Key political leaders meet a day before debate on demarcation

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21) 

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli met a day before the debate on demarcation with Montenegro. This was made public by the host of this meeting, President Thaçi.

Thaçi said they discussed current developments in the country, including the demarcation as a condition for visa liberalisation.

TV21 also reported that PM Mustafa will take part on Wednesday’s debate regarding the borderline between Kosovo and Montenegro. This was confirmed by his media advisor, Faton Abdullahu. According to him, PM Mustafa will present details and facts of the agreement to participants of this debate tomorrow.

Other TV broadcasters reported that the US Ambassador in Kosovo, Greg Delawie, will also take part in this debate.

On the other hand, member of Foreign Policy Council at the Montenegrin Parliament, Nikollë Gegaj, said that the possibility of re-opening of talks on delineation of the border with Kosovo is not being looked at in Montenegro.

Gegaj told Radio Free Europe that Montenegrin Parliament has ratified the Agreement; therefore, they expect that Kosovo will do the same.

In the meantime, Klan Kosova reported that a consultative meeting of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency ended late on Tuesday. According to this TV broadcaster, the agenda of Wednesday’s debate on demarcation was set during this meeting.

Following the meeting, Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli told media that a consensus has been reached about this debate with the opposition and that democracy is functioning.

He said that 83 guests, aside from the MPs, will take part in the demarcation debate. Veseli also said that 28 diplomatic missions and 16 NGOs will be present in this debate.

VV urges Prosecution to investigate the published wiretapping case

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Reactions went on after publication of wiretapped phone calls in the media, where senior state officials are the key protagonists.

Vetëvendosje Movement has qualified Hashim Thaçi and Kadri Veseli as the heads of crime, while it considers Adem Grabovci as an extended hand of theirs. They have called for investigation of the case, no matter that they do not trust justice bodies, saying that they have been captured by this structure. Vetëvendosje says that people should overthrow these persons from power.

Kosovo President and the Assembly Speaker did not say a word, although both Hashim Thaçi and Kadri Veseli are part of the wiretapped phone calls made public on Monday.

The PDK caucus leader, Adem Grabovci, as the protagonist in these wiretappings, was not available for contact, while a day earlier he qualified them as a tendency for political elimination.

Chief Prosecutor said that wiretappings will be analysed and investigations will be launched in case there are elements of criminal offence, while he also announced a press conference for Wednesday.

Political analyst Imer Mushkolaj has called on the Prosecution to seriously deal with this case.

New round of Kosovo-Serbia talks continues in Brussels

(KTV)

A new round of talks called by the European Union with the aim to unblock the process of implementation of agreements reached on 25 August 2015 continued on Tuesday in Brussels.

Continuation of these talks aim to request from Serbia to remove blockades and implement the agreements on the issue of state telephone code for Kosovo, Transmission System Operator and Electricity Market Operator (KOSTT) independence and removal of the barricade over Mitrovicë/Mitrovica River.

Referring to non-establishment of the Association of Serb majority municipalities, the Serbian politician Marko Djuric said that ‘word of honour has lost any sense among the Albanian politicians.’ He called on Prime Minister of Kosovo not to invent new conditions for establishment of the Association, while he called on EU to put pressure on Prishtinë/Pristina for materialisation of the Association of Serb majority municipalities.

RTK Board requests urgent solution for its property

(RTK1) 

Heavy rainfalls of Monday have once again flooded Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) premises. Through a reaction issued the RTK Board expressed its concern regarding the situation in RTK premises following Monday’s floods.

These floods are not only putting RTK staff lives at risk, but also the broadcast and technological equipment, their reaction adds.

According to the RTK Board, the situation that the public broadcaster is facing is unusual for such an institution.

“Solution of the RTK property issue is necessary and urgent. By doing so, RTK staff would finally be provided with normal and meritorious working conditions. Therefore, the RTK Board requests from the Assembly of Kosovo, as the founder of RTK, and other relevant institutions, to treat the issue of property with priority. Same as in the past, RTK even now is willing to give its contribution in this regard,” the RTK Board reaction concludes.

Kosovo to have a new strategy on protection of human rights

(KTV)

Office of Good Governance, which operates under the Prime Minister’s Office, is drafting a strategy on protection of human rights. But, the Ombudsperson’s Institution considers this initiative wrong, as, according to this Institution, there is no problem with the legal infrastructure, but practical implementation of laws.

Currently there are over 13 such strategies; therefore the Ombudsperson considers an additional strategy unnecessary.

According to the Ombudsperson’s Institution, which has received over 3.400 complaints on human rights violations, these strategies should be merged into a single document.

At the Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CHDRF) say that the implementation of the laws in this field continues to be at a low level. According to CHDRF, in the current circumstances, a new strategy would not change the situation in Kosovo.

On the other hand, citizens believe that more work should be done to implement the current strategies.

Officials of the Office of Good Governance said they do not want to comment on this issue, as they are reviewing and setting the goals of this strategy.

CHRDF representatives say that the most human rights violations happen in the employment sector, followed by the rights of pensioners and prisoners.

Rasic: Establishment of the Association during this year difficult  

(Klan Kosova)

Srpska List MP Nenad Rasic considers establishment of the Association of Serb majority municipalities during this year difficult, the online version of Klan Kosova reported.

Rasic emphasized that the Association cannot be established due to big number of technical difficulties, but also due to lack of serious initiatives for establishment of the Association.

He blamed the international community for this delay, saying that it should strengthen its role in dialogue between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade, TV Most reported.