that he led did not share secrets with them. He added that he was invited for the very communication that he had with the Specialist Chambers and the responses that he sent to them. He said that some laws endorsed by the government also caused headache to the Chambers.

“We have obligations towards our citizens because not all of them are capable to travel to the Hague, then they also need defense and we as a state should ensure defense.”

Gucati: First indictments from Specialist Chambers this month (Zeri)

Head of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Associations, Hysni Gucati, said that the number of former KLA fighters that have been summoned by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague has increased recently to over 100.

Gucati also said he expects the first indictments to be raised soon. “Based on unofficial information, the first indictments will be raised in October,” he said.

Hahn: Negative vote for Albania would affect Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RTK)

Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for enlargement has requested from European leaders to support the proposal of the Commission and decide positively on North Macedonia and Albania. “If even after all these duties and obligations that North Macedonia has reached, it is not rewarded in an adequate manner, then there is no alternative for Serbia and Kosovo to enter the substantial dialogue for future coexistence for both countries as the only reason to do this is European perspective,” Hahn said.