Government proposes President to call extraordinary mayoral elections in north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica (All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Following refusal of the north Mitrovica/Mitrovicë mayor Krstimir Pantic to take oath of office in line with the Kosovo legislation, extraordinary elections will be held there. Ministry of local government administration (MLGA) found that in Saturday’s inauguration session, the north Mitrovica/Mitrovicë mayor elect failed to take oath before the Municipal Assembly members.
MLGA announces that it will take legal actions and it will inform the President on taking actions to call new elections. According to MLGA, the elections will be held as provided by the applicable legislation in Kosovo. The MLGA report states that other north municipalities – Leposavic/Leposaviq, Zvecan/Zveçan, and Zubin Potok held their meetings in line with the Law on local self-government, and they may continue their mandate based on Kosovo’s Constitution and legislation.
On the other hand, Krstimir Pantic has warned to infringe the agreement which was reached between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels. Pantic stated that infringement of the agreement would not be Serbian Government’s but international community’s responsibility. He said that establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities would not be easy at all. According to him, powers that are in line with the Brussels agreement will not be allowed.
KTV tried to receive a pronouncement from Head of the Kosovo delegation in talks Edita Tahiri, but it was impossible.
Although he was actively involved in this process, Head of the EU Office Samuel Zbogar was reluctant to comment on mayor Pantic’s action.
“Ministry is in charge of that, I have no such a role in Kosovo. My role in Kosovo is to observe and to assist in any way I can so that this country can be better and more European. Kosovo is in charge of that,” Mr Zbogar said.
Former Minister of Local Government Administration Sadri Ferati also believes that mayoral elections need to be repeated in north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.
Civic Initiative leader Oliver Ivanovic said that the new mayoral elections in north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica may be held in 15 days.
International institutions welcome inauguration of north municipal assemblies (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Head of the EU Office in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar welcomed inauguration of municipal assemblies in north.
Similarly, this process was welcomed by the US Embassy in Prishtinë/Pristina.
“We are observing the process in north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. We expect that finally the local citizens will have a democratically elected mayor, who will be inaugurated in a way which is in line with the Kosovo legislation and with long-term interests of ordinary citizens,” the US Embassy’s press release reads.
Anticorruption Agency calls on new mayors to declare their property (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
The Kosovo Anticorruption Agency called on newly elected mayors to as soon as possible declare their property.
In a press release, the Agency reminds senior public officials whose mandate has been extended or who remain at public positions that they are obliged to regularly declare their property on annual basis, a process which starts from 1st until 31st March 2014.
The Agency called on all officials of the abovementioned categories to respect the legal deadline for declaring their property. Finally, the Agency stated that not declaring property represents a criminal offence.
Thaçi using Venice Commission as euphemism to mask Serbia’s intention (KTV)
While the Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi keeps stating that the Venice Commission is needed to come and assist Kosovo in resolving the election reform deadlock, opposition parties accuse Thaçi that through the Commission he is trying to mask Serbia’s intention and demand for extending reserved seats.
According to opposition party representatives, the Prime Minister is trying to buy time and to find a solution for extending reserved seats.
Teuta Sahatqija of LDK says that the Prime Minister has no clue how the Venice Commission functions. According to her, the Commission is not an advisory service to institutions, but it is where laws are sent to verify if they are in line with international rules.
The opposition parliamentary parties said that they would not allow the Prime Minister to violate the Constitution.
KJC calls for cooperation with Serbia on war crimes (KTV)
The Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) calls on local institutions to discuss with Serbia the cooperation between the two prosecutor’s offices after EULEX’s departure from Kosovo.
Judgment of Serbs accused of war crimes is considered difficult because the two countries that 15 years ago were involved in a war, have not signed any cooperation in this area. The Humanitarian Law Centre warns that any war crime related proceeding which has started in Belgrade will stop if EULEX leaves.
It is not clear whether Kosovo and Serbia in the future will discuss this or missing persons issue.
On the other hand, officials at the Kosovo Ministry of Justice are convinced that cooperation with Serbia will continue, despite the fact that the neighbouring country does not recognise any of the Kosovo institutions. According to the Ministry of Justice officials, what is initially needed is political willingness.
Establishment of Association of Serb Municipalities will be postponed (Klan Kosova)
Local government expert and AAK Prishtinë/Pristina chairperson Besnik Tahiri said that resignation of the elected mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica north municipality Krstimir Pantic will postpone establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities.
According to him, the Association cannot be established without the Mitrovicë/Mitrovica north municipality, as it is the most important municipality for Serbs and with the biggest budget, namely with EUR 4.1 million. Tahiri told Klan Kosova’s show InfoMagazine that deadline for establishment of the Association might be postponed.
Malishevë/Malisevo risks extraordinary elections (KTV, Klan Kosova)
Malishevë/Malisevo faces the risk of extraordinary elections. The municipal assembly meeting was stopped for the third time in the row. This came due to lack of quorum in the assembly room.
The meeting was stopped because eight PDK municipal councillors were present in the assembly room, while eight LDK and two Vetëvendosje members also left the room causing the lack of quorum.
Malishevë/Malisevo elected mayor Ragip Begaj said that he won the elections, and that it is up to him to form the local government.
Government intentionally remains without spokesperson (KTV)
Media and opposition parties consider that the Government’s reluctance to appoint a spokesperson during the whole second mandate is a non-transparent action. All the time it was very hard for the media to receive information from officials, in order to present it to the public.
Journalists believe that this has been an intentional action by the Government, which has left many of its actions in the dark.
