New ministry to be established deliberately for PDK

(KTV)

Every political party represented in the Kosovo Government, which is expected to be formed this Saturday, will have a deputy Prime Minister, but AAK will have the Prime Minister. This will bring the number of deputy Prime Ministers to five. It is likely that there will not be any ministry for dialogue, and another ministry will be established and led by PDK.

A reliable source within AKR, confirmed to Koha.net portal that the final division of government posts will be as follows.

However, it seems that the Ministry of Agriculture led by Srpska List is already a done deal. In addition to the sector with a budget of over 60 million euro, Srpska List will be leading two more ministries, Ministry of Return and Communities, and Ministry of Local Government Administration. Srpska List, whose representatives travelled to Belgrade for consultation whether it should eventually vote in favour of Ramush Haradinaj as Prime Minister, will have a Deputy Prime Minister as well.

PDK will get the largest number of ministries, namely six of them, as well as one deputy Prime Minister. One ministry is expected to be established deliberately for PDK, Ministry of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Koha.net learned that PDK will also get the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ministry of Integration, and Ministry of Justice.

Getting the post of Prime Minister will leave AAK with two ministries only. AAK will be leading the Ministry of Kosovo Security Forces, and Ministry of Infrastructure.

Nisma, on the other hand, besides one deputy Prime Minister, will be leading three more ministries:, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Although it had to give up the agricultural sector, AKR will have more ministries than AAK and Nisma. Following Korab Sejdiu’s resignation, AKR has remained only with three MPs, twice less than Nisma (6), and triple less than AAK (10). Behgjet Pacolli’s party will get the primary deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development, and Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.

A possible vote by Teuta Rugova, along with the advocacy for ensuring sufficient number of votes for PAN, is expected to bring Dardan Gashi back to the Government. It is expected that he will get a post of deputy Prime Minister and one of the Minister of Diaspora. A new scope, namely one on Strategic Investments will be added to the latter.

Non-Serb communities will have two ministries: Ministry of Public Administration, and one Ministry without portfolio.

PDK vice chairman Memli Krasniqi told Koha.net that PDK would finalise the list of its ministers and present it on Friday. Krasniqi was reluctant to mention any possible names.

AAK approves proposal for ministers

(KTV)

The AAK Executive on Thursday evening approved the proposal for Pal Lekaj to be Minister of Infrastructure and Rrustem Berisha Minister of the Kosovo Security Forces.

KTV sources within AAK said that so far only AAK came up with names of the new ministers, while other political parties were still discussing.

According to the same source, deadline for the Government coalition parties to submit the list of names for ministers to Haradinaj is by Friday at 10:00.

So far, AKR mentioned Valdrin Lluka’s name as possible Minister of Economic Development.

Srpska List to consult Vucic and Djuric

(Klan Kosova)

Prior to the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, Srpska List MP Igor Simic said that this political entity would support election of the Assembly Speaker.

However, in regard to forming of Government, Simic said that the decision would be taken after consultations with the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and with Director of the Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric.

Farmers against Srpska List to lead Ministry of Agriculture

(KTV)

Assigning of Ministry of Agriculture to Srpska List provoked a debate amongst farmers.

Branisllav Djoshic, resident in the village of Bernica, Prishtinë/Pristina, believes that leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture will have an impact on the return of Serbs, so that they can get access to their usurped agricultural land.

According to him, there are many Serbs who are interested in farming in Kosovo.

On the other hand, Labinot Podvorica, a raspberry producer in Obiliq/Obiliq municipality, despite his dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, still says it would be better if the sector is managed by Albanians.

Federation of Kosovo Farmers also is against Srpska List to lead Ministry of Agriculture. According to them, institutions should not be led by those who do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Current demarcation version unacceptable for AAK

(KTV)

The current version of border demarcation with Montenegro continues to be unacceptable for AAK.

Rasim Selmanaj, an AAK MP, believes that a committee will be established, which will use all the methods to prove this process wrong.

“Kosovo suffered from leadership, and I think that Ramush Haradinaj is a leader who can cope with everything. AAK holds unchanged position also about those two topics that are necessary for improving citizens’ lives. As far as demarcation is concerned, we expect the Government to establish a new committee, until we exhaust all the possibilities that will indicate that it is a wrong version,” he said.

Selmanaj did not come up with any other solution but a compromise with Montenegro, given that the neighbouring country has already ratified the agreement, and now it is a NATO Member Country.

Gashi: Opposition will block Government’s work

(KTV)

Arben Gashi of LDK predicts that PANA coalition’s government work will be extremely difficult. According to him, the number of MPs makes their decision-making power fragile.

Gashi stated to KTV Rubicon show that the opposition with LDK and VV will be extremely strong, making impossible for the Government coalition to move forward with the interrupted processes.

“All the topics that Mr Veseli mentioned today (On Thursday) are difficult to be discussed, let alone to be put to voting,” Gashi said.

Gashi thinks that it was unnecessary to listen to Kadri Veseli’s address to the Assembly on Thursday.

Authorities knew that citizens would leave

(KTV)

Not only Ramush Haradinaj, who has been mandated to form new government, admitted that citizens have been leaving Kosovo; former Minister of Foreign Affairs Enver Hoxhaj also said that for five weeks the State authorities have been aware that the fled was being prepared.

However, State authorities have failed to achieve anything in arresting those traffickers who in 2014 assisted more than 100,000 Albanians to leave Kosovo, KTV reported.

Burim Ramadani, security expert, said it was an urgent task of the new Government to stop leaving of citizens.

Following the migration wave in 2014-2015, Kosovo Police launched investigations on criminal organisations that contributed to citizens leaving Kosovo.

But on Thursday, KTV failed to receive any reply from the Police concerning this issue.

Talking to KTV Interactive show, the Prishtinë/Pristina Bus Station Director Ylber Çitaku admitted that the number of interested citizens to travel by buses to Belgrade has been considerably increased.

Indictment against Grabovci Group to be raised

(RTK1)

The PDK member who receives five salaries and who is suspected of corruption is intending to become Minister of Finance.

Besim Beqaj stated publically that if he is offered the Minister’s post, he will accept it.

But it is expected that within the year, Beqaj will be accused of the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office of abusing official position and of violating equal rights of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.

Sources from Prosecutor’s Office told Insajderi that Beqaj, former Minister of Economic Development, along with Adem Grabovci, Zenun Pajaziti, Ilhami Gashi, the PDK Prizren Branch chairman Njazi Kryeziu, former Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Fatmir Shurdhaj, Sedat Gashi (former advisor to the Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi, and former Chief of Pharmaceutical  Division at the Ministry of Health Arbenita Pajaziti, are expected to be accused of their illegal actions, disclosed after publication of wiretapping last year.

They are suspected to have committed those actions by differentiating on political or other basis, prioritising and granting employment privileges to certain persons/individuals of PDK, and they also planned and agreed to appoint PDK applicants at various boards of public enterprises, discriminating against and denying the rights of other persons, in the framework of equal opportunities provided by law.

“Investigations have almost been completed, and it is expected that they will be finalised with an indictment,” a source from Prosecutor’s Office said.

Prosecutor’s Office did not speak officially about the investigation details; however, it confirmed that possible appointment of Beqaj as Minister does not affect the investigation process.

“Possible appointment in Government of any person who is under investigation can by no means affect the investigation of the Prosecutor’s Office,” Liridona Kozmaqi, Spokesperson at Prosecutor’s Office said.

“Grabovci case is still under investigation, and presently we cannot make any statement on the way how the investigation will be finalised,” she added.