Borg Olivier: Special court against KLA will damage Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

In a front-page interview, Alexander Borg Olivier, former head of the UNMIK Legal Office, says that Kosovo has no obligation to accept or to assist in the establishment of the special court for crimes allegedly committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army. Borg Olivier admits that the court is aimed exclusively against the KLA and that Kosovo institutions should not agree on its establishment, even if there is pressure from international friends. “The special court is directly and exclusively aimed against the Kosovo Liberation Army for alleged war crimes committed by Kosovars during the Kosovo conflict. Such a selective approach on war crimes that focuses only on alleged crimes committed by one side in the conflict is unprecedented,” Borg Olivier said.

Borg Olivier, who also served as advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo’s judicial system should address war crimes identified in investigations by U.S. prosecutor Clint Williamson. He also said that files could be put under the supervision and responsibility of EULEX. In another interview for Tribuna, Borg Olivier said Kosovo does not have to agree on something that will damage national interests. “The United Nations Security Council can decide to establish the court even without Kosovo’s consent according to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, but this idea lacks support and it cannot be implemented,” Borg Olivier said.

Parliament to vote on Tribunal on Thursday (Zeri)
Members of Kosovo Parliament are expected to vote on Thursday on the establishment of the special court that will address alleged war crimes committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The material for the establishment of the court has already been sent to lawmakers and the parliament’s presidency will decide today whether to include it in the voting agenda for Thursday. PDK parliamentary group chief, Adem Grabovci, confirmed he has received the material and that it will be disseminated to other members of parliament. “The presidency of parliament can certainly discuss and include it in next session’s agenda,” Grabovci said. He didn’t say however if PDK MPs would vote in favor or against the establishment of the court.

Kurti: Tribunal questions Kosovo’s statehood (Botapress)
Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti criticized the Government of Kosovo on Sunday for “working more on fulfilling the wishes of Serbia than those of Kosovo citizens”. Kurti said that for years now the government listened to Serbia and fulfilled Dacic’s wishes.  Kurti said the establishment of the tribunal for war crimes has questioned Kosovo’s statehood. “There will no longer be discussions regarding whether the tribunal will be established or not, but where it will be seated. And now we are being blackmailed with statements like: ‘you must choose the lesser evil’. Our whole lives we have been choosing the lesser evil. By choosing a lesser evil you maintain evil. The question is why shouldn’t we make a good choice? This is why Vetevendosje rejects any form of blackmail,” Kurti said.

Maloku: Parliament should avoid Security Council (Epoka e Re)
Former Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Kosovo, Naim Maloku, requested that the deputies of Parliament vote in favor of the special court for war crimes in Kosovo, in order for Kosovo to avoid the UN Security Council scenario. “If the SC is allowed to decide, then it will decide on the jurisdiction of the court and personnel that will be involved in trials,” said Maloku. He added that it would have been a major mistake if the Parliament dissolves prior to endorsing the establishment of the special court and approving constitutional changes that would transform KSF into Kosovo’s Armed Forces.

PDK wants elections in late May (Tribuna)
The ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) prefers 25 May as a possible date for parliamentary elections. Hajredin Kuci, Deputy Prime Minister and PDK deputy leader, told Blic newspaper on Sunday that PDK wants elections to be held at the end of May. LDK leader Isa Mustafa, on the other hand, insists that elections should be held in early June.

There will be less implementation of the agreements (Epoka e Re)
The political analyst from the International Crisis Group in Pristina, Naim Rashiti, told this daily that there will be less implementation of agreements reached between Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels this year. He added that fewer agreements would be reached during this year as well. He called on Kosovo institutions to create functionalizing mechanisms for the municipalities in the north, so that they do not have to depend much on Belgrade.

Application in three international organisations (Lajm)
Kosovo Minister for Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, said in an interview for Tirana-based ABC News, that Kosovo would apply for membership in three important international organisations this year. Hoxhaj said all studies have been made and that preparations are now being finalized to apply to the three organisations, one of them being the Council of Europe.

Netherlands, a place of tribunals (Lajm)
The European Union has asked the Netherlands for sensitive trials resulting from investigations by the Special Investigations Task Force to be held in Hague. Dutch ambassador to Kosovo, Robert Bosch, told Radio Free Europe that Brussels made the request even before it was decided that the main headquarters of the special court would be in Pristina. “The European Union had requested a court in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the issue evolved, and now there will be a court here in Pristina and an annex in another country where witnesses would give their statements and where sensitive material would be stored. This is why the European Union asked for The Hague to host this court,” Bosch said. Bosch also said that allegations made in Dick Marty’s report are very serious. “These allegations need to be investigated. If they are not true, then people will be able to say that they are not guilty,” he added.

Vulin stopped (Tribuna)
“The Office for Kosovo calls on the international community to condemn the decision for denying entrance to Minister Vulin, who was planning to visit the village of Budriga e Poshtme, Gjilan municipality, and the village of Rajanoc, in Kamenica municipality. The international community should do everything in its power to prevent this from happening again,” stated the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo.

A Kosovar company takes over one of biggest factories in Serbia (Koha Ditore)
In a front-page story, the paper reports that a Kosovar can become the owner of the biggest metal processing company in Serbia. Jeton Sadiku, a Kosovar with British citizenship, who owns the Llamkos Company in Vushtrri, can obtain the majority of shares in the “Zelezara” steel company in Smederevo, Serbia. The Government of Serbia is expected to enter into final negotiations and sign the contract with Core Group, owned by Sadiku. Citing unnamed sources, the paper notes that Core Group is in a consortium with Metalfer from Serbia and TraSteel from Italy. A spokesperson for the Llamkos Company confirmed that Core Group is in the final stage of taking over the management of the steel company from Smederevo.