Kosovo at a disadvantage at the UN Security Council (Tribuna)
The upcoming quarterly report of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to be another blow for Kosovo and its fragile diplomacy, writes the paper on the front page. A special place in the report’s chapter on rule of law is said to have been dedicated to the report of the EU Special Investigative Task Force (SITF) regarding war crimes allegations contained in the Council of Europe report of 2011. Professor of international law in Pristina, Avni Mazreku, said SITF report should not have been sent to the Security Council and should have only been confined to the EU institutions while professor Afrim Hoti said that although it will not be a good thing if the Security Council discussed SITF report, he added that he doesn’t expect the report to be elaborately debated in New York.
Association with competencies of a republic (Zeri)
Authorities in Belgrade have prepared a draft-statute for the functioning of the Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo. The document, not yet approved by the Government of Serbia, gives a high level of competencies to local Serb authorities in Kosovo resembling those of an autonomous republic. The Association is foreseen to have direct links to Belgrade on key issues like education, healthcare, infrastructure and security, writes the paper quoting the document which it claims to have secured. The draft-statute further stipulates that education and healthcare systems will be led by Serbia and that no socially-owned enterprise in the Serb enclaves will be privatized by authorities in Pristina while the Kosovo Armed Forces will not be permitted to enter the territory of the northern municipalities.
The Bloc under pressure from Vetevendosje and Serbian List (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports on the front page that the future of the post-election coalition between the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) depends on the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the legality of the Kosovo Assembly Speaker’s election. If the Court rules that Isa Mustafa’s election was legitimate, representatives of the coalition bloc have announced a new round of talks with Vetevendosje in a bid to convince it to become part of the new government. Kosovo analysts are of the opinion that the bloc should weigh in Vetevendosje demands with those of the Serbian List and decide whether it wishes to remain dependent on the will of the Serbian List, namely Serbia, or that of Vetevendosje.
Jahjaga urges Kosovo prosecution to fight radicalism (dailies)
President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, said that fight against extremism and radicalism should be a priority for all institutions in Kosovo and efforts of the state prosecution are crucial in guaranteeing stability and security. Jahjaga made the comments in a meeting yesterday with Kosovo’s acting chief prosecutor Syle Hoxha.
