Headlines - 25.12.2017

• “60 persons to be indicted by special court on first round” (Insajderi)
• Haradinaj: Government obliged to respect decision on special court (RTK)
• Mustafa: Abolishing special court would reinforce 1244 (Koha)
• Jashari calls on MPs to stop special court (Koha Ditore)
• Analyst: Attempt to abolish special court not over (Koha Ditore)
• Haradinaj: Electricity price will not go up (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

“60 persons to be indicted by special court on first round” (Insajderi)

Insajderi news website quotes a source it claims is close to the specialist chambers as saying that 60 former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters will be indicted by the court and the first round will include figures like Azem Syla, Shukri Buja, Sokol Dobruna. The indictments are expected to be issued after 17 February, adds the website. It notes that while Hashim Thaci and Kadri Veseli are being investigated by the court, they are not expected to be among the first group of indictees.

Haradinaj: Government obliged to respect decision on special court (RTK)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said the government of Kosovo would be obliged respect a possible decision for abolishment of specialist court regardless of international repercussions. He said 43 MPs make a simple majority at the Assembly which exceeds the powers of any parliamentary group and noted that their demands will soon get an ending.

Mustafa: Abolishing special court would reinforce 1244 (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, said in a Facebook post that his party is not overly keen on the specialist chambers but warned that its abolishment would reinforce the UN Security Council resolution 1244. “U.S. officials were very clear: if Kosovo does not take the responsibility for establishment of this court and the resolving of all crime suspicions, the U.S. would have no reason to prevent the Security Council from establishing it. If this court would have been established through a UN Security Council decision, it would strengthen Russia and China’s role while its mandate would be unlimited and rest on the will of the countries that have not recognized independence of Kosovo,” Mustafa wrote. “As a result we would have an intervention of the UN Security Council and reinstatement of the resolution 1244,” he added.

Jashari calls on MPs to stop special court (Koha Ditore)

Representatives of the KLA martyrs’ families have called on Kosovo MP to prevent the functioning of the specialist chambers. At an event organized to mark the 19 anniversary of a KLA battle, Xhavit Jashari said: “The situation in which we are today has a lot of room for criticism and dilemma on whether the will of the martyrs is being fulfilled and whether KLA’s just and pure war is being respected. And I can say with full moral and human responsibility that it is not.” He said Kosovo institutions should be more persistent in not allowing the “degradation” of the KLA war through the creation of the special court.

Analyst: Attempt to abolish special court not over (Koha Ditore)

Political analyst Imer Mushkolaj told the paper that he thinks Kosovo leaders will not back down on attempts to abolish specialist chambers adding that they could still choose to call a special session of the Assembly at any given time. “The danger is not over. An extraordinary session can be convened even during the time the Assembly is officially on break,” Mushkolaj said. He warned that attempts at abolishing the law on specialist court are dangerous for Kosovo.

Haradinaj: Electricity price will not go up (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, gave assurances that the electricity price will not go up despite the energy crisis. After meeting Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) officials, Haradinaj said that even if relocation of families living near the coal pits are delayed, they will prepare an emergency plan to deal with the situation.