Headlines - 13.11.2013

Exchange of fire between Serbian Army and Albanians (Epoka e Re)

Serbian media are reporting that in the village of Dabinovc of Kurshumlija, at the border with Kosovo, unknown persons from the territory of Podujevo opened fire on a patrol of the Serbian Army. The incident occurred when a military patrol was conducting maneuvers in the village of Shushnjak at the border between Serbia and Kosovo. Eyewitnesses told media that there was a fire exchange. “Military forces that were carrying out their duties noticed two persons and the latter then opened fire on them, but fortunately there were no victims among members of the Serbian Army,” a press release said.

Suspects in the killing of EULEX customs officer identified (Tribuna)

Ballistic investigations into the attack of 19 September in the north of Kosovo that left dead one of EULEX’s customs officers, Andrius Senavicius, suggest that the shots fired in the direction of EULEX vehicles were not direct. The shots are thought to have been fired in the direction of the road but some ricocheted to the car.

Investigations further showed who the suspects that carried the attack are and they are said to be members of a group believed to be behind another criminal act in the north. Investigations are now centered at apprehending the suspects, reports the paper which claims to have seen the investigation report. 

PDK towards governing partnership with AAK (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Thaçi and Haradinaj have been activated on Tuesday to put in place the coalition between branches of these two political subjects in Gjilan. In the same day coalition PDK-AAK has been formalized in Peja, as the same one that is done one week earlier in Prizren. One part of PDK high officials are working that governing partnership to be carried on also in the central level. This is independently that the wing of Kadri Veseli is against coalition with AAK. Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, who is deputy head in PDK, shortly talked about the effects that are expected to have the coalition in the local level. “It is a partnership in local level, which expresses mutual trust now for some time between our political subjects. 

Kurti: Civil society to also monitor EULEX and corporations (Koha Ditore)

Leader of Vetëvendosje, Albin Kurti, said in a roundtable organized by Forum 2015 that saw the presentation of the report entitled “Who monitors supervisors”, that civil society should not only monitor the work of the Government and state institutions, but they should also monitor European mission for the rule of law EULEX, KFOR or also big corporations, such as Bechtel Enka or Limak. 

Gjetaj meets representatives of missing persons from Cyprus (Bota Sot)

Chairman of the Kosovo Government commission for missing persons, Prenkë Gjetaj, met yesterday representatives of missing persons from Cyprus who were accompanied by the UN deputy SRSG Robert Sorenson and head of working group for missing persons Lina Milner. Gjetaj briefed the visitors about the work of the commission in an effort to determine the fate of missing persons in Kosovo and also spoke about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia on the issue.

EULEX suspects there may be human remains in Livoç Lake (Koha Ditore)

EU rule of law mission, supported by KFOR, has undertaken a search mission in the Livoç Lake near Gjilan under the suspicion that there may be remains of Serbs killed in the post-war Kosovo. The operation lasted for several hours after which EULEX team left the site and the mission did not give any details on the investigation process.

Russia supports turnout of Serbs in elections (Epoka e Re)

Pyotr Ivantsov, representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed support for the creation of the Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo and said he hopes Serbs will take part in large numbers in the November 17 and December 1 elections. During a meeting with Serbian Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Ivantsov said Serbs need to take part in elections in order for the association of municipalities to become a strong mechanism that will guarantee the rights of Serbs.

Kosovo Police expected to arrest Marko Jaksic (Zëri)

Marko Jaksic, representative of the Serbian Democratic Party (DSS) led by hardliner Vojislav Kostunica, is expected to be arrested for suspected involvement in the incidents of November 3 and organizing groups that intimidated and threatened northern Kosovo Serbs who took part in the elections. Police sources told the paper that Jaksic was summoned by the prosecution to provide explanations about the anti-election campaign in northern Kosovo and especially about incidents at the polling stations.

“Everyone is entitled to their own political opinions; no one can deny the right to boycott elections, but what Marko Jaksic is doing is in fact intervening in the state system for his personal reasons. Police is collecting information about Jaksic’s activities in the north, his connections with Albanians and the atmosphere of fear and intimidation against northern Serbs who want to take part in elections. Jaksic and his associates are using all means to prevent Serbs from taking part in elections,” a source told the paper.

Jaksic on the other hand said he is not afraid of being arrested. “I am an honest man, I work for national interests, I do not call for violence, I have many friends and I tried to tell them what will happen. If the state had the smallest evidence on me, I would not be a free man now,” Jaksic said. 

Kurteshi: Human rights have been violated in the north (Zëri)

Kosovo Ombudsperson, Sami Kurteshi, during a meeting with journalists said that during elections of 3 November in the north there was violation of human rights. In an interview with journalists, Kurteshi said that there was serious violation of rights of citizens who were last week prevented from voting for the candidates that they support. “This right is guaranteed to the citizens with Constitution,” said Kurteshi. Kosovo Ombudsperson expressed his opinion that Kosovo Police was not able to ensure security to the citizens. 

Merkel’s advisor values SAA (Kosova Sot)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Tuesday with Christoph Heusgen, advisor for Security and Foreign Policy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Minister Hoxhaj expressed gratitude of Kosovo’s population and Government for the great support of Germany for Kosovo, especially in the processes of European integration. Advisor Heusgen, valued the progress that is being reached in Kosovo, and congratulated Minister Hoxhaj for the start of the Stabilization Association Agreement. 

About 60 percent of bribes in Kosovo paid in cash (Koha Ditore)

In Kosovo about 60 percent of bribes are paid in cash and the most affected by this phenomenon are businesses in the industrial sector, power supply, gas and water, followed by businesses in the sector of trade in wholesale and retail. This was said on Tuesday during the presentation of the report of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC.

According to the report, the average amount paid for bribes 844 euro. Bribery mostly occurs as a means for acceleration of procedures in connection with businesses (28.4 percent), for better treatment (14.7 percent); and the possibility to finalize procedures (13.1 percent). Although the report speaks about a high scale of bribery and corruption in business, few of these cases have actually been reported to authorities.