OSCE condemns threats against journalist in Kosovo

(RTK2, RTK1&TV21)

The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on Tuesday condemned the threats against Leonard Kërquki, chief editor of Gazeta Express and author of the weekly Zona Express show.

“Freedom of expression must be upheld and respected in all circumstances,” said Braathu. He called on rule of law authorities to investigate these threats immediately and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The United States Ambassador in Kosovo, Greg Delawie, also condemned the threats against Kërquki, RTK1 reported.

“Threats against Kosovo journalists are unacceptable. A free press is a vital pillar of every democracy,” Ambassador Delawie wrote in his Twitter account.

In the meantime, Leonard Kërquki, told RTK1 that after broadcasting the documentary “Hunt in KLA” he has received serious threats. Kërquki says that these threats come from personages of this documentary.

No agreement between leaders on demarcation

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The meeting between political leaders, initiated by Naim Rashiti of Balkans Policy Research Group, has ended without agreement.

Although it was expected that the meeting would conclude with signing of a statement by all the leaders for a way out of the demarcation issue, it finished two hours after without any result.

Ambassador of Quint countries and the EU representative in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, were also present in the meeting.

Gllogovc/Glogovac to enter extraordinary elections

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

As of Tuesday, Nexhat Demaku is no longer the Mayor of Gllogovc/Glogovac Municipality. He resigned this post a day after the Court of Appeal confirmed the verdict of Basic Court for the ten accused person in the case known as “Drenica II.”

Following his resignation, Gllogovc/Glogovac is expected to enter extraordinary elections.

Sentenced to three years of imprisonment, Demaku continues to believe that he and friends of the war were sentenced based on statements of a cheating witness. Therefore, he announced that will request abrogation of the prison sentence.

Court of Appeal’s decision also pushed the other member of Demaku family, Fadil, to call of his post as PDK MP.

Serb representatives: We will not be accepting things that are served to us

(RTK2)

Following the approval of Law on Trepça the Serb political representatives ‘froze’ their participation in Kosovo institutions. Solution for this situation is still not being looked at.

Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic said that the political practice in Kosovo that Serbs get all that is served to them has been inherited adding that this must stop. As Stojanovic said, the EU officials have also been informed about the situation of Serbs.

“This is why we started the initiative that in key EU places and institutions, but also in other addresses in Europe, to communicate what is happening on the ground, that Trepça is the straw that broke the camel’s back, which is probably the best illustration of relations toward Serbs and Serb political representatives, and that this practice must stop,” DPM Stojanovic told RTK2.

Responding to the statement of Minister Edita Tahiri that Serb representatives have a wrong and unlawful approach and they must be held responsible for that, Stojanovic said he is ready to face all the political consequences, but he does not see anything disputable in the action of Serb representatives.

Srpska List MP, Nenad Rasic, stresses that except the call of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa through media, there were no other initiatives for dialogue.

Former Member of “Return” coalition at the Assembly of Kosovo, Ljubomir Stanojkovic, considers the decision of Serb representatives to freeze their posts immature, saying that nothing can be achieved with this.

Thaçi: Serbia must be part of solution for missing persons

(RTK2)

During the meeting with the Chairperson of Government Commission on Missing Persons, Prenk Gjetaj, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said that the issue of missing persons during the conflict is a humanitarian issue and politics in Serbia should be part of its solution, and not an obstacle.

President Thaçi reiterated that he remains committed to close this sensitive issue as soon as possible.

Minister Bajrami says that Kosovo cannot apply reciprocity with Serbia

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Postponement to infinity of entering into force of the agreement on dial code and inability to use the 400kV power line with Albania has brought together the ruling and opposition parties demanding that Kosovo immediately start applying reciprocity measures with Serbia.

MPs of both sides have called for identification of the way to punish the neighbouring country, because Kosovo is continuing to lose a lot of money from non-implementation of these two agreements.

These requests were addressed in the Kosovo Assembly Economic Development Committee where Minister of Trade and Industry, Hykmete Bajrami, was invited to report.

However, according to Minister Bajrami, this cannot be done because Kosovo is blocked by CEFTA and SAA, same as many connections that Kosovo companies have with the Serbian ones.

Nevertheless, such a request has little chances to be implemented, unless the senior state bodies take another decision.

Disagreements and quarrels between Kosovo Ashkalis and Egyptians

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

On Monday afternoon, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Qazim Rrahmani, and MP Veton Berisha, had a quarrel at the Assembly of Kosovo yard.

Initially, it was Deputy Minister Qazim Rrahmani the one who accused MP Berisha of physical assault against him. However, according to MP Veton Berisha, and according to Assembly’s video recordings, no physical clashes happened between them. Berisha said this scene was made up by Qazim Rrahmani.

MP Berisha called on Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to take measures against Deputy Minister Rrahmani, comparing the latter with the former Serb minister Aleksandar Jablanovic.

On the other hand, Rrahmani, who has reported the case to the Police, could not talk to KTV for personal reasons. This quarrel of Rrahmani and Berisha is a consequence of the debate which is happening between Kosovo Ashkalis and Egyptians. Ashkalis are denying the identity of Egyptian community.