Government admits inability to combat corruption (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the Government of Kosovo recently adopted the 2012-2017 anti-corruption strategy that confirms a high level of corruption in the country. The document acknowledges that the ability of state institutions to effectively combat corruption threats has been greatly damaged. The document also acknowledges the failure to improve effective and good-governance public policies aimed at preventing and combating corruption and securing sustainable development of the state of law. The strategy makes only short references to corruption in the privatization process, political appointments through corruption and the sectors most hit by this phenomenon.
Reconstruction of houses has not stopped, tensions remain (dailies)
All dailies report on the latest developments from Kroi i Vitakut, in the northern part of Mitrovica. Koha Ditore highlights that the reconstruction of Albanian houses in the neighborhood resumed on Friday albeit at a lower intensity. Mitrovica mayor Avni Kastrati told reporters that houses are being built and rebuilt in the central part of the neighborhood and that in the next couple of days construction will resume in the upper part of the neighborhood which was a site of incidents between Serbs and Albanians on Thursday. “After promises we received from EULEX and after the statement of EU Representative Samuel Zbogar that reconstruction must begin, I believe EULEX will reorganize and create conditions for the reconstruction of houses,” Kastrati said.
IBM implementation starts in December (Koha Ditore)
The agreement on Integrated Border Management (IBM) between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to produce its first results in early December. Representatives of both governments made the announcement on Friday, confirming the setup of containers that will provide border services for citizens.
Kosovo’s Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said on Friday that containers for implementing the IBM agreement can be set up even earlier and that they are expected to become functional early next month. “They will become operational from December 3 – 10 and this shows that the IBM will be finally implemented in practice,” Rexhepi was quoted as saying.
Westerwelle: Normalization of relations, condition for EU integration (dailies)
Several dailies report that German Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Friday that the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is a requirement for their membership in the European Union.
“We welcome the fact that Serbia and Kosovo are trying to normalize relations. This is very important for strengthening neighborly relations. These relations at the same time are a requirement for them to be granted membership in the European Union as partners, with full-fledged rights and duties,” Westerwelle said.
Court does not believe witnesses against Bulatovic (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports in one of the front-page stories that the District Court in Pristina found Aleksandar Bulatovic innocent on charges of war crimes against civilians in 1999. The trial chamber consisting of two EULEX judges and a Serb judge of the district court could not find evidence that the Montenegrin from Pristina mistreated and murdered a Kosovo Albanian in 1999 in the village of Vragoli, near Fushe Kosove. The chamber, led by judge Vitor Pardal, did not believe testimonies submitted by witnesses and said there was no sufficient evidence to prove that Bulatovic committed the crime.
