Albanian Language Media:

• LDK presents five-point offer to LVV (media)
• Mustafa: LDK to remain in opposition if LVV rejects offer (media)
• LVV’s Nagavci: Not the time for new elections (media)
• Only swearing in of MPs expected in today’s Assembly session (Kosovapress)
• KDI’s Murati: Not reasonable to talk of fresh elections (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Donja Brnjica village: A Serbian house robbed (KIM radio)
• “Serbia will not join NATO while Vucic is in power” (BETA, B92)
• Ombudsman: An increasing number of children using drugs (KIM radio)

International:

• Coalition Talks Remain Deadlocked in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Heroes of 2019: People Who Took Action for Positive Change (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

LDK presents five-point offer to LVV (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has come out with a coalition offer to the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) consisting of five points.

LDK MP Lumir Abdixhiku said in a Facebook post where he presented the offer that it was based on proportional division of responsibilities and states that the posts of prime minister and one deputy prime minister would go to LVV while those of Assembly speaker and one deputy prime minister to LDK. “Deputy speakers of the Assembly would be split based on the constitutional order.”

The party said that once the Kosovo president’s post is assumed by a candidate proposed by the LDK, “a ministry led by LDK would go to LVV, making the governing ratio 6 to 4 in favour of the latter.”

“If LVV is not willing to accept LDK’s proposal and views LDK as an obstacle, the LDK stands ready to give up all demands for responsibility and leave all to LVV. As a result, LDK would unconditionally, with its 28 MPs, vote for a LVV-led government without the LDK in it,” the party said after the meeting of its leadership today.

Mustafa: LDK to remain in opposition if LVV rejects offer (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa addressed the media after the meeting of the party leadership ahead of today’s constitutive session of the Assembly.

Mustafa spoke about the coalition offer LDK made to Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) and underlined that if the offer is rejected, LDK would be ready to remain in the opposition.

“We are interested and committed to give the country a solution. We are ready to continue seeking it. LDK has agreed for the government to be proportionally divided with 5 ministries for LDK and 5 for LVV. We have agreed for the posts of prime minister and one deputy prime minister to go to LVV. The first deputy prime minister and Assembly speaker would go to LDK,” said Mustafa.

He also said that LDK would propose a candidate for the post of president and that name would also have to be accepted by LVV. Once the president is elected, elaborated Mustafa, LVV would be given an additional ministry. “Under all these scenarios, LVV would have more posts. It would have 7 governing posts and two deputy speakers.”

LVV’s Nagavci: Not the time for new elections (media)

Vetevendosje Movement MP, Arberie Nagavci, has urged the Democratic League of Kosovo to accept the offer for a coalition government warning that Kosovo has neither time nor luxury to head to fresh elections.

“I want to believe there are those in LDK that want immediate change that the country needs. I want to believe electoral statements were not a farce or empty words. I want to believe there are voices and rational minds that take decisions in the good of the country. These voices need to be heard today, now. I expect discussions to be based in the interest of the country,” Nagavci said in a Facebook post.

She added that the interest of Kosovo is to immediately form new institutions and set new standards of governance. “We have no time to lose, we have no luxury to discourage the youth and no need to get mobilised one more for elections. The energy that would be spent would bring us in the same situation with LVV being the first (even though most likely with even more MPs) should instead be focused on good governance now. We have a lot of work ahead,” Nagavci said adding that there is still time for a coalition agreement to be reached.

Only swearing in of MPs expected in today’s Assembly session (Kosovapress)

Political analyst, Ramush Tahiri, spoke to Kosovapress news website and said that he although the constitutive session of the Assembly is expected to be concluded in a day, today’s one could be suspended as soon as new MPs are sworn in and continue when and if there is agreement on election of the speaker and deputy speakers. 

Tahiri explained that the right for proposing a candidate for Assembly speaker is with the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV). “If Vetevendosje’s proposal for Assembly speaker is not endorsed, the session goes on break, and when the votes are secured it reconvenes. The proposal may go on indefinitely, up until an election is successful because no one, except Vetevendosje, is entitled by the Constitution, laws, and regulations to put forward a proposal for speaker.” 

KDI’s Murati: Not reasonable to talk of fresh elections (RTK)

Artan Murati from the Kosovo Democratic Institute think tank, said that today’s constitutive session of the Assembly could be suspended until votes for the election of speaker and chairmanship are secured.

Murati said that the right to propose a candidate for Assembly speaker is with the winning party, Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), but in the absence of a coalition agreement, the election of Assembly leadership could be suspended and today’s session could only see the new MPs sworn in. He said any delay in electing leadership of the Assembly is damaging for Kosovo and warned that fresh elections are not in the best interest. “I don’t think it is reasonable to speak of new elections knowing that they will cost at least 4 to 6 million euros,“ he said. 

Serbian Language Media

Donja Brnjica village: A Serbian house robbed (KIM radio)

KIM radio reported that household robberies do not cease in Serb communities in Kosovo. 

In the village of Donja Brnjica near Pristina, unknown persons robbed the home of Bojkovic’s family. 

The family reported to the police, but they say they do not hope that the perpetrators will be found. 

Milisav Bojkovic estimates that the value of the stolen items was 1,500 – 1,700 euros.

KIM radio reported that in this village, dozens of tractors and cars have been taken and that a dozen heads of large and small cattle were stolen.

Although all cases of theft have been reported regularly to the police, no perpetrator has been identified so far.

“Serbia will not join NATO while Vucic is in power” (BETA, B92)

Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin says Serbia will not join NATO, while Aleksandar Vucic and this parliamentary majority are in charge, BETA news agency reports.

For the next year, he announced the first military exercise with China.

“We are cooperating with the NATO Alliance, but we are also cooperating with the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization made by former USSR countries) that do not ask us to give up part of the territory”, Vulin said at the Serbian Parliament.

“We will have a military exercise with China next year. We have never done that, and it is useful for us to learn how the Chinese are doing it, they are not a member of any military alliance and the question is why we have not had such an exercise so far”, Vulin said.

He said that military neutrality is “expensive” but that there is no pressure to give it up because he added, “you are not a free country if someone else is guarding the sky”, Vulin said.

See at: https://bit.ly/37bdlwt

Ombudsman: An increasing number of children using drugs (KIM radio)

As part of the exercise of its legal powers and responsibilities, the Ombudsman published a Report with recommendations on the use of narcotic substances by children. It is estimated that the use of drugs in early childhood is of concern, and that the expertise of Centers for Social Work to handle these cases is lacking.

The case has been formally opened with the aim of assessing the current situation regarding the use of narcotic substances by children in Kosovo, and making recommendations to the competent institutions, to take all necessary measures to prevent and treat children who are drug users.

According to the Ombudsman, after reviewing the legislation, international instruments and information obtained from various institutions and non-governmental organizations and available data, the use of drugs by children is a worrying phenomenon, adding to the fact that the age of the users has decreased significantly and that from the year per year, this phenomenon has also touched children as young as 10.

Also, in this report, the Ombudsman concludes that there is a lack of specialized Youth Treatment Centers that are drug users and a lack of appropriate prevention programs.

The report further concludes that the expertise of Centers for Social Work staff who deal with cases of children who are drug users is lacking within their legal mandate.

The report also makes specific and concrete recommendations regarding the procedures to be followed by the Ministry of Health, Kosovo Police, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kosovo Judicial Council and Kosovo Prosecutorial Council in order to improve the current situation.

International

Coalition Talks Remain Deadlocked in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Albin Kurti, leader of Vetevendosje (Self-Determination), the party that topped the last elections in Kosovo, said on Wednesday that negotiations with the second-placed Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, had failed – and the two parties would therefore go into the constitutive session of parliament on Thursday without an agreement on forming a new government.

Almost three months after Kosovo held elections on October 6, negotiations between the two big parties are stuck mainly over an agreed candidate for the next presidential elections.

So far, the parties have agreed to have five ministries each – but negotiations appear deadlocked over the LDK’s demand to select the presidential candidate.

See at: https://bit.ly/2tNAdUd

Development/Humanitarian

Heroes of 2019: People Who Took Action for Positive Change (BIRN)

From cyber activists combatting political corruption to campaigners against sexual violence and ordinary people who showed extraordinary kindness to the poor and vulnerable, BIRN profiles some of those who made a difference in 2019.

This year was a turbulent one in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, but the heroic acts of a number of people helped lighten the gloom. Some extraordinary women and men pushed at traditional boundaries, and reached higher and further, in what is all too often a discouraging environment.

Many of them defied governments, corrupt politicians and leant-on judiciaries. Many of them are still feeling the consequences of their brave acts, but one thing is for sure – the support they received from the public also deserves praise and attention.

See at: https://bit.ly/37b6cMM