KPC to submit Lumezi’s file at the Constitutional Court
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) will submit to the Constitutional Court, the complete file of the selection process of Aleksandër Lumezi for the Chief State Prosecutor post.
This was decided by KPC, despite remarks that this can be considered as an intervention in the independence of this constitutional service.
KPC members that objected this decision said that the Constitutional Court has no right for these detailed information since the second selection process is entirely new and nobody has filed a complaint at the Court.
This decision was taken following the last note of the Constitutional Court which threatened that it will cancel the entire process if KPC does not submit the complete file. KPC members criticized the language and the ultimatum used by the Constitutional Court.
Judiciary administration protested
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
They have to travel several kilometres to their work but the transport for the employees of Justice Palace in Hajvali of Prishtinë/Pristina is missing. Therefore, they protested on Tuesday demanding free of charge transport. Beside the provision of transport, the protestors demanded as well implementation of the collective agreement and 25 % increase of salaries. They also complained for difficult working conditions, in particular about water supply and air conditioning
Head of the Independent Judicature Union Asllan Rusinovci said that they have been gathered to express their dissatisfaction, adding that they will not give up from their demands.
Also, the judges of Basic Courts of Kosovo started protested on Tuesday, requesting salary rise by 25%. They also asked for implementation of the agreement with the Ministry of Judiciary for EUR 200 to be given in addition to the gross salary.
Zenel Leku, representative of the judges, told TV21 that they have submitted such request to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Justice, and the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) on 29 January, but their requests were not reviewed. He also said that the strike will continue until their requests are met.
KTV sources said that at Tuesday meeting, the head of the KJC Enver Peci was promised by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa that the judges’ requests will be reviewed with the Ministry of Finance in order to understand if salary rise is possible.
Roundtable on Association of Serb Municipalities held
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Decentralization, Serb community in Kosovo and the establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities were the topics which gathered in a roundtable discussion in Gracanica/Graçanicë the representatives of the Serb community, international representatives and civil society.
Director of the Serbian Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric spoke at this roundtable about the modalities of establishing the Association of Serb Municipalities. Djuric said that despite the fact that Pristina and Belgrade have different stances on many issues, this does not mean that courts, municipalities, and railway should not cooperate.
Meanwhile Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic considers communication as important but according to him the conclusion of this roundtable demonstrates the large differences between Serbs and Kosovars.
On the other hand, Leon Malazogu, a political commentator, said that the Association of Serb municipality is a body that enables to the Serbian community to highlight issues which they face.
However, Serbian analyst Dusan Janjic considers the lack of the transparency in the Brussels talks as the biggest failure in this process.
RTK editors to protest on Wednesday
(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)
Twelve RTK news-editors will hold a protest on Wednesday to express their objection against the appointment of Lorik Arifaj and Ngadhnjim Kastrati as the editors-in-chief of RTK1 and RTK3.
In their reaction sent to RTK Board and management, the editors said that they do not agree with this decision, as they have continuously faced with pressure, censure, and propaganda of these two individuals and consider that they have damaged the image of RTK as an independent public broadcaster.
Their only request is abrogation of the decision.
AKJ concerned with the situation at RTK
(KTV)
Association of Kosovo Journalists received with concern the letter of the twelve editors of RTK, who have complained about the situation they face in their jobs, as they said, due to censorship and unprofessional interventions by their superiors.
AKJ expressed their concern that some RTK editors, as a result of their determination not to violate their professional principles, have become target of verbal threats and blackmail.
According to AKJ this should alert the management of RTK but also the Assembly of Kosovo, as a founder of the Public Broadcaster.
Meanwhile KTV in its late news editions reported that RTK Board has requested from the General Director to abrogate the competition for editor-in-chief and annul the process.
EBU delegation visits Kosovo
(TV21, RTK1)
After the meetings with the Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli, Assembly Committee for Media and RTK management, EBU Legal Official Jane Wizard in an interview for RTK said that there is some progress made but that there is still much to be done; emphasizing that all public broadcasters need public funding and also RTK’s financial situation needs to be solved.
“We recognize as great achievement the establishment of a service for Serb community. This is an important symbol of the public broadcaster’, said Wizard.
EBU delegation met also with RTK management, where the need for support to RTK was emphasized, particularly in the digitalization process.
