Politics takes Kosovo into crisis and chaos (dailies)
Leading story in all daily papers is yesterday’s lengthy session of the Kosovo Assembly which was supposed to begin at 4 p.m. but only started around 1 a.m. in an improvised setting as the opposition representatives repeatedly released teargas to prevent the functioning of the parliament. Koha Ditore writes that Kosovo has been engulfed in a crisis and chaos and that despite the attempt of the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli to try and hold a plenary session by surrounding the speaker’s stand by police forces, the opposition managed to throw teargas inside the chamber whereas their supporters outside the building clashed with police. Apart from teargas, opposition MPs also threw plastic water bottles at the Speaker Veseli and members of the government. Ultimately, after three failed attempts, the session ended around 2 a.m. without the presence of the opposition and took place in the Assembly cafeteria. The opposition called the session illegal. “This is not a session but an illegal meeting of party structures of this usurping and scavenging regime,” said Vevendosje leader Visar Ymeri.
Protest escalates, ten opposition activists arrested (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that as events inside the Assembly were escalating, so was the protest of a several hundred opposition supporters outside the building. The protesters threw Molotov cocktails at the special police units in riot gear as they replied by releasing teargas to disperse the protesters. The protest resulted in the arrest of about ten opposition supporters.
Delawie: Kosovo’s future being jeopardized (Zeri)
The US ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie commented on the Assembly events on Twitter by saying that teargas and violence have no place in the assembly. “Such actions jeopardize the future of Kosovo,” Delawie said and later on commended the Assembly for being able to do its work on behalf of the citizens of Kosovo.
Jahjaga appeals to opposition to renounce violence (Koha)
In a statement to the press, President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga expressed deep concern over the developments inside and outside the Kosovo Assembly. She said acts of violence and unacceptable and not part of a democratic order. “I appeal to the opposition MPs to renounce violence. Our country’s aspirations are deeply threatened by these events and these actions are harming the democracy we worked so hard to built,” said Jahjaga stressing that the dialogue is a cornerstone of democracy and that “where there’s dialogue, there’s solution.”
Jablanovic transferred to a new post in Belgrade (Zeri)
Aleksandar Jablanovic is no longer leader of the Serbian List as he has been transferred to a new position in the Serbian government in Belgrade and he will be replaced by the current head of the Serbian List parliamentary group, Slavko Simic. The decision was announced after a meeting between the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Serb political representatives.
