OSCE organizes conference on performance of regional independent institutions

(RTK)

The OSCE Mission, in co-operation with the Assembly of Kosovo, will organize a two-day conference on the performance of independent institutions and the role of the parliaments in the western Balkans, most broadcasters reported in their online versions.

The conference will be opened on Monday and will provide participants from parliaments, independent institutions and civil society organizations from Podgorica, Prishtinë/Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana and Zagreb with an opportunity to share their insights and experiences in parliamentary oversight of anti-corruption agencies, ombudspersons and auditor-generals offices.

Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Brathuu and Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli will deliver the opening remarks.

Last barricade in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica removed

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Mitrovicë/Mitrovica will not be famous anymore as the city of barricades and blockades. As of Saturday evening the last barricade in this city, which hindered the free movement of citizens’, has been removed.

Local Serbs from the north removed the barricade that was placed five years ago following the riots. With bulldozers and other vehicles, they removed the blockade which was placed in the vicinity of the Technical School in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north.

This act inspired the Albania residents of “Bosniak Neighbourhood”, who on Sunday morning removed the ‘Adem Jashari’ square, which was placed in 2014 as sign of protest against the naming of ‘Tsar Lazar’ square in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north.

Albanians who for years lived surrounded by barricades hope that their Serb neighbours understood that there cannot be normalisation of relations with blockades.

For the mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south, Agim Bahtiri, the removal of the last barricade indicates that after 16 years this city is being unified.

“There were a lot of talks that the Bridge would be the border between Albanians and Serbs, but now they see that this is not happening. Serbs have seen the new reality and they want to live together, too. Lots of Serbs were hindered by different Albanian and Serb criminal groups. Now the conditions have been created to come out of the dark and work together for a better life,” said Mayor Bahtiri.

Meanwhile, municipal councillors from north consider that both communities are heading towards normalisation of relations.

The Bridge over Ibër River, which is undergoing revitalisation process, currently remains the only obstacle for free movement form north to south. However, it was announced that as January of next year the Bridge will be opened for movement.

Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south, Mayor Agim Bahtiri confirmed to RTK1 that the Bridge will be opened on 20 January.

Suhodoll village blocks delineation of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica administrative borders

(KTV)

Despite the fact that Suhodoll village is located in the northern part of Ibër River, this village has become the “bone of contention” and the reason that blocks the signature of the agreement that would define the administrative boundaries between the municipalities of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south and north.

Kosovo Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri said that this issue is clearly defined with the Law on Administrative Municipal Boundaries and emphasized that there will be no changes to it.  According to her, this issue was never discussed and it will never be discussed in Brussels, as this is an internal issue of Kosovo.

“It is true that in 2013, residents of Suhodoll voted in north due to some uncertainties with maps… According to maps deriving from Marti Ahtsaari’s document, you can see that Suhodoll belongs to Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south while Kroi i Vitakut is part of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north. EU based on maps received by the UN has issued a legal interpretation, stipulating that Suhodoll is part of south,” said Tahiri.

Also, Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa emphasized that the administrative boundaries between Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south and north remains exactly the one used to be before.

“With regard to the boundary between Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north municipality and the south, it is clearly confirmed that the boundary is the one stipulated in Ahtisaari package and there will be no changes to it,” said PM Mustafa.

While Prishtinë/Pristina considers that the administrative boundary of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south, based on the map which derive from Marti Ahtisaari document, include also the Suhodoll village, the northern Serbs, on the other hand, oppose such a claim.

Mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, Goran Rakic said that this issue has not been concluded yet.

“Delineation of the administrative boundary between Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north and south has not been concluded yet. With the participation of the representatives from EU and embassies, we have discussed several times this issue with Mayor Bahtiri, but we did not reach any deal, therefore I believe that this issue should be turned to Brussels for solutions…” emphasized Rakic.

But, the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Natalya Apostolova, during a visit in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north few days ago, expressed her hope that in future there will be no discussions about north or south, but only about Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.

Political analysts: No political climate for early elections

(KTV)

Political analysts in Prishtinë/Pristina say that there is no political climate for organization of early elections in Kosovo. According to them, the swift organization of elections, might be accompanied by tensions and tensed electoral campaign because of the current political situation in Kosovo.  The issue of early elections has been restored following the recent statements made by PDK chairperson Kadri Veseli for the need to reshuffle the ruling coalition and after he criticized the current work of the Government, which is led by LDK chairperson, Isa Mustafa.

Albert Krasniqi, an analyst of Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) told Radio Free Europe that potential early elections might be accompanied by tensions, and according to him these elections ‘would not produce anything new’.

On the other hand, Driton Selmanaj from Democracy Plus considers that potential early elections would not change much in comparison to 2014 elections. However, according to him, it is much more important to have a relaxation of the current political situation in Kosovo rather than having early elections.  Selmanaj said that in case the early elections happen, a number of reforms, announced since long time, would not be implemented, as time is needed for their approval and implementation.

Amendment of the Electoral Law, open lists, clearing of voters lists, or approval of a code which would prohibit indicted individuals to run in elections, would remain unaccomplished if Kosovo enters early election process quickly.

While, Krasniqi believes that fulfillment of the mandate by the current Government would be more useful than early elections.

Inclusion of minorities, particularly the Serb minority in potential early elections is not guaranteed. Srpska List, the biggest political representative of Serbs in Kosovo, which is supported directly by Belgrade, currently is boycotting the work of Kosovo Assembly and Government.  Potential absence of Serbs in early elections also would not be welcomed by international community, the article concludes.

Djuric to visit Kosovo north on Monday

(RTK1)

Kosovo authorities have granted permission to the Director of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric to visit Leposavic/Leposaviq on Monday. He said that the main focus of his visit will be the issue of Trepça.

During his visit, Djuric will discuss with the management of Trepça in the north, and will meet with unionists and Trepça workers.

Hasani: There are cases of selective justice

(RTV21)

The Supreme Court President, Fejzullah Hasani, admits that Kosovo justice is selective, adding that influential individuals remain exempt from the judiciary. In an interview with RTV21, Hasani criticized the work of the Basic Court in Prishtinë/Pristina and the one in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë.

Commenting his statement about selective justice, Hasani said that there are certain cases which despite the fact that they are not a priority, according to him, those cases have been dealt with fast-track procedures compared to cases of similar nature. Hasani said that some cases wait for years to be treated while certain cases are processed within days.

Among others, he expressed concerned with the big number of backlogs in the courts. He also announced that he will not run for another Supreme Court President mandate.

Rama: Albania caused two damages to Kosovo

(KTV)

Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, in his regular weekly communication in his Facebook account, spoke about Kosovo and the damages that Albania injected to Kosovo.

He said that Albania caused two major damages to Kosovo, online version of KTV reported.

“The first harm of Albania to Kosovo is  that it infected Kosovo’s politics and Assembly with its extreme accusations language, where the word ‘ criminal’ is said more often than the word ‘sir’ or ‘madam. Also it infected the media scene and news portals with the virus of lynching at any cost the political representatives,” PM Rama wrote in his Facebook post.

Commenting the recent debate with political analysts in Kosovo, Rama said that analysts and publicists including some portals have ‘turned into a political party that it does not get voted nor is accountable to the voters’.