EU pressures Kosovo to speed up the establishment of the Association

(KTV)

EU called upon Kosovo to continue as soon as possible with the procedures for the establishment of the Association of Serb majority municipalities.

In a statement for KTV, Maja Kocinajcic, the spokesperson of the EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Federica Mogherini, said that the verdict of the Constitutional Court stipulates that the Association should be established in compliance with the first Agreement and the Constitution.

“We expect all the sides to respect this decision. Kosovo Government should promulgate a legislative act as soon as possible for implementation of the Agreements and the statute of the Association”, Kocijancic said.

Kocijancic said that the next high profile meeting between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade representatives is expected to resume at the beginning of 2016.

“The two sides will discuss the implementation of the agreements stemming out of the dialogue on normalisation of relations as they have agreed to move ahead towards resolution of all the matters,” Kocijancic said.

But the Government of Kosovo says that in parallel with these procedures, they will condition the dissolution of parallel structure that Serbia has in all municipalities with Serb majority.

Deputy Minister of local government administration, Bajram Gecaj, said that the Agreement will not be implemented if all parallel structures are not dissolved and stressed that Brussels is aware of this request. He said that a joint group will be established that will work on dissolving these structures in parallel with the drafting of the Statute of the Association.

But similar statement for conditions and reciprocity in the negotiations, were made in the past by governmental, before the agreement on the Association was reached.

Imer Mushkolaj, a political analyst, considers as absurd such statemenst from governmental official.

Kurti: The verdict of the Constitutional Court destroyed the Association

(KTV)

Former leader of Vetëvendosje Albin Kurti, who is currently under house arrest measure  by the order of the Basic Court, said the verdict of the Constitutional Court has destroyed the Association of Serb majority municipalities.

In an exclusive interview for KTV show ‘Interaktiv” said that on 09 January w they will protest for early elections also.

According to Kurti, the verdict of the Constitutional Court stipulates that all the seven chapters of the Agreement between Mustafa and Vucic violate 23 Articles of the Constitution of Kosovo.

“Starting from the first chapter, and until the last chapter, each of these chapters violates the Constitution of Kosovo. Consequently, there is no Association. They can says whatever they want, however the Constitutional Court verdict has finally ‘killed’ the Association”, Kurti said.

Amongst other Kurti criticized Kosovo Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa. He said that Mustafa is not able to manage even his Facebook account and while he wants to manage Kosovo.

According to Kurti, now that the Association is ‘dead’, PM Mustafa is attempting to revive it once again. Moreover, he said that there is no sense for Mustafa to continue to be Prime Minister.

As it regards the protest of the opposition, announced for 09 January, Kurti said that the protest will be against the Association and agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro, but he emphasized that the protest will be also for early elections.

AAK calls for early elections

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) considers that only early elections would return the normality in Kosovo. AAK deputy chairperson Ardian Gjini and Ahmet Isufi, during the year end press conference, said that Isa Mustafa and Hashim Thaçi have no credibility and Kosovo needs to have early elections as soon as possible.

Gjini also counted failures of the current Government, while the deputy chairman of the AAK, Ahmet Isufi said that Mustafa-Thaci Government is the most criminalized government after the conflict.

The AAK officials say that it is highly likely for opposition parties to enter new election race as united front.

Gjilan/Gnjilane Serb councilor excluded from the session of Assembly

(KTV)

Gjilan/Gnjilane municipal Assembly excluded its municipal councilor, Srdjan Mitrovic, from the session, because of his appointment in Serbia’s parallel structure and his refusal to declare if he recognizes the institutions and the laws of Kosovo, according to which he has been elected as municipal councilor.

This decision was preceded by a lengthy debate of the municipal councilors in the Assembly, who said that Mitrovic cannot be part of Kosovo institution and at the same time member of Serbian parallel structure, which impede the integration of the Serb community and work against the interests of Kosovo.

In the end, 29 councilors votes for Mitrovic’s exclusion from the session.

Former MUP members refuse contracts with Kosovo Government

(RTK1)

Former members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia (MUP) refused on Tuesday to sign contracts with Kosovo Ministry of Economic Development, as foreseen with the agreement on integration of former MUP members within Kosovo institutions. This was confirmed by Kosovo Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, during a debate in RTK3.

She said that a group of sixteen Serbs, that were foreseen to be integrated into the Ministry for Economic Development and would be working for Mitrovicë/Mitrovica regional water supply company, have instead demanded to work in Gazivodë/Ujman and not to the designated jobs. Tahiri said that they have rejected this proposal, because according to her, these members are not the ones who decide about their designated jobs but “it’s the government of Kosovo along with the EU that negotiates this issue”.

Tahiri considers this request a justification of Serbia to avoid the implementation of the agreement.

She reiterated that without the dissolution of parallel structure, there will be no Association of Serb majority municipalities.

KPC establishes special unit to fight corruption and economic crimes

(Klan Kosova & KTV)

In its last meeting for 2015 the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) took a decision to establish a unit which will fight corruption and economic crimes.  This unit will be authorized to sequestrate and confiscate illegal assets. The unit, according to KPC, will be composed of 10 prosecutors, 6 prosecutors from the Serious Crime Department and four prosecutor of the General Department.

KPC also approved the memorandum of cooperation between KPC and the Central Election Commission, Prosecutorial Council, Judicial Council, Kosovo Police and Election Panel on Appeals and Complaints.

Klan Kosova also reported that KPC decided to establish an internal permanent commission for assessing the work of the prosecutors as stipulated with the new law. According to the KPC member of this committee will be one member of this Council, a prosecutor from the State Prosecution Office and a prosecutor from the Court of Appeals.

SPRK files indictment against seven suspects

(KTV)

Kosovo Special Prosecution (SPRK) filed indictment against seven defendants suspected of misusing the position or the official duty and for violating right of equality in exercising economic activity.

According to the indictment, the first two defendants, GJ.D and M.V have reached a memorandum of understanding in contradiction with the Law on Public Procurement and the Law on Public Financial Management thus enabling to ‘Grafoloni’ company, the illegal profit of EUR 30,000 and making impossible to the other companies to bid.

The other defendants GJ.B, F.Z and B.B are accused of allowing all the payments to be processed to the company.

KTV also reported that the Basic Prosecution in Prishtinë/Pristina filed indictment against R.Z, former manager of the Procurement in Lipjan/Lipljan municipality. He is accused of misusing the official duty or the official authorization.