Rough debate about the budget, Assembly does not vote in its favour
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Assembly of Kosovo did not manage to vote budget revision in its first hearing due to MPs non-willingness to stay until the end of the session. In a rough debate for this matter, the ruling and opposition parties clashed among them regarding the budget content.
The budget presentation was done by the finance minister, Avdullah Hoti, who considered agreement with the IMF, saving of investment funds and decrease of expenditures in goods and services important.
Albin Kurti of Vetëvendosje expressed his contradiction to this agreement, as well as the budget content. Kurti considers this budget provides room to public centralization, corruption and many other negative actions.
AAK and Nisma also said that the budget as such does not bring any development.
However, Prime Minister and minister of finance disagreed with their views.
Budget committee has requested a second hearing of the budget during the very next week, as the IMF Board will discuss agreement with Kosovo on 24 July.
Nonetheless, voting for the first hearing of the revised budget was postponed to Friday due to insufficient number of MPs in the room, a phenomenon that marked Thursday’s session since its very beginning.
Serb judges and prosecutors to be decreed in August
(KTV)
Eighty-seven Serbs have applied for getting one of 48 vacant positions for judges in Kosovo’ judiciary system. 29 persons have applied for 15 vacant positions for prosecutors.
Kosovo officials admitted that positions will initially be filled in with the ones that so far were working in the Serbian parallel system in Kosovo. They say that this was part of the agreement.
Serb prosecutors and judges involved in Kosovo judiciary system are expected to be decreed during the next month.
48 judges and 15 prosecutors will start working in September in Kosovo courts and prosecutions, as part of the Brussels agreement on judiciary.
Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) chairperson, Enver Peci, clarified that the assessment committee will be composed of three KJC members and two EULEX judges.
The recruitment process was also started at the State Prosecution. After completion of candidates’ assessment and interviewing, the committee will present the list of most successful candidates for further procedures to the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, the State Prosecution spokesperson Liridona Kozmaqi said.
Outgoing Ambassador Jacobson commends work of Women Caucus
(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)
The Women Caucus MPs received the outgoing United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Tracey Ann Jacobson, to a farewell meeting. On this occasion, they thanked Ambassador Jacobson for her continuous support to empowerment of women in Kosovo.
On the other hand, Jacobson said that this is the last meeting at the Assembly prior to her departure from Kosovo.
She commended the work of Women Caucus, considering it as a powerful voice for women and democracy, welfare of women and children, as well as Kosovo’s development.
Vehicle with BG registration plates shot at in Gorazhdevc
(RTK2)
Gunshots disturbed Gorazhdevc inhabitants on Wednesday evening. The shots were made from firearm on a vehicle with Belgrade (BG) registration plates. No human casualties were reported, however major material damage was caused. The case was reported to police, while, perpetrators or the motives behind this attack are not known.
Vehicle owner and his family did not want to talk in front of RTK2 camera, while the inhabitants were clearly distressed.
At the Kosovo Police station in Pejë/Pec said that members of regional police service have visited the scene and that investigation is underway.
Vinka Radisavljevic, head of Pejë/Pec district, underlines that this and similar attack against Serb cause unrests and are reflected in their further survival in these areas.
The vehicle owner is Ivan Kolasinac, a Serb IDP from Kosovo that currently lives in Belgrade. He came to Gorazhdevc to visit his family and friends.
Poll finds RTV21 as most watched and most credible TV station
(TV21)
Radio and Television 21 (RTV21) continues to remain the most preferred TV station within Kosovo and out of it. The latest IndexKosova Company poll finds RTV21 as the most watched and most credible TV station in Kosovo.
The company data on research of viewership of media prepared for an international client bring out that RTV21 has received the highest scores from respondents who replied to IndexKosova survey.
RTV21 got the highest score, 3.4 for credibility and programming. The other private TV station, Kohavision, got the 2.3 score, while the public broadcaster – RTK, got the score of 1.8 and KlanKosova came fourth with 1.3 score.
