No representatives of Serbia in the working group for Association’s statute

(RTK2)

Ten days ago, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said in Vienna that works on establishment of working groups which will work on drafting the statute of the Association of Serb majority municipalities will start soon. However, there is no official confirmation from Prishtinë/Prishtina as how much that ‘soon’ could go on, RTK2 reported in its main news edition.

The Kosovo Government position, which has also been made known to the European Union, is that it will not come to the establishment of the Association of Serb majority municipalities as long as Serbia will not become constructive regarding the agreements on Kosovo telephone code, energy, opening of the bridge over Ibër River, while dissolution of Serbian parallel structures in Kosovo was highlighted as the main condition.

Serb representatives in Kosovo institutions think that all agreements, including the one on Association of Serb majority municipalities must be implemented as agreed in Brussels.

“Not in a single document that I received as Minister in the Government of Kosovo I saw that dissolution of parallel structures was agreed upon and it was among the signed points, which means that this issue is not part of the agreement. I have the feeling that this will likely be discussed in Brussels in the upcoming period,” Kosovo Minister for Communities and Return Dalibor Jevtic told RTK2.

It is clear that the Agreement on the Association will still be negotiated, but it remains a question how much time will be spent on statute drafting.

Jevtic also said that they expected to already have the Association of Serb municipalities, but this process still has not started, as, according to him, a new political momentum is in question due to the fact that that a strong opposition against this Agreement took place in Kosovo.

The date for beginning of statute drafting is still unknown. This was confirmed to RTK2 by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, which will closely work with the working group and the OSCE in drafting the Association’s statute.

“We will establish the working group within the Prime Minister’s cabinet, same as the group composed of international experts, which will initially look into details of the Constitutional Court’s verdict and define the framework and guidelines for drafting the statute. We have agreed that two Serb representatives from the Kosovo north and two representatives of Serb majority municipalities south of Ibër will be part of the working group. Until their names will not be approved, we will have a group that will prepare the statute in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Government Administration and the OSCE. From time to time we will travel to Brussels in order to agree on the final form of the statute. Working groups will not have representatives from Serbia,” the MLGA Deputy Minister Bajram Gecaj told RTK2.

Rada Trajkovic of the European Movement of Serbs believes that things for Kosovo Serbs will be way more favourable if the Association will have a constituent assembly, which is considered an issue by the Kosovo Albanian leadership.

 Mayor Bahtiri urges citizens to be calm

(Klan Kosova) 

In an interview with the Klan Kosova Info Magazine show, Agim Bahtiri, Mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south, said he will not tolerate change of administrative borders of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. Bahtiri stressed that he will resign in case the contrary happens.

Mayor Bahtiri also told Klan Kosova that he was also given assurances regarding this issue by the UN Security Council, while he urged citizens to be calm.

According to him, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) is the one that wants something to happen with Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, but it will not happen.

Srpska List addresses Government’s decision to the Constitutional Court

(KTV) 

Srpska List has addressed an administrative instruction of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.

This List is considering that this instruction contradicts the law on pension schemes financed by the state.

Nevertheless, officials of this Ministry say they will continue to apply this instruction as they consider that there is nothing illegal in it.

Veseli considers parliamentary ethics as an urgent institutional need

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)   

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said that in the current circumstances the parliamentary ethics is not a luxury, but rather an urgent institutional need because, according to him, everyone is a witness about degradation of image of politics and the public function.

At the conference dubbed ‘Principles of parliamentary ethics and institutional integrity” held in the framework of cooperation between the Assembly of Kosovo and the Committee of the US Congress, Speaker Veseli said that not only Constitution and administrative regulations make an institution democratic, but also the moral standards that the certain institution affirms and adopts.

Kuçi commends judiciary institutions 

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTV21)

Representatives of Kosovo Ministry of Justice, Kosovo Judicial Council, Prosecutorial Council, Judicial Institute, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) participated on Wednesday in the roundtable on coordination mechanisms for strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo.

Kosovo Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi, stressed the importance of coordination of these judicial institutions and said that the ministry he leads has been careful to build a good legal infrastructure.  He commended justice institutions for the work done in the field of European integration, saying that recent reports have been positive for Kosovo laws.

Agim Maliqi, a member of Kosovo Judicial Council, considered the establishment of a coordination mechanism for strengthening the rule of law is crucial for Kosovo’s justice system efficiency.

On the other hand, UNDP Deputy Permanent Representative, Alessandra Roccassalvo, said that the goal of UNDP is to support Kosovo and its efforts to become part of the European Union. 

Court fines two Serbs and extends 48-hours detention measure to four others

(RTK2)

Two of the Serbs who were arrested two days ago in Petric village of Klinë/Klina municipality together with four other Serbs have been fined by the Basic Court in Pejë/Pec.

Bozidar Sarkovic, President of the Interim Body of Klinë/Klina, confirmed to RTK2 that the court extended the detention measure for the other four Serbs for 48-hours.

“Vladan Kizic was fined with 570 Euros and Marko Lucic with 420 Euros, while the detention measure was extended for additional 48-hours for the other four Serbs. They are accused of violating public order while intoxicated,” Sarkovic said.

Serb candidates for position of KJC member interviewed

(Klan Kosova)

On Wednesday, the Kosovo Assembly Committee on Legislation, Mandates, Immunities, Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and Oversight of Anti-Corruption Agency, chaired by Albulena Haxhiu, interviewed the candidates for the position of the Serb member of the Kosovo Judiciary Council (KJC).

Two candidates had applied for this post: Nenad Lazic and Bogoljub Staletovic.  Committee recommended both candidates to the Kosovo Assembly. The Assembly will elect one of the candidates, through secrecy vote for a 5-year mandate, Klan Kosova reported.

Former Partes/Partesh mayor sentenced

(Klan Kosova)

Basic Court in Gjilan/Gnjilane found guilty the former Mayor of Partes/Partesh municipality, Nenad Cvetkovic, of a physical attack that happened three years ago.

Cvetkovic, who currently holds the advisor’s position in the Ministry for Return and Communities, has been conditionally sentenced to 90-days imprisonment, a measure which will be executed if he commits any other criminal offence within a period of two years.