President to meet party leaders on tribunal and EULEX (Botapress)
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga has summoned leaders of political parties to a meeting on Friday. Sources told Indeksonline that the meeting will start early in the morning, and the main topics of discussion will be the continuation of the EULEX mandate and the establishment of a special court that will address war crimes allegations made in Dick Marty’s report. The President will try to secure the 80 votes in parliament required for the ratification of the package.
New EULEX mission in opposition to parliament resolution (Koha)
In a front-page report, the paper notes that last July the Parliament of Kosovo adopted a resolution, which decreed that, by 1 September 2013, the government would have to submit a transition plan for the end of EULEX. 15 July 2014 was foreseen as the date when EULEX would end its mandate. The ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Vetevendosje Movement voted in favor of the resolution, whereas the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) had boycotted the session. This year, Kosovo and the EU held a series of meetings about the mandate of EULEX. In opposition to the parliament’s resolution, the government agreed to another two-year mandate for the EU mission.
EULEX in Kosovo to help the judiciary (Lajm)
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuci, and EULEX officials agree that the EU mission will remain in Kosovo to address institutional challenges. EULEX officials say a new period of relations has begun between Kosovo and the EU. These remarks were made at the meeting between the acting chief of EU Civil Operations, Gilles Janvier, EULEX chief Bernd Borchardt and Deputy Prime Minister Kuci.
Haradinaj: Tribunal not an easy solution (Lajm)
In an interview for the Tirana-based Top Channel, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj said the war crimes tribunal is not a very good or easy solution for Kosovo. Haradinaj however added that the court needs to be voted on in parliament; otherwise, “someone else will take over the matter.”
Internationals are talking instead of locals (Lajm)
The paper notes that while representatives of Kosovo institutions are busy with translating drafts and papers from English into Albanian, Western diplomats are continuing to provide explanations about the establishment of the special court for Kosovo. The diplomats argue that the establishment of the court would raise Kosovo’s prestige and credibility. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said he will move forward on the request of the United States and the European Union to set up the court.
A comprehensive tribunal (Lajm)
Legal experts and political analysts are arguing that the war crimes tribunal should address allegations of crimes committed by all ethnic groups and not deal exclusively with Albanians. Experts say that the establishment of a court that would address only crimes allegedly committed by the former Kosovo Liberation Army would damage the Kosovo’s image.
Mazllum Baraliu, a legal expert, told the paper that the insistence of internationals on the establishment of the tribunal has crossed the normal line of behavior towards an independent state. Behxhet Shala, a political analyst, said the tribunal should address crimes committed by everyone, not only by Albanians.
Haradinaj favors coalition with LDK (Koha)
During a visit to Gjilan/Gnjilane on Thursday, Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), did not hide his wish for a coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Haradinaj said an LDK-AAK coalition at the municipal level would guarantee successful governance. “The coalition at the local level is a continuation of the coalition at the central level, because you know that we used to co-govern with the LDK. We have never ruled out a coalition with the LDK and I think this is a good thing. My visit here goes to show that we have not forgotten about this municipality,” Haradinaj was quoted as saying.
Ternava calls on youth not to go to Syria (Koha)
Naim Ternava, head of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, called on Kosovar youths on Thursday not to fight in Syria. “The war in Syria has nothing to do with religion. There is a war between brothers there. Going to Syria has nothing to do with the principles of Islam and dying in Syria has nothing to do with the values of a martyr,” Ternava said during a visit to Hani i Elezit.
