Headlines - 24.05.2013

Illegal structures guaranteed amnesty and a workplace (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has agreed to adapt the laws of Kosovo for the agreement with Serbia, to amnesty Kosovo Serbs involved in parallel structures and leave the creation of the association of municipalities with Serb majority in the hands of these structures. Thaçi conceded to these by agreeing on the implementation plan of the agreement of 19 April.

The paper claims to have secured a copy of the implementation plan which bears t he initials of the Kosovo prime minister as well as that of Serbia’s PM Ivica Dacic and EU facilitator in the dialogue, Baroness Catherine Ashton.

Document does not contain a logo or a name of the state, nor the names or positions of those who have initialed the document. Based on it, the implementation would consist of six main elements: regulation of legal frameworks, association/community, police, judiciary and local elections.

The plan foresees that by the end of May both parties will have established one leading team for the creation of the Association/Community under the conditions specified by the implementation commission. These conditions will include producing of a draft-statute. “The leading team will consist of representatives of four municipalities in the north and will be created after the approval by the competent authority of Kosovo” says the document.

The paper further notes that the implementation plan mentions four municipalities, but in the north there are only three municipalities: Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq.

Agreement to change the Constitution (Zëri)

Kosovo analysts believe that the EU is not treating equally the parties involved in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue. They claim the EU stands ready to grant all demands Serbia makes only to ensure its cooperation in implementing the agreement.

The paper quotes sources as saying that the most specific request made to the Kosovo side in the last meeting between prime ministers in Brussels has to do with changing of the legislation and adapting around 30 legal acts to fit the provisions of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement for normalization of relations.

“This was one of Serbia’s demands and the EU included it in the implementation plan as a possibility that paves way to implementation of the agreement on the ground, in particular when it comes to the creation of community of Serb municipalities in the north”, an international official told the paper.

Hoxhaj: Implementation plan does not violate Constitution (Epoka e Re)

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, did not exclude the possibility of change of laws due to the implementation plan of the 19 April agreement for normalization of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. He added that the Constitution of Kosovo will not be violated in any aspect.

“The fact that we have not made changes on the Constitution means that the political system, governing levels and the main pillars of the state will not be touched. The agreement for implementation that does not present the concrete need to change the Constitution, is a victory for Kosovo,” said Minister Hoxhaj.

Liaison officers wait for the prime ministers (Tribuna)

Dejan Pavicevic, head of the Serbian delegation in technical talks with Pristina, visited his new working place on Thursday. Pavicevic, who will lead Serbia’s liaison office in Kosovo, has made the final arrangements before moving to Pristina. He was welcomed in Kosovo’s capital by EU representatives and the advisor of Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pëllumb Kallaba.

Kallaba, the person in charge at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for liaison offices, said all necessary preparations have been made to exchange liaison officers and that they are only waiting for an official decision by Kosovo and Serbia prime ministers.

“Mr. Pavicevic came here to see the place where he will be living, his working place and other things. Everything is ready. The exchange of liaison officers now awaits an official decision by the two prime ministers,” Kallaba said.

Former KLA general staff commander suspected of war crimes (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Sylejman Selimi, Sami Lushtaku, Sahit Jashari, Avni Zabeli, Sabit Geci, Xhevahir Geci, Jahir Demaku, Zeqir Demaku, Hysni Thaçi and others are suspected of war crimes against civilian population including torture and rape.

One of the men is suspected of killing the notorious Serb policeman in Drenas, Ivan Bulatovic. Only Ivan Bulatovic is among the dead victims while the others are reported to be alive. They are protected with codes C, I F, I.

Kosovo Ambassador to Tirana Sylejman Selimi has been summoned for an interview to Pristina and he has promised to show up. Former commander of KLA general staff, Selimi is suspected of crimes against civilian population. He is alleged to have committed crimes in Likoc, in the KLA general headquarters, together with some of his dependents, including Sami Lushtaku.

Thaçi and Kuçi don’t comment on arrests (Bota Sot)

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and his deputy Hajredin Kuçi refused to comment on the arrest of former KLA commanders from the Drenica region. After a ceremony honoring the Holocaust victims, Thaçi avoided reporters and refused to comment on the arrests. Kuçi too avoided reporters after the meeting of the Board on Rule of Law.

During his speech at the ceremony, Thaçi indirectly talked about crimes and victims of war. He said crimes are committed in every war but not everyone is guilty. “Crimes happen in all wars, but this doesn’t mean that everyone in the war is guilty. To insist on equal responsibility is as big a crime as forgetting about victims,” Thaçi said.

Zbogar hopes on acceleration of agreement’s implementation (Koha Ditore)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, did not want to blame neither Serbian nor Kosovar party for non-implementation of the agreement reached in Brussels on 19 April.

“I do not think that we are speaking about whose fault it is for non-implementation, what we see is that both parties are determined to implement the reached agreement,” he stated on Thursday in Suharekë during a visit to the mayor of this municipality. Zbogar stated that he hoped the implementation of the signed agreement would begin very soon.  

Jahjaga: Agreements have to be implemented (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga said that the Republic of Kosovo is determined to implement all the criteria and deepen all the reforms necessary for European integration. She also added that the agreements between Kosovo and Serbia should implement. “The President stated that the agreement reached in the dialogue facilitated by the EU and U.S., between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia, as two sovereign states, should implement, because they facilitate the lives of the citizens in both sides of the border, contribute on keeping peace and stability and help both countries to move on towards the European integrations,” says a press release issued by the Information Office of the Presidency.

Blomeyer: Kosovo faces a long journey to EU (Koha Ditore)

German Ambassador to Kosovo Peter Blomeyer is quoted as saying that Kosovo has a long way ahead in joining the EU but that this road could be shortened if Kosovo institutions meet the requirements set out by EU mechanisms. “Simply said, these are the homework you would get from your teachers”, said Blomeyer in a lecture before students of an elementary school in Podujeva.

Parties react to the recent poll showing PDK in the lead (Lajm)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has criticized the recent poll that showed Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) as the leading party in Kosovo. The party said the poll was commissioned by PDK and is nothing more than an attempt to manipulate the public. At the same time, Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK) also reacted to the poll saying it is tendentious, inaccurate and speculative.

The poll, carried out by the Kosovo Center for Security Studies ranked PDK the top political party in Kosovo suggesting it would win 31 percent of votes in future elections, followed by LDK with 26 percent and Vetëvendosje with 20. AAK came in the fourth place with 14 percent.