Mustafa: Srpska List boycott does not contribute to developments in Kosovo

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said that Srpska List’s decision for boycott does not contribute to developments in the country, including the economic development as well as other vital issues at the interest of Serbs.

Mustafa made this statement after the meeting he had with Director General of Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission, Christian Danielsson, on Monday.

“We discussed issues of mutual interest such as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, European Reform Agenda, field of justice, employment and education,” Mustafa stated.

Regarding the Law on Trepça, Mustafa said this Law is at the interest of all while, according to him, dialogue with Serbia will continue.

Christian Danielsson, on the other hand, said that Kosovo needs strategic investments and this must be seen as a priority. According to him, Kosovo has met visa liberalisation conditions, except demarcation as well as fight against organised crime and corruption.

Parties in power not worried about Srpska List’s boycott

(KTV)

Adoption of the Law on Trepça has brought Serbs in front of the decision to leave the governing coalition. Serb partner in Government has threatened with leaving of coalition if their requests are not taken into account. These statements came a day after Srpska List decided to boycott its work in Kosovo institutions.

PM Isa Mustafa’s deputy, Branimir Stojanovic, sent a message to institutions. “If they remain silent, my personal message is that we will abandon the institutions,” Stojanovic warned.

They also boycotted the Kosovo Assembly Presidency meeting. But, parties in power do not seem to worry much about this.

Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said there cannot be any compromise for national issues which are of state interest.

On the other hand, Ismet Beqiri of LDK said that no one can impose decisions through blackmail and threats.

Otherwise, Speaker Veseli signed the Law on Trepça on Monday in front of Trepça mining complex management and miners in the Assembly premises.

Gashi: Ideal momentum to oust Srpska List from political scene

(Klan Kosova – Zona B show)

Regular panel member of Klan Kosova’s Zona B show, Ilir Mirena, said that Srpska List is completely a product of poor politics of the governing coalition of Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Mirena said that the whole Serb community in Kosovo has also been pushed away by this politics.

“Srpska List is using all the attributions that belong to it and these politicians, no matter how they are; they still remain representatives of the Serb community. The current governing coalition has induced them. Srpska List is a consequence of the short-sighted politics that current government coalition had toward them and the Serb community,” Mirena stated in Zona B show.

Mirena also said that Srpska List has nothing in its hands and it is only a puppet of Belgrade.

The other guest of this show, political analyst and former minister, Dardan Gashi, said that it is an ideal momentum to oust Srpska List from the political scene and for the governing coalition to reach agreement with moderated Serb politicians who accept the state of Kosovo.

“Now it is possible to once and for all oust Srpska List from the political scene,” Gashi said referring to the current boycott that this List is doing to Kosovo Assembly and Government.

Gashi also spoke about the statement of Director of Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, who said that he plans to address Trepça issue at the UN Security Council.

“No one at the United Nations, but Russia, will deal with this request,” Gashi stated.

Both analysts, Mirena and Gashi, considered Monday’s call of President Hashim Thaçi on Prosecution to investigate crimes committed during and after the war in Kosovo as a delayed action.

Thaçi calls for shedding light on war and post war crimes

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK& KTV)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, called a press conference on Monday but he spoke for as long as he wanted without allowing journalists to make questions. In this speech in front of the media, Thaçi called for shedding light on post-war murders and attempted assassination of the former President Ibrahim Rugova.

President Thaçi also called for shedding light on crimes, murders, rapes committed during and after the war in Kosovo, destruction of property, especially of the property related to cultural and religious heritage. His full speech, in English, is here: http://www.president-ksgov.net/?page=2,6,4606#.V_vhg4_5iJA

Through a press announcement issued later during Monday, which was published by online version of RTK, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) reacted against President Thaçi’s statements by which he called on Prosecution to investigate all the murders. It considers these statements of Thaçi as delayed.

“State Prosecution should urgently look into statement of former governor, which implicates Hashim Thaçi in financial manipulations,” the AAK announcement ends.

AJK reacts against Thaçi’s unwillingness to take journalists’ questions

(KTV)

Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) considers the action of Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, who did not accept to take questions of journalists during Monday’s press conference, unacceptable.

“We remind President Thaçi that he is obliged to respond to journalists’ interest. Today’s action of the Office of the President is a disrespect of journalists and ignorance of our work. At the same time, we call on the Office of the President to apologize to all journalists for today’s event”, the AJK reaction states.

According to AJK, the President should consider taking journalists’ questions and respond to them in his future appearances in front of journalists, as the Office of the President as an institution should be the reference point of transparency.

EU on Trepça: It will be a topic if Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade agree

(KTV)

Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina must both consent to putting the Trepça mining complex on the agenda of the dialogue for the issue to become a topic in the Brussels talks, European Commission spokesperson Maja Kocijancic stated.

Asked by the Serbian news agency Tanjug if the issue of Trepça would be raised in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina, Kocijancic said the principle of the dialogue was clear.

“For an issue to be discussed as part of the dialogue, both sides must consent to that,” Kocijancic said, online version of KTV reported.

She added that the EU has ‘taken note’ of the fact that a draft law on Trepça had been passed in the Assembly of Kosovo.

Kosovo becomes part of PACE

(TV21)

As of Monday, Kosovo Assembly delegation is part of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). A press announcement issued by the Assembly of Kosovo reads that its delegation, comprised of Deputy Speakers, Xhavit Haliti and Aida Dërguti, is attending works of the Fourth Regular Session of PACE.

“During its works, on 05 September, the PACE Bureau took a decision regarding implementation of paragraph 13 of Resolution 2094 (2016) on situation in Kosovo and the role of the Council of Europe, which foresees raise of the level of cooperation of PACE with the Assembly of Kosovo. Today, during the Fourth Regular Session of PACE this decision was ratified with majority vote. According to this decision, as of January 2017, Kosovo is entitled to assign a delegation of three members, which would represent the ruling parties, opposition and minorities,” the announcement reads.

The announcement further says that representatives of Serbia and countries that have not recognized Kosovo lobbied against participation of Kosovo Assembly delegation in PACE works.

Court of Appeal refuses Ivanovic’s request

(RTK2)

The Court of Appeal in Prishtinë/Pristina refused the request of Oliver Ivanovic’s lawyer to exclude Kosovo Albanian judge Driton Muharremi from criminal proceedings against Ivanovic and four other Serbs.

The decision issued by the Acting President of the Court of Appeal in relation to this request reads that under Article 39 of the Law on Criminal Procedure Code, there are no legal justifications to dismiss Court of Appeal judge, Driton Muharremi.

Trial against Ivanovic will continue on Tuesday, RTK2 reported.

Police informs prosecution over distribution of leaflets by Vetëvendosje

(KTV)

Kosovo Police (KP) reacted after Vetëvendosje Movement (VV) activists distributed leaflets in several vehicles parked in Prishtinë/Pristina, the online version of KTV reported.

“Kosovo Police is aware and it has information that certain individuals distributed flyers (Announcement), where the official logo of Kosovo Police is misused. Prosecution has been informed about this case,” said KP Spokesperson Daut Demaku.

On Monday, VV stated that its activists distributed leaflets on vehicles parked in Prishtinë/Pristina. Through a press release issued, VV said that its six activists are being held unjustly for 42 days in detention and house arrests without evidence or arguments for terrorism charges.

“The only evidence Police possess are some pictures of the activists while buying muffins, having coffee, traveling by taxi or similar.  After this, Kosovo citizens cannot trust Kosovo Police anymore. At the contrary, with such an approach of Police, any citizen might be charged of terrorism by just doing his daily work,” reads VV’s press release.