UNMIK Headlines 23 September
Thaçi meets Ban Ki-moon (dailies)
Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi, in his first day of the visit in New York was received by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. The head of Kosovo Government said that the meeting focused on political processes in which Kosovo is going through.
“UN Secretary-General once more expressed his strong support for Kosovo and commended the achieved progress,” said Thaçi. Implementation of the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade also was a topic discussed in this meeting. “We have also talked about further steps in normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia but also about strengthening of Kosovo institutions,” said Thaçi, while he announced other meetings in coming days with presidents and prime ministers of foreign countries.
About 150 Serb policemen operating in the north (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that about 150 members of Serb police have entered the north Mitrovica on Thursday. Sources of newspaper from the north say that these arrivals are in the service of solving the case of the EULEX member killed last week but they are also expected to operate until the end of election process on 3 November with the aim of “keeping security situation under control”. Kosovo Government officials and EULEX stated that they have no information for something like that. According to the sources of the newspaper, Serb policemen entered in Kosovo through two border crossing points of Jarinje and Bërnjak, and are serving in the north in civilian clothing.
Police don’t reveal number of applications from MUP members (Koha Ditore)
According to agreement reached in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia, 30 September is the time when all illegal security structures operating in the north would have to disband while 16 September was the last deadline when Serbia was supposed to submit the list with names of MUP members wishing to integrate into Kosovo Police. Asked about the list, officials at the Kosovo Police did not wish to comment.
Decisions of parallel courts to undergo review (Tribuna)
Parallel courts operating in the north of Kosovo have over the years issued many decisions affecting Albanians living on the southern side. Only recently, these courts convicted eight former KLA members. However, it is believed that these decisions will not be respected by Kosovo institutions and all rulings will undergo a review process. Justice Minister Hajredin Kuçi said all decisions not in accordance to the legal order of Kosovo will be reviewed while representatives of Kosovo Justice Institute urged institutions to establish a panel that will look into all the decisions issued by parallel courts in the north.
Krasniqi to form new party (Lajm)
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi is expected to form a new party called the Democratic Renewal of Kosovo in the coming days and also a new parliamentary group that will include the current MPs such as Fatmir Limaj, Hydajet Hyseni, Flora Brovina, Justina Shiroka-Pula, Muhamet Mustafa and Emin Gërbeshi. In addition, the group may also be joined by PD MPs Nijazi Idrizi, Nait Hasani, Xhevahire Izmaku and Azem Syla.