Thaçi reacts to Hahn: EU lacks vision and leadership
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi reacted to the statements made by the European Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn during his visit in Belgrade.
“Commissioner Hahn touched by Serbia’s concerns, has expressed his disappointment about statements which allegedly include certain tendencies for the creation of a Greater Albania. Moreover, he added that EU cannot be put under pressure by such statements,” said Thaçi in his Facebook profile.
“Unfortunately such a statement of an EU commissioner confirms exactly what I have said many times so far that the EU lacks leadership and vision for concretizing Kosovo’s European perspective,” continued Thaçi.
“This approach proves that the EU, in the best case scenario, doesn’t care about Kosovo; whereas in the worst case scenario does not even want to know about Kosovo. The discrimination and isolation of our citizens today speaks much more than the monotone statements of several EU officials that have been repeated since 2000,” Thaçi said.
He said that the project of ‘Greater Albania’ is a product of Serbian propaganda to implement the project of Greater Serbia, which, as he said, is almost functioning under the EU’s nose.
“There is no Greater or small Albania, but there is only Albania and Kosovo. And it will be good for the EU to accept this reality and start treating Kosovo as an independent and sovereign country,” concluded Thaçi.
On Monday, Commissioner Hahn said that statements of some of the region’s leaders for border changes are unacceptable and counterproductive. Hahn was referring to the statement of the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, who said that if the EU closes the doors to Albania and Kosovo, then the possibility for unification of the two states, cannot be ruled out.
PM Mustafa to seek conditional visa liberalisation for Kosovo
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa travelled to Brussels on Monday where is expected to request from the European Union to grant Kosovo a type of conditional visa-free travel for a period of two years during which Kosovo would work on fulfilling the criteria for finalizing border demarcation with Montenegro. However, opposition parties consider this initiative as delayed.
Bajram Gecaj, advisor to Kosovo PM said that in case Kosovo fails to fulfil the request of the European Commission for ratification of demarcation within two years, then the visa regime shall be reintroduced to Kosovo.
Gecaj expressed his optimism that Mustafa’s request will be supported by the EU. But, opposition parties consider this initiative as delayed. They said that the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro should be renegotiated.
The other advisor to PM Mustafa, Faton Abdullahu, expressed his confidence that the Prime Minister will bring good news from Brussels in relation to visa liberalisation. Abdullahu told RTK1 that demarcation will be submitted to the Assembly, but added that the ruling coalition currently does not have the required votes to ratify demarcation.
KBA against Government’s decision, demands its annulment
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
Kosovo Bar Association (KBA) considers as unacceptable a decision of Mustafa’s Government. In fact, the Government of Kosovo in its last meeting suspended KBA’s regulation for appointment of lawyers ex officio. This regulation stipulates that lawyers who have less than three years of experience are not entitled to be appointed ex officio in cases related to serious crimes. Over, 40 lawyers have complained against this regulation and submitted it to the court. Now the Government has suspended this regulation pending the verdict of the court. But, KBA considers this as a direct interference in justice.
Chairman of Kosovo Bar Association, Osman Havolli said that the Government has directly interfered in the already established cooperation between Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Kosovo Judicial Council, Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Bar Association. According to Havolli, the Government acted in contradiction to the verdict of two courts. “Basic Court and Court of Appeals with their respective decisions have left this regulation into power and now the Government suspends it,” said Havolli.
On the other hand, Ministry of Justice justified the suspension of this regulation, saying that the suspension does not prejudice the final outcome of the proceedings.
“Provisions of the Law on the Bar do not stipulate issuance of such a regulation by the Kosovo Bar Association. Moreover, this Regulation derives from a cooperation agreement, containing provisions that set up certain limitations for lawyers, limitations which are in contradiction with the Law on the Bar, in particular in contradiction with Article 54, paragraph 1 of the Kosovo Criminal Code,” reads the reaction of the ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice emphasized that they are currently revising the Criminal Law and invited interested parties to present their stances in this process.
President Nishani grants Albanian citizenship to Ramush Haradinaj
(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)
The President of Albania, Bujar Nishani on Monday granted Albanian citizenship to Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the opposition party the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), and his spouse Anita Haradinaj.
President Nishani signed the decree giving Albanian citizenship to Ramush and Anita Haradinaj upon their application, TV21 reported.
Special Court a step closer to indictments
(RTK)
On Wednesday, the Special Court will pronounce a summary of the Judgment of the Specialist Chamber of the Constitutional Court, in relation to the Referral of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, which was adopted by Judges of the Specialist Chambers on 17 March 2017, RTK portal reported quoting a press release issued by the Specialist Chambers.
“On Wednesday 26 April 2017, at 12:00 hours, the Presiding Judge of the Specialist Chamber of the Constitutional Court of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Judge Ann Power-Forde, will pronounce a summary of the Judgment of the Specialist Chamber of the Constitutional Court, in relation to the Referral of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence pursuant to Article 19(5) of the Law on the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office,” reads the press release,
The Rules of Procedure and Evidence enters into force 7 days after the Specialist Chambers pronounce its summary of constitutionality. After this step, the Specialist Prosecutor Office can file first indictments, RTK portal reported.
Serb civil society organizations sue Haradinaj
(RTK2)
Representatives of Serb civil society organizations in Kosovo have filed charges against AAK MP Daut Haradinaj for hate speech.
After media recently reported that AAK MP Daut Haradinaj threatened that Kosovo would remain without Serbs if his brother Ramush is extradited to Serbia, and despite the fact that Haradinaj rejected the statement, Serb nongovernmental organisations filed charges at the Prosecution in Pejë/Pec against Haradinaj for hate speech and calls for ethnic cleansing.
The indictment e has been signed by 20 Serb epresentatives of civil society and prominent Serb individuals.
MPs unable to monitor implementation of the Law on Health in Kosovo north
(Klan Kosova)
Members of Kosovo Assembly Health Committee cannot visit the north of Kosovo, which is under the control of Serbs, Klan Kosova reported. Members of this Committee requested permission to visit the medical centre in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North to monitor the implementation of the Law on Health, but they never received approval to their request.
On the other hand, the director of the medical centre in Mitrovica/Mitrovica North, Milan Ivanovic denied to have received any official request related to the visit of MPs from Prishtinë/Pristina. Additionally, Ivanovic considered as a mission impossible a potential visit by Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to this hospital.
“It is an impossible mission because we work with Serbia’s system and such a visit would incite tensions among doctors and patients,” said Ivanovic.
