Delawie: The actions of opposition parties damage Kosovo
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
US Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie reminded to Kosovo opposition parties, the damages they are triggering to Kosovo through the blockade of the Assembly.
A day before the scheduled Assembly session, Speaker Kadri Veseli received the US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie. Veseli and Delawie conveyed messages to opposition to unblock the Assembly of Kosovo.
Ambassador Delawie had a message for those that bring weapons into Kosovo Assembly and use them against their colleagues.
“You are hurting Kosovo’s economy, you are risking isolating Kosovo from investments, you are taking Kosovo towards isolation by the Euro-Atlantic community, you are jeopardising Kosovo’s chances for visa liberalisation, and you are delaying Kosovo’s chances for new recognitions”, stressed the US Ambassador.
Delawie said that people from the entire world are seeing images of violence and chaos in in Assembly, emphasizing that this is not good for Kosovo.
On the other hand, Speaker Veseli called upon opposition MPs to return to the Assembly and discuss and express their views for issues that they are concerned. Moreover, Veseli stressed that a scenario for destabilizing Kosovo will never come out of the Assembly.
Delawie and Veseli also commended the first step of Kosovo towards admission in UNESCO, but stressed that the issues in streets and in the Assembly, risk to damage important processes like this one.
They refused to answer to the questions of the journalists at the press conference, about potential scenarios of Friday’s Assembly plenary session. Meanwhile, the opposition announced again the blockage of the session, for the sixth time in row.
Vetëvendosje MP, Faton Topalli, reacted to the statement of the US Ambassador. Topalli, who is one of the MPs that throw the teargas in the last Assembly session, wrote in his Facebook account, that only one the withdrawal of the signature from the agreements would return Kosovo to normality. Moreover, Topalli said that the agreements with Serbia limit the functionality of Kosovo and are a serious obstacle for Kosovo’s economic development.
Nisma për Kosovën reacted also against the statement of Ambassador Delawie. Nisma caucus chair, Valdete Bajrami, said that opposition received similar threats also for the Special Court.
Despite the calls of the international factors, the opposition did not give up from their stances and called upon Speaker Veseli to annul Friday’s session as soon as possible in order not to produce additional crisis.
On the other hand, civil society organizations announced that they will hold a peaceful march on Friday to address messages related to the recent political developments in the Kosovo.
Jahjaga to take Kosovo-Serbia agreements to Constitutional Court
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga will take the Agreement on Association of Serb Majority Municipalities to the Constitutional Court for an interpretation.
KTV reported that President Jahjaga proposed to the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties that she will request an interpretation from the Constitutional Court on the achieved agreement based on her constitutional competencies and due to the created situation.
The President will consult with the representatives of the ruling and opposition parties and if they agree, she is planning to submit the case to the Constitutional Court on Friday, before the plenary session.
President’s Office refused to give details about Jahjaga’s proposal.
Mustafa: Opposition actions are not supported by citizens
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said that opposition parties are not supported by the citizens of Kosovo. PM Mustafa, addressing to the Congress of European People’s Party (EPP), in Madrid, acknowledged that there is stagnation in implementing Brussels agreements; however he emphasized that Kosovo Government is committed to go all the way to the end.
Speaking about the stagnation on implementation of the Agreements, Mustafa stated that they have been facing with a strong resistance of opposition parties, violent and non-democratic actions, but, according to Mustafa, Kosovo citizens do not support such actions.
Vetëvendosje chairperson, Visar Ymeri, reacted against Mustafa’s statements. Ymeri said that PM Mustafa has no legitimacy because the petition of the opposition parties has been signed by over 200,000 citizens.
Government cannot retract the signature from the Agreements
(KTV)
The request of opposition parties to annul the agreement on the Association cannot be done, because it is impossible for the Government to undertake such an action.
Experts of integration and international relation said that the only option for the Government of Kosovo is not to implement the agreements, respectively suspend those. However, they warn of serious political consequences if such action would happen.
University professor, Emrush Ujkani, said that there is no possibility to retract the signature, since such a term is not even known in the terminology of international law, but according to him, there is the possibility of unilateral non-implementation of the agreement which would results with serious political consequences for Kosovo.
Meanwhile, Fisnik Korenica of the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) said that the Government rushed to sign the agreement, because according to him, those agreements should have been discussed in the Assembly before signing.
Korenica considers that the withdrawal from the agreements is possible but it would carry consequences in the European path and in the credibility of Kosovo.
Since the opposition parties started to block the work of the Assembly, Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa reiterated that the annulment of the agreements can never be taken into consideration.
Opposition parties accuse Police and Prosecution
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Opposition parties have issued a joint reaction, against the behaviour of Police and State Prosecution, saying that these two institutions are violating Kosovo Constitution and Laws by prosecuting MPs elected by the people.
“These institutions, few days earlier, against the law and without an arrest warrant issued by the Court, have arrested Albin Kurti. Meanwhile, the Police in its offices tortured and abused activists of opposition parties because they partook in the protest for releasing Albin Kurti. Also, Police and Prosecution are creating a menacing atmosphere against the opposition with their unprofessional communication and through commanding phone calls against opposition leaders and with harsh discourse against citizens and activists”, reads the joint reaction of opposition parties.
The opposition parties called upon police and prosecutor that in the current situation to always act according to the law.
Prosecution to resend invitations to Kurti and Haxhiu
(KTV&TV21)
Basic Prosecution in Prishtinë/Pristina announced that it will try again to hand over the invitations to Albin Kurti and Albulena Haxhiu to appear before the state prosecutor to give their statements, TV21 reported.
“If the defendants in this case, Kurti and Haxhiu, do not appear and do not justify their absence, the pre-trial judge on request of the public prosecutor will issue an arrest warrant”, reads a press release issued by Prosecution.
Moreover, the Prosecution announced that, it did not issue authorization for arrest or decision on detention against these defendants regarding events in the Assembly dated on 08 October but it will try to give them yet another chance to appear at the prosecutor office.
Rakic and Bahtiri argue over municipal borders
(KTV)
Delimitation of administrative borders between the municipalities of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south and north has incited tensions between the mayors of the two municipalities.
The memorandum for defining the administrative borders, proposed by the EU, was foreseen to be signed by the mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South, Agim Bahtiri and the mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, Goran Rakic, but currently the relation between the two mayors has been frozen.
President of the Municipal Assembly of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, Ksenija Bozovic, assured that the mayor Rakic will not sign this memorandum.
Bozovic said that mayor Rakic considers the village Suhodoll, which geographically is located in the north of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, is as a strategic point and very important for the issue of the division of the town.
However, mayor Bahtiri called upon mayor Rakic to distance himself from the daily politics, since, as Bahitiri said, the only solution is the signature of the memorandum based on the Ahtisaari Plan.
On the other hand, political analysts consider that any deviation from the Ahtisaari plan would produce additional issues and tensions in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.
Coordinator of Kosovo Insurance Bureau tortured by Police
(RTK1)
The coordinator of Kosovo Insurance Bureau (KIB) in Jarinje border-crossing, Milan Ilic and an Albanian operator have been stopped by Kosovo Police in north, respectively in Jarinjë-Mitrovicë/Mitrovica road.
The coordinator of this border-crossing, without any particular reason, has been arrested and detained. Moreover, Ilic has been brutally tortured in prison and has been accused for cooperating with Albanians. Ilic now is receiving medical treatment in the hospital while the Albanian operator has been stopped for over four hours in the road.
This was confirmed by the head of Kosovo delegation in talks with Serbia regarding vehicle insurances, Rrahim Pacolli, who urged Prosecution to undertake measures against these police officers.
