OSCE will facilitate out of Kosovo voting

(RTK2)

The OSCE will engage in facilitating the procedures enabling the Serbs that are outside Kosovo and have the status of a refugee to vote, but Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina would have to agree on modalities regarding this issue, OSCE Mission spokesperson Nikola Gaon told RTK1.

“There is consent that in accordance to relevant dispositions and in consideration to previous practices, every valid identification document is acceptable,” said Gaon.

Kosovo-Serbia working groups discuss elections and OSCE’s role

(Klan Kosova, RTK)

Discussions between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade working groups resumed in Brussels. It was reported that the main topic of discussion were the preparations for 3 November local elections, with particular emphasis on municipalities in northern Kosovo.

According to Dren Zeka, an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri, Monday will be the start of discussions regarding the role of the OSCE in the organization of local elections, in particular on municipalities in northern Kosovo.

“Talks are continuing, it means we are talking about plans for implementation of agreement, for operations, dynamics, and timelines and so on. Today working groups met on elections, there are some details which are being discussed with the OSCE” said Zeka.

According to him, apart from the OSCE’s role, it is also expected to discuss the issue of Integrated Border Management (IBM).

Head of Belgrade’s team in technical dialogue between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade Veljko Odalovic also announced that Monday will be focused on identifying solutions between parties as far as local elections in the northern municipalities are concerned.

This round of dialogue will also continue tomorrow.

APJK dependant on politics

(KTV)

The only thing that remains for the Association of Professional of Journalists of Kosovo (APJK) is to make it official that is ceases to exist as a body that represents and defends journalists’ rights. This is happening because APJK Board Members have not met or communicated among them, making this organization completely dysfunctional.

Furthermore, its Board Members say that they do not have any clue what is going on with the Association. According to them, the missing communication and the whole this situation created at the APJK is a result of certain political agendas outspread within this Association.

“It is a tendency of certain group of politics to close down and make this Association, which no longer is defending or supporting journalists, dysfunctional,” said Lulzim Demolli, APJK Board Member.

APJK President Liridona Lluka-Gashi admits that there were no activities or meetings with other Board Members. However, Lluka-Gashi said that she did not consider necessary to invite them to meet as it is the time when people go on their leave.

“They did not receive any e-mail because they are usually received when the President is close to a project with one of the donors, either the European Commission or the OSCE, or other embassies. I do not consider necessary to contact anyone or send e-mails asking them how they are and what they are doing,” Lluka-Gashi stated.

“We will have a worktable, if I may consider it like that, with the OSCE on 15 August,” she added.

While she mentions the 15 August activity, Board Members say that they haven’t been informed about this either.

However, she admits that situation at the APJK is not good as lack of donations has made the work of this Association difficult. She blames previous leadership about this matter. All UN Agencies have suspended all cooperation and funding with the APJK because the financial report was not closed by the former APJK executive director Ymer Mushkolaj, Lluka-Gashi underlined.

Former APJK executive director Ymer Mushkolaj told KTV that his mandate has ended and, according to him, any financial report was closed. Meanwhile, former APJK President Arben Ahmeti did not want to talk about this matter.

Daka: Ballots will be same all over Kosovo

(RTK2)

Central Elections Commission (CEC) chairperson Valdete Daka stated that the ballot papers that will be used for 3 November elections will be the same all over Kosovo.

According to her, their design has not been determined yet, because the certification of political entities has not been concluded.

“Ballot papers will be the same all over Kosovo. Fortunately, there is an agreement between the Republics of Kosovo and Serbia, which says that elections will be held according to the laws of the Republic of Kosovo,” Daka stated.

Government officials have not cleared their debts to ECAP

(KTV)

Since the 2009 elections, many political parties, civic initiatives and independent candidates continue to have debts to Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP).

Since the 2009 elections, the political entity ADK (Democratic Alternative of Kosovo) of Edita Tahiri, current Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, has not paid the fine of EUR 3.200. In the debtors lists from 2009 are also (PLK) Liberal Party of Kosovo of deputy minister of culture Gjergj Dedaj with EUR 4.800, while PDKI (Demochristian Party for Integration) of Zef Morina still has not paid the fine of EUR 3.200.

Chairperson of the ECAP Secretariat Mulë Desku warned political parties, civic initiatives and independent candidates that they might soon face justice for not clearing their debts.

If political parties will not be able to clear these debts than they risk to remain out of the 3 November election process, as they will not be able to get certified.

Valmir Ismaili of Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) considers that ECAP is also to be blamed in this case. He said that political parties did double violations, once by violating regulations in elections and the second by not paying fines.

Until now, no political party applied for certification at the Central Elections Commission (CEC), while the legal deadline for their certification ends on 04 September.

Support for illegal structures in the north decreasing

(RTK)

Recent incidents in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica north are being caused by the “Civil Protection”. This was concluded in the regular meeting of the Committee for Public Security in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.

Mitrovicë/Mitrovica officials stated that a greater presence of the “Civil Protection” members is recently noted on the ground; however, according to them, it is a good signal that citizens’ support for these organizations is also decreasing.

According to them, over the last week the security situation in the north was marked with several incidents, but they did not impact on the overall security situation.