High-level forum on durable solutions for displaced from Kosovo held
(RTK2)
On the second day of the regional conference on seeking durable solutions for displaced persons from Kosovo, the high-level forum gathering representatives from Prishtinë/Pristina, Belgrade, Podgorica and Skopje was also held.
The Forum was organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo together with the UNHCR. In their opening remarks, participants welcomed the OSCE and UNHCR initiative to jointly work on identification of durable solutions for the displaced.
Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger expressed his hope that durable solutions for this issue will be found, and thanked the Working Group for their dedication and work over the last months.
Minister for Communities and Returns, Dalibor Jevtic, said that there will be a specific timeline of three years for return of displaced persons to Kosovo, or to integrate them in their current place of residence.
Head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, said that Serbia looks with optimism at initiatives that provide for displaced persons.
“It is not enough to count all the failures that we jointly had in the past. I would dare to say that each of our organizations has some success behind it, but there are also a lot of failures behind us regarding this issue. I think that our meeting here in Montenegro and in Budva today represents an opportunity to put resources of local, international and regional organizations at the function of return to Kosovo and Metohija, and that this is an opportunity for international organizations and our institutions to give evident support to the return process,” Djuric stated.
Minister of Labour and Social Welfare at the Montenegrin Government, Zorica Kovacevic, said that return process from this country to Kosovo intensified between 2012 and 2014, and called for urgent return of those willing to return.
The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Enver Husejin, expressed his support to the work of Working Group and emphasised his expectation that as result of their work the issue of displaced persons will be solved.
As a recommendation of the Working Group, representatives of Prishtinë/Pristina, Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje, OSCE and UNHCR will bring out certain conclusions related to property rights, civil documentation and data management with the aim to identify durable solutions for this issue.
Prime Minister Mustafa pelted with eggs
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa managed to say only a few words in front of MPs of the Assembly of Kosovo who convened to hear his report on agreements with Serbia.
The moment that PM Mustafa said that agreements have constitutional ground, opposition MPs not only raised their voice, but they also pelted him with eggs. However, the reaction of Mustafa’s security, present in the Assembly room since the beginning of the session, was immediate. Following this action, Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli interrupted the session and called for a 10-minute break.
But, LDK MPs did not stay aside. Some MPs and Assembly monitors say they saw LDK MP Armend Zemaj throw a glass toward the opposition MPs.
Vetëvendosje MP Ilir Deda once again did not agree with actions of his party, and this seems to have triggered verbal clashes between him and the party leader, Visar Ymeri.
Although only a 10-minute break was called, the session started only after three hours. At 14:00hrs MPs started to return to the Assembly room, while the Prime Minister arrived at 14:30hrs. But, prior to starting the session, opposition MPs reached to the Speaker’s podium, thus making the continuation of the session impossible.
Speaker Veseli called on opposition caucus leaders to meet him, but they did not respond to his call. MPs went for another 15-minute break, but it lasted for more than an hour. When the governing cabinet and MPs returned to the Assembly, opposition MPs raised again on their feet, and this was the last effort of the Speaker to continue with the session.
Speaker Veseli called off the session and urged leaders of political parties to overcome the situation.
Attack on PM Mustafa condemned
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga condemned the attack on Prime Minister Isa Mustafa during Tuesday’s session of the Assembly of Kosovo.
Jahjaga considers this attack unacceptable and in contradiction with the spirit of proper democracy.
“Such ugly acts hinder the proper public debate and curtail the trust of our citizens in institutions of the country,” President’s reaction reads.
Jahjaga called on all MPs and political entities to respect institutions of the country in which the will of the people is represented, to renounce violence and to express political disagreements through institutional means, in full respect of principles of democracy.
In a posting in Facebook social network, Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi qualified the behaviour of opposition MPs as violence against the Assembly, democracy and citizens.
Today’s developments were also commented by the US and British Ambassadors in Kosovo. Through a posting in Twitter, the US Ambassador Greg Delawie said that Kosovo’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration requires respect for democratic procedures and regional cooperation, not political stunts.
On the other hand, the British Ambassador Ruairi O’Connell qualified the process of dialogue important.
“I understand that people have concerns. So I think it really important that the Assembly debate will take place today; that’s democracy in action. I look forward now to seeing both sides implement the agreements that they have made. This should bring practical benefits for the people of Kosovo. And it will show that Kosovo is a reliable member of the international community,” Ambassador O’Connell stated.
Special envoy of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Western Balkans, Ernst Reichel, also criticized the opposition for its Tuesday’s actions at the Assembly.
Reichel, in a Facebook post, wrote that those who pelted with eggs at the Assembly of Kosovo are the same people who used to complain that the Prime Minister did not inform adequately the Assembly about the results of the dialogue with Serbia.
According to Reichel, by pelting eggs, opposition parties only disqualified themselves as interlocutors at the Assembly.
On the other hand, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, condemned the developments at the Assembly of Kosovo. He underlined that is categorically unacceptable to express disagreements related to political developments through violence.
Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, considered the attack with eggs against Prime Minister Isa Mustafa as an undignified action.
Government of Kosovo through a press release also condemned the violent acts conducted on Tuesday by opposition MPs at the Assembly’s session. The Government considers that the Assembly should create normal working conditions for reporting based on the Constitution and the laws.
Opposition announced big protests
(KTV)
Prime Minister Isa Mustafa found himself wandering around the Assembly of Kosovo building halls. This happened after he was quickly evacuated due to the action of opposition parties. Confronted with journalists, Mustafa did not even want to talk for what happened.
However, representatives of the opposition considered their action fair and said that they will prevent the Association of Serb Municipalities by all means. According to the opposition parties, they will not stop calling on PM Mustafa to withdraw signature from the agreement on Association even after today’s event.
Ismet Beqiri of LDK qualified actions of the opposition shameful saying that they should seek change in debate, and not with violence at the Assembly room.
While the session was going on, dozens of political representatives from the opposition parties protested in front of the Assembly of Kosovo building entrance.
Opposition parties have announced protests for the coming days. They say that these protests will be nation-wide. However, no date for the protests was given.
