• COVID-19: 608 new cases, 10 deaths (media)
• Education deputy minister says schools will be off for one week (Kallxo)
• Social networks flooded with appeals for convalescent plasma donations (Koha)
• Kurti, Osmani meet leaders of communities, discuss formation of new institutions (media)
• VV’s Konjufca, candidate for Kosovo Assembly Speaker (media)
• Osmani’s list aims to get two ministerial posts and deputy prime ministry (Koha)
• Abdixhiku on Osmani’s election: We do not want instability (T7/media)
• Haradinaj: LVV does not have AAK’s support to govern on its own (RTK)
• Haxhiu announces review of all Hoti-led government’s decisions (Koha)
• Citaku: Opening of Embassy in Jerusalem should not be part of political debate (media)
• Former KLA fighter arrested on Specialist Chambers warrant (media)
• Dissatisfaction of Kosovo Serbs about party employments (RFE/media)
• Kosovo’s Kurti Seeks to Form ‘No Compromise’ Government Quickly (BIRN)

COVID-19: 608 new cases, 10 deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 608 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths in the last 24 hours. 629 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 11,996 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Education deputy minister says schools will be off for one week (Kallxo)

Xhavit Rexhaj, Deputy Minister of Education, said that the schools across Kosovo will be closed for one week, starting on Monday, in an effort to contain the number of new infections.

“At the end of the week, it will be assessed whether we will extend the break for another week. If trends are not good, we will continue with one more week of break,” he said.

Social networks flooded with appeals for convalescent plasma donations (Koha)

Lack of plasma doses has forced many families to turn to social networks in appealing for convalescent plasma donations, Koha reports.

While the number of people hospitalised for COVID-19 has increased in the recent period, the number of people qualifying for plasma donations remains low.

“We have few donors. Today we had five donors and we are not even sure they meet the requirements, and yesterday we had seven. We had 24 samples that we sent but only six met the criteria,” Hedije Mahmutaj from the National Blood Transfusion Centre said.

Kurti, Osmani meet leaders of communities, discuss formation of new institutions (media)

The leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti and acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, who won over 50 percent of votes in February elections, continued yesterday meetings with leaders of non-majority communities to discuss steps towards formation of new Kosovo institutions.

Fikrim Damka, leader of the Kosovo Turkish Democratic Party (KDTP), whose party has two MP seats, said they will be present at the Assembly session during the president election vote. “We have not yet decided whether he will vote in favour of a Kurti government or not,” he said adding that discussions with Kurti and Osmani will continue in the coming days.

Emilija Rexhepi, Bosniak MP representing the New Democratic Party (NDS), said she will support a government led by Kurti and will also vote for Osmani as the new president of Kosovo. Similarly, Elbert Krasniqi, MP representing the Egyptian community and leader of the Kosovo’s New Democratic Initiative, said that he would support a government led by Albin Kurti and that he would also vote in favour of Vjosa Osmani becoming the new president of Kosovo.

At the same time, Rasim Demiri from the Bosniak VAKAT coalition said after meeting Osmani and Kurti that their position on the formation of the new government will be clarified at a later stage.

Erxhan Galushi, first-time MP from the Progressive Party of Kosovo Roma said they will support a government led by Kurti and Osmani for president. The same position was also stated by Duda Balje, Bosniak MP from the Social Democratic Union, as well as by Qazim Rrahmani from the Ashkali Party for Integration.

Kurti and Osmani also met leader of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, but no statements were made to reporters after the meeting. In a press release issued later, the party said it is ready to continue discussions aimed at improving the living conditions of Serbs in Kosovo.

Today, Kurti and Osmani are scheduled to meet Gorani community MP, Adem Hoxha, and on Friday, the new leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku.

Media report that as it stands, Kurti has secured enough votes the form the new government and the only sticking point remains election of Kosovo president.

VV’s Konjufca, candidate for Kosovo Assembly Speaker (media)

Glauk Konjufca from the Vetevendosje Movement is reported to be the party’s candidate for the post of Assembly Speaker.

In an interview with Klan Kosova, Konjufca was asked whether the reports were true and he seemed to indirectly confirm them. “However, I don’t know if I get the necessary votes. No one knows whether I will be the Speaker but as for being a candidate, I don’t rule it out.” He added facetiously: “It would be a surprise if I was not a candidate for Assembly Speaker.

Konjufca commented on the election of Kosovo president saying that Vjosa Osmani has exceeded all standards of being a consensual candidate by the votes she received in last month’s elections. “At the end of the day we have turned this into a type of test for us and the citizens on whether this binome would pass of one running for prime minister and the other for president in this referendum. And I think this referendum has passed.”

“We considered that we should give Kosovo the president which the people voted for, the prime minister also voted by the citizens, the assembly speaker from the winning party, and the opposition whose place is guaranteed by its political power derived from elections. Whoever doesn’t want to vote for Vjosa Osmani, can vote against Vjosa Osmani,” he said.

Speaking about the opening of Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem, Konjufca emphasised that it would be wrong to move it if this would threaten recognition from Israel. At the same time, he noted that Jerusalem as the location of Kosovo’s embassy is not mentioned in the commitment Kosovo agreed to at the White House. “It is a verbal promise of the Hoti Government rather than something agreed to in the official document.”

Osmani’s list aims to get two ministerial posts and deputy prime ministry (Koha)

Discussions between the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) and Guxo List led by Vjosa Osmani on the names of the governing cabinet are not over yet. Sources close to these developments told the news portal that Guxo List aims at least two ministries and a deputy prime minister in Kurti’s cabinet. Although both representatives of the LVV and Guxo List refused to talk about the sharing of positions and names of the governing coalition, they spoke about the principles that they will follow on appointing heads of departments.

“The ministries will be headed by people who are professionally prepared and with ethical, moral and professional integrity. I believe that Prime Minister Kurti will make sure we have the right people in the right place,” Arbërie Nagavci from LVV told Koha.

Abdixhiku on Osmani’s election: We do not want instability (T7/media)

The new leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku spoke to a group of analysts on T7 about the party’s position on the election of Vjosa Osmani as president of Kosovo.

“We are not interested in creating instability in the country,” he said adding that the final position will be announced following a consultation process. “I will see the mood of our people. What I have continuously said is that our goal is constructive. LDK has never hindered the formation of institutions but what we are saying is that we need to see what we are talking about.”

Abdixhiku said his new post comes with a high level of responsibility and linked the LDK’s poor election result with the overthrowing of the Kurti-led government during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The citizens did not forgive this and it was reflected in the February 14 result.”

Haradinaj: LVV does not have AAK’s support to govern on its own (RTK)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) told RTK that the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has gained majority of votes to govern with Kosovo, however they do not have the two thirds to elect the president. “However, let us see now how they will act in this situation, as the government depends on this as well. LVV has won the elections in order to go for election, but not to govern with the country,” he said.

He also said that he will not support LVV which according to him is trying to concentrate the government in a single political party.

Haradinaj said that AAK will participate the constitutive session of the Assembly of Kosovo. He hailed the decision of his brother Daut Haradinaj to resign from the position of the Kosovo Assembly MP.

“Yes, AAK will participate at the session, it is interested not to waste time on constituting the Assembly, which means election of the Assembly Speaker, chairmanship of the Assembly and then of committees and working groups,” he said.

Haxhiu announces review of all Hoti-led government’s decisions (Koha)

Albulena Haxhiu, member of the Vetevendosje leadership, said in an interview with KTV that a new government led by Albin Kurti will review decisions of the outgoing one under Avdullah Hoti.

“Each department would have to review decisions of the outgoing government and some will most certainly be annulled,” she said.

Commenting on what post she is expected to take in the new government, Haxhiu said there have been discussions to put her to her previous, minister of justice, post. “I will take on any duty entrusted to me but it has not yet been defined,” she said adding that the new government will not have less than five women ministers.

Haxhiu also spoke about the ten demands put forth to VV leader Albin Kurti by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). She said PDK is not in a favourable position to make such demands and that such an approach does not help cooperation. “We know who the PDK is and know what it did when it was in power. It bears the biggest responsibility for the degradation of our Republic.”

Citaku: Opening of Embassy in Jerusalem should not be part of political debate (media)

Former Ambassador of Kosovo to the U.S. Vlora Citaku considers that the ongoing debate on the opening of the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem, to be ‘unbelievable.’

‘Without any reason, we continue to keep the issue of the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem part of the political debate. A friendly advice: close this subject. Public clashes between the holders of our institutions on this issue are very dangerous. Diplomacy requires discretion. Instead of debating about the location of the Embassy in Israel, perhaps it would be more advisable to mobilise and request Israel’s help on vaccines,” Citaku wrote.

Former KLA fighter arrested on Specialist Chambers warrant (media)

Pjeter Shala, former KLA fighter, has been detained by authorities in Belgium on an arrest warrant relating to war crimes charges confirmed by a pre-trial judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

“Pjeter Shala will be detained in Belgium, pending any transfer to the detention facility of the KSC in The Hague. More information will be provided in due course, including information about the publication of the confirmed indictment, with redactions where necessary,” KSC said in a statement.

Media report that Shala was a KLA commander in the village of Dujake, Dukagjin zone, and that he was previously interviewed by a specialist prosecutor.

Dissatisfaction of Kosovo Serbs about party employments (RFE/media)

Media report on a protest held on Tuesday in Gracanica, in front of the Directorate of the Hospital Clinic Centre, which functions within the framework of Serbia’s system. According to one of the protesters, Milan Andrejevic, the protest was against employments based on nepotism and political party affiliation.

“We are gathered to prevent this injustice, this circus that is called vacancy announcement. The vacancy announcement is illegal, and it must be repealed. Ministry of Health (in the Government of Serbia) on its website has announced vacancy for nurses, not for merchants and economists; whereas, here they have hired persons who graduated at the school of medicine overnight,” said Andrejevic, a nurse who applied but was not hired. He has been waiting for a job for 16 years.

In addition to those who were not hired at the Hospital Clinical Center, several dozens of citizens gathered to express their dissatisfaction with ‘the employments based on nepotism and political party affiliation.’

The Hospital Clinical Center, which operates within the Serbian system, was moved in 1999 from Pristina to Gracanica, and it is located in several metal containers.

Kosovo’s Kurti Seeks to Form ‘No Compromise’ Government Quickly (BIRN)

Kosovo’s Albin Kurti has enough votes from MPs to form a new government, but his ally, Acting President Vjosa Osmani, might have a harder job in her bid to become the next head of state.

Kosovo’s election winner, Albin Kurti of the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) Movement, has for the past two days been in the parliament building holding meetings with leaders of all political parties that won seats in the February 14 general elections, trying to form a government quickly before turning to the issue of the country’s next president.

Kurti has already said that he does not want to involve the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, and Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, which have governed Kosovo, together or separately, since the end of the war.

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