Mustafa elected as Assembly speaker

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV & Klan Kosova)

At the constitutive meeting of the Kosovo Assembly 120 MP’s have completed their oath as members of this assembly. Present in the constitutive session of the assembly were Kosovo president and other ambassadors.

Isa Musfata, head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) was elected speaker of Kosovo’s assembly, 83 MPs were present in the session; 65 of them voted in favour of Mustafa and 18 others, including all Vetëvëndosje MPs, abstained, meanwhile PDK MPs’ boycotted the session.

After the election, Isa Mustafa addressed a short speech saying: I will ensure you that as Assembly speaker I will work in the interest of all Kosovo citizens and MPs that are present and absent in this session. We will work on integration of our non-majority communities and we will elect other Assembly deputy-speakers in the next session.

We will continue to deal with issues that are in state’s interest. We will be committed to international partnership by meeting all the needs of good neighbourhood.”

Glauk Konjufca (LVV) was elected Deputy Assembly Speaker. Meanwhile LDK-AAK-Nisma bloc will nominate their candidates for deputy Assembly Speaker in the next session of the Assembly. The Assembly caucus 6+ nominated MP Duda Balje for deputy Assembly Speaker.

Glauk Konjufca, one of the representatives of Vetëvëndosje told Klan Kosova that Vetëvëndosje MPs did not vote for Isa Mustafa as Speaker of the Assembly because yet there is no agreement between the LDK-AAK-NISMA bloc and Vetëvëndosje.

“Last night we reached a draft agreement which was supposed to be signed this morning. But today the opposition bloc changed its mind. The Vetëvëndosje made it clear that the vote for the Assembly Speaker should be included in the agreement, but the latter was not achieved. I also want to inform you that the possibility for an agreement remains open. Vetëvëndosje will continue to negotiate with the bloc and I am very optimistic that we will reach an agreement,” Konjufca said.

Jablanovic from Srpska List stated that “We as a political entity in the parliament of Kosovo hope that in the future we will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Assembly as was the case today when at one point the assembly was chaired from our list “said Jablanovic.

He added that those who have the power to constitute the Government in the Srpska List they can have a safe and reliable partner.

Srpska List does not attach great political importance and weight, but certainly should not be ignored our deputies and the role we play in the next parliament and government of Kosovo,” concluded Jablanovic.

Fatmir Limaj NISMA chair said that maturity prevailed in today’s constitutive session. “Everything went according to the Rules of Procedure and Constitution. I expect to relax and start working with the new structure of the Assembly. Serious tasks and responsibilities are ahead of us. I would like to continue the current maturity. Of course, there were moments of dissatisfaction and uncertainty, but time has come for all of us to relax and then start exercising the tasks and responsibilities granted to us by the Constitution and laws of Kosovo.”

Meanwhile all media report that for the oldest MP Flora Brovina it was difficult to chair today’s assembly meeting as she was being directed by PDK. I’m not willingly attending this session she said.

After they left the constitutive Assembly session, Adem Grabovci, the former PDK caucus chief, stated that today’s developments in the Assembly are a ‘small coup d’etat.’

Away from media’s attention Jakup Krasniqi handed over the Office to his Successor, Isa Mustafa from LDK, who thanked him for his work done during the previous legislation.

Enver Hoxhaj, PDK Vice president in a press conference held after the meeting of the leadership of the party, said the PDK condemns today’s event in the Assembly. PDK today’s events is considering as totally illegal and invalid decisions taken by usurpers of today’s inaugural session. He added that the PDK does not recognize these decisions and it considers them as illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional.

As the largest political party in the country with greater support of citizens we will submit Assembly speaker issue to Constitutional Court.

Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North still without budget (RTK2)

Election and formation of the assembly of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North has been elected less than five months. During all this time seems like nothing is functioning in this municipality. Local institutions are almost not functional. We are still neither getting budget nor payments from the budget of Kosovo Government, therefore it’s difficult for us to fulfil needs of our citizens, stated the head of the Municipal assembly Ksenija Bozovic.

With such difficult condition we had to organize five regular and two extraordinary assembly meetings regarding the actual situation. and for this someone has to take responsibility. We have been asked to participate in elections, we did, and we elected legitimate institutions and now someone has to support in order for us to work in full capacity.

Even that there are three administrative centres’ citizens of the north still don’t know where to address their problems.

Bozovic stated that the largest responsibility solving these problems falls to Ministry of Local Government Administration and international community.

Gashi reacts against Rakic’s statement (Most monitored broadcasters KTV & Klan Kosova)

Minister of environment and spatial planning (MESP) Dardan Gashi and Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North mayor Goran Rakic are communicating only through messages.

Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north mayor Goran Rakic stated that the decision of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north Municipal Assembly on the ‘peace park’ will not be cancelled. He denied the statements of Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Dardan Gashi about existence of a signed memorandum that suspends building of squares in the north.

Later through a press release minister Gashi reacted saying that, “It was never stated that there is a signed memorandum that Rakic is referring to”.

Appeal against detention of Oliver Ivanovic rejected (Most monitored broadcasters Klan Kosova)

The Pristina Court of Appeals denied the appeal filed by leader of the Citizens Initiative ‘Freedom, Democracy, Justice’ (GI SDP) Oliver Ivanovic concerning the decision on detention extension, GI SDP released on Thursday.

The release states that Ivanovic’s attorney filed the appeal on June 27 and the Appellate Court denied it three weeks later although in keeping with the law, it ought to have responded within 48 hours from the submission since the measure in question is an extreme one and imposes limitations on the freedom of the defendant.

This shows that Kosovo courts are not interested in the rights of the defendant, nor do they want to know the contents of the appeal because they already have a decision,” Ivanovic’s attorney said.

Klan Kosova reported that Ivanovic is suspected that he participated in several crimes committed in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë during and after the war.