Vucic and Mustafa discuss agreements on the phone (Epoka e Re)
Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic called on the phone yesterday Kosovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to discuss implementation of agreements reached in Brussels and the continuation of the EU-facilitated dialogue. According to a press release issued by the government in Belgrade, Vucic also offered Mustafa assistance in overcoming the situation following the recent flooding in several Kosovo municipalities.
Opposition bloc confident the government will fall on Saturday (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that the opposition parties – the Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and Initiative for Kosovo – have stepped up their activities on the eve of Saturday’s protest in Pristina. The three leaders of the opposition held a meeting with citizens in Ferizaj/Urosevac while activists from all three parties placed tape around the government building in Pristina declaring it a crime scene. The protesting march on Saturday will start at the National Library and then proceed to in front of the government building. The united opposition bloc will demand the resignation of the government, “as it has violated the Constitution of Kosovo”. Kosovo Police meanwhile have announced concrete operational plans to maintain order and public security on Saturday.
Haradinaj: Thaci not fit to become Kosovo president (Zeri)
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said in an interview for the paper that Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci is not the right person to take on the post of Kosovo president because he does not represent the unity of the people. However, he pointed out, the opposition’s priority at present is to stop implementation of agreements with Serbia on the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro. Haradinaj said further that the Mustafa-Thaci government has no longer any decision-making power as it is the people who will now decide whether the government stays or goes.
Deda: Opposition to talk to the government about election date (Zeri)
Vetevendosje MP Ilir Deda said there is no other solution left for the crisis in Kosovo except to head to new elections. He said that the current government led by Isa Mustafa no longer has legitimacy following the Constitutional Court’s decision on the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.
Civil society calls on EU to help depoliticize boards of POEs (Koha)
The paper reports on page two that three Pristina-based civil society organizations have called on the European Union to help dismiss what they believe to be the illegitimate boards of several publicly-owned enterprises appointed recently by the Kosovo government. The GAP Institute, INDEP and the Group for Political and Legal Studies have called on EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn to pressure the government in Pristina to dismiss the boards of POEs and independent agencies “that are filled with supporters of political parties”.
