Headlines - 24.04.2014

Kosovo Assembly adopts establishment of special court (dailies)

All dailies report on the front pages that the majority of members of the Kosovo Assembly yesterday voted in favour of the establishment of the special court and extended the mandate of the EU Rule of Law Mission for another two years. 89 MPs voted in favour, 22 against and 2 MPs abstained. Lajm quotes Prime Minister Hashim Thaci as saying that the request from the international community was the biggest injustice and insult against Kosovo. Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti said Thaci was the main person to blame for the establishment of the court.

An imposed court! (Tribuna)

The paper reports on the front page that the majority of Kosovo MPs voted in favor of the establishment of the special court for war crimes and that they were thanked by international friends, including US Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson and EU Representative Samuel Zbogar. But MPs who voted in favor agreed that the court had been imposed. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the decision about the court was very difficult and that he will have a guilty conscience as long as he is alive.

Ashton welcomes Kosovo Assembly’s decision (dailies)

Several dailies carry the statement issued by the EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton, following the Kosovo Assembly’s vote on the transitioning of the EULEX mandate and the commitment to establish a special court on war crimes allegations.

“I commend the government and the members of the Assembly for their leadership and commitment to justice, demonstrated through what we acknowledge to be a sensitive and difficult decision. The decision taken today by the members of the Assembly will strengthen the rule of law and improve the credibility of its international image. By taking such a decision, the leaders of Kosovo have opted for a better, European future for Kosovo and its citizens,” Ashton said.

US hails Assembly decision on special court and EULEX (dailies)

Several dailies report that the US Embassy in Pristina has welcomed the Kosovo Assembly’s decision to establish the special court on war crimes allegations and the extension of EULEX’s mandate.

“Today’s vote by the Kosovo Assembly was a vital step towards establishing a Kosovo court that can credibly resolve the serious allegations in the 2010 Council of Europe Report.  This court is essential to exonerating the innocent, proving Kosovo’s commitment to rule of law, and resolving with finality these troubling allegations.  We praise the decision by those Deputies who affirmed their commitment to establishing a court under Kosovo law, and that will strictly focus on individuals and individual acts.  Today’s vote paves the way for a process that the international community will view as credible, and that will help close this difficult chapter in Kosovo’s history.  The United States remains committed to supporting Kosovo as it continues to move forward with this essential task,” said the press release issued by the US Embassy.

Assembly will not be dismissed this week (Koha)

In a front-page report, the paper notes that the government will try to pass the constitutional amendments for the establishment of the Armed Forces of Kosovo before the Assembly is dismissed. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Wednesday that minority communities are no longer an obstacle to passing the amendments for the establishment of the Force, which was also approved by the Constitutional Court.

Thaci told the paper that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the biggest opposition party, is the only obstacle in this respect. He also said that minority communities have accepted an agreement by which they would get another mandate for reserved seats in the Assembly in exchange for voting in favour of the Armed Forces, but the LDK reportedly has not accepted the compromise.

“Every delay to include this in the agenda of the Kosovo Assembly is inexcusable. The Assembly should vote on the constitutional amendments in the next couple of days. If we lose this historic chance, Kosovo will not get another chance like this in a couple of years,” Thaci was quoted as saying.

A source in the government told the paper that the Assembly will not be dismissed this week.

Minorities in favour of tribunal, reserved about KAF (Lajm)

Minister Nenad Rasic said he would vote for the establishment of the tribunal and for the extension of EULEX’s mandate, but not for the Kosovo Armed Forces without being guaranteed reserved seats for communities. Mahir Yagcilar from the Kosovo Turkish Democratic Party (KDTP) says he does not have conditions for Kosovar institutions, while Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Isler requested from Jakup Krasniqi on Tuesday that reserved seats be added for minorities in Kosovo, writes the newspaper “Jeta ne Kosove”.

Special court, evidence of Kosovo’s European commitment (Koha)

The Croatian Ambassador to Kosovo, Zoran Vodopija, said on Wednesday that the establishment of the special court is the right step for Kosovo to prove that it deserves integration into the European Union. “The way forward and evidence that Kosovo is a country that deserves integration in the European Union is offered by extending the mandate of EULEX until June 2016 and by adopting the establishment of the special court,” Vodopija said. “The court will deal with people who are suspected to have committed crimes and this needs to be clarified … If the court will not be established then the process will be returned to the United Nations under Resolution 1244, which would mean that Kosovo would go 10 years backwards.”

Williamson, the first prosecutor of the Special Court (Botapress)

Professors Ismet Salihu and Riza Smaka, legal experts in Pristina, believe that the first prosecutor of the special court will be Clint Williamson, who for three years led the team that investigated war crimes allegations made by Dick Marty.

Bajrami: State should defend liberation war (Epoka e Re)

The Deputy of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Arsim Bajrami, said yesterday after the decision of the Assembly to establish the special court, that the government should offer help to all those individuals who will face this court. He added that the state is obliged to prove that the KLA war was clean and just. “The government should issue a draft law which offers judicial assistance for the individuals accused by this court. The other states in the region have also created public funds to help such persons. They should be offered a defense that would prove them not guilty, because this is not a completely individual issue, but more about state credibility and credibility of the KLA war,” said Bajrami.

Pendarovski: Borders in the region won’t be touched anymore (Tribuna)

During a lecture at AAB University in Pristina, Stevo Pendarovski, candidate for President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, said borders in the region would not be touched anymore. “All main countries in the world have said that the borders in the region will not be touched anymore. I know that some people are not happy about this, but this is what the future will be like,” Pendarovski was quoted as saying.

Assessment of northern municipalities’ statutes, next week (Epoka e Re)

The general secretary of the Ministry for Administration of Local Government, Besnik Osmani, stated that they will learn next week if the statutes of the northern municipalities are in accordance with Kosovo’s laws. “The three municipalities have respected the deadlines on endorsing their statutes. The Legal Department is assessing if they are in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kosovo. The deadline for Mitrovica North municipality is on Friday, and they have also called an Assembly session. Next week, the Ministry will make public all the results and activities,” said Osmani.