Schmid reminds Kosovo leaders on visa liberalisation condition
(KTV)
Clear messages were conveyed in Prishtinë/Pristina by the Secretary General of European External Action Service, Helga Schmid.
Besides moving forward with ratification of demarcation and fight against corruption, she said that good neighbouring relations need to be strengthened, which opens the door to investments and economic development in Kosovo.
The EU official called on Kosovo institutions to do more in combating corruption and implementing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).
Schmid called for implementation of SAA and of the European reform agenda, not to please the EU, but because they are crucial for Kosovo.
Prime Minister Haradinaj said that the dynamics of relations between Kosovo and the EU has been increased, in order to accomplish the deriving tasks on this path.
During her visit to Kosovo, Schmid met Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli, and leaders of opposition parties, Vetëvendosje and LDK.
CEC decides recounting 24 ballot boxes
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV & RTK1)
Twenty-four (24) ballot boxes of October 22 local elections will be recounted. The decision has been taken by the Central Election Commission (CEC). Three out of 24 ballot boxes are for mayoral elections in Prishtinë/Pristina, Prizren, and Suharekë/Suva Reka, and 21 ballot boxes are for municipal assemblies.
The Count and Result Centre (CRC) coordinator Burim Ahmetaj said that the recount needs to happen because there is a mismatch of data in the result forms, and because signatures of polling station committee chairs are missing.
According to Ahmetaj, so far 95 percent of forms for mayoral elections, and 41 percent of forms for municipal assemblies have been processed.
CEC announced that the election campaign for the second round will last only five days, namely from 13 until 17 November.
By-mail voting period will last from 4 until 17 November.
Referring to CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi, RTK portal reported that CRC completed recount of 24 ballot boxes.
PLE complaints for vote manipulation
(KTV)
Liberal Egyptian Party (PLE) ran for local elections in five municipalities, but they got only one municipal assembly representative in Fushë- Kosovë/Kosovo Polje.
The PLE leader, MP Veton Berisha, believes that the result shows that votes in local elections were bought.
Meanwhile, Party of Ashkalis in Ferizaj/Urosevac filed a complaint to the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) versus PDAK for buying votes.
Chairperson of ECAP Secretariat Mul Desku also confirmed that PDAK filed a complaint versus PLE for rivalry during the election campaign.
Thaçi: Community rights in Kosovo respected to maximum
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
President Hashim Thaçi said that rights of communities in Kosovo are respected at all life segments, such as representation and employment. According to him, visa liberalisation remains a bigger issue for Kosovo citizens.
At the regional conference on protection and promotion of human rights and non-majority communities, chairperson of Consultative Council for Communities Gazmen Jeselevic said that non-majority communities should enjoy not only what law provides for them, but also what they are entitled to as human beings.
Advisor on Political Affairs and Communities at the EU Office in Kosovo, encouraged the Council to cooperate with local structures in protecting communities in all areas.
Assembly passed revised budget
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo Assembly passed revised Budget, which shall be given its second reading by end of October.
In the discussions it was said that both local and central institutions have continued abusing the budget.
Presentation of the 2016 annual report of National Auditor’s Office provided facts of violations, including abuse with the fund for taking Kosovo patients for medical treatment abroad.
Lumezi’s file removed from Archive
(KTV)
The entire bar examination file on the State Chief Prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi has been removed from the Kosovo Archive.
On Thursday, KTV team was not allowed access to the State Archive, since Director of the Archive Ruzhdi Panxha said that the documentation investigated by the team, was taken away by Kosovo Police on Wednesday, upon the order from State Prosecutor.
KTV asked State Prosecutor’s Office and Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) whether investigations on this issue have been launched. KPC spokesperson Astrit Kolaj said he could not provide any response concerning the case, with the justification that the KPC chairperson Blerim Isufaj was absent.
The State Prosecutor’s Office did not answer KTV questions, but over telephone they neither denied nor confirmed it.
Kosovo Police did not provide details either. By email, the Police responded like Prosecutor’s Office, saying that at the present stage they neither deny nor confirm actions concerning this case.
All in all, Lumezi’s file and other documentation related to those who passed bar examination in the period1990-1992 are no longer accessible to the public.
KTV asked also EULEX if the Mission has launched investigations on the bar examination file on the State Chief Prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi. EULEX provided the following response:
“In compliance with the current mandate, EULEX prosecutors do not take new cases, except in extraordinary circumstances. Those claims will be considered with relevant authorities of the Kosovo Prosecution, while EULEX prosecutors have received and considered Mr Lumezi’s request. The Mission will monitor the case.”
