Opposition: Protests will stop when the government falls (Zeri)
The three opposition parties – Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – told a press conference yesterday that they will not stop the protests without the resignation of the Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the fall of this government. The three opposition leaders thanked the participants in Saturday’s protest, saying the citizens showed this government that it is not wanted and it should resign. “This government has no democratic legitimacy to continue further. The protest was closed as a massive protest with one demand that violators of the Constitution cannot govern Kosovo,” said Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri. Meanwhile, leaders of AAK and NISMA, Ramush Haradinaj and Fatmir Limaj, said that citizens in large numbers demanded the resignation of the government on Saturday.
Government and opposition don’t change stance, crisis deepens (Koha Ditore)
The paper writes that the massive protest on Saturday and the clashes that followed between police and opposition supporters did not result in any change of positions of the government and the opposition. The opposition continues to demand the resignation of the Isa Mustafa-led government while the government leaders maintain they do not plan to step down to pave the way for fresh elections. Kosovo government officials said that while there is no chance for elections to take place before their regular timing in 2018, there is room for constructive dialogue. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, said they will continue staging protests until the government resigns.
International officials condemn violence in Saturday’s protest (dailies)
Saturdays’ opposition protest has triggered reactions from international officials in Kosovo who said it was damaged by the violence that erupted afterwards. The British Ambassador Ruairi O’Connell said he was disappointed with the fact that “a significant protest was marred by violence.” He added that violence causes more problems than it actually solves. The US Ambassador Greg Delawie also condemned the violence. In his Twitter account, Delawie said that political violence is threatening democracy and all that Kosovo has achieved since independence. The EU office condemned the destruction of public property and called appealed for calm and renouncement of violence whereas EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn said he was concerned with the violent escalation of protests in Pristina. “The reported injuries and damage to public property are unacceptable. I urge all to show restraint and return to peaceful dialogue through political means,” Hahn tweeted.
Belgrade will not dissolve its parallel structures in Kosovo (Zeri)
The paper reports that all Serbian parallel structures in northern Kosovo, including the so called Civil Protection, will continue to operate in 2016 if “Kosovo authorities do not implement the Brussels agreement in entirety.” Media in northern Mitrovica reported that the Serbian Government has respected and implemented all agreements, including the one on integration of 483 members of Civil Protection. Initial deadline for the integration of Civil Protection members was 1 September 2015, but it was extended because so far only 105 members have been integrated. Citing northern Kosovo media, the paper writes the full integration will happen when the Kosovo authorities implement the Brussels agreement in its entirety. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, said the Serbian authorities have violated the agreement by preventing the integration of 378 former members of the Civil Protection into Kosovo institutions.
Implementation of SAA starts in the first months of this year (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, told the paper that the Stabilization Association Agreement (SSA) will start being implemented in the very first months of this year. He said the national program for SAA implementation has identified all constitutional, legislative and institutional measures that need to be undertaken in order to implement obligations deriving from the agreement. The deadline for fulfillment of the obligations is ten years; however, according to Collaku, initiation of reforms and implementation of the obligations during the first three years will allow Kosovo’s application for the status of the candidate for EU membership.
Population census in the north, this year (Epoka e Re)
Chief of Kosovo’s Statistics Agency Isa Krasniqi said that population and agriculture census in the four municipalities of northern Kosovo, Mitrovica North, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Loposavic, will take place this year. He informed that the project will be financed by the Office of the European Union in Kosovo. He stressed that the same standards that were applied during the population census in the rest of Kosovo will be applied during the census in the north.
