Government ready for international mediator, opposition against (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that the government and opposition have different stances on eventual international mediation to overcome the political crisis. While government officials said they are ready to accept an international mediator, opposition representatives said international mediation is not necessary and that normality can be restored only by annulling the agreements with Serbia and Montenegro. Political analysts in Pristina meanwhile argue that only international officials can help find a solution to the crisis but only if the latter support leaders with integrity and skills and not leaders skilled only in obedience. The paper notes that former Finish President Martti Ahtisaari, Swedish politician Carl Bildt and senior US official Hoyt Brian Yee were rumoured as possible mediators for talks between the government and the opposition.
Mustafa: Opposition to prepare for elections in 2018 (Epoka e Re)
In a front-page interview for the paper, Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said his party’s MPs will be united on the upcoming election of the President of Kosovo, adding that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will respect the agreement to elect PDK leader Hashim Thaci for President. Mustafa said he does not intend to resign his position despite demands from the opposition. His message for the opposition parties was to prepare for elections in 2018. “Instead of using Molotov cocktails, teargas, stones and brutal actions, the opposition should provide arguments that it is capable to govern,” Mustafa said. Speaking about the new round of talks with Serbia in Brussels scheduled to commence on 27 January, Mustafa said Kosovo has yet to submit its final reply on whether it is going to participate. He also said he expects the European Union to reflect on visa liberalization for Kosovo after the fulfillment of the final criteria.
Kurti: Qosja, Jashari not opposition’s candidates for president (Kosova Sot)
In an interview for Kosovapress, former Vetevendosje leader and MP Albin Kurti said that the opposition has not made any official requests to the academic Rexhep Qosja or to Murat Jashari. He, however, noted that Hashim Thaci has no credibility and does not represent the people’s unity to take on the post of Kosovo’s president. “Thaci has neither the courage, the knowledge nor the will for progress in Kosovo,” said Kurti adding that in a year of being foreign minister, Thaci suffered defeat in the UNESCO bid, visa liberalization, and only brought two new recognitions of Kosovo’s independence.
Selimi: Police should enforce the law not political orders (Epoka e Re)
Vetevendosje Movement MP Rexhep Selimi told a press conference on Sunday that the Kosovo Police should enforce the law and not political orders. He argued that the police and security system should survive even after the downfall of the current government. He assessed that the Kosovo Police has violated the law in the case of the raid at the Vetevendosje offices, “by carrying out a military operation and exercising force towards opposition activists”.
Rasic: Association/Community, Belgrade’s success (Zeri)
Serbian List MP Nenad Rasic said on Saturday that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities would not fulfill the needs of Kosovo Serbs, but that it will be a great success story of Belgrade’s policy vis-à-vis Kosovo. Rasic said the Association/Community is only a political issue which doesn’t affect the lives of Kosovo Serbs. On the issue of the Kosovo Armed Forces, Rasic said: “I believe that Kosovo Armed Forces will not be in the interest of Kosovo Serbs and for the moment it’s not in Serbian List’s scenario to vote for it”.
Kandic: Albanians’ heroes are not those who committed crimes (Zeri)
Belgrade-based human rights activist, Natasa Kandic, told the paper that when the special court becomes operational, people in Kosovo will understand that the heroes of Albanians are not those who committed crimes against minority communities. Kandic said the work of the special court should be accompanied with intensified trials in Serbia over crimes committed in Kosovo. “Otherwise, many people in Kosovo will be wondering where is justice for more than 8,000 Albanian civilian victims,” Kandic said. She also spoke about the recent visit of Serb general Dikovic in Kosovo who is suspected of war crimes, saying this visit shows that KFOR does not follow the politics of the Kosovo government. In regards to missing persons, Kandic said she believes there are still secret mass graves in Kosovo and Serbia. “The mistake is that the issue of missing persons is not part of the dialogue in Brussels,” she added.
