UNMIK Headlines 24 July
Constitutional Court: Assembly session declared closed by Brovina (Koha Ditore)
Constitutional Court yesterday decided to approve the measure of temporary suspension as requested by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) thus freezing Isa Mustafa’s election to the post of Assembly Speaker and forcing the Assembly to refrain from any actions until the court reaches its final decision. Mustafa was the first to react and said he has suspended all activities as a Speaker and will respect the Constitutional Court’s decision. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court has addressed the coalition bloc – Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – separately and not as one parliamentary group and referred only to the part of the Assembly session chaired by PDK MP, Flora Brovina.
Ramadani and Arifi react: We are not meeting with PDK (Botapress)
General Secretary of the Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK), Burim Ramadani, has rejected that his party officials are meeting those from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). “It is not true. This is yet another speculation coming from PDK structures. AAK is committed in remaining faithful to the coalition with LDK and NISMA. The only meeting we are going to have with them is handover of duties, after establishment of new Kosovo institutions,” wrote Ramadani on Facebook. Avni Arifi, advisor to the head of AAK Ramush Haradinaj, has also rejected any contact between AAK and PDK officials.
Five Provisional Government ministers to be accused of war crimes (Bota Sot)
After two years of investigation on the accusations of the Swiss senator Dick Marty, EU Special Prosecutor Clint Williamson visited Pristina and Belgrade. According to the sources of reporteri.net portal, Williamson’s report involves senior political figures in Kosovo. This source informed that five former ministers of the Provisional Government established in 1999, will be among the accused. Despite different controversial information for eventual inclusion of the outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci among the accused, Williamson did not find evidence which could incriminate the commanding structure of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). There are no facts to support charges of human trafficking, organized crime or responsibility of the commanding structure of KLA’s general headquarters, reports this daily.
Serbian List blocks privatisation in Serb-inhabited areas (Koha Ditore)
Maja Milanovic, one of the directors of the Privatisation Agency of Kosovo (PAK) is reported to have blocked privatisation process in four northern municipalities and has done so by using the right to veto in the absence of three other board members. Sources told the paper that Milanovic has always objected to privatisation of socially-owned enterprises located in the north of Kosovo. She came to the post as proposed by the Serb Liberal Party (SLS) which is now part of the Serbian List.
Shala: Surroi’s book has fascist and racist content (Botapress)
The head of the Kosovo-based Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF), Behxhet Shala, said that the book “Serpent’s Feet” by Veton Surroi has racist and fascist content. While commenting of the role of CDHRF, Shala said that this institution defended Surroi when a group of people in Ferizaj/Urosevac publicly burned his book. “Even though the book has such content, we openly defended it against being burned. Such an act is unacceptable,” said Shala for the show “Info Magazine” in Klan Kosova. Melihate Termkolli, senior official from the Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK), who took part in this discussion, accused CDHRF that it is serving the goals of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and its leader. Shala rejected this accusation saying that the decision of Constitutional Court confirmed the CDHRF stance that inaugural session of the Assembly was followed by irregularities.