Veseli: We urgently need a political solution (Epoka e Re)

The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, writes on his Facebook page that Monday was a difficult day for the Assembly. “We had a difficult day today. Difficult for the Assembly. Difficult for the country. The arrests of MPs are unpleasant scenes, but the state of law cannot yield in front of the breaking of laws. We urgently need a political solution,” Veseli wrote.

Derguti: Dialogue with Government, impossible (Epoka e Re)

The Vice-President of the Assembly of Kosovo from Vetevendosje Movement, Aida Derguti, told the paper on Monday that the united opposition bloc “will continue its battle for the Republic until the withdrawal of the agreements or the resignation of the government”. “There is no rescue for them. We are heading in this road and we do not stop until our demands are met,” Derguti said. She added that dialogue with the representatives of the government is impossible. She also argued that the decision of the Assembly Presidency for the individual daily suspension of certain opposition MPs constitutes a serious violation.

EU countries: Obstruction unacceptable, return to dialogue (dailies)

The paper reports that in a joint statement the EU Special Representative and the Embassies/Offices of EU member states in Kosovo commented on yesterday’s events saying they condemn the “violent obstruction” of the Kosovo Assembly. “We call for the return to dialogue in the political life in general and the Assembly in particular to prevent any further escalation of violence that could lead to damage of property and injuries to human lives. The people need all of the Assembly and institutions to work and tackle economic, social and other everyday challenges they face,” the statement said. The EU countries further said that the opposition’s peaceful protest on Saturday was an example of the democratic way to express disagreements over political issues and “a proof that Kosovo and its political leaders are able to engage in a political dialogue through democratic means.”

O’Connell: Opposition’s place is in the Assembly (Telegrafi)

The British Ambassador to Kosovo Ruairi O’Connell took to Facebook to say that yesterday’s events in the Kosovo Assembly are concerning and that violence is unacceptable. “The place for opposition is in the Assembly,” he wrote. O’Connell stressed that the only way out of this situation is through dialogue and the decision of President Atifete Jahjaga to refer the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities to the Constitutional Court created room for this dialogue. At the same time, he said everyone must respect the law and that he hoped the Kosovo authorities would ensure that human rights are fully respected. “When respected organisations like Amnesty International raise concerns, they should be investigated properly. We will, as we said yesterday, continue to observe closely,” O’Connell concluded.

AI calls for urgent investigation into Kosovo Police actions (Zeri)

Amnesty International has called for an urgent investigation into actions by the Kosovo Police following the arrests and alleged ill-treatment of Vetevendosje activists on Saturday. “From the videos and photographs we have seen, it appears that the Kosovo Police used excessive force during the operation to arrest members of Vetevendosje in the party's offices on Saturday,” Sian Jones, Amnesty International's researcher on the Balkans, told Kosovo 2.0. “We are in the process of gathering further information, but would urge the authorities and the National Preventive Mechanism to immediately open investigations into the conduct of the police, and any individual allegations of ill-treatment received.”

Lunacek: Kurti’s arrest at a bad time (Zeri)

European Parliament Vice President and rapporteur for Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek, said the timing of the Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti’s arrest was not right. “The arrest of Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti and tens of activists on Saturday could have been carried out in accordance to criminal procedures but considering the tense situation, the timing and the place of this action were not useful to support a beginning necessary to dialogue between the opposition and the Government,” she said. Lunacek called on the parties to find ways to overcome their disputes and added that the proposal of MPs Ilir Deda and Vjosa Osmani is an alternative that could be looked into.

Lavdrim Muhaxheri, Ridvan Haqifi are believed to be in FYROM (Koha)

Citing intelligence sources, the paper reports on its front page that Lavdrim Muhaxheri, Ridvan Haqifi and five other Albanians – members of the terrorist organization ISIS – are believed to have entered the territory of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) three weeks ago. The seven people from Kosovo are believed to have come from Syria with the wave of refugees. “We have credible information that they are moving around several villages in Skopje. He (Lavdrim Muhaxheri) is mainly staying in one village … We also have information that they could prepare an attack in Kosovo,” an unnamed source told the paper. FYROM President Gjorge Ivanov said last Friday that dozens of persons that participated in the fighting in Syria have returned to FYROM. Ivanov told reporters that the terrorists were using the corridor of refugees to enter the country. Kosovo authorities meanwhile have raised the level of alert following the Paris attacks on November 13. The paper also notes that the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, which receives information from foreign services including those from the East, did not comment on the matter.

Kosovo Police arrest terror suspect in Hani i Elezit (Kosovapress)

Citing unnamed sources, the news site reports that Kosovo Police have arrested a person in Hani i Elezit this morning, who is believed to have participated in the fighting in Syria. Police also confiscated two weapons from the suspect.

Four persons arrested in anti-terror operation in Italy and Kosovo (Top Channel)

The Tirana-based TV station reports that the Italian Police, in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, launched an anti-terror operation in the city of Brescia. Italian authorities said the operation codenamed “Van Damme” resulted in the breakup of a terror group that was using social networks to spread the Jihadi ideology. The mastermind of the group, a Kosovo national, was arrested in Kosovo by local police, while the three other suspects were arrested in Italy.

ISIS graffiti in northern Kosovo (Zeri)

ISIS graffiti were painted on the walls of several Serb houses in the Bosniak Mahalla in Mitrovica North over the weekend, the paper reports on page six. A local Serb told the paper on Saturday: “ISIS extremists are present in our settlements. We are afraid that they may attack us. Not only Serbs, but other communities too are at risk”. The Kosovo Police in Mitrovica North have stepped up their presence. “The police have registered several cases of such graffiti. What we can say at this point is that they were painted with the same spray and mainly on Serb houses. Police are working on these cases,” Zeljko Bojic, the head of operations at the Kosovo Police Regional Directorate in northern Kosovo, was quoted as saying.

Mustafa, Gashi hand over their deputy mandates (Epoka e Re)

The front page article of this daily reports that Kosovo Assembly deputies from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Rrustem Mustafa and Latif Gashi have resigned their positions. Both MPs said they were resigning due to the on-going judicial processes, for the time they were members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Mustafa wrote on his resignation letter that he is resigning because he respects the decisions of the judicial institutions. He added that state officials have a constitutional obligation to be loyal to state laws and interests.

Poll: PDK ranks first, followed by Vetevendosje (media)

Several news sites cover a poll published by the Pristina-based public opinion research company Index Kosova, on the ranking of political parties if general elections were to be held now. The poll shows that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) would be the leading party, followed by the Vetevendosje Movement. Respondents also remarked that unemployment, poverty, corruption and a poor performance by the government are Kosovo’s biggest problems.