OSCE Mission supports policies for inclusion of vulnerable communities in Kosovo
(Insajderi.com)
Insajderi reported that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, in co-operation with the Office of Good Governance, Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Anti-discrimination, will host a workshop tomorrow to present the final draft of the 2017–2021 strategy for the inclusion of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo announced that the new strategy focuses on four main areas: education, employment and social welfare, health, and housing. Its implementation should help improve the social-economic situation of these vulnerable communities, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo announced.
“The workshop will bring together representatives of the Office of Good Governance, the Platform of Civil Society Organizations and other relevant non-governmental organizations, representatives of selected municipalities and international organizations working with Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities who will discuss the modalities of the implementation of the Strategy and the accompanying Action Plan” reads a press release of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
Habit Hajredini, Head of the Office of Good Governance, Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Anti-discrimination, Stefano Gnocchi, Adviser on Political Affairs/Communities to EUSR, and Barbara Rohmann, Director of OSCE’s Human Rights and Communities Department, will speak at the event.
Ruling and opposition parties divided over the agreement on dial code
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo institutional leaders consider the agreement on dial code reached between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade as a consolidation of Kosovo’s statehood
Kosovo President, Hashim Thaçi said that dial code +383 is Kosovo’s property, emphasizing that through this dial code all legal operations will be completely eliminated.
“Dial code +383 is a property of Kosovo, which will be administered by our institutions. Illegal operations and obstacles that existed so far will be completely eliminated,” President Thaçi said.
Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli also considered the agreement as very good, saying that this fact clearly demonstrates that Serbia’s influence over Kosovo has ended once and for all.
“The process of Kosovo independence and sovereignty is moving strongly forward and there is no turning back. Any remain of Serbia’s power over Kosovo is being removed. Let us keep in mind that Kosovo will no longer have 00381 dial code. This fact is distinguishable even for the children in Kosovo. Kosovo will have its dial code from the international institutions which deal with the telecomm issue,” Veseli said.
But, opposition parties, on the other hand, have expressed against the agreement on dial code.
Vetëvendosje Movement deputy chairperson, Glauk Konjufca considered the agreement as harmful to Kosovo, saying that Serbia wins the most out of this agreement.
“The essence of the Agreement on dial code is the entrance of Serbia’s operator and its operation in Kosovo and this harms country’s sovereignty by creating a huge advantage to Serbia to control a part of telecommunications of Kosovo”, Konjufca said.
Also Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), expressed its stance against this agreement. Pal Lekaj of AAK said that Serbia owns the state code and that Kosovo will have a provincial code which it at the harm of Kosovo.
In the meantime, Srpska List reacted after this agreement, saying that in the near future this agreement will result with the ‘long awaited establishment of the Association of Serb Majority municipalities’.
On the other hand, telecommunication expert, Ismet Hamiti t expressed his belief that the agreement on telecom reached in Brussels allows the expansion of the Serbian Telecom in Kosovo, saying that the ‘dial code +383 is used to cover this fact’. Speaking through Skype to KTV, Hamiti said that it is not true that ITU has allocated the dial code to Kosovo, but, according to him, Serbia is the real owner of the dial code.
While, Randjel Nojkic, former Serb MP in Kosovo Assembly and the current Director of the Serbian Post in Kosovo, considers that with the new agreement, the assets of the Serbian Telecom in Kosovo will be transferred to the new enterprised that will be established by Kosovo laws. He ruled down the claims of Belgrade that with this agreement that assets of Serbian Telecom in Kosovo have been kept. Nojkic told Klan Kosova that Kosovo Regulatory Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications (AKREP), will have the final saying in relation to the functioning of the Serbian operator MTS in Kosovo.
Kosovo legalizes the Serb operator in exchange of the dial code
(KTV)
By the end of this year, Kosovo might functionalise its “+383” dial code. At least this is the plan that will be implemented after Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on telecommunication.
Through this agreement, Kosovo gets its dial state code, but the same is not recognized as a state code by ITU due to the fact that Kosovo is not a member of the UN.
However, according to the Regulatory Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications (AKREP), there are no issues in functionalizing the new dial code which according to the Agreement should be ready after 15 December.
With regard to the functionalization of a Serbian mobile operator, according to the agreement, the Serb company will operate fully-licensed fixed telephone services and will receive a temporary authorization for mobile telephony.
In the agreement, published by the Serbian Government, the Serbian company will have the local dial code ‘047’, will have at its disposal around 60,000 phone numbers and will have 30 permitted antenna locations, namely 22 in in different parts of Kosovo and 17 in north. Same company will take the ownership of several assets located in north of Kosovo which belong to Kosovo Telecom.
But according to AKREP Board chairperson, Kreshnik Gashi, the value of assets in north is small while he emphasized that Serb company will have several conditions.
Serbia, according to the Agreement that they have published, confirmed that MTS Telephone Company will operate according to Kosovo laws and will implement all responsibilities assigned by AKREP or by Kosovo Business Registration Agency. Same agreement stipulates some financial obligations that the Serb company needs to pay to AKREP.
Kosovo awaits Montenegro’s assistance on visa liberalization
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
After failing to vote a joint statement in the Assembly through which they would request from the EU to remove the demarcation as a visa liberalization condition, now Kosovo is trying to do the same through Montenegro, KTV reported.
Montenegro is soon expected to send a letter to the European Union through which they will request from it not to isolate Kosovars from Schengen zone because of Demarcation. This was confirmed by the Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli.
Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli revealed that he is in close contact with the heads of Montenegro, who will soon officially request from the EU to remove the demarcation as a visa liberalization condition for Kosovo.
On the other hand, opposition parties consider that only early elections would end the current political crisis.
Glauk Konjufca of Vetëvendosje Movement said that the country must enter elections as soon as possible because ‘we cannot afford keeping this Government any longer as it also turns out to be fatal.’
The AAK caucus leader, Pal Lekaj, also called for elections. Lekaj said that the country will soon enter an election process.
Thaçi calls upon prosecutorial institutions to cooperate with Anti-Corruption
(TV21)
On Monday, President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, received the Head of the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency, Shaip Havolli.
At this meeting, President Thaçi called for an even bigger cooperation between all investigative and prosecutorial institutions and authorities with this institution.
On the other hand, the Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Saip Havolli, informed President Thaçi about his commitment after having taken over this new assignment.
President Thaçi and the Head of the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency also discussed about increasing efforts, to include Kosovo in the international anti-corruption mechanisms.
PDK MP Deliu –Kodra refuses the post of European Integration Minister
(KTV)
PDK MP, Blerta Deliu – Kodra, has refused the post of European Integration Minister, as, according to her, Kosovo will soon have early elections. MP Deliu-Kodra made these statements, during KTV show ‘Economy with Erëza’.
“We are almost at the end of our governing mandate and also ruling coalition partners are saying that elections will be held soon. So, I will hold the post of MP,” said MP Kodra-Deliu, confirming that she will not lead the Ministry of European Integration.
Serb prisoners continue their hunger strike
(Klan Kosova)
Several Serb prisoners in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë prison continued their hunger strike on Monday, after four Serb prisoners, based on a decision of Kosovo Correctional Service, were displaced from there and sent to the High Security Prison, located in Gërdoc of Podujevë/Podujevo. Head of Kosovo Prisons, Sokol Zogaj confirmed the transfer of prisoners and emphasized that this is the first step towards the integration of prisoners. He stressed that the High Security Prison provides all the conditions for all communities, noting that there are Serb correctional officers in this prison who will ensure better conditions for Serb prisoners.
On the other hand, Kosovo Ministry of Justice, through a press release issued, informed that the High Security Prison, hired Serb correctional officers in 2013. According to the release, this has been done in order for all prisoners to receive adequate treatment.
Protestors demand justice for Astrit Dehari
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Representatives of non-governmental organization, media and many citizens’ have requested ‘Justice for Astrit Dehari’.
On Monday, hundreds of activists and citizens marched from ‘Zahiri Pajaziti’ square inPrishtinë/Pristina to the building of Kosovo Government, requesting an international investigation for shedding light on Astrit Dehari’s, KTV reported.
The march was attended by Vetëvendosje activists and leadership, as well as Astrit Dehari’s family. The lawyer of Dehari family, Tomë Gashi, said that they do not have any official information about the autopsy results yet. Gashi raised doubts about the circumstances in which Vetëvendosje’s activist Astrit Dehari died in the Detention Centre in Prizren.
Besa Luzha, a civil society activist, requested institutional responsibility on this case. She said that people responsible for the investigation into the death of Dehari must resign, as well as the Justice Minister, Dhurata Hoxha.
Under slogans “No peace without justice” and “Freedom for activists”, protesters observed a minute of silence to honour Dehari. The protest ended peacefully while the organizers announced continuation of protests if the case does get an independent and reliable conclusion.
Astrit Dehari’s cause of death remains unexplained a week after he was found dead in the correctional facility of Prizren. Dehari was being held in detention suspected of throwing an explosive device at the Assembly’s building in August 2016.
On the other hand, on the evening hours of Monday, Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS) reacted against the allegations made by lawyer Tom Gashi, the online version of RTK reported. KCS through a press release issued considered that allegations made by Gashi that ‘prison officers knew that Dehari was dead’, prejudges the findings of the official report and investigations. According to KCS, these allegations harm the process, the family of the victim and KCS.
In the meantime, Prizren Chief Prosecutor, Sylë Hoxha told Gazetaexpress.com that they are still awaiting the autopsy results, online version of RTK reported.
Former UP rector, Ibrahim Gashi joins PDK
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Former rector of Prishtinë University, Ibrahim Gashi, who resigned following protests, joined on Monday the ranks of Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). Gashi also used to be deputy chairperson of New Alliance of Kosovo (AKR), which is headed by Behxhet Pacolli and served as Deputy Foreign Minister, too.
