Leaders assure Nuland that talks with Serbia shall continue
(All monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova & RTK1)
The Assistant US Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland was ensured that talks with Serbia will not be stopped. Nuland was given this assurance after separate meetings she had with President Atifete Jahjaga, the Acting Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi as well as opposition bloc leaders, Isa Mustafa and Ramush Haradinaj.
President Jahjaga said that dialogue with Serbia will continue to remain a priority. She underlined the need for conditioning of Kosovo and Serbia’s path toward EU with progress on implementation of agreements achieved in Brussels.
PM Thaçi also assured her about continuation of inter-state dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
About continuation of talks with Serbia, the Assistant US Secretary of State was also assured by LDK and AAK leaders. Mustafa and Haradinaj said that political deadlock in the country was not tackled in this meeting.
Nuland avoided meeting Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti and leader of Nisma për Kosovën, Fatmir Limaj.
Other TV broadcasters reported that Nuland also met Gracanica/Graçanicë mayor Branimir Stojanovic and acting Kosovo minister of labour and social welfare Nenad Rasic.
Speaker’s post might postpone Assembly’s constitution
(TV21)
Constitutional experts and Kosovo Assembly’s work regulation experts say that election of the Assembly Speaker might lead to institutional crisis, as the case might be addressed to the Constitutional Court.
Nonetheless, according to Fisnik Korenica of the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), the President can mandate the candidate for Prime Minister immediately after Assembly MPs will sworn in, no matter if the Assembly Speaker shall be elected or not.
Ismet Kryeziu of Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) fears that Assembly Speaker’s post will be addressed to Constitutional Court.
Djuric blames Tahiri for failure of talks in Brussels
(Klan Kosova)
A meeting has been planned to happen in Brussels on 22 July. Serbian representative Marko Djuric called on all the parties in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north to refrain themselves and stop construction of squares.
Djuric accused Kosovo officials for aggravation of situation in the north, considering their behaviour irresponsible.
Djuric accused Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri for failure of talks in Brussels in relation to this matter, as, according to him, she refused to talks constructively.
Many municipal assembly councillors become MPs
(KTV)
A considerable number of municipal councillors will change their seats with the one of the MP at the Assembly of Kosovo. After getting enough votes in local elections, many of them also achieved this in general elections and the central level remains their main goal.
Insufficient payments and per diems they receive as municipal councillors, the more prestigious and representative position as lawmakers at the central level are some of the factors that makes them choose the MP’s post before the municipal councillor’s post.
Most municipal councillors that will join the Assembly of Kosovo come from the municipality of Prishtinë/Pristina. Two Vetëvendosje councillors, Puhie Demaku and Fisnik Ismaili, resigned their municipal councillor’s post. Prishtinë/Pristina deputy mayor Dardan Sejdiu will also join them at the Assembly of Kosovo. On the other hand, Liburn Aliu of Vetëvendosje chose to keep urbanism director’s post instead of the MP post.
Memli Kransiqi of PDK still has not taken a decision whether he will remain Prishtinë/Pristina municipal councillor or he will choose the MP post. Labinotë Murtezi-Demi will also leave Gjilan/Gnjilane municipal health director’s post for the MP post at the Assembly of Kosovo.
Sazan Ibrahimi of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities says that each candidate has the right to choose where he/she wants to contribute. However, according to him, the poor representative quality at the municipal assemblies remains an issue.
