- Shelters for victims of domestic violence need special budget line (KTV)
- New CEC composition allocates funds for political entities (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & Klan Kosova)
- Ambassador Kosnett meets Gracanica/Graçanicë Serbs (RTK1)
- Limaj: Tariff should be lifted, Haradinaj has moved beyond original decision (Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
- Serbia reminds Kosovo that it is late with ASMM establishment (Klan Kosova)
- Possible final Kosovo-Serbia agreement overshadows ASMM (KTV)
- Russian ambassador: Border correction – an American idea (RTK1)
- British Embassy withdraws support for recruitment of Head of ERO Board (Klan Kosova)
News
Shelters for victims of domestic violence need special budget line
(KTV)
Lack of a special budget line for shelters of the victims of domestic violence, is causing problems in their work.
Although 50 per cent of their expenses are covered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare as grants and the rest is covered by municipalities, this financial management has proven unsuccessful.
Adelina Berisha, researcher from the Kosovo Group of Women’s Network, said to Koha.net that allocation of a special budget line for the shelters was a constitutional obligation. According to her, shelters experience various challenges related to their financial sustainability, as until this year, they have not been financially stable.
“As of this year, after the advocacy by the Kosovo Women’s Network, a special line has been created for the shelters, a line that will provide them financial support. The budget has not been allocated yet, but the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare is committed to accomplishing this support, given that the requirement to support shelters is a Constitutional obligation,” she said.
Coordinator against Domestic Violence Naim Qelaj, who is also Deputy Minister of Justice, told Koha.net portal that the current way of financing shelters has not proven effective, adding that it will be changed by amending the Law.
“Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, supports financing of shelters through grants for non-profit organisations, so that every year it covers 50 per cent of needs of the shelters licensed by the Ministry. The rest is covered by the support provided by municipalities. We believe that this year financing of shelters will be solved by legal amendments,” he stated.
Koha.net contacted also the OSCE Office in Kosovo. They said that shelters should be accepted as part of the justice system, rather than functioning as NGOs only.
“Based on the analysis of the legal and institutional framework and on interviews with directors of the eight shelters, it is undeniable that they keep facing a number of serious challenges that impede development of the shelters. The legislation on shelters should be adjusted as well, and they should be accepted as part of the justice system, not only as service providers with an NGO status,” their response says.
They added that training courses need to be delivered in those houses, in order for the victims of violence to be integrated.
“More specialised training should be provided to staff of the shelters and to the victims residing there. For example, shelters for victims of domestic violence that have the key responsibility for rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims in society, face issues with financial sustainability, and they keep advocating for a special budget line for financing shelters on three-year basis, in line with their licensing process. At the beginning of 2019, the shelter in south Mitrovicë/Mitrovica was forced to be closed down and to transfer at least four victims to the shelter in Prishtinë/Pristina,” their response continues.
On the other hand, Zana Hamiti, Director of the Centre for Protection of Women and Children in Prishtinë/Pristina, said that the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare did not cover 100 per cent of needs of the Centre, emphasising that the state has not taken care of integrating the victims of violence.
“The support from the Ministry does not cover the needs 100 per cent, but other costs are covered by donors. We have requested 100 per cent support from the central level, but this year the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has covered 70 per cent of our total costs. The state should empower the victims of violence economically and provide them social housing, in order that they can become independent and live free of violence, far from perpetrators,” she said.
New CEC composition allocates funds for political entities
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & Klan Kosova)
Only one day after the explicit request of the US Embassy to unblock the Central Election Commission (CEC), the President of Kosovo decreed eight out of ten new members of CEC.
The new CEC members that took oath before President Thaçi were Adnan Rrustemi and Nazlie Bala of Vetëvendosje, Sami Hamiti and Florian Dushi of LDK, as well as Alfred Kinolli, Qemajl Kurtishi, Erxhan Shpat, and Stevan Veselinovic from communities.
However, two representatives of PAN coalition did not attend the decreeing ceremony.
The PDK nominee Ilir Gashi told KTV that the reason why they did not attend was that they have been waiting for the other coalition partners to nominate their representatives.
Nevertheless, Gashi said that the decreeing process would happen, and PAN will find a solution.
Less than two hours after they were decreed, all eight new members, led by chairperson Valdete Daka, held their first meeting, where the decision on setting the amount of funds for supporting political entities in 2019 was approved.
The total funds are 4 million and 200,000 euro; they will be allocated to political entities, except PSD.
PAN coalition, with all other small parties, shall receive over 1 million and 228,000 euro, Vetëvendosje 1 million and 8,000 euro, followed by LDK with over 900,000 euro.
In addition, CEC approved recommendation of the Kosovo President’s Office on the next candidate for the Kosovo Assembly member. According to this recommendation, PDK MP Nexhat Çocaj will be replaced by Rafet Rama.
Upon re-functionalisation of CEC, 35 new assembly counsillors were certified at all Kosovo municipalities on Thursday.
Most of them are of LDK, and eight are of PDK.
Only now, CEC has certified the assembly counsellor who will replace the chairman of SDP Oliver Ivanovic, who was murdered in January 2018. Ivanovic will be replaced in north Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Municipal Assembly by Dusan Milutinovic.
Meanwhile, Nisma’s caucus leader Bilall Sherifi said that the decision of President Hashim Thaçi to decree new CEC members was illegal.
Talking to Klan Kosova’s Zona e Debatit show, Sherifi stated that they would address the Constitutional Court concerning the formula of allocation of seats only based on pre-election coalitions.
Also on Zona e Debatit show, PSD MP Dardan Molliqaj said that they had sufficient proofs that they will use to address the Constitutional Court, with their complaint to President Thaçi’s decision to decree new CEC members.
Ambassador Kosnett meets Gracanica/Graçanicë Serbs
(RTK1)
The US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip S. Kosnett visited the municipality of Gracanica/Graçanicë on Thursday, where he met Serb community members.
“I learned a lot from the meeting in Gracanica/Graçanicë with members of Kosovo Serb community. It is important to hear about challenges and successes they face, and about the ways how we can work together in supporting peace, justice, and prosperity for Kosovo,” Ambassador Kosnett posted on Twitter.
Limaj: tariff should be lifted, Haradinaj has moved beyond original decision
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj said that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj should revoke the tariff. According to Limaj, by conditioning revocation of the tariff with recognition by Serbia, Haradinaj has moved beyond the original joint decision when the tariff was imposed.
Limaj said he was in favour of revoking the tariff, given that it has reached the purpose, so that Serbia has realised how serious Kosovo is now.
Limaj made these statements in an interview with KTV’s Rubicon show.
Serbia reminds Kosovo that it is late with ASMM establishment
(Klan Kosova)
On Thursday, Serbian authorities published figures to remind Kosovo on the time lost concerning establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASMM). This is because this process, which for a long time was the key topic in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, has now stagnated.
An EU diplomat anonymously told Klan Kosova that the key EU departments have unofficially and individually read the ASMM’s Draft Statute compiled seven months ago by the Managing Team, which consisted of four Serbs.
The Draft Statute, which Klan Kosova exclusively holds of, provides that natural resources shall be managed by member municipalities of ASMM. This and more formulations, according to the diplomat, are unacceptable to the EU officials; therefore, implementation of the agreement on ASMM should be based on the Kosovo Constitution. This promise is made almost on a daily basis by the Kosovo leaders in Prishtinë/Pristina.
Boba Simic, Head of Aktiv, a Prishtinë/Pristina based organisation, thinks that the majority in Kosovo should not foster the attitude that ASMM represents danger for the country.
“ASMM should not represent any problem to Kosovo society, because decentralisation process everywhere in the world, including Kosovo, is viewed as a serious, democratic process,” Simic said.
According to him, there has been a turning point in the history of implementation of the agreement on ASMM.
“The moment when discussion on ASMM was stopped, the border delineation issue entered the agenda officially and unofficially. The situation is so that the Draft Statute was completed last summer, but it has never been presented to the public,” Simic added.
Possible final Kosovo-Serbia agreement overshadows ASMM
(KTV)
Albanian and Serb political analysts think that the announcement of a possible final agreement within the framework of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, has made the issue of establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in Kosovo (ASMM), as a key part of the agreement between the two sides in Brussels, to be presently silenced.
Political analyst Ramush Tahiri stated to Radio Free Europe that in the framework of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the agreement on establishment of ASMM was thought as a solution that would lead to normalisation of relations between the two countries.
However, according to him, emerging of ideas of changing the Kosovo-Serbia border as a possible solution of the dispute between the two countries has overshadowed establishment of ASMM as a possible solution. The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi referred to this idea as a border correction, whereas the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic referred to it as border delineation between Serbs and Albanians.
Serb political analyst Petar Miletic, a former Kosovo MP, has a similar opinion. Talking to Radio Free Europe, he said that one could not claim that the sides have given up establishment of ASMM, but he thinks that the fact that both sides have been keeping silent about this issue, indicates that establishment of ASMM is not on the foreground.
Kosovo Government officials have stated that ASMM may be only established in line with the Kosovo Constitution. But asked by Radio Free Europe if any specific action with regard to ASMM has been taken, officials of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Haradinaj refused to speak about this topic.
On the other hand, officials of Srpska Lista were not available.
Russian ambassador: Border correction – an American idea
(RTK1)
Asked about the stance of Russian diplomacy regarding the idea of border changing between Kosovo and Serbia, the Russian Ambassador to Tirana Aleksandër Karpushin said that Russians have never talked about this topic.
“It is not quite clear to me why you are asking me, the Russian representative, to comment on an idea that is promoted by US officials,” the Russian Ambassador to Tirana stated to A2 CNN.
“On the other hand, there has not been a single case that Russian leaders spoke about revision of borders in the region. Russia completely supports current discussions between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina. President Putin has pointed out several times that our country is ready to recognise any mutually acceptable solution that the sides will reach through dialogue and pursuant to the UNSC Resolution 1244. Until now we have not heard any official statement that would confirm that the sides are considering border changing as a suitable option for resolving the situation,” he added.
British Embassy withdraws support for recruitment of Head of ERO Board
(Klan Kosova)
British Embassy in Kosovo announced on Thursday that it withdraws support for the recruitment process for the position of Head of Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) Board.
This decision followed failure of members of the Assembly of Kosovo to appoint to this position one of the candidates recommended through the British Embassy, which has resulted in the re-announcement of the vacancy for this position.