- Kurti – Mustafa meeting ends, no agreement ((Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Thaçi convenes the constitutive session on 24 December (All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Rakic announces possibility of Serbs to quit Kosovo institutions (Klan Kosova)
- Independence of Kosovo is a compromise, Thaçi tells Serbian president (GazetaExpress)
- Bamieh: I know, cases with suspected Serbs were returned to Serbia (RTKLive)
- French Ambassador to Kosovo: No visas without progress in the rule of law (GazetaExpress)
- SBASHK announces strike as of Friday (KTV)
- “Women excluded from security sector, inclusion remains a challenge” (RTKLive)
- Kosovo declares Peter Handke ‘persona non grata’ (Gazeta Express)
- Defense attorneys on „media indictment“ for Ivanovic’s murder: “Everything is upside down here,” “Not the first time” (Kossev)
News
Kurti – Mustafa meeting ends, no agreement
((Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Following the meeting between Albin Kurti and Isa Mustafa, LDK spokesman Besian Mustafa said that the two leaders have agreed to intensify meetings until the agreement on co-government is reached.
“This is the only information I have from the two leaders who came out of this meeting,” spokesman Mustafa said.
“I believe that the next meeting will take place very soon, and we have agreed to intensify meetings almost every day,” he added.
The same thing was confirmed by Vetëvendosje Movement.
“Chairman Kurti met today with the chairman Mustafa in the Assembly of Kosovo. They will continue and intensify meetings almost every day until the agreement is reached,” Vetëvendosje’s press announcement reads.
Thaçi convenes the constitutive session on 24 December
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi has convened the first meeting of the seventh legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo on December 24, starting at 9:00 o’clock.
The press statement issued by the Presidency states that this decision was taken pursuant to Article 66 (3) and Article 84 (3) of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, Article 6 of the Law No. 03/L-094 on the President of the Republic of Kosovo, and taking into consideration the Announcement dated 27.11.2019 of the Central Election Commission on certification of the final results of the early elections for the Assembly of Kosovo.
“The Speaker and the Presidency of the Sixth Legislature of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, in conformity with the relevant legislation in force, are directed to prepare the proposal for the agenda of the First Meeting of the Seventh Legislature of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo,” the press announcement of Office of the President reads.
Rakic announces possibility of Serbs to quit Kosovo institutions
(Klan Kosova)
Srpska List leader Goran Rakic said that sentencing of former minister Ivan Todosijevic is a continuation of ethnic cleansing of Serb people with other means.
He told Belgrade-daily Politika that with these actions, the Albanian media continue persecuting innocent people, and in case the verdict against Ivan Todosijevic is not invalidated, he announced the possibility that representatives of Serb people quit Kosovo institutions, from the central to the local level ones.
Speaking on behalf of Srpska List, he also confirmed that they have not given up the idea of unilaterally establishing the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASMM), but in consultation with the state of Serbia.
According to him, establishment of the Association is a duty of Prishtinë/Pristina, stemming from the Brussels Agreement.
Independence of Kosovo is a compromise, Thaçi tells Serbian president
(GazetaExpress)
Kosovo president, Hashim Thaçi, answered statements of Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic who asks compromise with Kosovo, excluding mutual recognition, Gazeta Express reports.
Kosovo president said on Wednesday that he considers Vucic’s statements as provocations, adding that the two countries will sit at the negotiation table as equal.
“Messages from Belgrade that we have to compromise without recognition of Republic of Kosovo are provocations. Independence of Kosovo IS a compromise. Dialogue only possible on a principle: two countries recognizing each other as equal neighbors, moving towards Euro-Atlantic family,” Thaçi wrote in Twitter.
Serbian president Vucic during a visit to Greece gave an interview with the Athens-based Kathimerini saying that Belgrade is ready to negotiate on finding a compromise solution, but as he said, without recognizing Kosovo.
Bamieh: I know, cases with suspected Serbs were returned to Serbia
(RTKLive)
Former EULEX Prosecutor Maria Bamieh said that her statement to Radio and Television of Kosovo on how EULEX had sent all Serbian war crimes cases to be investigated in Serbia is correct.
She stated this on RTK’s “Udhëve” show.
“I was asked about that statement that I had made on an earlier RTK program, when I said that EULEX had sent all cases of Serbian war crimes to be investigated in Serbia. That is correct. I do not know the case numbers and names, but I do know that all the cases with a Serb suspect were returned to Serbia. The reason provided for this was that the suspects were in Serbia and that Serbia would not extradite them, therefore the only way those cases could be investigated was to return them to Serbia for investigation. I don’t think that was necessarily true,” she said.
“It was possible to seek alternative ways to handle these cases in a neutral jurisdiction, to ensure some sort of co-operation from Serbia for allowing the suspects to be tried for the crimes they had committed,” Bamieh added.
But, according to her, it is not only these cases that have never been investigated.
“I have recently learned that a number of cases involving Serb victims were reviewed by the EULEX Human Rights College and they have told EULEX to investigate those cases. None of these cases has been investigated. This seems to be serious neglect of duty. It is fundamentally wrong; it is contrary to every principle of natural justice. The victims are also entitled to a fair trial. Even the people of Kosovo have the right to expect from EULEX to ensure trial processes that are fair and without political interference,” she said.
“This simply did not happen,” Bamieh ended.
French Ambassador to Kosovo: No visas without progress in the rule of law (GazetaExpress)
French Ambassador to Pristina, Marie-Christine Butel, says Kosovo needs to do more in the rule of law area in order to get green light on visa liberalisation.
In an interview with Gazeta Express, Butel said that France along some other EU members, considers that Kosovo has not fully met some of the conditions on visa free-regime, especially when it comes to fighting organised crime and corruption.
“However, continuous implementation of reforms by Kosovo authorities is crucial in order for the adopted laws on the rule of law are and judiciary in particular, to be fully and irrevocably implemented,” Butel said.
When asked to comment on the idea on exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia as a solution to a final comprehensive agreement, Butel said that it is up to Pristina and Belgrade to negotiate the content of the agreement and take into consideration all options which might lead to a comprehensive and final solution which would strengthen stability in the region. “The change of border idea was seen with scepticism, especially in Kosovo, Furthermore, also many other issues should be addressed within a comprehensive agreement,” she said.
Ambassador Butel said that France encourages both Pristina and Belgrade to reach a final and legally binding agreement. “In this phase, resumption of dialogue should be prioritized,” she said. “France, in coordination with Germany and the EU, is ready to facilitate resumption of the dialogue,” Ambassador Butel said. She said that in order to create preconditions to resume the dialogue, leaders in Kosovo and Serbia should avoid implementation of measures and giving statements which might create tensions. “This is the reason why France, with its key partners asked Kosovo authorities to suspend 100 percent tax on Serbian imports and asked Serbian authorities to suspend their campaign on de-recognition of Kosovo,” French Ambassador Marie-Christine Butel said
SBASHK announces strike as of Friday
(KTV)
The Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) has announced a strike that could start as of Friday, December 13th.
The strike was announced at a meeting of the Education Trade Union Steering Council.
This Union has decided that SBASHK Chairman Rrahman Jasharaj on Thursday will decide on actions in coordination with the Health and Police unions.
At the meeting it was proposed to hold a two-hour strike on Friday, and if the Constitutional Court suspends the Law on Salaries, to enter a general strike.
Jasharaj has not ruled out the possibility of a several weeks’ strike again as it was in January this year.
According to him, they are not putting pressure on anyone, but they are seeking exercise of their rights as provided by the Law on Salaries.
Head of the Union of Public Universities Bardh Bardhi abstained, saying that they have not yet decided whether they will take actions.
“Women excluded from security sector, inclusion remains a challenge”
(RTKLive)
The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies launched the “Women Security Forum” platform aimed at empowering women in advancing their rights in the security and rule of law sector in Kosovo.
Teuta Avdimetaj from KCSS said the project’s objective is to empower women’s role in society.
“Traditionally, we have seen that in the security field women were overlooked and not included in the field of study and policy-making, and an important turning point in this came with resolution 1325. We have seen through different cases that women can be victims but can also be a preventive factor,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Ambassador to Kosovo, Gerrie Willems, said the project encourages the participation of youth and women in political issues. She said the project will include ten Kosovo municipalities and underlined that the inclusion of women in security is a global challenge. “Despite efforts, women continue to face huge challenges in this field,” she said.
Furthermore, Willems said women in Kosovo remain excluded from the job market and denied family inheritance which is not in line with the Kosovo Constitution.
“Women are working to prevent the causes of many phenomena including violence and extremism.”
Kosovo declares Peter Handke ‘persona non grata’
(Gazeta Express)
Kosovo’s outgoing minister of Foreign Affairs, Behgjet Pacolli, said on Wednesday that he has declared Austrian writer Peter Handke, as “persona non-grata,” Gazeta Express reports.
Pacolli wrote in social media that the decision was taken after Nobel Laureate on
literature Peter Handke has denied war crimes committed in Kosovo by Slobodan
Milosevic’s regime during 1998-1999 war which left over 13 thousand people dead and 1600 are still considered as missing.
“Denying crimes and support for criminals is the most terrible crime,” Pacolli wrote.
Defense attorneys on „media indictment“ for Ivanovic’s murder: “Everything is upside down here,” “Not the first time”
(Kossev)
A day after Kosovo media suddenly published photographs of the alleged indictment against six suspects in the Oliver Ivanovic murder case, while also announcing that a protected witness’ statement would be „exclusively“ presented to the public on Tuesday, defense attorneys told KoSSev that they have yet to receive the indictments. On the other hand, the Special Prosecutor, Syle Hoxha was unable to confirm whether the indictment published by the Pristina-based Gazeta Express was authentic. „I don’t have the time to keep track of the media,“ Hoxha told KoSSev.
Early last week, Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office issued an indictment against six people suspected of involvement in the assassination of Oliver Ivanovic, informing the public about the indictment through a press release.
A week later, the Pristina-based portal Gazeta Express exclusively published photos of the alleged indictment, while also posting a few scanned passages.
In a brief phone conversation with the KoSSev portal, the Special Prosecutor, Syle Hoxha failed to confirm whether the published indictment was authentic because, in his words, he has „no time to keep track of“ the media.
Hoxha, however, added that he knows „that the prosecution has forwarded the indictment to the court.“
He then immediately cut off the connection and we were unable to get answers to the following questions: “Has the prosecution forwarded the indictment to the media? When will the indictment be officially published in Serbian language? How did the media obtain the indictment? Why was the indictment not delivered to the defense?“
We sent the same questions to the spokesperson of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, Ekrem Lutfi, via e-mail, who replied with a link to a press release published on the prosecution’s website on December 2nd.
The indictment has still not been submitted to the defense
Halimi: „They apparently changed their practice“
A lawyer of one of the indicted, Marko Rosic, Mahmut Halimi said in a statement to KoSSev that he was promised at the Prosecutor’s Office on Friday that he would receive the indictment by email, which still did not happen.
Speaking about the fact that the indictment first reached the media, even though it has not yet been submitted to the defense, Halimi says that this is not the first time such things have happened.
„Although it should be handed to us first, then to the media. But another good thing is that we (defense attorneys) have no right to give the indictment to anyone by law, not even the press, so they have often accused us of allegedly delivering it to them. However, now it looks like they have changed their practice, so they give it to the media first, then to us, all so that they cannot accuse us of this anymore,“ he underlined.
Korenica: „Everything is upside down here“
Nedeljko Spasojevic’s lawyer, Faruk Korenica also confirmed for KoSSev that he had not received the indictment.
„Nothing is done here as it should be done, instead of first giving the case files to the lawyers. So that we are kept up to date… This is done for the sake of someone’s publicity,“ Korenica said.
