Assembly convenes on Tuesday to approve the budget

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Members of the Kosovo Assembly will gather on Tuesday at 09:00hrs in an extraordinary session. This session was called upon the request of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, which was later approved by the Assembly, and where the 2016 budget is expected to be voted in principle.

Opposition has announced use of same methods of blockade and says that holding of this session will only aggravate the situation further.

On the other hand, 82 MPs of the ruling parties have requested more safety by competent bodies for a normal development of the plenary sessions.

Delawie considers use of violence to disrupt the Assembly as real provocation

(RTK1)

The United States Ambassador in Kosovo, Greg Delawie, considered use of violence to disrupt the Assembly, whose members were elected by the majority of the people of Kosovo, as a real provocation.

This is what Delawie wrote in his Twitter account late on Monday, a day prior to the Assembly’s session scheduled for Tuesday at 09:00hrs. 

Opposition to organize anti-Government rally on 28 November

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The three opposition parties – Vetëvendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), confirmed that they will organize a rally to oppose agreements with Serbia and border demarcation with Montenegro 28 November. They announced this through a joint statement.

“Everything that was brought in by Thaçi-Mustafa Government, which promised 200.000 jobs, are projects that ruin our state and divide it on ethnic lines, corruptive affairs, decrease of economic development, fleeing of over 100.000 citizens, and so on. Opposition parties will organize a rally on 28 November 2015, at 14:00 hrs. in “Zahir Pajaziti” square against the agreements with Serbia, demarcation of border with Montenegro and against the Government of Kosovo. The will of Kosovo citizens for a sovereign and functional state shall be massively expressed in this rally,” opposition parties wrote in their joint statement. 

Kosovo increases security measures following Paris attacks

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

An e-mail was sent from Ebubekr Albani to Zëri editorial office. This e-mail threatens those that do not support ISIS activities.  The language used in this e-mail, forced the editors of this newspaper to report it to Kosovo Police.

Zëri editor-in-chief, Arbana Xharra, said that the e-mail is a classic and direct threat.

The situation created following attacks in Paris, has also mobilized Kosovo institutions. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa gathered the Security Council, in which the security situation in Kosovo was reviewed.

Commending the steps taken so far by state institutions, PM Mustafa emphasized that Kosovo should be prepared in all aspects to encounter threats of violent extremism, terrorism and the organized crime networks.

According to PM Mustafa, security institutions as the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA) are working hard to prevent terrorist acts.

Security institutions reported that they have increased security measures and vigilance in public places, public institutions, diplomatic representations, religious and cultural sites, as well in areas with mixed ethnicity.

VV criticizes EC Progress Report

(Klan Kosova & KTV)

EC Progress Report on Kosovo for 2015 is being considered biased and selective. According to Vetëvendosje Movement, it is amnestying corrupt politicians and is defending those politicians that are obedient to the European Union.

This report is also being seen as an EU instrument to give a good image to the work of European Union toward Kosovo.

European integrations expert, Emrush Ujkani, also considers Progress Report findings as unrealistic. According to Ujkani, a sort of deliberate cautiousness is also noted in it with the idea of not aggravating further the already aggravated political situation in Kosovo.

Covering the issue of this year’s Progress Report, KTV also reported that it has criticized the judiciary in Kosovo. The criticisms addressed include court backlogs, small number of judges, limited budget, and political influence on judicial cases.

The report adds that little progress has only been achieved in terms of adoption of a package of laws.

Legal framework on tolerance not being implemented in practice

(RTK2)

16 November is the International Day for Tolerance, marking of which aims to raise awareness on issues and threats that intolerance represents to the whole society. As in many other things in life, humans learn about tolerance from early childhood, in kindergartens and schools.

Tolerant, respectively intolerant behaviour might be manifested in different ways, such as misunderstanding and insults which in most cases lead to violence. Other and similar terms, such as stereotypes and prejudices, are also related to it.

“During the last year in particular, we have various extremist and terrorist groups in the scene that put normal life at risk and with it the future of people. These groups are against the historical processes, because history leads toward tolerance, understanding, cooperation between cultures, religions, and not toward their separation or conflict,” sociologist Shemsi Krasniqi said.

Understanding diversity is the basis of tolerance. Before we understand the substance of diversity, our task is to reassess ourselves and think of where we lost our self-confidence and to look for the problem in others, at the Centre for Peace and Tolerance say.

Although there is a fairly good and clear constitutional and legal framework which ensures tolerance and diversity as far as the gender, racial and cultural affiliation is concerned, implementation of this legal framework in practice is not the same.

“There is a lack of diversity in judicial sector, where we have a very low representation of 6% of judges that come from non-Albanian communities. We should also mentioned the gender inequality in practice, where, again, despite a good legal framework, we have a very low percentage of women which are owners of immovable property,” stated Senad Sabovic, Spokesperson of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.