Mustafa: Elections will be held in 2018 (Epoka e Re)
Isa Mustafa, Prime Minister of Kosovo, responded on his Facebook page to the requests of the opposition, specifically the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, for early elections, saying that the general election will be held in 2018. According to Mustafa, the request for new elections is a good entertainment for the summer holidays. “We are spending the holiday period in different ways this year. Some are working and the others are entertaining by requesting early elections, some are being ‘concerned’ with the election of the President in the beginning of the next year, some are threatening the state and the state leaders (as well as their family members) regarding the demarcation of the borders and association of municipalities, some are expressing concern for the future of Kosovo’s Armed Forces and the others are swimming at the sea. The Government will continue to work persistently on the fulfillment of its programme, which is very good. No one will impede anyone to try and rehearse general elections which will be held in 2018. Mr. Thaci will become the President of the Republic of Kosovo as it was decided in the agreement,” wrote Mustafa.
Haziri: Forget elections (Zeri)
The deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (LDK), Lutfi Haziri, said there is no reason for Kosovo to go to early elections. He said that the ruling coalition is functioning well and provides stability. According to him, there is no chance that Kosovo will go to early elections.
Dacic: UNESCO, Pandora ’s Box (Zeri)
Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that it would be advisable for UNESCO not to open Pandora’s Box with a possible acceptance of Kosovo as its member. “If Kosovo joins now, next time there will be some other regions that are not recognized by the United Nations. Despite our concerns, we are not surprised by the actions of international institutions. It would not be the first time that international law would be violated,” Dacic said. He reiterated that Serbia would do everything it could to prevent Kosovo’s membership of UNESCO.
Murtezaj: Kosovo insists on package agreement (Epoka e Re)
Valon Murtezaj, advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa, told Radio Free Europe that Kosovo would insist on the achievement of a package agreement on a number of issues in the upcoming round of talks with Serbia. According to Murtezaj, this package would have to include agreement on the River Iver barricade, energy, telecommunications and the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.
Kirby: Kosovo and Serbia to normalize relations soon (Epoka e Re)
Michael Kirby, the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, said that the relations between Kosovo and Serbia should normalize very soon. In an interview for the Serbian news agency, Beta, Kirby said that documents are required. “When the U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton visited Belgrade, they discussed the normalization of the relations between Belgrade and Pristina; however, it was never said what this normalization would mean. No document has been approved so far, and it belongs to Serbia, Kosovo and the EU to decide what its shape would be, and to accept what they agreed upon,” said Kirby.
Ivanovic displaying signs of mental disorder (Zeri)
The paper reports that doctors at the Regional Hospital in Mitrovica North concluded that the health of Oliver Ivanovic who continues to hold a hunger strike and was transferred to the hospital, is deteriorating. The general director of the Mitrovica Regional Hospital, Milan Ivanovic, told the media that based on Ivanovic’s medical tests, he suffers from fatigue, anemia, dehydration and signs of mental disorder. Meanwhile, Koha carries reports from B92 which claim that the Kosovo Police has not allowed the Ivanovic’s family to visit him at the hospital. Ivanovic’s wife Milena Popovic said that the police did not even allow the priest to visit her husband.
