Law against participation in armed conflicts abroad adopted
(All monitored broadcasters, RTK2&KTV)
Assembly of Kosovo adopted the Law against participation in armed conflicts out of Kosovo territory. This Law was adopted with 60 votes in favour, 17 against, and two abstentions.
MPs decided not to include in this bill the nine amendments proposed by Vetëvendosje caucus.
On Thursday’s session, MPs also elected Aida Dërguti of Vetëvendosje as the new Deputy Assembly Speaker. She will replace Glauk Konjufca, the former Vetëvendosje member at this post, most monitored broadcasters reported.
Members of the Independent Media Commission ((IMC) were also elected in Thursday’s session, RTK2 reported. Jelena Simic will be the Serb community representative at IMC for the upcoming three years, while Mejdim Salihu will be the Bosniak community representative.
Northern municipalities request astronomic amounts from Kosovo budget
(KTV)
As of 1 March the four municipalities of Kosovo north have remained without funds, KTV reports.
Minister of Finance Avdullah Hoti says that the moment that budgets of northern municipalities will be adopted in line with the budget’s circular, funds destined from the budget shall be allocated. Hoti expects that this issue will be solved before April.
Mitovica/Mitrovicë north Mayor Goran Rakic requested compromise about this issue.
“We do not want to accuse others and provoke tensions, but we want to sit and talk and reach compromise, because this is the only way that we can achieve something,” Rakic told KTV.
Nonetheless, their astronomic requests were the reason why Ministry of Finance did not approve their budget. Mitrovicë/Mitrovica Municipal Assembly requested a budget of EUR 20 million, no matter that the Government approved them only EUR 2,7 million, while Zubin Potok requested even more than this, namely EUR 21.5 million, while it has been approved only EUR 1.8 million budget.
ECMI presented report on implementation of the Law on Use of Languages
(RTK2)
Office of the Language Commissioner in cooperation with the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) presented the report titled “Monitoring and evaluation of language rights in Kosovo” with the aim to identify the causes of the problems related to implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages, as well as the support to local and central institutions to solve them.
Monitoring and evaluation of language rights and implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages has been carried out in local and central institutions. Insufficient number of professional translators has been pointed out as one of the reasons for non-implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages.
“Staff, qualification of institutional staff, than budgets that are spent for external translation services… We have also paid attention to cases when the Law was respected from the technical aspect, that is translations were available, but their quality is not at the satisfactory level,” Language Commissioner Slavisa Mladenovic said.
General recommendations to institutions should bring to long-term solutions. Commissioner Mladenovic said that more needs to be done, above all, in regards to allocation of particular and increased budgets, increase of staff members, adoption of translation norms and to focus more on the quality of translation.
While covering activities of institutions, the ones that should respect law the most, in most cases RTK2 staff have been deprived of the right to have translation into Serbian, this TV broadcaster reported.
Striking judges frustrated by Government’s negligence
(Klan Kosova, KTV)
Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice are passing the buck over the judges’ strike and their requests.
Minister of Finance Avdullah Hoti did not want to speak at all about the strike, while press office of this ministry said that Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) has addressed its request to the Ministry of Justice.
As a matter of fact, on KJC’s meeting held on Wednesday, it was said that the request and judges’ list that the additional hazard payment should be paid to will be sent to both ministries.
The Ministry of Finance did not agree to respond about this issue.
Judges say that this negligence of Government has frustrated them further. Their representative said that the strike will go on until Government or KJC will assure them that their requests will be met in integrity.
Zbogar and Meucci insist that no interference happened in Kleçka Case
(All monitored broadcasters, TV21)
Head of the EU Office Samuel Zbogar and Head of the EULEX Mission Gabriele Meucci visited Nisma Party offices. They met with the President of Nisma’s National Council Jakup Krasniqi and expressed their views regarding the accusations published about interference on legal proceedings related to Nisma chairperson Fatmir Limaj in connection with Kleçka Case.
Zbogar insists that EU does not interfere in Court’s decision, underlining that EULEX is not in Kosovo to pursue any political agenda, but it is rather here for justice and rule of law.
Meucci, on the other hand, presented all the relevant facts for the so-called Kleçka Case.
Meucci explained that accusations that were published simply were not facts.
“The Mission has not influenced on court’s result. No EULEX staff member has asked protection in relation to this case. At the end, no judge from the disqualified panel will be part of the new panel,” Meucci said.
