- Dialogue and President’s role – topic of next Kurti-Mustafa meeting (KTV)
- Haziri: No stalemate between LDK and VV, we are heading towards coalition building (Klan Kosova)
- Mini-Schengen aims to expand Russian and Chinese influence in Balkans (GazetaExpress)
- EU Members: Without Western Balkans, Europe is incomplete (GazetaExpress)
- Constitutional Court suspends Law on Public Officials (KTV)
- With Pacolli’s decision, Shkëlqim Devolli has been appointed honorary consul to Montenegro (All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Jevtic compares Kurti’s approach to Serbs with the one of Milosevic to Albanians (Summary of KTV Rubicon show)
News
Dialogue and President’s role – topic of next Kurti-Mustafa meeting
(KTV)
The issue of political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to be one of the topics at the next meeting between the leaders of Vetëvendosje and LDK, scheduled to happen next week.
What remains to be seen is the stance of Vetëvendosje and LDK with regard to the role of the Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi in this process. When they were in opposition, both parties that now are expected to come into power, were against President Thaçi leading the Kosovo delegation in the dialogue with Serbia.
The Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti has said that concerning dialogue with Serbia, initially they will assess the agreements reached from 2011 until 2017.
In addition, Kurti has said that he will lead the dialogue, and he will not allow the Kosovo President to assume powers that do not belong to him.
Haziri: No stalemate between LDK and VV, we are heading towards coalition building
(Klan Kosova)
Deputy Chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo Lutfi Haziri said that there is no stalemate when it comes to building a political cooperation with Vetëvendosje Movement.
Haziri added that until now they have reached agreement in some sectors, but he noted that meetings between LDK and VV haven’t stopped.
“There is no stalemate nor any kind of hesitation when it comes to the future of building an LDK-VV coalition as the winner of the last elections from the opposition camp. Many agreements were reached, such as in the economy, health and tertiary policy sectors.”
“The first draft for achievement of goals is ready. Meetings will take place according to the calendar we agreed on. The only reason for delays is the issue of complaints regarding the recounting results,” he said.
Haziri announced in Klan Kosova’s Info Magazine show that LDK refuses to cooperate with other parties in forming the new government.
“LDK has the option of building a coalition with Vetëvendosje. It does not accept form and cooperation with other parties,” Haziri continued.
“So far these parties are in the Assembly and we have no unreal expectations. In the event that both Nisma and AKR may have seats, we will have a new political circumstance. Issues related to sharing of responsibilities will be on the table until the final step. We didn’t get there.
“”We are proponents of the clarity of issues that can cause problems along the way. It is good to eliminate all uncertainties including the role of the President as LDK is seeing this partnership as 4+. We are working on a mandate, but we are looking at opportunities beyond this mandate,” he ended.
Mini-Schengen aims to expand Russian and Chinese influence in Balkans
(GazetaExpress)
The outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, addressed today journalists about the Balkan mini-Schengen, which he called “Belgrade-based Russian and Chinese influence,” Gazeta Express reports.
He said that mini-Schengen is not in Kosovo’s interest and has nothing to do with the visa liberalization process. Haradinaj said that mini-Schengen is just an expansion, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian PM Edi Rama and North Macedonia PM Zoran Zaev are inviting Kosovo to join in.
“It is not in Kosovo’s or Europe’s interest. Russia and China are installed in all aspects in Belgrade. Kosovo has no interest in expansion of Russian and Chinese influence in Europe.
EU Members: Without Western Balkans, Europe is incomplete
(GazetaExpress)
Seven EU member states have called on the European Commission to draft by January 2020 concrete proposals on how to improve the effectiveness of the accession process as an instrument that supports reforms and integration efforts in the region.
In a letter to EC President Jean Claude Juncker, these countries point out that without the accession of the Western Balkan countries – citing the achievements of North Macedonia and Albania – Europe would not be complete. “There is no doubt that stability and security and the progress of reforms in the region are best achieved through EU integration,” the letter says. Furthermore, these countries (Austria, Italy, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia) support the process of opening of accession talks for Western Balkan states.
Constitutional Court suspends Law on Public Officials
(KTV)
The Kosovo Constitutional Court has approved request of the Ombudsperson’s Institution for provisional measure to the Law on Public Officials.
This followed the Ombudsperson’s request to the Constitutional Court to assess constitutionality of some articles of the Law.
The Constitutional Court approved the Ombudsperson’s request, and this measure will last until March 2020.
Law on Public Officials has entered into force as of 11th September this year, but the Labour Inspectorate and Ombudsperson found shortcomings in the Law.
With Pacolli’s decision, Shkëlqim Devolli has been appointed honorary consul to Montenegro
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Businessman Shkëlqim Devolli has been appointed at a diplomatic post, this time by the Republic of Kosovo.
Kohavision got hold of a decision, which has appointed Devolli as honorary consul of Kosovo to Montenegro.
The decision, which is not dated, but it is claimed that it was issued in August this year, specifies that Devolli will represent interests of the Republic of Kosovo to Montenegro, specifically at the Counsellor Circle in Rozaje, which is situated about one hour drive from Pejë, his hometown.
For several months, Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to keep this decision secret.
Last week, KTV sent questions to the Media Office, to advisors, and to Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about the time when Devolli was appointed, about the way of his selection and engagement.
Nobody in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed nor denied appointment of Shkëlqim Devolli as honorary consul to Montenegro.
But one week later, an official of the Ministry anonymously confirmed that the decision has been made.
The questions also have not been answered by Devolli Corporation, owned by Shkëlqim Devolli.
Shkëlqim Devolli was consul of Macedonia to Pejë/Pec, while his brother Blerim Devolli was honorary consul of Albania to Pejë/Pec, but later on he was dismissed.
Jevtic compares Kurti’s approach to Serbs with the one of Milosevic to Albanians
(Summary of KTV Rubicon show)
In an interview with KTV Rubicon show, ousting Deputy Prime Minister Dalibor Jevtic, commenting on the statements that Srpska List won in northern municipalities in the October 6th elections as a result of pressure, said that “those that lose have the right to get angry”.
“We have an old saying which says ‘those that lose, have the right to get angry’. What you say is one thing, and what Serb people in Kosovo know is a different thing. Serb people in Kosovo know very well who the representatives of Srpska List are, and who the rest are that, by the way, used to be part of Srpska List. From Aleksandar Jablanovic to Rada Trajkovic, Slobodan Petkovic, and Nenad Rasic. They were part of Srpska List and they decided to leave, because they believed that they could not be at the positions that they wanted at that time within the government, such as ministers or alike. This means that they were more focused on their personal interest,” he said.
Jevtic said that other Serb politicians in Kosovo speak only because they are not at the positions that they want, and when they had this opportunity, they did not achieve anything.
“At the time when Nenad Rasic was an MP in the legislature when Isa Mustafa was Prime Minister, he joined the Srpska List caucus. We know what statements he gave then, when he spoke about the need of Kosovo Serbs to have close collaboration with Belgrade, because only Belgrade can protect interests of Serbs in the Kosovo territory, and those of us who know Rasic and others that I just mentioned, are not surprised when time after time they change their stances and statements, but they do this depending on their personal interests at certain moments. They are neither leaders nor politicians,” Jevtic said.
According to him, they are using problems of the people for their political goals.
Jevtic added that he is open for a public debate with other Serb politicians in Kosovo.
He also mentioned the visit of their delegation to Washington and Brussels, where, according to him, they only congratulated them on the victory, and they did not ask them how they achieved it.
Dalibor Jevtic said that it is important for them to have contact with Belgrade, but they are not their extended hand.
Furthermore, referring to other colleagues, Serb politicians in Kosovo, Jevtic said that unlike them, Srpska List had cases when it upheld a stance that was not liked by Belgrade.
“Because we are simply not them, so when we go to talk to them, we go with the stance of just listening to them. We have positions that they sometimes dislike, and we uphold them and defend the interests of the Serb people, while in the past, they had those who just nodded and never had a stance, they never raised their voice. Therefore, we are in the position that we are today, where the position of Serbs and other non-majority peoples in Kosovo, I would say in a situation that even 20 years after the war, we must fight for what is written in the Constitution, in the laws of Kosovo, instead of this being a closed topic, a closed process, because those who had the opportunity to fight for it democratically through the mechanisms they had, didn’t do so, because then they were only nodding. This will of course bother people,” Jevtic said.
“Forever and full of pride, we will stress our cooperation with Belgrade, because no one has the right to interrupt our cooperation. I think it does not endanger anyone’s interests. Let us not forget that on a monthly basis, Belgrade allocates 40,000 salaries, social assistance and other benefits, pensions, which are important for the life of Serbs in Kosovo, because most would not have survived without these,” he further stated.
Voting of the Kosovo Army, according to outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Dalibor Jevtic, did not bring anything good to citizens of Kosovo.
In this interview with KTV Rubicon he said that citizens still complain about the same problems, although the law was voted by all Albanian MPs in the Kosovo Assembly.
Furthermore, according to him, the money invested in transforming the army would be better off investing in the economy.
Srpska List, as the winner of elections in the Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, said it respects the will of Kosovo citizens who brought Vetëvendosje Movement as the winner of elections.
“As Serbs, we cannot choose who will be the one to represent Serbs, just as the Albanians cannot be the ones to decide who represents Serbs. This is what the elections are for. This is the same as we would say now ‘we don’t want Albin Kurti for Prime Minister and that’s it’. However, we, unlike those who have such a stance, respect the electoral will of the residents, of everyone, and I think the citizens have clearly stated who the ones that should be part of institutions in the new government are,” Jevtic stated.
According to Jevtic, Albin Kurti, with his approach toward the Serb representatives, is exercising double standards, by choosing whom to talk to, while, according to him, it was Kurti the one who accused Nenad Rasic of robbing at the Commission for Privatization of the Post.
“Now Mr Kurti goes and says ‘I will talk to Rasic’ because he is the best minister. As if they were suffering from forgetfulness and not remembering, when these same ones from VV said this while Rasic was in the Commission for Privatization of the Post, said he was robbing and he is worth to nothing. Look what is going on! … This is the approach, ‘I don’t like this one, I’ll go to him because he’s talking better to me,’ he said.
Jevtic further accused Nenad Rasic saying he has a gambler’s approach toward politics.
“We know Rasic very well. Rasic, who was saying tonight that the votes that came from Serbia are criminal and should be destroyed, and goes to the Supreme Court in the morning, complains and says that those votes should be accepted. Nenad Rasic approaches politics more or less as he lives! It is the approach of a gambler who will now bluff, if he passes,” he said.
Srpska List will respond to any call by Vetëvendosje Movement for cooperation in the next government run by the VV Prime Minister-designate Albin Kurti.
Srpska List deputy chairman Dalibor Jevtic said that they do not want to block processes, but intend to push them forward, because, if they would want to do that, they have possibilities to do so.
“If we would want to block processes and want to trigger a new political crisis, we would go on and say ‘well, Mr Kurti will not talk to us, we do not want to talk to him and see how he will form that government.’ Crisis is not our interest, but solving the problems is. And we will do everything to avoid a situation in which we would make life even more difficult for the citizens,” Jevtic said.
He said they have no problem talking to anyone, including Albin Kurti.
“We have no problem talking to anyone, because in politics, if you want to be a leader, you have to be willing to listen to different voices and positions, even when you speak to those that you disagree with – this is democracy. If you want to lead the government tomorrow, then you have to be ready to listen to different opinions,” Jevtic said.
He announced that their caucus will be composed of 10 Serbs and one Gorani.
“10 Serbs and one Gorani. 11 MPs in our caucus. It means, I repeat, we never had blackmailing behaviour, we were always in favour of talks for the sake of stability and peace. The fact that we want to talk, we want to be partners, does not mean that someone can put us on the table like flowers and say here they are. These are the other ones, who were there earlier,” Jevtic underlined.
Dalibor Jevtic compared policies of Slobodan Milosevic with those that Albin Kurti is currently trying to apply, by choosing with whom to discuss and with whom not to discuss cooperation in the future government of Kosovo.
He warned that they will not allow disrespect.
“If someone does not want us in the institutions, if one continuously refuses to accept Serbs equally, we should make decisions where we will clearly say that we will not allow this disrespect. This means that in line with decisions that we will take at that particular moment, we will decide about our participation in the institutions, and we will decide that we should show that we refuse to be present just for the sake of percentages and quotas. You know, Milosevic made big, catastrophic mistakes in relation to Albanians in the past. None of Albanian leaders may come to the situation as to say ‘I like these Serbs, but I don’t like those other ones’. Let citizens choose their representatives, and do not interfere in it. Do not allow like Milosevic, where in Gjakovë/Djakovica over 95 per cent Albanians lived, the mayor be a Serb, like in his time,” Jevtic stated.
Jevtic said it is not their priority to be part of the government. He added that they can be even in opposition, but Srpska List will not violate the Constitutional Court.
“… If the Prime Minister designate does not speak to us, how can we be part of the government? Dreaming for sessions and decisions! You know, if Kosovo is a multi-ethnic society, the minimum is that this must be reflected through the institutions. The minimum is that as the Prime Minister designate one must speak to those who have been legally elected as people’s representatives in elections. If you refuse to do so, the problem does not lie with us. It is not us that will violate laws and Constitution, but someone else. Anyway, if we will face this situation and if we are ignored as political representatives of Serbs, we will address the Constitutional Court,” Jevtic highlighted.
Dalibor Jevtic said he was against the Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. He said his policy harmed lives of citizens of Serbia and put them in a difficult position.
“I was part of the Student Resistance Movement that fought against that regime and I think it did more harm to our lives and put us in a difficult position, but again I say I want to compare some things from the past, some mistakes that we cannot afford to repeat now, because we must all learn from each other from mistakes. Because, above all, we have to be respected in every way,” Dalibor Jevtic ended.
