Headlines - 23.11.2015

Petition against Association/Community to be presented to Jahjaga (Kosova Sot)

Heads of opposition parliamentary parties are expected to meet President Atifete Jahjaga today to present her with the petition that gathered over 200,000 signatures against the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.

AAK denies reports that Haradinaj was offered PM post (Kosova Sot)

According to reports from Pristina-based cable TV Rrokum, the ruling parties – the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) – have offered the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) government posts in exchange for their return to the Assembly. The offer foresees the AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj taking on the post of prime minister in 2016, which is when the PDK leader Hashim Thaci is expected to become president of Kosovo. At this time, the post of the PDK leader would then be occupied by Assembly President Kadri Veseli whose position would be taken by the current prime minister Isa Mustafa. However, AAK has dismissed these reports and said it is sticking to its demands against the border demarcation with Montenegro and the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.

Opposition will not protest in front of government building (Zeri)

The three opposition parties – Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – on 28 November will not protest as usual near the government building but at the Zahir Pajaziti square near Grand Hotel. According to them, this is to avoid the provocations by government officials. Vetevendosje Movement spokesperson, Frasher Krasniqi, told the paper that participation in this rally will be massive. Meanwhile, NISMA MP Zafir Berisha told the paper that the opposition will organize transport for activists throughout Kosovo to join the 28 November rally.

KFOR signs agreement with Serbian army (dailies)

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, during a visit to Serbia announced that starting from Friday KFOR will fully relax the air safety zone over Kosovo. “The restrictions that have been in place since 1999 are now lifted. This decision was taken following Serbia’s commitment to the normalisation of the Balkans’ airspace. This is a significant step towards the region’s full integration into the European airspace,” Stoltenberg said. He also commended Belgrade’s commitment to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Ymeri: Dikovic’s visit, an insult to Kosovo (Epoka e Re)

KFOR Commander Maj. Gen. Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta and the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic signed in Pristina the agreement for relaxation of the air safety zone. Leader of Vetevendosje Movement, Visar Ymeri, said the visit of the Commander of Serbian army in Pristina is unacceptable and a serious insult for the people of Kosovo. “Dikovic, who in 1999 was commander of Serbia’s infantry troops, is responsible for crimes and massacres committed in Kosovo,” said Ymeri. He added that Dikovic was accused for war crimes by many humanitarian organizations in Belgrade, and many significant activists, such as Sonia Biserko and Natasa Kandic, who were against his nomination as chief commander of the armed forces. Dikovic was directly accused of participation and ordering of the massacres in Rrezalle, Cikatove and other villages in the Drenica region. “KFOR should apologize to the people of Kosovo for this serious insult,” Ymeri said.

Deliu: Dikovic’s visit to Kosovo represents an insult (RTK)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP Blerta Deliu said that the visit of the Serbian army chief Ljubisa Dikovic to Kosovo is an insult and humiliation for the Kosovo victims. She said human rights organisations in Serbia have provided evidence that Dikovic is responsible for heinous crimes committed in Kosovo.

Blakaj: KFOR insulted war crimes victims by inviting Dikovic (Indeksonline)

Bekim Blakaj from the Humanitarian Law Centre said in an interview for Klan Kosova that according to their investigations, the Serbian army chief, General Ljubisa Dikovic, is responsible for war crimes committed in Kosovo. Blakaj said that Dikovic commanded a brigade which operated in the region of Drenica and is found to have committed many crimes there. Blakaj further said that KFOR made a mistake by inviting Dikovic to visit Kosovo. “Bringing him here in Pristina was not a wise decision by KFOR; it is an insult for the victims,” Blakaj said.

Vetevendosje: Albanians, most oppressed in Serbia (Zeri)

The Vetevendosje Movement through a press release yesterday said that the European Union should introduce as a condition to Serbia’s EU membership the issue of the human rights for minorities living in Serbia, especially the Albanians living in the Presevo Valley “as the most oppressed community in Serbia.” “There are over 100 thousand textbooks from Kosovo for the Albanian children in Presevo Valley that have been blocked by the Serbian government, and this is a serious case and should be punished,” the press release said.

An urgent prosecutor for arresting MPs (Koha Ditore)

In a front-page story, the paper recalls that immediately after Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and his deputy Hashim Thaci called last Tuesday for measures against MPs that prevent the functioning of the Kosovo Assembly, a prosecutor was appointed to issue arrest warrants for four MPs that threw teargas in the Assembly building. MP Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, who was arrested on Wednesday and placed on 30-day detention, was supposed to report to the police by November 24. Her attorney told the paper that her arrest one week prior to this deadline was illogical. The attorney also complained why the prosecution issued an arrest warrant without conducting the necessary expertise first. Andreas Capussella, an Italian legal expert, said the arrests were anti-constitutional and politically-motivated and they are paving the way for more arrests. “This now means that police can arrest anyone that protests a lot,” Capussella told the paper, adding that this happens only in authoritarian systems.

Gjakova Mayor criticizes police and prosecution (Zeri)

The Mayor of Gjakova/Djakovica, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, criticized the Kosovo Police and prosecution for not showing results in bringing to justice the people who are participating in criminal actions against those who are close to her. This reaction of Kusari-Lila comes after someone burnt the vehicle of Valon Lluka, who worked closely with Kusari-Lila during her election campaign. “It is not an accident or excusable to declare that after the fourth attack on the persons close to me, there are no results and no suspects for these crimes,” she said.

Return of Kosovo pension fund to be discussed in Brussels (Zeri)

The return of the Pension Fund from Serbia to Kosovo is expected to be a topic of debate in the next round of talks between Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels. This was confirmed by Kosovo Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri. According to her, Serbia is obliged to return this fund, since this is a legal issue and it is a legal right of pensioners who have worked in the former Yugoslavia. Tahiri said the date for the next dialogue meeting will be set by the European Union.