Kosovo gets new government

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK2, RTK1)

On Tuesday, Kosovo Assembly voted the new Government with Isa Mustafa as Prime Minister. This happened just a day after the establishment of Kosovo Assembly. With 73 votes in favour Isa Mustafa was elected Prime Minister of Kosovo. The new government is composed of 21 ministries.

Before Mustafa presented his ministers, opposition parties demanded room for debate but this request was ruled down by Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli who said that the debate was held on Monday’s Assembly session.

Following the voting, the newly PM Mustafa thanked all MPs who voted in favour or against, excluding few LDK MPs that voted against.

RTK2 also highlighted the fact the new government will have two ministries lead by Srpska List representatives whereas Branomir Stojanovic, Gracanica/Graçanicë mayor will hold the post of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Hand over – take over ceremony from the outgoing PM Hashim Thaçi to the just elected PM Isa Mustafa will take place on Friday.

Meanwhile Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga received on Tuesday at separate meetings the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli and Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, where she welcomed their election on respective positions as leaders of Kosovo executive institutions.

EU foreign policy Chief Frederica Mogherini welcomed the appointment of the new government. Through a press release, Mogherini underlined the importance of resuming high-level dialogue to normalize relations between Pristina and Belgrade.

PDK and LDK sign agreement with ‘Srpska List’

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

One of the points of the agreement signed between PDK-LDK and ‘Srpska List’ for the inclusion of the latter in the government is the creation of the Association of Serb municipalities within three to five months.

Other points of this agreement, which was published by the daily newspaper ‘Zëri’, are: special treatment during the upcoming privatization process in the municipalities of Serb inhabited areas; return of displaced Serbs and non-Albanians with security guarantee from the Government and the PM and the return and protection of usurped properties.

The other points of the agreement stipulate the names for the Deputy prime minister and two other ministers from ‘Srpska List’. On Monday, MPs of this political entity left the Assembly session as a sign of dissatisfaction after PDK-LDK failed to meet their requests.

Eight LDK MPs voted against Mustafa’s government

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

The new government has not satisfied all MPs. Thirty-eight MPs voted against the new government, including MPs from Mustafa’s party, LDK. Opposition parties said that they did not voted in favour because of the poor composition of the government.

Armend Zemaj of LDK said that his vote against the new government has nothing to do with Isa Mustafa but with the government composition. According to Zemaj the cabinet is composed of people with a suspicious past.

Also LDK MP Vjosa Osmani voted against Mustafa’s government but she did not comment the reasons behind her vote.

Whereas two opposition parties AAK and Nisma për Kosovën, complained about the poor government composition. Meanwhile according to Visar Ymeri of Vetëvendosje the new government was appointed by Belgrade directives.

On the other hand EU MP Ulrike Lunacek expressed also her dissatisfaction with the new government composition, noting that there are only two female ministers in Mustafa’s cabinet of ministers.

CEC ready for extraordinary elections in Gracanica/Graçanicë

(RTK2, RTK1)

Branimir Stojanovic is one out of three deputy Prime Ministers in Mustafa’s government. Stojanovic until Tuesday was Graçanica/Graçanicë mayor. But with his appointment in the government and based in the laws he should resign from the mayor post. Meanwhile his resignation automatically implies that extraordinary municipal elections should be organized for Graçanica/Graçanicë municipality.

President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga should call the elections whereas the Central Election Commission (CEC) should organize them.

CEC’s spokesperson Valmir Elezi said that Central Election Commission will complete in time all the foreseen obligations for organizing the elections in this municipality, adding that the organization of elections in just one municipality is much easier.

Roma language to be official language in Gracanica/Graçanicë municipality

(Klan Kosova)

Roma language will be an official language in municipality of Gracanica/Graçanicë. This decision was taken by the municipal assembly.

According to Gracanica/Graçanicë municipal official for communities Edi Ibrahimi they are the first municipality to announce Roma language as an official language. According to Ibrahimi this is being done in order to facilitate the integration of Roma community.

More than 1,500 Roma members living in Gracanica/Graçanicë municipality have welcomed the decision of the municipal Assembly.

Hamid Sherifovic, representative of Roma community in Gracanica/Graçanicë considered this decision as very important, since according to him there are many Roma who do not speak Albanian or Serbian and this decision has made their life easier.

On the other hand Isak Skenderi, director of the NGO ‘Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians’ is doubtful if the Roma language can in practice be an official language because according to Skenderi, Roma language is not standardized.

However despite this, Gracanica/Graçanicë municipality invited other municipalities, in which Roma community lives, to undertake the same action.

KDI report on transparency of municipalities

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day, Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) and Transparency International published their transparency index on public procurement on 34 Kosovo municipalities. According to the report 492 requests for access to public documents have been recorded whereas for the year 2013 over 103 complaints per municipality have been filed at the Public Procurement Body.

Artan Canhasi of KDI said there is a large scale of corruption in Kosovo which hinders economic development, obstructs citizens’ welfare and hampers visa liberalisation process for Kosovo.

However majority of Kosovo municipalities have not been transparent.

According to Isuf Zejna of KDI over 830 tenders were posted from municipalities in the portal of Public Procurement Regulatory Commission whereas out of those only 260 were published in the respective portals of municipalities.

Goal of this index is to pressure municipality authorities to increase transparency.