• Haradinaj: Territory exchange with Serbia discussed (KTV)
• Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue will not resume before June, experts believe (RTK1)
• Opposition coordinating to send President to Constitutional Court (RTK1)
• Around 200 community members applied for KSF members (KTV)
• Telecom not to employ new staff in next six months (KTV)

 Haradinaj: Territory exchange with Serbia discussed

(KTV)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said that there have been discussions and some sort of request to exchange territories with Serbia, not specifying who did the request come from.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe he also spoke about the tariff, saying that his persistence on keeping the tariff has not isolated Kosovo.

“There were discussions. We also heard them in public, the rhetoric that an exchange of territories, which would be a partition of Kosovo, would be the formula to satisfy Serbia in exchange for recognition of Kosovo. In fact, this is not realistic. Recognition between Kosovo and Serbia should happen on mutual respect, namely of Kosovo on its existing borders. Not only recognition as a way of apology, but also as a possibility of moving forward,” Haradinaj stated.

Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue will not resume before June, experts believe

(RTK1)

Dialogue between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade is unlikely to resume before June this year. This is what experts of political developments in the country believe.

According to them, elections in the European Union and the disagreement of the great powers with regard to the final agreement are among the reasons for non-continuation of this Dialogue, despite the fact that the tariff has recently been seen as a process that has caused stagnation in the Dialogue.

Jeta Krasniqi of Kosovo Democratic Institute believes that dialogue should continue; however, according to her, currently there are no signals for that.

On the other hand, political analyst Imer Mushkolaj is sceptical that a possible agreement would be reached between the two countries in 2019.

A few days ago, co-chairman of Negotiating Team Fatmir Limaj announced that the delegation would travel to Brussels again. However, so far neither the agenda of those meetings nor any other details have been made known.

Opposition coordinating to send President to Constitutional Court

(RTK1)

A few days ago, the Kosovo Assembly held a session initiated by the opposition regarding blocking of the Central Election Commission (CEC). After the speeches of MPs, the session was concluded without any result, whereas CEC still remains blocked.

Vetëvendosje MP Albulena Haxhiu told Telegrafi that they have been coordinating with LDK in compiling a draft to send the President to the Constitutional Court. She says that 30 signatures are needed for that.

Haxhiu emphasised that they would not consult the PSD caucus, saying that they rather represent government than the opposition.

The LDK caucus leader Avdullah Hoti stated to Telegrafi that the behaviour of the President by blocking CEC implies infringement of state responsibility.

“The President should comply with the Constitution when appointing CEC members. Any different action compels us to send the case to the Constitutional Court. It is unacceptable that CEC has been blocked for a year. There are over 35 municipal councillors and one Kosovo Assembly Member waiting to be certified. This behaviour of the President is infringement of the state responsibility,” Hoti said.

Eugen Cakolli of Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) said that there was no other mechanism that can unblock CEC, except the President of Kosovo.

In his statement to Telegrafi, he said that the initiative of the opposition to vote a resolution was not appropriate for unblocking CEC.

Cakolli stated that political parties should unanimously request from the President to complete appointment of their members.

Cakolli added that CEC would soon be blocked technically, as well.

“At the beginning of April, the contract of the CEC Secretariat Chief Executive Officer will expire, which implies that CEC will be paralysed technically, too. The mandate of the Director of the Office for Political Party Certification has also expired, and CEC has not been able to appoint a new member, as the current director has retired. As a result, political parties have not been able to obtain funds provided by the Law on Financing Political Parties. Therefore, this situation should end sooner than later, and the President should  appoint new members of CEC, be it even through  the letters that he has sent to political parties, and to open the way to opposition entities  to question this decision. Or otherwise, they should be appointed as the practice was so far, in order to avoid prolongation and not to turn CEC to an institution that is subject to political bargaining,” he said.

Telegrafi contacted the President’s Office concerning this issue, but they did not respond.

Around 200 community members applied for KSF members

(KTV)

The last group of applicants for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) recruits took the physical test.

About 6600 applicants have taken physical and intelligence test within 19 days.

About 200 members of the communities living in Kosovo took the tests on the last day.

General Skënder Zhitia says that thus far, the testing process happened without any problem. He explains that after this testing phase, selected applicants will take written test and oral interview.

But in order to become KSF members, applicants must go through some more phases.

Out of 6600 applicants, only 650 will be accepted.

Results of the physical and intelligence test are expected to be published by next week on the website of the Ministry of Defence.

Telecom not to employ new staff in next six months

(KTV)

No new employments will happen at the Kosovo Telecom in the coming six months.

This will be the case if the Telecom Management and Board comply with the decision of the Assembly Enquiry Commission on PTK.

But not all MPs in the Commission shared the same opinion about this decision.

The Commission chairman Visar Ymeri asked for the investigations on employments at Telecom to start from 2009, but this was not decided, since MPs allowed the opportunity of investigating contracts from the time when they were signed.

Ymeri proposed the investigation to focus on three key pillars: harmful contracts signed with third parties, political influence and taking dividend, and installation of nepotism in the enterprise.

The Commission is also expected to investigate nine big contracts, including the contract with Z-Mobile and InterAdria.

In addition, expenses of all boards and managements that have led PTK will be investigated, as well as Telecom, since the time the enterprise was transferred to ownership of the Kosovo Government.