• COVID – 19: 260 new cases, 2 deaths (media)
• Zemaj: Kosovo has secured over 1 million Covid vaccines (media)
• PDK says Government’s approach to Covid vaccines is ‘alarming’ (media)
• VV assembles General Council, Kurti to lead ticket and run for PM (Koha)
• LVV: Kurti not denied the right to run for MP or prime minister (media)
• Haziri: LDK prefers a joint ticket not pre-election coalition (Telegrafi)
• Isufi: AAK will be in the new government regardless of who wins (EO/media)
• Mustafa: Polls are propaganda, LDK will be the first party (Express)
• Political parties hold rallies, fail to respect anti-COVID measures (Kallxo)
• Prishtina municipality warns to fine parties for organising rallies (Zeri)
• Acting President Osmani to visit Brussels this week (Klan)
• “Election rallies are rendering the anti-COVID measures useless” (media)
• LVV vows to reapply reciprocity towards Serbia (Koha)
• War veterans’ deputy leader boycotts Hague court hearing (Balkan Insight)

COVID – 19: 260 new cases, 2 deaths (media)

260 new cases of COVID – 19 and two deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 679 persons recovered from the virus during this period. There are 6,704 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Zemaj: Kosovo has secured over 1 million Covid vaccines (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health Armend Zemaj stated that Kosovo has managed to more than 1 million Covid vaccines and that it is successfully coping with the pandemic.

In a Facebook post Zemaj wrote: “I would like to reassure you, citizens of my country, that we have already secured 1,220,000 Covid vaccines. Until the vaccines arrive, let’s continue to respect the measures and not overburden health institutions.”

PDK says Government’s approach to Covid vaccines is ‘alarming’ (media)

Uran Ismaili from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said the statement from the Pfizer/BioNtech representatives that there is still no signed agreement with Kosovo for the provision of the Covid vaccine is ‘alarming’.

“It is painful that while citizens of the countries in the region have already begun vaccinations against the virus, the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo still don’t know if they will receive the vaccines this year or not,” Ismaili wrote on Facebook.

He called the Government of Kosovo to “come out with quick and complete clarifications and tell everyone when the vaccines will arrive in Kosovo and whether there is a signed agreement. Otherwise, all this haste on the part of the Government to make false statements will be nothing more than a campaign attempt.”

VV assembles General Council, Kurti to lead ticket and run for PM (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page this morning that the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) will assemble its General Council next week where it will announce that Albin Kurti will lead the election ticket and that he will run for the post of Kosovo Prime Minister in the February parliamentary elections.

LVV: Kurti not denied the right to run for MP or prime minister (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has published a statement on its Facebook page commenting on the Constitutional Court ruling on the legality of MP Etem Arifi’s vote for the current government of Kosovo and interpretations that it bans Albin Kurti from running in upcoming elections because of his conviction for release of tear gas at the Assembly.

“We addressed the court about the illegality of the Government and the mandate of Etem Arifi as being convicted to prison sentence. The court fully confirmed our claims. The Hoti government was illegal. The mandate of the convict was illegal. The leader of the Vetevendosje Movement is not denied, nor is there any obstacle for him to be a candidate for deputy or prime minister. Very soon the General Council will convene and the candidacy will be announced,” the statement reads.

At the same time, Vetevendosje has announced internal elections to determine who will run for MP. In a Facebook post, LVV called on all members who are interested to take part in upcoming elections to submit their candidacies.

Haziri: LDK prefers a joint ticket not pre-election coalition (Telegrafi)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri said after the meeting of the party’s chairmanship on Saturday that their election ticket will consist of credible people who represent LDK’s ideology while with regards to the prospect of pre-election coalitions with other parties, Haziri said there is no decision yet.

“Talks are ongoing. The LDK leader and the prime ministerial candidate have authorisations to have meetings be it with political parties or other entities. The mere fact that talks are ongoing I would not like to comment more but they will be announced next week. In principle, there will be no pre-election coalitions in the classic sense of the term. There will be coalitions with parties or individuals that will be represented in a joint political ticket,” he said.

Isufi: AAK will be in the new government regardless of who wins (EO/media)

Deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ahmet Isufi said that they will be a partner in the new government of Kosovo: “We will be part of the government no matter who wins the right to form the government.”

Speaking to the Ekonomia Online news website, Isufi said that AAK has no red lines against any political party. “We have timely stated that the democracy works when there is partnership between political parties and not hostilities.”

Mustafa: Polls are propaganda, LDK will be the first party (Express)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Isa Mustafa told the news website on Sunday that recent polls according to which the LDK will not be the leading party in the upcoming parliamentary elections, “are propaganda”. “For a long time now, I see polls only as propaganda … The LDK will come out as the first party based on its program, institutional seriousness and governing values,” he said.

Political parties hold rallies, fail to respect anti-COVID measures (Kallxo)

The news website reported on Sunday that most political parties have started organising rallies in different municipalities, even before the official start of the election campaign. In the rallies, which are mainly held in closed premises, the parties are failing to respect the government’s measures against the further spread of COVID – 19.

“Election rallies are rendering the anti-COVID measures useless” (media)

Kosovo Chamber of Commerce chairman Berat Rukiqi took to Facebook on Sunday to argue that anti-COVID measures are being violated in election rallies organised by political parties. “The recent election rallies in closed premises are rendering useless all restrictive measures against the spread of the pandemic,” he wrote. “How can they justify the limitations on working hours. Politicians and citizens are equal before the law. It is hypocrisy that the same people who promise the rule of law are the ones that violate the law.”

Prishtina municipality warns to fine parties for organising rallies (Zeri)

Prishtina municipality issued a statement on Sunday warning all political parties that plan to organise rallies in the capital, the paper reports. Adonis Tahiri, head of the Inspection Department in Prishtina municipality, said the law provides that are people are not allowed to gather because of the pandemic and that the inspection department will issue €2,000 fines against parties that organise election rallies during the pandemic.

Acting President Osmani to visit Brussels this week (Klan)

Acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani is expected to undertake a visit to Brussels on the 13th of this month.

While officials from Osmani’s cabinet did not give details about the upcoming visit, a spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed that Osmani will meet in Brussels the Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and the Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

LVV vows to reapply reciprocity towards Serbia (Koha)

Spokesperson for the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Perparim Kryeziu said that the relations between Kosovo and Serbia should be on the basis of reciprocity.

“For us, reciprocity is not an ad hoc measure, equal to a government decision that can be withdrawn. For us, it is a matter of national policy, which we have maintained probably since 2011,” he said adding that the measure will be reinstated if the party leads the new government.

Representatives of the civil society meanwhile say that the new government, expected to be led by Kurti, should not make decisions without coordination with the international community. “Every step taken by the new government must be thought throughout, coordinated with the European Union in this case as facilitators and the U.S., and protect and guarantee the interest of Kosovo,” said Jeta Krasniqi from the Kosovo Democratic Institute of Kosovo (KDI).

Kosovo war veterans’ deputy leader boycotts Hague court hearing (Balkan Insight)

Pre-trial judge Nicolas Guillou entered not-guilty plea on behalf of Nasim Haradinaj, the deputy leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans’ Organisation, at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague on Friday.

The plea was entered in accordance with court’s regulations after Haradinaj did not appear in court.

Haradinaj’s lawyer told the court that his client did not want to take part in the hearing “as a protest about the way he has been treated”.

Haradinaj is accused of obstructing justice and intimidating witnesses. He and the KLA Army War Veterans’ Organisation’s leader, Hysni Gucati, were both charged after batches of confidential case files from the Specialist Chambers were leaked to them and both men urged media to publish the material.

Gucati pleaded not guilty to all charges last month.

Gucati and Haradinaj were arrested in September after a raid on the KLA War Veterans’ Organisation’s offices and sent to The Hague.

The indictment alleges that between September 7 and 25, 2020, “on the occasion of three press conferences and other broadcasted events, as well as through… social media statements, Mr. Gucati and Mr. Haradinaj revealed, without authorisation” lawfully protected information.

It also claims that they identified “details of certain (potential) witnesses”.

The Specialist Chambers were set up to try former KLA guerrillas for crimes allegedly committed during and just after the Kosovo war from 1998 to 2000. They are part of Kosovo’s judicial system but located in the Netherlands and staffed by internationals.

The so-called ‘special court’, widely resented by Kosovo Albanians who see it as an insult to the KLA’s war for liberation from Serbian rule, was set up under pressure from Kosovo’s Western allies.

Those awaiting trial for wartime crimes include Kosovo’s recently-resigned President Hashim Thaci and former Democratic Party of Kosovo leader Kadri Veseli alongside two other guerrillas turned politicians, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. They have all pleaded not guilty.