OSCE conference on freedom of the media held in Prishtinë/Pristina
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1, KTV)
One day after marking World Press Freedom Day, media representatives in Kosovo continue to consider as worrisome the situation of the media and journalists in Kosovo. In 2014 the Association of Kosovo Journalists (AKJ) has registered 24 cases of threats and physical assaults against journalists.
Participants of a conference organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo on Freedom of Media and Professional Standards considered that the lack of financial sustainability of the media outlets, lack of applying modern business management methods and the professionalism of the journalists as key factors with large impact on the media and their independence.
On the other hand the editor-in-chief of Koha Ditore newspaper Agron Bajrami considers as threat to the media the non-functional democratic system, political elites, international community, the unprofessional media and the economic situation.
Participants of this conference called upon all stakeholders to implement the respective laws in order to improve the situation of the media in Kosovo. Moreover, it was stated that all attackers against freedom of the media should be prosecuted.
Jevtic: Inter-ministerial group for the return process to be established
(Klan Kosova)
Newly appointed minister for return and communities Dalibor Jevtic said that he plans to establish an inter-ministerial group that will exclusively deal with return of Serbs in Kosovo. Jevtic notes that this mechanism is foreseen in the 2014 government strategy for return, whereas the decisions in this inter-ministerial group have a mandatory character.
Jevtic said that soon they will discuss and review how this group will function, adding that respective ministries for security will be involved in the group. According to Jevtic the inter-ministerial group will deal with the return of usurped properties and will include the local-government authorities too.
Minister Jevtic stressed that they plan to make the return a process a sustainable process, because according to him many failures were made in the past.
However, Jevtic acknowledges that he is not enthusiastic about the return process under Mustafa’s government.
‘From December up to now, when we returned to the institutions, only one Serb family spontaneously has returned to Istog/Istok municipality’, said Jevtic.
Moreover, minister Jevtic said that the department for return and communities, for reasons that are not known to him, has been left out of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north return process.
Jevtic also said that he is part of the Government of Kosovo and that he respects the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo and that he never had any issues with this fact. According to him it is important for Serbs and Albanians to live together.
In this interview, Jevtic denied to assess the work of his predecessor Aleksandar Jablanovic, saying that Jablanovic was found in a complex situation.
Fund for northern municipalities unblocked
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
During Monday’s meeting, the Government of Kosovo unblocked the 2015 budget for four northern municipalities, namely Leposavic/Leposaviq, Zubin Potok, Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north and Zvecan/Zveçan. This decision was made after these municipalities have reviewed and readopted the municipal budget for 2015.
These municipalities were supposed to approve their budgets in compliance with a decision of the Ministry of Finance by March 1st. But they had refused to do so; therefore, central institutions of Kosovo had blocked finances for these municipalities.
AKJ: Mustafa to work more in creating safer environment for journalists
(KTV)
Political commentators in Kosovo consider Prime Minister Isa Mustafa as emotionally uncontrollable.
Petrit Zogaj from FOL Movement said that PM Mustafa writes in his Facebook account for everything that he sees, and forgets that his opinion is the opinion of a PM and not of an ordinary citizen.
Sunday evening, PM Mustafa reacted on Facebook, criticizing a story broadcasted by Kohavision related to the huge number of official vehicles that the Government of Kosovo owns.
Kohavision reported that the ministries of this Government have a total of 825 official vehicles, which are often used by the officials’ beyond the working hours and for their personal use.
Association of Kosovo Journalists (AKJ) suggested to PM Mustafa that instead of analysing the news, to work more in creating a safe environment for the work of the journalists.
Bahtiri and Rakic determined to defuse tensions
(TV21)
Mayors of Mitrovicë and Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, Agim Bahtiri and Goran Rakic, say that they are in continuous contact and they are working in improving security situation and defusing tensions, in order to create a positive environment for solving the issues in both municipalities.
Rakic said that issue of the Peace Park at the main bridge of Ibër has been politicized and requires a careful approach to solve it whereas his counterpart from Mitrovicë south, Agim Bahtiri said that he is in continuous contact with Rakic related to the issue of the Peace Park. Bahtiri expressed his hope that they will reach an agreement to remove the Peace Park without any political influence.
Klinë/Klina Serb returnee attacked
(RTK1,KTV)
Ministry of return and communities reported that Vuleta Vostic, a seventy year-old Serb returnee from village Klinavac of Klinë/Klina municipality was physically attacked and that the attackers stole his cell-phone and money.
Minister for return and communities Dalibor Jevtic condemned the attack and called upon the authorities to identify the attackers and prosecute them.
KTV in its late news edition reported that a Serb from Pasjan village of Gjilan/Gnijlan municipality has been stabbed by two Albanians in this village.
Kosovo Police spokesperson for Gjilan/Gnijlane region Ismet Hashani told KTV that the incident happened during Monday’s evening hours whereas the injured Serb has been sent to the emergency center.
The incident happened after two cars were heading the same street and blocked each other’s route and after both drivers refused to make space the Albanians attacked the Serb. Police informed that the health of the stabbed Serb is stable. Police arrested one of the suspects whereas the second suspect is still at large.
