Thaçi undertakes initiative for decriminalization of political scene
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Although he failed to fulfil this promise while leading his party PDK, which has the most members in prisons and the most corruption suspects, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci says he is promoting the idea of decriminalization of political parties, KTV reported.
According to President Thaçi, people under investigations should not be allowed to hold public posts nor be included in electoral lists. At the launch ceremony of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy office in Kosovo, which was attended by the British Ambassador Ruairi O’Connell and Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu, Thaçi said that political parties in Kosovo should build a code of conduct about this issue.
“People who are being investigated or are accused by the justice authorities will not be allowed to even enter the lists for MPs nor take posts in public institutions. This step would help to strengthen the confidence of the citizens of Kosovo in the political parties themselves, in their aspiration to work for the interests of Kosovo and its citizens,” said President Thaçi. All broadcasters reported that representatives of Vetëvendosje and Nisma boycotted Thaçi’s speech.
On the other hand, United Kingdom Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell expressed his concern with the fact that political parties in Kosovo are the least trusted. According to him, Kosovo citizens should request more from their elected representatives.
“How can we expect from criminals to be accountable to their citizens? We should have healthy political entities, democratic and transparent. Great Britain is concerned by this fact; therefore we have offered our experience for political parties to be more accountable transparent and to jointly fight the evil,” said Ambassador O’Connell.
Kosovo President Thaçi said that Kosovo needs more specific assistance from international community, in particular to strengthen the democracy in Kosovo. However, he did not forget to speak about the important decisions Kosovo will face such as demarcation, transformation of Kosovo Security Force into an Army and the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities. He urged for unification of political entities to overcome these issues, as, according to him, this will again demonstrate that Kosovo political class can go beyond political and party interests and decide what is bests for Kosovo and its citizens.
Haxhiu: We have no time for electoral reform
(KTV)
End of December of 2016 was defined by Kosovo Presidency as deadline for finalizing the draft electoral reform. However, three months after, the President has not made any progress on this issue. Office of President confirmed that the draft is still with the President and that it has not been proceeded to the Assembly yet.
Chairwomen of Kosovo Assembly Committee on Legislation, Albulena Haxhiu said that Hashim Thaçi through these amendments is attempting to get greater support for the post of the President. She said that the previous legislative of Kosovo Assembly worked for three years on the electoral reform, but, according to her, they were hindered by the ruling parties.
“We have no time for the amendments that the ruling coalition or the so-called President is aiming to implement because what we need now is elections. We don’t believe that a coalition that manipulated the votes of citizens, in particular PDK, can do the changes which Kosovo needs,” said Haxhiu.
While, Albert Krasniqi from Kosovo Democratic Institute said that the working groups were put under time pressure to finalize the draft as soon as possible, but, as he said, now is being neglected by the Office of the President.
“In working groups we were put under a certain time pressure to finalize as soon as possible the work in order to have the law into force before municipal elections. But three months have passed since then and there is no movement from the Office of the President to propose those amendments to the Assembly,” said Krasniqi.
He considers that it is too late to have a proper electoral reform.
“Now is already too late for the amendment of the Law on Local Elections because these amendments should enter into force at least one year before the elections take place and for Central Election Commission to have enough time to adopt it and citizens to have time to learn the new electoral system,” said Krasniqi adding that there is little hope also that the amendment of the Law on General Elections would be ready in time with the current tempo.
In the meantime, opposition parties never responded to President’s invitation about the electoral reform. They have said that they would only sit at a table with Thaçi, when the latter would announce the date of early elections.
Abdullahu: Demarcation to be submitted to Assembly by end of March
(TV21)
Border demarcation agreement with Montenegro is expected to be proceeded soon to the Assembly. Officials from the Office of Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa told TV21 that the agreement will be submitted to the Assembly for ratification by the end of March.
Faton Abdullahu, advisor to PM Isa Mustafa, said that the ruling coalition parties have agreed for the draft Law on border demarcation with Montenegro to be presented to the Assembly by the end of the month. According to him, there indications that Srpska List will return to the Assembly to vote the border demarcation agreement.
On the other hand, representatives of opposition parties reiterated that will vote against the agreement.
VV ready to enter into coalition with LDK without Mustafa
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
In the next elections, Vetëvendosje Movement (VV) would enter into coalition with LDK, but without its chairperson, Isa Mustafa. This was stated on Tuesday by VV Organisational Secretary Dardan Molliqaj while presenting the results of an opinion poll, according to which if elections would be held next Sunday, VV would win majority of votes.
Molliqaj said that there are many reasons why VV could be victorious in the forthcoming elections.
“Many people have not believed that we could win Prishtinë/Prishtina. Many people did not believe the results in Britain and the U.S. We are in a period when people are requesting substantial changes and I believe that VV will receive the support because it’s a political entity which is not comparable to others,” said Molliqaj.
Molliqaj said that VV would enter into a ruling coalition with opposition parties, while he excluded PDK and Srpska List as potential coalition partners. He emphasized that VV would enter into a coalition with LDK but without its chairperson, Isa Mustafa.
“We cannot enter into a coalition or co-govern with Isa Mustafa because of the damages he has caused to Kosovo,” said Molliqaj.
According to the results of this poll Vetëvendosje would win 28%, the PDK 18.4%, LDK 16.4 %, AAK 14 %, AKR 5%, Nisma 3.%, and the newly established part of Mimoza-Ksuari Lila Alternativa 2.9% of votes.
On the other hand, Nisma për Kosovën and Alliance for New Kosovo (AKR) reacted against VV’s poll. Nisma, through a press release, said that this political entity has marked an increase of followers. “If elections would be held today, Nisma për Kosovën will win at least 10 seats in Kosovo Assembly,” reads Nisma’s reaction.
While AKR said, through a press release, that polls commissioned and carried out in the offices of political parties, and which hold the logo of any company, are trying to rank with higher percentage of votes political entities that are destroying Kosovo and destroying the future of Kosovo’s youth.
LDK chairperson, Isa Mustafa, said that the people’s support indicates that the LDK is a leading party, the online version of RTK reported. “We do not order surveys, but call on people to participate in our gatherings, support the LDK platform, help us implement the projects and keep promises that we have given to our citizens,” said Mustafa.
PDK and AAK also reacted against this poll considering the poll as fixed.
Djuric campaigns for Vucic in Kosovo
(RTK)
Marko Djuric, Director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo, used his Tuesday’s visit to Kosovo to campaign for Serbia’s candidate for President, Aleksandar Vucic. During his visit to Leposavic/Leposaviq, Djuric said that Kosovo Serbs should support Vucic as he is the most trustworthy candidate, the online version of RTK reported.
“By voting in the presidential elections in Serbia and supporting Vucic you fight for the survival of our institutions and create conditions for Serbia to continue to support Serbs in Kosovo,” Djuric said addressing to a group of Kosovo Serbs.
Surroi: Who is pushing Kosovo Serbs towards Belgrade?
(KTV)
Author and publicists Veton Surroi through a post in his personal Facebook account expressed his views concerning the influence of Belgrade to Kosovo Serbs, the online version of KTV reported. According to him besides Srpska List, Serbs are being pushed towards Belgrade also by RTK2 channel in Serbian language, in particular through the coverage of sports event by this channel.
“The only thing that might somehow show that Serbs are in Kosovo is the weather forecast,” wrote Surroi.
“Kosovo’s captured state is also pushing Kosovo Serbs towards Belgrade. This is not noted only in the high politics of Srpska List, which is a joint creature of Thaçi and Vucic to allegedly accommodate Brussels dialogue and its results. Just watch the sports news in the Serbian news edition of Kosovo public broadcaster, controlled by PDK. Yesterday RTK2 widely reported about the forthcoming match between Serbia’s national team and Georgia and also reported how a Gracanica/Graçanicë kick-box team won Serbia’s league. And it briefly mentioned that Kosovo’s team will play the next match in Shkodër against Iceland, maybe just to fulfill the curiosity of the audience about Iceland. In RTK2 in Serbian language, controlled by PDK, the only thing that might somehow show that Serbs are in Kosovo is the weather forecast. While being treated like this, as foreigners, how can we expect that they think and vote for the interests of Kosovo,” concluded Surroi in his post.
