• COVID-19: Five new cases, no deaths (media)
• The first Kurti-Vucic meeting to be held today in Brussels (media)
• NATO leaders urge a lasting political solution between Kosovo and Serbia (Koha)
• Biden-EU summit has Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on the agenda (Klan)
• Konjufca: The dialoguing manner needs to change (media)
• Vucic says he does not expect Pristina to implement Brussels agreement (N1)
• Central Election Commission head sacked (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo President appoints Judge Kreshnik Radoniqi as new head of CEC (media)
• PDK, AAK react to Osmani’s decision to replace CEC head (media)
• Civil society organizations oppose the dismissal of the CEC Chairperson (media)
• Mayor of Istog sentenced to one year imprisonment (Prishtina Insight)

COVID-19: Five new cases, no deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded five new cases of COVID-19 and one death in the last 24-hour period. 94 recoveries were also confirmed during this time.

There are currently 358 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Kosovo’s Health Minister Arben Vitia announced that the first contingent of 1.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, contracted by the Government of Kosovo, is expected to arrive shortly in Kosovo. Meanwhile, the mass vaccination process is set to begin today with Vitia saying all necessary preparations are in place.

The first Kurti-Vucic meeting to be held today in Brussels (media)

The long-awaited meeting between the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will be held today in Brussels under the facilitation of the European Union.

According to an EU announcement, the meeting will be attended by EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell and EU Commissioner for Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

“On Tuesday 15 June, a high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue will take place in Brussels. It will be facilitated by High Representative Josep Borrell, who is supported in this by EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak. President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti will participate. There will be a statement to the media by the High Representative at the start of the meeting at 8:20 and a statement to the media by the EU Special Representative after the conclusion of the meeting (around 13:00). The statements will be broadcasted on EbS and shared in writing on the EEAS website,” the statement said.

RTK reported that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has warned that the first meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not be about the old dialogue, but a discussion about the format of talks in the future.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) expects that the meeting will continue the negotiations on previous topics and dialogue agreements, and not a new beginning of the dialogue.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said ahead of the meeting that he is aware that the dialogue is not easy but is necessary. He said he was happy the meeting is taking place at the same time as the U.S. President Joe Biden visit to Europe, Koha reports. “I encourage the two sides to continue the dialogue without delays and focus on results regardless of all difficulties. The dialogue will not be easy but is necessary for the people of Kosovo and Serbia,” he said.

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano told the Beta news agency that “this is not an old dialogue, but an ongoing dialogue, mediated by the European Union”.

NATO leaders urge a lasting political solution between Kosovo and Serbia (Koha)

Leaders of NATO member states adopted a joint declaration at the conclusion of a summit expressing support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, facilitated by the European Union.

“We support the EU-facilitated Dialogue and other efforts aimed at the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and urge the sides to seize the moment and engage in good faith towards reaching a lasting political solution,” the declaration reads.

With regards to the KFOR mission, NATO said: “We remain committed to NATO’s continued engagement in Kosovo, including through the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) which contributes to a safe and secure environment and to wider stability in the Western Balkans, and through ongoing capacity building efforts with the Kosovo security organisations.  Any changes to our force posture in KFOR remain conditions-based and not calendar-driven.”

Biden-EU summit has Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on the agenda (Klan)

The U.S. President Joe Biden will meet on Monday with all the leaders of NATO member states, while on Tuesday, he will be representing his country at the big Summit European Union – United States of America.

The EU is represented at the Summit by Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, Klankosova.tv reports.

Michel’s office announced that leaders are expected to address a wide range of issues of common concern. These include climate change, trade, investment, COVID-19, technology and foreign affairs.

At this last point, as a European official who did not want to be named told Klan Kosova, there are obviously discussions on the Western Balkans and the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

But whether these topics will be included in the joint statement they plan to release at the end of the Summit, is a matter for the Biden-von der Leyen-Michel trio.

Experts on Euro-Atlantic processes in Kosovo say that a call should be expected from the Summit to the Western Balkans for EU and NATO integration, as well as the protection of the territorial integrity of all countries but also the strengthening of democracies and the rule of law.

“After resolving the issue of the name of Northern Macedonia, naturally all the attention of the transatlantic allies will now turn to the conclusion of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as the last open issue in the Western Balkans. The call of the transatlantic partners for the commitment of the parties to reach a final agreement between the two countries should be reiterated,” said the Director of the EPIK Institute, Demush Shasha.

Konjufca: The dialoguing manner needs to change (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca said the dialogue with Serbia cannot take place in the same way it did before 14 February elections in Kosovo. He said the dialogue in the past ran ‘in the wrong way’ and also tackled Kosovo’s internal issues.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday after the meeting of the Assembly presidency, Konjufca also said that the Association of Serb-majority municipalities issue should not be up for discussion at all as the Constitutional Court has ruled against it

“I am very much convinced that tomorrow Prime Minister Kurti will represent in a dignified manner that which has occurred on 14 February. And on 14 February, the citizens said ‘stop’ to many things, including to issues treated in the dialogue with Serbia.”

Konjufca said Serbia needs to recognise the reality from 1999 and 2008 “and another reality of 14 February which is that Kosovo is governed by a political force which doesn’t make compromises by opening internal topics of the Republic of Kosovo.”

He also argued against linking the process of visa liberalisation to that of dialogue with Serbia. “If anyone thinks that visa liberalisation should be set as an additional condition for Kosovo in relation to dialogue, I think this would be bad news for the citizens of Kosovo as criteria have been met in 2017.”

Vucic says he does not expect Pristina to implement Brussels agreement (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that he does not expect the authorities in Pristina to form the Community of Serb Municipalities as agreed under the 2013 Brussels agreement.

The Community of Serb Municipalities has been disputed by the government in Pristina saying that it is not in line with the Kosovo constitution while official Belgrade insists on the implementation of that part of the agreement and wants the Community, which should be made up of the majority-Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, to have some executive powers.

Vucic told the pro-government TV Pink that the only important thing is what European Union officials will say as the co-signatories of the Brussels agreement, adding that he will not get involved in that debate but will insist on implementation. “They are coming to twist my arm and wring my neck to make my say: Let me sign the independence of Kosovo. That won’t happen and I think we have to talk seriously and if they don’t want to continue the dialogue, I won’t be opposed as long as they don’t jeopardize the safety of the Serbs,” he said, adding that he fears instability and problems now that the dialogue is with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

According to Vucic, Belgrade has responded to 21 requests for information about missing persons from Pristina, excavated sites and found remains in four of them while Pristina has not responded to 10 requests from Belgrade. He said that there are 350 sets of remains in the morgue in Pristina and the Kosovo authorities never provided any information about DNA tests of those bodies.

Central Election Commission head sacked (Prishtina Insight)

The head of the Central Election Commision, Valdete Daka, has been dismissed by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani for ‘failing to ensure impartiality’, sparking criticism from civil society organisations.

Valdete Daka, who served as head of Kosovo’s Central Election Commission since 2010, has been dismissed from her position by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani. She has been replaced by Kreshnik Radoniqi, a judge at the Court of Appeals.

In the presidential decision removing Daka from her post, which has been obtained by BIRN, it is stated that Daka was being dismissed due to her failure to act with the impartiality required to ensure free and fair elections in Kosovo.

“Through her actions, the head of CEC has violated the independence and integrity of CEC, particularly during the early elections on February 14,” reads the reasoning section of the decision, which was signed by President Osmani.

The reasoning lists a number of “irregularities” at the institution relating to the parliamentary elections in February, particularly citing difficulties that members of Kosovo diaspora faced in casting their vote.

A verification process for postal voters was installed by the CEC before February’s elections, which triggered complaints among members of Kosovo diaspora for suppressing their right to vote. The reasoning for Daka’s dismissal highlights this issue, claiming that “it is visible that a discriminatory strategy against a group of voters was applied.”

Daka is also accused of behaving like a representative from a political party, and failing to control meetings at the Central Election Commission. “On some occasions, the behaviour of the chairperson was similar to that of representatives of political parties and, as a consequence, through her actions and inaction, has contributed to situations escalating during [CEC] meetings,” the reasoning states.

Daka served as head of the Central Election Commission for over a decade, overseeing the organisation of four parliamentary elections and numerous local elections, the majority of which were praised by independent observers from the European Union.

A coalition of more than 10 NGOs including the Kosovo Democratic Institute and Democracy for Development have jointly condemned the sacking of Daka, questioning the motivations behind the dismissal. “This decision is politically motivated as a result of a change of power after the last elections,” reads the communique.

In January, Daka organised a press conference in which she decried public intimidation against her following the Kosovo Judicial Council’s decision to remove 47 candidates from the ballot in February’s elections, including Vetevendosje leader and current prime minister Albin Kurti.

The coalition NGOs also warn of the potential consequences that the decision might produce, particularly in light of the fact that municipal elections are scheduled to be held this autumn.

“Taking this decision on the verge of announcing the date of local elections constitutes direct influence in the independence, and integrity of the work of CEC in organising and administering the elections,” the statement reads.

Kosovo President appoints Judge Kreshnik Radoniqi as new head of CEC (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has appointed the judge of the Court of Appeals, Mr. Kreshnik Radoniqi as the new chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC), after the termination of the mandate of the current chairwoman of the CEC, Mrs. Valdete Daka.

“The Central Election Commission is an independent constitutional body, and the responsibility to maintain the independence of the CEC is first and foremost the responsibility of the chair of the Commission. The chairman of the CEC does not come from the ranks of political parties, but his appointment is made through a special process, a fact which shows that the chairman must be independent in his actions even when there may be pressure within the CEC by political entities. In the last election process, the CEC has been polarized and meetings and decision-making have been accompanied by tensions like never before.

The chairwoman of the CEC, in many cases, has not managed to be an independent force against political polarizations and that her decision-making is driven by the general public interest, which has consequently violated the integrity and trust of citizens in the CEC. President Osmani considers that the actions of the CEC chairwoman should not be a reason for the loss of civic trust in the institution, especially since this year local elections will be held.

The legislation in force stipulates that the President is the competent authority to appoint the Chairperson of the CEC, as well as for the termination of her mandate. Therefore, the President has issued a decision to dismiss Ms. Valdete Daka, having in mind the democratic values integrated in the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as having in mind that the independence and integrity of the CEC is of vital importance in the democratic elections.

Mr. Kreshnik Radoniqi is a judge in the Special Department of the Court of Appeals. Judge Radoniqi, in 2006 graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, while in 2013 he completed his master studies in the USA. He completed the bar exam in 2007.

 Mr. Radoniqi is considered a judge with high professional credibility and impartiality in decision-making. Appointment of Judge Mr. Kreshnik Radoniqi as the new chairman of the CEC will ensure that the integrity of the CEC is not further damaged and will enable the smooth running of local elections based on the inclusion of voters on election day inside and outside the Republic of Kosovo.

President Osmani wished good work to Mr. Radoniqi, emphasizing the importance of preserving the integrity of the CEC and its functioning in accordance with the Constitution and election laws,” reads the press release issued by the Office of the President.

Opposition parties react to Osmani’s decision to replace CEC head (media)

Opposition parties – the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) – have reacted to President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani dismissing the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and naming her successor shortly after.

In a press conference, PDK’s Blerta Deliu-Kodra called Daka’s dismissal a politically-motivated move and said it was ordered by Prime Minister Albin Kurti in an effort to capture Kosovo institutions. “CEC has been praised for years for the way it organised elections. The PDK calls on embassies of Quint countries to react to the undermining of institutions. Their failure to react would show they support such actions,” Deliu-Kodra said.

Abelard Tahiri, head of PDK parliamentary group, said in an interview with T7 that the party was considering the option of sending Daka’s dismissal to the Constitutinal Court for interpretation while the party’s acting leader Enver Hoxhaj accused Kurti and Osmani for, as he said, destroying and capturing every independent institution in Kosovo and constitutes a blow to democracy. “Furthermore, this decision also represents a constitutional violation because the President of the Republic nowhere where there is a parliamentary constitutional democracy can dismiss any of the members of the body that organises and prepares elections. The fact that the decision was entirely a personal and political revenge is confirmed by the decision taken ahead of the announcement of local elections date by putting into question their organising,” Hoxhaj said on Facebook.

LDK also condemned Daka’s dismissal, calling it ‘ungrounded’. “The work of the CEC has been positively evaluated by all local and international institutions. Therefore, we view today’s decision as a serious blow to a constitutionally independent institution with good performance record,” the party said.

The AAK called the move an attempt at capturing Kosovo and an ‘unprecedented’ practice. “Attack on institutions that manage elections is an indicator of the attempt to impose autocracy, a phenomenon which the Alliance warned about a long time ago,” the party said in a statement.

Civil society organizations oppose the dismissal of the CEC Chairperson (media)

Eleven non-governmental organisations in Kosovo, opposed on Monday dismissal of the Central election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka.

“We, the following civil society organizations, oppose the decision of the President of the country, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, for the dismissal of the CEC chairwoman, Valdete Daka. We consider this decision to be politically motivated, as a result of the change of power in Kosovo after the last elections.

Based on the decision for dismissal, we consider that the arguments presented by the President are unfounded and represent a misinterpretation of the respective situations. Among other things, the CEC chairperson is exclusively attributed all the responsibilities and alleged failures of the CEC, despite the fact that the CEC Chairperson is only one of the eleven voting members. We even recall that the work of the CEC has been positively assessed by local and international election observation reports.

Also, taking this decision on the eve of announcing the date of local elections has a direct impact on the independence, integrity, and progress of the work of the CEC in the organization and administration of those elections,” is written in the reaction signed by Democracy for Development (D4D), Democracy Plus (D +), INDEP, INPO, Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Prishtina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS), FOL movement, Mother Teresa Organization, Cohu Organization and The Eye of Vision.

Mayor of Istog sentenced to one year imprisonment (Prishtina Insight)

Haki Rugova, the Mayor of Istog, was sentenced to a one-year prison term by the Basic Court of Peja on Monday in a case initiated following reporting by BIRN.

Mayor of Istog Haki Rugova was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment by the Basic Court of Peja on Monday.

Rugova was accused of abusing his position as mayor by signing a contract with a company owned by his brother, Ma-Con sh.pk. The contract was a tender opened by the Municipality of Istog for the construction of sewage systems in the villages of Cerce and Lubozhde, and was worth around 289,000 euros.

The indictment against Rugova was filed in March 2018, with the trial lasting more than three years. The presiding judge in Rugova’s case was Judge Sami Sharraxhiu, while the indictment was represented by prosecutor Ali Uka.

According to Rugova’s defense, his signing of the contract had no legal consequences as it did not enable the contract to enter into force. Rugova’s lawyer, Besnik Berisha argued that the Law on Public Procurement stipulates that the mayor’s signature is not required in a medium-sized contract such as this one.

The indictment against Rugova came after the Anti-Corruption Agency filed a criminal report against him following reports received from BIRN.

“On August 11, 2017, the Anti-Corruption Agency received information from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network ‘BIRN’ and ‘Internews Kosova’ regarding Haki Rugova due to the possibility of the criminal offense of conflict of interest,” the Agency stated in their report.