PM Mustafa: EULEX should continue to operate in some fields
(All monitored broadcasters, TV21)
Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said they are still in discussions regarding extension of EULEX operation in Kosovo.
“As far as EULEX is concerned, we are still discussing it. We have reached a lot of progress during the visit of Brussels representatives to Kosovo last week. EULEX should continue to operate in some fields, but locals should be provided with more room for decisions,” Mustafa stressed.
While Kosovo and EU authorities have brought their stances closer regarding extension of EULEX mandate, it is said that only two issues have remained to be discussed, namely to set the deadline of the mandate and transfer of cases from locals to this Mission.
Thaçi to discuss demarcation issue with Montenegro leaders
(All monitored broadcasters, RTV21)
President Hashim Thaçi said that Kosovo institutions and the political class should respect Kosovo’s legal and constitutional obligations.
Commenting the issue of border demarcation with Montenegro Thaçi said that assessments made by Kosovo’s Governmental Commission and the international commission should be taken into account.
“I want to believe that in the near future this issue will be discussed in the Assembly of Kosovo and it shall not be politicized, but it rather should be looked as a matter of state interest,” President Thaçi said.
Thaçi will travel on Saturday to Podgorica to attend the ceremony organised for the 10th anniversary of Montenegro’s independence. Thaçi confirmed that he will discuss the issue of border demarcation during this visit. “I will have a meeting with the Montenegrin Prime Minister and President on the issue of demarcation. It is in the interest of both countries to conclude this issue at the earliest time possible,” Thaçi underlined.
On the other hand, Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, emphasized that the ratification of the border demarcation agreement will be done before the visa liberalisation recommendation will be voted in the European Parliament.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe, PM Mustafa said that all political parties should work for ratification of the demarcation; at the contrary, according to him, visa liberalisation process will be at stake.
AAK and Nisma request renegotiation of demarcation with Montenegro
(All monitored broadcasters, RTV21)
AAK and Nisma chairpersons, Ramush Haradinaj and Fatmir Limaj, held a press conference on Thursday stating that they will continue to oppose the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro even more strongly.
Haradinaj requested a renegotiation of the border demarcation with Montenegro. He suggested not submitting the current version of the demarcation agreement in the Assembly for ratification. According to him, ratification might fail and that could deepen the current political crisis.
He said that during a recent meeting with the EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, he suggested that the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro should be negotiated in Brussels.
On the other hand, Limaj said that early elections are the only way out of the current crisis.
They also did not welcome the proposal of Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi for establishment of a special commission on the Association of Serb majority municipalities. According to them, the proposal made by President Thaçi is not serious and this is mockery of Kosovo’s politics and justice.
AAK chairperson Ramush Haradinaj repeated that this issue should be renegotiated from the start in Brussels.
Limaj also opposed the establishment of such a commission. He said that the Association should be established based on the format of Association of Kosovo Municipalities.
Visar Ymeri against ratification of demarcation
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Vetëvendosje chairperson Visar Ymeri once again expressed his contradiction for demarcation of the border with Montenegro to be ratified as it was is foreseen by the governmental commission.
Ymeri said that this criterion set by the EU for liberalisation of visa is not in consistence with the European values of inter-state reciprocity.
He accused President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli of one-sided compromises to the damage of Kosovo.
He insists that this agreement cannot be brought in the Assembly. Ymeri warned that at the contrary, the responsibility for further aggravation of the situation and deepening of the political crisis will fall on them.
Veseli calls on Srpska List MPs to reflect about Kosovo Armed Force
(RTV21 & RTKlive)
On Tuesday, the US Congress, within the framework of Defense Authorization Act, has voted unanimously the amendment, which calls on the US Administration to prepare Kosovo for NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) Program.
President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi welcomed the decision of the US Congress. He said that Kosovo is ready to transform the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Kosovo Armed Force (KAF).
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said that establishment of the Kosovo Army is inevitable, online version of RTK reported. “One thing is clear that this country will not remain hostage to some individuals, and we will act.” said Veseli. He called on Srpska List MPs to reflect on this issue, as, according to him, this shall happen by all means.
Dimitrijevic: Irregularities happened in the process of RTK2 director selection
(KTV)
Darko Dimitrijevic, a candidate for director of RTK2 channel in Serbian, has sent an open letter to the RTK Board Chairperson, Ismet Bexheti, claiming that there were irregularities over the process of selection of the director of this channel.
According to him, selection of the working group, which, according to the law, selects and proposes at least two candidates for the director of RTK2 channel, was done in unprofessional manner.
“The Law on Radio and Television of Kosovo has clearly defined that media field experts and civil society representatives must take part in that working group. In this case, the RTK Board has violated the law, as it has elected a working group, which had no media field experts or NGO representatives,” Dimitrijevic says.
He also underlined that violations were also made in the case of receiving applications of persons with political background, such as the one of Nikola Krstic who, until March 2015, was deputy mayor of Strpce/Shtërpcë Municipality.
Dimitrijevic also considers that process of was non-transparent because the list of candidates running for director and their qualifications were not published, which, according to him, is a violation of the Law on RTK, Article 35. Dimitrijevic requested annulment of this vacancy.
KDI and CDHRF critical to Assembly’s work
(Klan Kosova)
Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) is considering the work dynamics in the Assembly of Kosovo very slow, having in mind the responsibilities that this institution has toward handling of laws, oversight of Government’s work, and representation of citizens from which they got their votes.
In a comparison they made between May last year and the same period this year, KDI says that there is a huge disproportion in the number of plenary sessions that were held in these two time periods.
The Council for Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) also considers that the Assembly least looks like the place where people elected by the people represent and defend interests of voters. According to CDHRF, the Assembly has turned into an arena of gladiators, obstructers of work, and material beneficiaries who misuse voters’ taxes by not justifying the MP per diems and salaries they receive with anything useful.
Aside from the opposition parties, CDHRF also accused the ruling parties for their non-presence in the Assembly.
