Jevtic: Albanians will return to Kroi i Vitakut within three months

(RTK2, TV21)

On Monday, the Kosovo minister for communities and returns Dalibor Jevtic was invited to report to non-Serb community MPs. He briefed them on the work being done for sustainable return and reintegration of communities.

The 6+ caucus MP Danush Ademi addressed a series of complaints about problems of non-Serb communities in employment and other fields.

“At the first meeting that I had with the minister (Jevtic) I addressed our requests, and in a word he told me: We will never have a fund for non-Serb communities,” Ademi underlined.

The LDK MP Veton Osmani, who comes from the Egyptian community, called on minister Jevtic to speak about several families in Gjakovë/Djakovica, which, as he said, still live in containers.

Minister Jevtic did not respond to concerns of these MPs, saying that the ministry he runs does not have such competencies. Jevtic emphasized that for as long as he will lead this ministry, there will not be selective division in any sense.

Vetëvendosje MP Fisnik Ismaili was interested to know about return of Albanians at the Kroi i Vitakut and other neighbourhoods around Mitrovicë/Mitrovica north.

Jevtic said that return of Albanians to Kroi i Vitakut will be done within a three-month deadline.

“I have met with Serbs living in Kroi i Vitakut. We have discussed about it and I told them that this issue must be solved in institutional manner. We cannot communicate in this way. Citizens cannot communicate as institutions. This is why the institutions exist. The deadline for this is three-months, in other words, the return is to be done in three-months,” Jevtic responded.

Political parties lack internal democracy

(RTK1, Klan Kosova)

Many rounds of elections have been organized in Kosovo, but they are considered to be hardly democratic. Internal democracy, political system and election campaign were discussed in a roundtable organized by the Kosovar Institute for Research and Policy Development (KIPRED).

Former Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi did not have much good to say about local and national elections. He said that there cannot be democracy as long as votes are exchanged for a wheat flour sack, a 3 Euro telephone credit recharge, or fake employment promises.

Organizers also discussed about internal party elections. They considered that all political parties in Kosovo have well-prepared statutes, but their implementation in practice is very deficient.

KIPRED’s conclusion was also accepted by the PDK representatives.

PDK Secretary Basri Musmurati said that no one can be satisfied with the internal democracy in political parties.

On the other hand, Sali Morina of LDK considers as very democratic the internal party processes. Moreover, he took as an example last LDK internal elections, which in fact were followed by many remarks.

Vetëvendosje highlighted several replacements in the party, which, according to Dardan Molliqaj, demonstrate the level of internal democracy in the party.

According to him, aside from the replacement of Vetëvendosje chairperson, three-fourths of Vetëvendosje Presidency members, as well as three-fourths of this party’s caucus members have also been replaced.

Among other things, participants of this roundtable also criticized the manner how the Kosovo President is elected. AAK deputy chairperson Ardian Gjini requested more parliamentary democracy when it comes to the election of the President.

Inter-ministerial group for representation of non-majority communities announced

(RTK2)

Following the establishment of inter-ministerial group for return, establishment of yet another inter-ministerial group for representation of non-majority communities in Kosovo institutions and public enterprises, to be led by Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic, has been announced.

“This is a new inter-ministerial group that will deal with representation of all minority communities and Serbian people in institutions. This is something that we consider as very important, as an additional mechanism of pressure on the system to respect its legal responsibilities”, Stojanovic said.

Stojanovic added that achievement of minimum 10 per cent of the employed persons is way more important than to fill in the positions of six deputy ministers and the position of the Director of the Office for Communities, which even six months after the Government’s establishment have not been filled in. He denied lack of consensus within Srpska List or contradiction of Kosovo Government and international community as a reason for this postponement.

Meanwhile, minister for communities and return, Dalibor Jevtic, said that coalition agreement will be implemented.

Regional presidents discuss terrorism in Montenegro meeting

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Terrorism as a threat for the region was discussed in the meeting of regional presidents which is being held in Budva, Montenegro.

Talking in front of her homologues, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga said that his year’s developments in the region demonstrate the necessity for inter-state cooperation, especially in the field of economy and security.

Jahjaga also said European investments as well as cultural communication on joint values and ideals are also needed.

On the other hand, speaking about terrorism, the Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic above all attacked Albanians.

“We are alarmed and very concerned regarding the recent brutal actions by the Albanian terrorists in Kumanovo of Macedonia. The thing that happened is unacceptable,” Nikolic said referring to recent developments in Kumanovo.

Issue of the missing persons never discussed in Brussels’ talks

(TV21, KTV)

Kosovo is incapable in front of Belgrade and the international community to search for its citizens that went missing since the conflict.

Despite the promises of Kosovo Government that this issue will be topic of talks, former Kosovo and Serbian Prime Ministers Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic, current Isa Mustafa and Aleksandar Vucic, have not even tackled on this issue in Brussels, KTV reported.

Chairperson of Kosovo’s government commission on missing persons, Prenk Gjetaj, says that this happened for the fact that international factor did not allow that issue of missing to add burden to the process of normalization of relations. This is at least the version that Gjetaj got from the Kosovo Prime Ministers.

Otherwise, the Commission also complained at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that Serbia is continuously changing locations suspected of mass graves, with the fact that it digging in false locations.

Serb school in Lipjan/Lipljan stoned

(RTK2)

For the third time during the month, Lipjan/ Lipljan elementary school ‘Braca Aksic’ has been a target of unidentified assaulters.

Windows of this building have been stoned and broken, entrance has been demolished and a part of the wall damaged.

The case happened on Saturday evening. No injuries have been reported in this case, while the police was informed about it.

Hundreds of humanitarian organizations in Kosovo have religious goals

(KTV)

Although 15 years have passed since the end of the conflict and Kosovo is already considered as a post-transitional country, hundreds of organizations claiming to have humanitarian and rehabilitating goals in countries in transition still operate in it.

Most of these organizations are of religious character, such as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, which enjoy a certain support.

Albanian couple Kameri from Prishtinë/Pristina, who come from a family with Muslim origin, said that they have been baptised as Jehovah’s Witnesses on their own persuasion and will. The jurist Avnora Avdiaj, who has been baptised for many years now, has acted the same.

According to Ilir Gashi of this organization, their goal is to spread the word of God.

Kosovo Bishopric does not consider these organizations as a problem, for as long as they do not go beyond their domain.

On the other hand, Islamic Community of Kosovo has requested more institutional control for activities of these organizations.

Activities of these organizations have often been seen as a danger for religious harmony in the country.

Yll Rugova from the Secular Society for Critical Thinking has called for additional attentiveness of institutions toward nongovernmental organizations of any religion.