• COVID-19: 1,020 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Vetevendosje has not yet secured votes for Osmani’s election (Koha/Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Assembly to hold session today (media)
• Haziri: LDK MPs free to express their will (T7/Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj: I fear times when Osmani would have to make quick decisions (T7/Telegrafi)
• Kurti asked to keep his word regarding missing persons (Koha)
• Konjufca: Serbia committing multiple crimes for hiding whereabouts of missing persons (Koha)
• Kurti continues cabinet appointments (media)
• Dugolli leaves deputy minister post for that of MP (media)
• Kosovo does not permit construction of road in the north (Klan)
• Collaku: Thaci indicted on plan devised by Serbia and Russia (Klan)

COVID-19: 1,020 new cases, 13 deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 1,020 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours. 893 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 14,911 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Vetevendosje has not yet secured votes for Osmani’s election (Koha/Telegrafi)

Koha writes that the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) is not yet confident that Vjosa Osmani will succeed in becoming the new president of Kosovo and as a result the party has not yet called an Assembly session: “There is still no official date as to when the session might take place and it is also unclear whether during the presidential vote at least 80 MPs will cast their votes.”

Head of the LVV parliamentary group Mimoza Kusari-Lila said they are looking into the possibility of announcing the session on 2 April. “What I can say is that on our part all necessary preparations have been made but that we don’t yet have all confirmations ready in order to announce today or tomorrow an extraordinary session for election of the president,” she said.

Kusari-Lila did not say whether the party has secured the necessary votes but made it known that they are in discussions with MPs of other parliamentary groups. “The moment we feel there is certainty to enter the process, we will do so. This is a process that is not only a responsibility of one parliamentary group, even though we are a majority, because mandates are individual and there may be MPs that wish to reflect on their positions and responsibilities they were entrusted with by the citizens.”

Telegrafi meanwhile reports that while it was unclear whether certain MPs from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) – namely Agim Veliu, Avdullah Hoti, Driton Selmanaj – will vote for Osmani, sources said the three MPs will remain at the session but what is problematic at this point is that some of Vetevendosje’s MPs have expressed reservations and have allegedly warned they would not take part in the Assembly session as a sign of protest for how government posts were given to representatives of Vjosa Osmani’s list.

Kosovo Assembly to hold session today (media)

Kosovo Assembly is scheduled to meet today in a session aimed at approving the composition of parliamentary committees.

Koha reports that the conclusion of today’s session paves way for the announcement of the one for election of the Kosovo president.

Haziri: LDK MPs free to express their will (T7/Telegrafi)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri said that all their MPs are free to express their will when it comes to voting for the new president of Kosovo. “Each MP at the session will express their own position. This is a question that should be asked to party MPs,” Haziri said for T7 adding: “LDK has always given the country institutional stability.”

Haradinaj: I fear times when Osmani would have to make quick decisions (T7/Telegrafi)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj cast suspicion on Vjosa Osmani having the right skills to become the president of Kosovo.

Speaking to T7, Haradinaj said: “My experience in politics and many processes has sounded the alarm. I have not had the opportunity to see Osmani in difficult situations. I fear situations when Ms. Osmani, as was the case with 4 September, when a quick decision on behalf of Kosovo would have to be taken. I personally have suffered the consequences of some quick decisions before like the case of the [border] demarcation and Zajednica [Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities],” he said adding that this is an enough reason for his party MPs not to support Osmani’s candidacy for president.

Kurti asked to keep his word regarding missing persons (Koha)

As Kosovo marks anniversary of the many massacres committed by Serb forces during March and April of 1999, families of missing persons have issued an appeal to the government of Kosovo to stand by its given promises, Koha reports.

Representatives of missing persons have urged Prime Minister Albin Kurti to keep his word and work in shedding light to the fate of their loved ones. They also said that, if necessary, the issue should be conditioned with resumption of the dialogue with Serbia.

Spokesperson for the Government, Perparim Kryeziu, said that they efforts to shed light to the whereabouts of the missing persons are ongoing. “Since the first week of assuming our duty we have begun meetings with families and respective organisations to discuss this issue. We are engaged in ensuring the exhumation process begins as soon as possible,” he said.

Konjufca: Serbia committing multiple crimes for hiding whereabouts of missing persons (Koha)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker and acting President Glauk Konjufca, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Saranda Bogujevci, visited the village of Lybeniq and paid their respects to its martyrs.

“There are many open wounds because Serbia is not telling where it has hidden the missing persons. This is a multiple crime on the part of Serbia. Apart from massacring around 14,000 innocent civilians, not sparing children and women, Serbia snatched their bodies and burnt them or hid them in different locations, some of which were discovered recently,” Konjufca said. “The hand of justice will reach and punish all those involved in these crimes.”

Kurti continues cabinet appointments (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti announced yesterday a number of appointments of members of non-majority communities to his governing cabinet.

Gazmend Salijevic from the Romani Initiative has been appointed deputy minister in the Ministry for Returns and Communities; Almir Veliji from the Social Democratic Union led by Duda Balje has been named deputy minister in the Ministry of Regional Development; Sejnur Veshall from the Kosovo Roma Progressive Party has been appointed deputy minister in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Dugolli leaves deputy minister post for that of MP (media)

Enver Dugolli, recently appointed deputy minister of defence, has asked Prime Minister Albin Kurti to relieve him of his new post in order to keep become member of the Assembly.

The Government of Kosovo issued a statement confirming that Dugolli was relieved of duty upon his request. “The reason for the resignation of deputy minister Dugolli had to do with his certification as Member of the Republic of Kosovo Assembly.”

Kosovo does not permit construction of road in the north (Klan)

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic recently stated that the construction of the road between Mitrovica and Jarinje would begin in a month’s time but this has been opposed by the Government of Kosovo.

“The Jarinje-Mitrovice road is a regional road in the Republic of Kosovo. Its management is a responsibility of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo. This applies to all other regional roads within the territory of the Republic. We are in the process of assessing the current situation and the potential need for investments in that road. Such statements from the Government of Serbia are reckless and any possible action in this direction is unacceptable for the Republic of Kosovo,” the Government said in a response.

Collaku: Thaci indicted on plan devised by Serbia and Russia (Klan)

Bekim Collaku, close associate to former president Hashim Thaci, said that the war crimes indictment against Thaci is a result of ‘a trap’ set by Russia and Serbia.

“President Thaci was a target of opponents or put simply of opponents of the independence of Kosovo and in this case number on target of Serbia and Russia which in a perfidious manner used their mechanisms and allies and found enough room to set up this unnecessary trap and very damaging for the Republic of Kosovo,” Collaku said. “The origin of this whole process is in a plan devised by Serbia and Russia.”

Speaking about the establishment of the Specialist Chambers, Collaku said that if Thaci wanted to, the court would not have been voted at the Assembly. “The only reason why former President Thaci and the entire political elite in Kosovo voted this court is that they all were convinced there is no shred of evidence or allegation that can be supported in Dick Marty’s report. No one was afraid of voting for the court. No one at the time thought this court would transform into an entirely different mechanism which in the name of allegedly justice would politically persecute most senior figures of the state of Kosovo.”