• Draft Law on Government to be proceeded to Assembly by end of May (Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
• Final phase of dialogue might affect even Ahtisaari Settlement (KTV)
• Defence Minister advocates for demarcation with Kosovo (N1)
• PDK elects branch leaders in Hani i Elezit/Elez Han and Zhur (Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

News

Draft Law on Government to be proceeded to Assembly by end of May

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

It was planned to happen in March, but Draft Law on Government is expected to be proceeded to the Assembly by end of May. This has been announced by the National Coordinator for State Reform Besnik Tahiri.

Tahiri announced that before the Draft Law is proceeded to the Government, comprehensive consultations with parliamentary parties, civil society, and on the online platform will happen. Tahiri believes that the Draft Law will start to be implemented during the mandate of the current Government, but he added that functional restructuring of the ministries would take time.

“…The Government’s decision shall establish how long this will take, but it may take nine months up to one year, which means that it will happen within the current Government,” Tahiri stated to Radio Kosova.

Drafting of the Law on Government happened as a condition of PSD. One of the conditions put by PSD to support the Budget was drafting of this Law. PSD spokesperson Natyra Kuçi said that once the Draft Law reaches the Assembly, PSD will come up with its proposals for changes, one of them being that every ministry shall have not more than two deputy ministers.

The condition of PSD was that the Draft Law be adopted within three months, but it is expected that it will reach the Assembly only by end of May. According to Besnik Tahiri, the reason for this delay is that this Draft Law is the second biggest step of the state reform, after adoption of the Law on Salaries, Law on Public Officials, and Law on Structuring and Functionalising of State Administration and Enforcement Agencies. Having this in mind, Tahiri said that they would not haste in proceeding the Draft Law, without completing all the necessary consultations, so that the Draft Law can be supported by two thirds of MPs in the Assembly.

Final phase of dialogue might affect even Ahtisaari Settlement

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The Ahtisaari Settlement Plan, on which basis the independence of Kosovo was declared in February 2008 and which has been embodied into the Kosovo Constitution, is a document which contains all the big concessions that Kosovo has made in relation to Serbia at the negotiation process over the final status of Kosovo in Vienna during the years 2006-2007. This is what ruling and opposition political party officials who were part of the process, as well as international law experts think.

However, they have different views whether the document, which was provided by Marti Ahtisaari, Head of the international mediation troika – the US, the EU, and Russia – is the red line of compromises that Kosovo may not cross in the next negotiations with Serbia for reaching a comprehensive agreement.

PDK vice chairman Hajredin Kuçi, who was part of the negotiation process in Vienna, stated to Radio Free Europe that the compromises that Kosovo made in that process were based on promises of the international community that those would be the last compromises, and that the document would be passed at the UN Security Council even with the consent of the countries with the right to veto, such as Russia and China.

Former Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs Skënder Hyseni of LDK, who took part in the whole process in Vienna, said to Radio Free Europe that possible compromises in an agreement with Serbia that would be beyond the content of the Ahtisaari Document would imply that the status of Kosovo will be affected.

Afrim Hoti, professor of International Law at the University of Prishtina, in an interview with Radio Free Europe said that the Ahtisaari Document was the last stage of compromises that the Kosovo side made in the negotiation process in Vienna on resolving the issue with Serbia.

Defence Minister advocates for demarcation with Kosovo

(N1)

Serbia’s Defence Minister, Aleksandar Vulin, said on Sunday that he is in favour of demarcation with Albanians in Kosovo to take place as soon as possible.

“When we determine where the line of division will be, we will be able to defend it,” he told Vecernje Novosti.

“The crime that has been committed against our country and our people is indisputable, but now it is up to us to have the courage and strength to finally unite and try to solve the Serb national issue,” Vulin said.

“It was coming and it came, the ‘Greater Albania’ is here. Now it is a question whether we will stop it or wait for it to reach central Serbia,” he said.

He also said he would like extraordinary elections to take place in June, as he “believes that elections are good, healing, and will chase away the fascists.”

PDK elects branch leaders in Hani I Elezit/Elez Han and Zhur

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

On Sunday, PDK held two election conventions in its branches in Hani I Elezit/Elez Han and Zhur, where chairmen and other leading structures were elected by hundreds of delegates who participated in the election process.

In Hani  i Elezit/Elez Han, Mehmet Ballazhi has been elected chairman, as well as 31 members of the Branch Executive Committee, and six  delegates to the National Convention.

Ilir Gashi addressed the participants on behalf of PDK from the Central election Commission.

He said that elections in PDK have reconfirmed unification of all generations and professions that want development of Kosovo through accomplishment of the New Decade political platform of the PDK leader Kadri Veseli.

In Zhur branch, Bedri Hoxha was elected chairman by the majority of votes of delegates, as well as 27 members of the Executive Committee, and delegates to the National Convention.

On behalf of the PDK leader Kadri Veseli, Minister of Culture Kujtim Gashi addressed the election convention in this branch. He said that the PDK election process showed the highest level of democracy in the party, as well as its political power.

In the coming days, PDK will continue holding dozens of conventions in its sub-branches and branches Kosovo-wide.