Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 444 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Haradinaj-Stublla resigns as foreign minister and quits AAK (Prishtina Insight)
• Borell: 10 years since the dialogue started, it is time to conclude it (Express)
• Hodzic: We’ll use all legal means to get votes back (media)
• ECAP calls for recount of votes in 134 polling stations (media)
• KSF embarks on its first international deployment (media)
• Tome Gashi prepares lawsuits against Dick Marty and Carla Del Ponte (Gazeta Express)
• Duda Balje and Veton Berisha submit appeals to the Supreme Court (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• 61 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Hodzic filed complaint to Supreme Court: We’ll address the international courts if need be (Kosovo-online) 
• Garipi: The Roma Initiative appealed to the Supreme Court (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• Court annuls detention of four youngsters, proposal for other three to remain under house arrest (Radio KIM)
• Stankovic: They drag Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja into dialogue in vain (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti)
• CoE Belgrade Office Head: Serbia makes some progress in rule of law, more to do (N1)

Opinion:

• About a “Greater Serbian hegemony” (Kosovo-online, Novi Standard)

International:

• In Central and Southeast Europe the EU is Losing Vaccination Race to Russia (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• In Kosovo, three organisations are showing what women can do when given the chance to lead (Emerging Europe)
• International Women’s Day Marked in Southeast, Central Europe Despite Pandemic (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 444 new cases, 13 deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 444 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 452 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 9,761 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Haradinaj-Stublla resigns as foreign minister and quits AAK (Prishtina Insight)

Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla announced on Tuesday that she is stepping down from her position as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and withdrawing from membership of her party, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK.

Haradinaj-Stublla has been the subject of recent allegations of vote-rigging in the press, with Insajderi reporting on Sunday that her husband, Dardan Stublla, bribed election commissioners to help her win a seat at the Kosovo Assembly. The portal also provided an alleged “wiretap” recording of a conversation between Stublla and an election commissioner.

In a Facebook post announcing her resignation, Haradinaj-Stublla urged the State Prosecutor’s Office to shed light on the veracity of the recording and the allegations against her as quickly as possible.

The former minister stated that her decision to resign was a “moral obligation” and not due to any responsibility “for the manipulations and accusations that have been ruthlessly leveled at [her].” She added that lawsuits filed for defamation, slander and blackmail “will remain active.”

On Monday, AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj called on justice institutions to investigate any electoral irregularities, stressing the importance of pluralism and internal democracy within his party. “Manipulators, whoever they are and for whatever interests, I wish them merited punishments,” he stated.

In her resignation statement, Haradinaj-Stublla described leaving AAK as something “she never thought would come.” However, the former minister added that she was “at peace” with “leaving the toxic presence of some people who make the AAK an unreformable party, and its isolated leader [Ramush] Haradinaj.”

Haradinaj-Stublla previously served as an advisor to Ramush Haradinaj during his time as prime minister between 2017-2019. She was appointed foreign minister on June 3, 2020, becoming the first woman to hold the position full time in Kosovo.

Borell: 10 years since the dialogue started, it is time to conclude it (Express)

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell has said that the time has come for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue to end

”10 years ago, the 1st Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue meeting took place in Brussels. We have come a long way, it’s time to conclude the process. EU is working with the Parties on a comprehensive normalization agreement that will open the way for both Serbia and Kosovo’s European future,” Borrel wrote on his Twitter account.

Hodzic: We’ll use all legal means to get votes back (media)

Adrijana Hodzic, leader of the civic initiative Ujedinjena Zajednica, filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of Kosovo today over a decision by the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel to annul votes for Bosniak parties in Serb majority municipalities.

“We just submitted the complaint. The decision made yesterday is scandalous and unacceptable as it violates the people’s right to exercise their vote. The decision is a challenge for all Kosovo institutions and with the response we get from the Supreme Court we will see if Kosovo is a state of law or not. We will use all legal means, and if this is not enough, we will use mechanisms outside the country too,” Hodzic said.

ECAP calls for recount of votes in 134 polling stations (media)

The Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) has asked the Central Election Commission to recount votes from 134 polling stations.

“The result from the recount of these polling stations will be included in the final election result,” said ECAP in its decision.

Koha reports that ECAP has not specified which polling stations will head for recount and whether these pertain to the votes of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).

KSF embarks on its first international deployment (media)

A contingent of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) embarked on its first peacekeeping mission abroad as part of the U.S. Army troops in Kuwait for a period of six months.

Acting President Vjosa Osmani said in a ceremony today that the KSF mission will be small but sends a powerful message. She also noted that this would not have been possible without the United States support. 

“From a country that imported peacekeeping troops today we are exporting peacekeeping troops,” she said. “You are embarking on a new sacrifice which will not be only yours but also of the U.S. and other allies. Whoever threatens the U.S. and our allies has threatened the Republic of Kosovo too,” Osmani told the KSF troops during a farewell ceremony.

Tome Gashi prepares lawsuits against Dick Marty and Carla Del Ponte (Gazeta Express)

Lawyer Tome Gashi has announced that he is preparing civil lawsuits against former Senator Dick Marty and former Chief Prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal, Carla Del Ponte, reports Gazeta Express.

“In the capacity of a lawyer and under the authorization of Mr. Mersin Katuci, a criminal report is being prepared as well as a civil lawsuit against the Swiss senator Dick Marty who had gone clandestinely, disguised in the properties and house of Mr. Mersin Katuci, in the village Gure, Republic of Albania. Although no evidence of human organ trafficking was found in the Katuci family home, Dick Marty deceived and misled the Council of Europe by claiming that members of the KLA during and after the war allegedly held hundreds of civilians, Albanians, Serbs, Roma, in his house, illegally tortured them, killed them, and removed their bodies for international trafficking,” Gashi said.

He has said that Dick Marty’s false report has misled MPs who voted for the Special Court.

“Dick Marty’s false report misled the Council of Europe which authorized the U.S. prosecutor within EULEX Clint Williamson, to investigate these allegations, and 82 MPs of the Republic of Kosovo in August 2015, were misled without possessing Clint Williamson’s report at all, and they voted for the Special Court”, he wrote.

Duda Balje and Veton Berisha submit appeals to the Supreme Court (RTK)

Duda Balje, representative of the Bosniak community together with the representative of the Egyptian community Veton Berisha, submitted complaints with regards to the 14 February elections, at the Supreme Court.

“We have received the decision of the ECAP yesterday, and I as the representative of Bosniaks am pleased, however we had two not quite clear points. I think that one of them was a technical problem and some votes are partially annulled. The state should protect us, we are all applying for the seats guaranteed by the Constitution,” she said.

Veton Berisha on the other hand said that their appeal is related to the annulment of all the votes for the Roma Initiative.

“Today, we as Liberal Egyptian Party submitted a complaint to the Supreme Court. We have come today to appeal on the ECAP decision. The appeal is valid for all municipalities. We are here for the same issue: to annul the votes in additional three municipalities, such as in Gracanica. We expect from the Supreme Court to fulfill our demand,” he said.  

Serbian Language Media

61 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Out of 150 tested samples, 61 were positive on Covid-19, while one person passed away, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced today, KoSSev portal reports.

Out of the new 61 cases, 42 were registered in northern Kosovo and 16 in central Kosovo.

The breakdown of the cases is as follows: 22 in Mitrovica North, nine in Zvecan, seven in Priluzje, six each in Leposavic, Gnjilane and Strpce, five in Zubin Potok and one in Kamenica.

Deceased person was from Mitrovica North. The latest recorded death brings the total number of deceased people in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, since the outbreak of the pandemic at 114.

Currently there are 686 active cases in the Serbian areas in Kosovo. 

Gracanica: Nine new cases of coronavirus

In the territory of the municipality of Gracanica nine cases of Covid-19 were registered, while 47 covid patients were hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Laplje Selo, reported portal Kosovo Online today.

Hodzic filed complaint to Supreme Court: We’ll address the international courts if need be (Kosovo-online) 

President of the Civic Initiative United Community, Adrijana Hodzic, filed this morning an appeal at the Supreme Court of Kosovo against the decision of the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP), which decided on March 8 to annul the votes received by Bosniak political entities and Roma Initiative in Serb-majority municipalities, Kosovo-online portal reports citing Ekonomija Online.  

She also announced that she would address international court instances and organizations.

“Yesterday’s decision is scandalous and unacceptable, because it violates the rights of citizens to use their vote. This decision is a challenge for all Kosovo institutions, and with the answer we receive from the Supreme Court, we will see whether Kosovo is a state governed by the rule of law or not. We will use all legal mechanisms”,  Hodzic said after filing an appeal.

According to the decision of the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel, Adriana Hodzic has 4,205 votes annulled in Zubin Potok, Strpce, Ranilug, Gracanica, Partes, Klokot, Novo Brdo, North Mitrovica, Zvecan and Leposavic.

ECAP also annulled the votes won by the Vakat coalition, the Social Democratic Union, Nasa inicijativa, and the New Democratic Party in Serbian areas.

Also, ECAP annulled more than 800 votes that the Roma Initiative received in Serbian communities in Kosovo, and which won two seats with 4,049 votes.

Garipi: The Roma Initiative appealed to the Supreme Court (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)

The Roma Initiative (RI) has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Kosovo against the decision of the Electoral Panel for Appeals and Petitions, which annulled more than 800 votes that this political option received in municipalities with a majority Serb population, Sunaj Garipi confirmed for RTV KiM.

If the RI members are not satisfied with the decision of the Supreme Court, they will file an appeal to the Constitutional Court, Garipi said.

“We have filed an appeal and asked for those votes to be returned to us. This decision nullified the good will of the citizens to give their vote to whomever they want. They do not know whether those are votes of Roma, Serbs or Albanians. We are waiting for the Supreme Court’s answer; we hope that votes we won will be returned. Our next instance will be the Constitutional Court,” he said.

Court annuls detention of four youngsters, proposal for other three to remain under house arrest (Radio KIM)

The Basic Court branch in Gracanica made a new decision relating to the case of seven Serb youngsters involved in a fight in Laplje Selo, previously sent to one-month detention, Radio KIM reports.

Based on the prosecutor’s proposal the court decided to annul the decision on detention of four youngsters, while for the other three a measure of house arrest was proposed. The final decision will be made at 14.00, today, lawyer Negovan Saranovic told the media.

Radio KIM added that parents and other relatives of the arrested young men gathered in front of the court.

Today’s session follows the decision of the Appellate Court to accept complaints of the defense lawyers relating to one-month detention assigned to seven youngsters involved in a fight.

In a fight that took place in Laplje Selo on February 22, two persons sustained injuries, one of whom was underage. However, the case against the underage I.M. is being held in Pristina, Radio KIM recalled.

Stankovic: They drag Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja into dialogue in vain (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti)

The President of the Coordination Body for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, Zoran Stankovic stated that the provocations and wishes of Albanian politicians are one, and that Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja function according to the Constitution of Serbia, laws and international conventions and will not be discussed in dialogue, reported Belgrade based daily Vecernje Novosti.

Stankovic emphasized that the application of the law in the area of the three municipalities is being carried out by the heads of local self-governments and state bodies of Serbia with the full support of international community officials, who are firm in the position that there will not be talks about the territory in Brussels or elsewhere, because it is an  inalienable part of Serbia, quoted portal Kosovo Online. 

He adds that in the upcoming local elections in Presevo, with the achieved unity, Serbs can achieve a good result.

“If they are united, they can achieve the result they want, and which corresponds to the number of Serbs in Presevo. There are no Serbs in the local self-government in Bujanovac, but they are in leading positions in health centers, primary and secondary schools, cadastre, tax administration, post office and police,” said Stankovic.

“I did not see that Kamberi’s speeches in the Assembly were glorified by Albanians, but I read, saw and listened that some Serbs enthusiastically commented, and the media in Serbian. Kamberi took the role of MP seriously, he prepares for every session. But that kind of rhetoric is not transmitted to the Albanian population and will not affect interethnic relations,” says Stankovic.

Stankovic commented on the alleged lack of textbooks for the Albanian population in these municipalities and pointed out that only Albanians make up the local government in Presevo and Bujanovac and that three municipalities receive an additional two million euros from the state each year.

“Apart from the regular budget, three municipalities receive an additional two million euros from the state every year. Albanians exclusively form the local government in Presevo and Bujanovac, they are educated and informed in their mother tongue, have three deputies in the Assembly, make up more than 50 percent of the police in Presevo, receive salaries and pensions, and have complete freedom of movement and religion. Since 2009, the Coordinating body has been providing 600 dinars per month per student, so last school year, 16,200,000 dinars were allocated for 300 students. Over eight years, more than 300 million dinars have been awarded for non-refundable funds to small and medium enterprises. During the last year, 44 new textbooks were introduced in classes in the Albanian language,” Stankovic emphasized.

When it comes to the display of the Albanian flag, which was complained about by the Albanian population, Stankovic said that the issue will soon be resolved through the display of the Albanian flag, which, as with other minorities, differs from the home country.

“During the floods, I visited the Albanian areas of Konculj and Lucane, and Albanian flags are prominent there, and they can be seen sporadically in other places as well. This does not mean the weakness of the state, but a certain degree of tolerance. Everything will be resolved soon. The Albanian national minority should have its own flag and coat of arms, which, as with other minorities, will be different from the characteristics of the home country,” says Stankovic.

Stankovic stated that he had been following the trial in The Hague against Thaci and other KLA leaders, and that, given the fact that he was conducting autopsies of the killed Serbs, he would respond to the summons from the Prosecutor’s Office.

“I follow regularly, it is the obligation of everyone to respond and participate in discovering and proving the truth about the suffering in Kosovo and Metohija. By the unreasonable decisions of the international community, members of the police and army, who were killed and perished during their regular duties in Kosovo, will have no satisfaction of justice. Everywhere in the world, they belong to the most protected category, only in Kosovo could they be killed with impunity,” Stankovic concluded, reported portal Kosovo Online.

CoE Belgrade Office Head: Serbia makes some progress in rule of law, more to do (N1)

Tobias Flessenkemper, the Head of the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Belgrade, told N1 Serbia made some progress in the rule of law but that more substantial changes were needed.

“More has to be done to strengthen the prosecutors’ autonomy, judicial reform… The Government said it would do that through the Constitutional changes,“ he said.

Flessenkemper added it was most important, and “that is why we expect the implementation of those changes“.

See at: https://bit.ly/3l0LJ5u

Opinion

About a “Greater Serbian hegemony” (Kosovo-online, Novi Standard)

By Muharem Bazdulj

Since complaining about a “Greater Serbian hegemony” has been popular in the regional context, let’s have a look at the consequences it had on the surrounding countries and peoples.

Knowledge is power and the best gift, and one, of course, should not look a gift horse in the mouth. Although the timing is far from ideal and although such insinuations at a time when the deceased has not even cooled down are indecent, to say the least, we have learned that Djordje Balasevic had participated in the criminal project of “Greater Serbian hegemony” directed primarily against Albanians in the mid-1980s by singing a song titled “Don’t Break My Acacias” (“Ne lomite mi bagrenje”) and that the Albanians were the biggest, but by no means the only victims of a “Greater Serbian hegemony” at the time when he sang that song so brutally.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2N3ceuo

International

In Central and Southeast Europe the EU is Losing Vaccination Race to Russia (Balkan Insight)

As frustration with Brussels grows, the COVID-19 vaccination race is turning into a battle that could have much broader geopolitical repercussions beyond people’s health.

To Kremlin delight and Brussels’ growing frustration, the painfully slow progress of the EU’s vaccination program is forcing more and more countries in Central and Southeast Europe to consider administering the Russian and/or Chinese jabs to their populations.

Besides the immediate impact on the lives and health of citizens across Europe, the outcome of this vaccination race could have major geopolitical repercussions that reverberate for years to come.

“Russia will gladly take up any issue that can divide the EU,” Maxim Samorukov, deputy editor and a fellow at Carnegie Moscow, told BIRN. “This is a great opportunity to show that Russia is better organised, better mobilised.”

Cracks began to appear in the unity of the EU’s centralised vaccination procurement and distribution program on February 2, when the interim results from a phase 3 trial of Russia’s Sputnik V, published in The Lancet, showed its COVID-19 vaccine “appears safe and effective” with more than a 90 percent efficacy. Sputnik V was developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3rA0aQq

Humanitarian/Development

In Kosovo, three organisations are showing what women can do when given the chance to lead (Emerging Europe)

Three organisations are collaborating to power the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) supported Kosovo Trustbuilding Platform, physically distanced by pandemic public health measures, but united by the cause of peacebuilding in Kosovo. They share one similarity —they are all led by, and majorly comprised of, women.

With a higher number of women in decision-making positions, Open Data Kosovo, New Social Initiative, and Alternativna have joined a rising trend in civil society to increase female representation.

Launched in 2019, the Kosovo Trustbuilding Platform showcases empowering stories and highlights local changemakers’ contributions to building trust in Kosovo. It provides a space for meaningful cross-community exchanges with a strong commitment to gender equality.

“These women-led NGOs are leaders in their fields — with Open Data Kosovo (ODK) bringing technical expertise, New Social Initiative (NSI) their strong record of dialogue and network-building, and Alternativna their ability to tell grassroots stories that need to be heard,” says Sarah Schaffer, head of the Dialogue and Reconciliation Unit at UNMIK.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2MXThJo

International Women’s Day Marked in Southeast, Central Europe Despite Pandemic (Balkan Insight)

Women across the Balkans and Central Europe held gatherings and online events on International Women’s Day, drawing attention to the role of women in the pandemic and the struggle against violence and misogyny.

Women in many countries in Southeast and Central Europe staged rallies on Monday, marking International Women’s Day, opposing violence and discrimination and highlighting the important role women are playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Kosovo, dozens of citizens participated in a “March with bicycles”, while others joined a march in the main square in the capital, Pristina, under the slogan, “We march, we don’t celebrate – against the patriarchy that kills”. Simultaneous rallies took place in 14 other municipalities.

See more at: https://bit.ly/30tjaE1