• COVID-19: 218 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Assembly gives green light to KSF participating in peacekeeping operations (media)
• Constitutional Court to publish decision, elections on 7 or 14 February (Koha)
• Veliu’s remarks on Osmani draw sharp criticism (media)
• MP Haxhi Avdyli dismissed from all functions in LDK (media)
• Von Cramon: EU and U.S. to speak in one voice about Kosovo (Klan)
• EU court rejected Spain’s lawsuit against European Commission on Kosovo (Koha)
• More than 40 people injured in a gas tank blast in Ferizaj (media)

COVID-19: 218 new cases, five deaths (media)

218 new cases of COVID-19 and five deaths have been recorded in Kosovo over the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 484 recoveries have been reported over the same time period.

There are currently 8,269 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Assembly gives green light to KSF participating in peacekeeping operations (media)

Kosovo Assembly MPs has voted in favour of a Kosovo Security Force taking part in peacekeeping operations alongside the Iowa National Guard. The proposal received 92 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.

In urging MPs to vote for the KSF troops deploying abroad, Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said the endorsement of the proposal would be a realisation of an old dream. “The decision of the Government of Kosovo to deploy a KSF contingent abroad shows that Kosovo remains committed to increasing cooperation with the U.S. and ally countries. We should view this mission not only as a duty in the framework of our international relations but as a confirmation of our Euro-Atlantic journey,” Hoti said.

Acting President and Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani called the vote ‘historic’. “I am happy to be closing this legislature with such a decision. I am convinced this is only the beginning of the successes of our army,” she said.

Defence Minister Anton Cuni meanwhile said this represents a unique opportunity for Kosovo and its army. “The commitment and professionalism of the KSF is also being internationally recognised.”

In a statement, the Government of Kosovo said that upon an invitation from the United States, it has delivered to the Assembly the proposal to deploy a KSF contingent in missions to support regional stability and peacekeeping operations, under US Central Command. “The decision is based on the memorandum that the Government of the Republic of Kosovo has signed with the Embassy of the United States of America, for deploying the Kosovo Security Force on missions abroad jointly with the IOWA National Guard,” the statement reads.

In the coverage of the news, Associated Press reports that no specifics on the location of any missions or the number of the Kosovo peacekeepers to be deployed were made public.

Constitutional Court to publish decision, elections on 7 or 14 February (Koha)

Koha reports that the Constitutional Court is expected to publish the full text of its decision rejecting the legality of the MP Etem Arifi’s vote in the election of the government led by Avdullah Hoti and calling for the need to announce new elections as a result.

Quoting what is calls reliable sources, Koha reports that the court’s decision is ready and will be published today at the court’s website and submitted to the parties involved in the case.

“The next step will be the dissolving of the Assembly and the announcement of the election date,” the source said. Based on the legal provisions, the likeliest dates for extraordinary elections include 7 or 14 February.

Veliu’s remarks on Osmani draw sharp criticism (media)

A statement made by deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Minister of Interior, Agim Veliu, seemingly on the physical appearance of the acting President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has drawn strong criticism by civil society and political representatives.

Commenting Osmani’s statement that she would rejoin LDK if its current chairmanship were to go, Veliu told Periskopi news website: “I know she is huge and needs a lot of space, if you know what I mean, the context I am referring to. I know she is very big, broad, and needs a lot of space but I did not know she needed an entire chairmanship to move out so that she can fit.”

Veliu said he was sorry if anyone may have been offended by his choice of vocabulary but that it was not made towards someone’s physical appearance but in the political context. At the same time, the chairperson of the Women’s forum of the LDK, Lirie Kajtazi, said they oppose any type of offensive language, regardless of who uses it.

Luljeta Demolli from the Kosovo Centre for Gender Studies called Veliu’s statement misogynistic and an expression of distrust in the women’s role in politics. “Life in politics is seen as being men-dominated,” said Demolli noting that statements like that of Veliu diminish women’s ambitions to participate in politics.

Egnesa Vitia, associate of Osmani, said on social media that Veliu should be dismissed for the statements she said were sexist, unacceptable and disgusting. “You cannot lead our institutions, you cannot represent anyone in this society because you embody everything that we should detach from once and for all.”

Former MP turned political commentator Visar Ymeri said Veliu’s remarks were inappropriate and unacceptable. “Discussions on the physical appearance of anyone in the public scene, especially the political one, are not only denigrating and mean but also ignorant,” he said. Ymeri noted that such comments show what he termed as a serious absence of meaningful political discourse.

Columnist Enver Robelli wrote on Facebook that politicians employing sexist language should be sanctioned: “Do not vote for such men.” He added that the public debate should be characterized by confrontation of arguments not remarks towards someone’s physical appearance, and also not stereotype and judgmental terms.

MP Haxhi Avdyli dismissed from all functions in LDK (media)

Haxhi Avdyli, MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), is reported to have been dismissed from all party functions.

“The chairmanship of the LDK branch in Prizren took the decision unanimously,”  Nderim Gashi, secretary of the party in Prizren, told Zeri.

Avdyli has been dismissed along with three other members of the LDK – Arsim Berisha, Artan Hoxha, and Fadil Berisha. Gashi cited activity in other political initiatives as a reason behind the decision to dismiss the four officials.

Avdyli said he was not surprised by the decision adding that LDK retaliated against him for criticizing the government led by Avdullah Hoti. He also told Koha that he would be joining Vjosa Osmani’s civic initiative.

Von Cramon: EU and U.S. to speak in one voice about Kosovo (Klan)

European Parliament rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, said she hoped that the European Union will find a partner in the incoming U.S. administration.

“I hope we will speak in one voice, that we will have from Washington more support than in the past three years and a half. I believe we will have people coming from the Department of State and the White House who understand the dialogue and the region better than the outgoing administration,” she told Klan Kosova via video.

Von Cramon also spoke about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue saying that an acceptable solution for the two parties should be the end-goal. “President [of Serbia] Vucic has a strong majority in the parliament. He considers himself to be a strong president and I really don’t understand why he wouldn’t be in a position to find an opportunity for an agreement with Kosovo. I don’t see any other possibility and things cannot be more right than now. We need to work with those that are in power and I am quite hopeful that we will find a solution,” she said.

On the visa liberalisation issue, the EP rapporteur said skeptical countries would have been better convinced had Kosovo had in place an ambitious programme to fight corruption and organised crime. Von Cramon said however that she hoped visa-free travel for Kosovo will be made possible in 2021.

EU court rejected Spain’s lawsuit against European Commission on Kosovo (Koha)

The paper reports that back in September, the European Union court had dismissed Spain’s lawsuit against the European Commission disputing the decision to refer to Kosovo as a ‘third country’ in signing an agreement for participation of the national regulatory authorities (NRA) of Kosovo in the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). According to Spain, Kosovo is not legally a ‘third country’ and the European Commission had no legal basis to refer to Kosovo as such.

The court concluded that the concept of ‘third country’ has a broader scope which goes beyond sovereign States alone, with the result that Kosovo is capable of falling within it, without prejudice to the position of the European Union or its Member States as regards the status of Kosovo as an independent State. Similarly, as a ‘third country’, Kosovo may also have public authorities, such as the NRA of Kosovo, with the result that the Kingdom of Spain’s assertion that ‘only a State can have an NRA’ cannot reasonably succeed.

Koha Ditore writes that the court’s ruling has not been reported in the media as it was overshadowed by other events but notes that it represents the first time that an EU court tackles the status of Kosovo issue.

More than 40 people injured in a gas tank blast in Ferizaj (media)

42 people were injured after a gas tank exploded yesterday afternoon at a restaurant in Ferizaj.

According to authorities, seven persons injured in the explosions are in serious condition and some are expected to be sent abroad for further medical treatment.

Following the explosion, calls have increased for Kosovo to establish a medical facility for treatment of burns. Acting President Vjosa Osmani said in a visit to patients treated at the Kosovo University Clinical Centre in Pristina that this tragedy showed the importance of long-term investments in healthcare. Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti wished those injured a speedy recovery and said that the circumstances that led to the explosion need to be determined as soon as possible.