Early general elections in March

(Klan Kosova)

Early general elections are more likely to be held in March than in June this year, as it was recently said. This is expected to happen very soon, namely in 45-days.

Kosovars will have to vote for another round of early elections in March. This is likely to happen on the three last Sundays of this month, 16, 23 or 30 March.

Klan Kosova learned that an agreement in principle about this matter has been reached between the three main political leaders in Kosovo, namely PDK, LDK and AAK, as well as the international community.

Reportedly, a successful government’s motion of no confidence at the Assembly will lead to this situation. This will result with dissolution of the Assembly. In such a case, the Constitution stipulates that the President shall decree early elections, which are called no later than 45 days from Assembly’s dissolution.

The situation might change only in case of an imposing circumstance for changing this definition. Nonetheless, none of the political parties confirmed the news officially.

Zbogar calls for independent IMC board

(TV21, KTV)

The EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar, in a letter sent to the Association of Independent Electronic Media of Kosovo (AMPEK), expressed his concerns about current issues with regard to the Independent Media Commission (IMC).

“It is regretful that despite so many efforts and advice, including expertise from the EU, IMC is still without a steering committee and unable to carry out its duties. We have continuously addressed our concerns to the Kosovo Assembly about the manner in which former IMC members were elected, and about the influence they had in independence of the broadcast media regulator. These concerns continue being reflected on EC reports on Kosovo’s performance in this area,” Zbogar’s letter reads.

Zbogar supports broadcast media representatives that on the verge of appointment of new IMC representatives strengthen their complaint and to call on all relevant authorities in Kosovo to act swiftly and to move forward with the process, in order to make sure that IMC has a competent and independent board.

Electoral reform does not require amending Constitution

(RTK1)

Discussions on the need of electoral reform are going on, but no solution is visible in the horizon. In a debate which took place on Tuesday in Prishtinë/Pristina, it was said that election reform not necessarily requires amending of the Constitution.

On the other hand, international representatives said it was not fair for a country which aims visa liberalisation and EU integration to again hold elections with possible fraudulent voter lists.

The roundtable was organised by Democracy for Development (D4D). D4D proposed that the electoral reform should eliminate automatic vote to the first candidate on list, changing voter list, and some proposals about the electoral district in Kosovo.

Ivanovic put in one-month detention

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Oliver Ivanovic is suspected of war crimes committed during and after the war in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. On Tuesday, he was put in one-month detention.

Ivanovic was transported from Mitrovicë/Mitrovica to Prishtinë/Pristina detention centre. His defence lawyer announced to appeal this decision of international judges, saying that there are no legal grounds for keeping his client in detention.

Serbian government also requested Ivanovic’s release. According to Serbian minister for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin, detention measure against Ivanovic should urgently be revoked and he should be defended in freedom.

In the meantime, Ksenija Bozovic, deputy president of SDP said that participation of municipal councillors from this political entity in the north Mitrovicë/Mitrovica municipal assembly depends on the decision for release of their political leader.

Preteni doesn’t disclose names of officials who threatened him

(RTK1)

Head of the Kosovo Anticorruption Agency Hasan Preteni is reluctant to disclose names of those senior officials who threatened him recently regarding initiation of investigations on them about corruptive affairs.

In an interview with RTK, Preteni says that if those threats and interferences do not stop, then he will address investigation authorities.

Preteni called on all those officials to stop putting pressure, because, according to him, the mission of the Agency will not change, and it will continue fighting corruption and other issues.

Preteni added that there were cases when the Agency staff members were threatened even physically, but according to him, those persons who exercised threats ended up in police.

Police arrests 27 student protesters

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Police arrested 27 University of Prishtina (UP) students protesting in demand for dismissal of Rector Ibrahim Gashi. For around two hours the protesters blocked front door of the Rectorate, and after the Police intervention, they ended up at the Rectorate’s gate where they continued protesting calmly. Demands of the protesters included establishment of a committee by UP Senate which would investigate the entire academic staff following the recent scandals, and dismissal of the UP Steering Committee, considering it as political.

Although in a small number, the protesters’ representatives stated that they represented the majority of students, whose voice is not heard.

According to the Police, the intervention was necessary, because by blocking Rectorate’s front door protesters impeded work in this Institution.

The Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi, Ministry of Education, and the Prishtinë/Pristina mayor Shpend Ahmeti reacted to the protest and the police intervention.

Mr Krasniqi did not like the protest, and on his Facebook account he wrote that this was not what our country needed.

Deputy Minister of Education Nehat Mustafa supported the police intervention, saying that access to Rectorate’s premises may not be prevented by a limited number of protesters.

Shpend Ahmeti supports student protesters, and called for launching investigations on those who abused their positions in order to get promoted.

Following the recent scandals, the UP Senate established a committee to review those journals where academic staff published their articles. The UP Senate encouraged debate about all the issues raised. However, the student protesters did not agree with the Senate’s conclusions, saying that they do not meet their demands.

Twenty-six applicants for Ombudsperson’s position

(TV21)

Twenty-six candidates applied for Ombudsperson’s position. This was announced by the Assembly Committee for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Missing Persons, and Petitions.

In its meeting, the Committee took the decision to establish interviewing panel to select applicants for Ombudsperson.

Selimi: Serbs with dual citizenship will be able to vote for Serbian elections

(RTK2)

Deputy foreign minister of Kosovo Petrit Selimi announced that Serbs with dual citizenship will be able to vote in Serbian extraordinary elections; however, he does not believe that polling stations will be opened in Kosovo for these elections.

Nonetheless, he underlined that it is the Kosovo Central Elections Commission (CEC) that decides on this matter.

CoE organized roundtable on privacy reporting

(RTK1)

Council of Europe (CoE) organized a roundtable with journalists on the topic of “Privacy reporting and the European Convention on Human Rights.”

CoE’s Irish expert, Ronan Breeday presented a number of privacy violation cases in Europe and the US, giving explanations on how to act in concrete cases when dealing with violations.

RTK Acting Editor-in-Chief Lorik Arifaj said that RTK has regulated legislation on privacy protection through professional standards and principles of journalism code of ethics.

Participants addressed different concerns about obstacles in freedom of speech and discussed about the ways how to overcome these issues.