UNMIK Headlines 18 June
Barricade on Mitrovica bridge removed (RTK)
The barricade on the main bridge in Mitrovica, which was built three years ago by Serb parallel structures, was removed this morning at 5:00. The so-called Bridge Watchers removed the barricade, and no incidents were reported. During the removal, increased Kosovo Police forces and Italian Carabinieri were seen near the bridge. Mitrovica mayor Agim Bahtiri, who visited the bridge on Tuesday evening, said the removal of the barricade was expected and that he personally deserves the credit. “I have cooperated closely with Western diplomats and with people in the north. I kept my promise; as you can see, the barricade is being removed. I am very glad that after close talks with people in the north and Western diplomats we have managed to remove the barricade. This brings us great pleasure,” Bahtiri said. Veton Rexha, director of the Mitrovica municipal department for agriculture, said the removal of the barricade is a historic act and that this was the happiest night for all Mitrovica residents. “I believe this marks the beginning of a new life, with freedom of movement on both sides, for Albanians and Serbs,” Rexha added.
Thaci agrees with ambassadors to remove Mitrovica barricade (Bota Sot)
Outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci had meetings today with US Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, UK Ambassador Ian Cliff, and German Ambassador Peter Blomeyer. The removal of the barricade on the River Iber/Ibar was the main topic of discussion in these meetings.
Political stalemate, no exit strategy (Tribuna)
On the front page, the paper writes that a very uncertain situation is being created regarding the forming of new institutions following the 8 June elections, with none of the political parties knowing how the process is going to end. This is the reason, adds the paper, behind the increased activity of western ambassadors in Pristina, who are interested to learn from Kosovo leaders how they think the new institutions will be formed. The Ambassadors from the US, UK and Germany all had separate meetings yesterday with outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, while the German ambassador also met the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader, Isa Mustafa.
Thaci insists: I will form the next government (Epoka e Re)
Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Hashim Thaci said in an interview for Radio Free Europe that he will form the new government. He said his party’s victory in recent elections represents the will of the people and no one can overlook this fact. “I will manage the whole process as mandated by the President, in accordance with the Kosovo constitution and laws”, stressed Thaci. He also noted that he is in communication with possible coalition partners, and once election results are certified, he will initiate talks for forming a new government.
EU requests continuation of dialogue with Serbia (Lajm)
The Office of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Catherine Ashton, has confirmed its stance that talks between Pristina and Belgrade should continue. The spokesperson of Baroness Ashton, Maja Kocijancic, said that whoever becomes the head of the government should continue the negotiation process with Belgrade, aimed at the normalization of relations. Kocijancic told Radio Dukagjini that the new government should also implement previously reached agreements.
Both coalitions promise to continue dialogue in Brussels (Koha)
The paper reports on the front page that both coalitions trying to form the next government of Kosovo have given guarantees that they will continue dialogue with Belgrade in Brussels. For the time being, only the Vetevendosje movement is opposing the talks. In fact, the suspension of talks was one of the conditions set by Vetevendosje in exchange for its support for the opposition coalition. But senior Western officials are insisting that the dialogue must not stop. A source told the paper on Tuesday that leaders of the main political parties in Pristina received phone calls and direct messages from Western diplomats who said they need to be as constructive as possible when it comes to dialogue with Belgrade. “There were explicit requests for parties to clarify their positions on the dialogue. The Quint countries believe that dialogue is the only option for normalizing relations between the two sides, and they want guarantees that the process will not stop. They have made it clear that dialogue is a precondition for moving forward with European integration,” the source said.
Hasani: Constitutional Court does not control political agreements (Zeri)
In an interview for KTV’s show Rubikon, the President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Enver Hasani, said the Court has become a victim of the present political situation and added that the Court has no mandate to control political agreements. “This is a process that happens in all democratic countries. With regards to the position of the Constitutional Court, so much has been said that it feels as if we are a party in this situation”, said Hasani.
Krasniqi to Thaci: No one wants to govern with you (Botapress)
The Chairman of the National Council of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Jakup Krasniqi, has responded to Hashim Thaci’s interview, in which he said he would be the next Prime Minister of Kosovo. Krasniqi, through a telephone conversation with Zeri, said that Thaci does not have necessary numbers to form a government, and that no one wants to govern with him.