Demarcation in Assembly on 01 September
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
The Kosovo Assembly session for demarcation scheduled to happen tomorrow [Thursday] has been postponed to 01 September, KTV reported. This was decided by the Assembly Presidency following the meeting where teargas was fired by the Vetëvendosje MP, Glauk Konjufca.
Revolted by the fact that they were not allowed to follow developments at the Assembly, media boycotted the Presidency.
Otherwise, Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli apologized to journalists for this blockade, justifying that he was not aware of this and the goal was to close down the space were teargas was released.
Veseli said he does not fear teargas, as he experienced this in his childhood, but he accused others of being afraid from courts and of gaining from the situation.
Association of Kosovo Journalists reacted against the obstruction of journalists to closely follow the Assembly Presidency meeting, TV21 reported. The AKJ reaction states that security personnel disabled the journalists to move within the Assembly premises, which is a serious problem for journalists to inform the citizens properly.
“Political developments should not make any institution stop the journalists do their job. This act should not be repeated otherwise our community will be organised to oppose such decision,” the KJA reaction concludes.
Vetëvendosje MP Konjufca arrested for firing teargas
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Vetëvendosje MP, Glauk Konjufca, has been arrested by Kosovo Police after firing teargas at the Assembly Presidency meeting.
Addressing the media prior to his arrest, Konjufca admitted he fired teargas at the Presidency. He said that he did this to hinder scheduling of the session on demarcation.
“I have called for annulment of demarcation,” Konjufca said. According to him, if demarcation will pass than the country will be destabilised.
Vetëvendosje Movement reacted against his arrest, stating that justice in Kosovo is ultimately dying.
“Demarcation shall not pass even if the jails will be filled up with citizens and opposition activists,” the reaction of this Movement states.
Ymeri calls Mustafa, Thaçi and Veseli as ‘pigs’, PDK and LDK react
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
The issue of demarcation is one of the most delegitimised issues ever in Kosovo, the Vetëvendosje Movement chairman Visar Ymeri said. According to him, despite the truthful arguments of experts that Kosovo loses territory with this agreement, PM Isa Mustafa, President Hashim Thaçi and Speaker Kadri Veseli are moving ahead with proceeding of the agreement, ruining any idea of democracy, legitimacy or debate.
According to Ymeri, while the debate was still going on, they decided to proceed the agreement without taking the arguments into account, but only their interests.
“These three are considering themselves to be as if they were the actual owners of the Republic of Kosovo, its wealth and territory, thus they can do whatever they want with this property of theirs. Therefore, these are the pigs in our political scene, with Isa Mustafa as the head-pig of this trio. These pigs are willing to transform Kosovo into an ‘Animal Farm’ same as in George Orwell’s book,” Ymeri said.
PDK and LDK immediately reacted against Ymeri’s language. The PDK reaction says that such a language clearly demonstrates that opposition has lost its arguments and sense regarding the major issues and challenges that the country is going through.
Except condemning Ymeri’s stance, the LDK caucus relates the language used by him with the recent attacks.
Haradinaj and Limaj: Agreement on demarcation is a tragedy
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
AAK chairman Ramush Haradinaj and Nisma për Kosovën chairman Fatmir Limaj stated that the current agreement on demarcation is a tragedy for the country and it brings a crisis and tensions. Haradinaj expressed his belief that MPs will not vote this version of demarcation.
Haradinaj and Limaj said they will not invite or join Vetëvendosje, but they will continue to oppose the agreements on demarcation with Montenegro and the Association of Serb majority municipalities.
Both Haradinaj and Limaj announced that they will return to the Assembly to oppose the demarcation agreement.
Lëvizja për Bashkim, which is part of the Government of Kosovo, also urged the Assembly not to vote the agreement on demarcation with Montenegro.
PDK and LDK support ratification of demarcation
(RTK1)
Without the presence of journalists, the two biggest political parties in Kosovo, PDK and LDK, organised meetings of their presidencies and through press releases said they have given their support to the state process for delineation of the border between Kosovo and Montenegro.
US Ambassador reacts against developments at the Assembly
(RTK2, Klan Kosova)
The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, reacted against the developments at the Assembly.
“It is deeply disappointing, just when Kosovo had an opportunity to show a positive face to the world through its successful participation in the Olympics, to see the cycle of political violence begin anew,” reads a statement of the US Embassy.
According to this reaction, the democratic process in Kosovo cannot have teargas thrown in the Assembly, and now a bomb threat at the home of the chair of the commissioner for border demarcation. Unfortunately, this is the face that Kosovo is showing to the world,” the US Embassy statement adds.
Thaçi and Delawie met in a non-public meeting
(KTV)
Prior to the Assembly Presidency meeting, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi held a meeting with the US Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie. Although this meeting was not made public, the US Ambassador was seen coming out the President’s Office.
According to KTV, it is believed that demarcation was the topic of this meeting. Since the beginning of the process, the US Embassy has supported Kosovo Government for the current version of demarcation agreement and urged the Assembly to ratify it.
Twenty-two NGOs write open letter to Lumezi regarding ‘Pronto II’
(KTV)
Twenty-two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have addressed an open letter to the Chief State Prosecutor Aleksandër Lumezi regarding wiretaps in ‘Pronto II’ affair, requesting him to treat the case with priority and investigate if it contains criminal offence elements.
Meanwhile, the online version of this TV broadcaster reported that Prosecutor Lumezi has responded to NGO’s request, assuring them that the State Prosecution will act in harmony with the law and they will treat the case with the greatest dedication and professionalism.
“As Chief State Prosecutor I assure that no one is untouchable and if we identify that there are elements of criminal offences, then the State Prosecutor will act with all the force of law and those responsible will be brought to law”, Lumezi assured NGOs.
This TV broadcaster also reported about the other protest in the row held on Wednesday evening in Prishtinë/Pristina against the abuse by state officials, mainly those of PDK, which were revealed following the publication of wiretaps in what is being called as ‘Pronto II’. Protesters threw toilet paper toward the Government building with the symbolic that things have become dirty in country institutions.
