UNMIK Headlines 27 October
President Jahjaga may decide to call new elections (Tribuna)
The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, may decide to announce new elections if political leaders fail to reach an agreement for resolving the current deadlock, the paper reports on page two quoting Jahjaga’s spokesperson, Arber Vllahiu. He added that, if Kosovo Assembly members think the solution lies in addressing the Constitutional Court for further explanations, Jahjaga will then support the Court’s decision and act in accordance to it.
Vetevendosje: We will not meet with PDK (dailies)
Representatives of the Vetevendosje Movement said on Saturday that they would not accept an invitation from Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga for a meeting between all political leaders. Vetevendosje spokesman Erzen Vraniqi told Radio Free Europe that Vetevendosje leaders would not agree to sit at the same table with Hashim Thaci, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).
Strong suspicion of corruption in EULEX (Koha)
The paper reports on the front page that Maria Bamieh, a British prosecutor with the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), has secured evidence that two senior-ranking officials of this mission received bribes to shut down three high-profile cases. EULEX chief prosecutor Jaroslava Novotna, and the former chairman of the EULEX Assembly of Judges, Francesco Florit, were under surveillance by the Anti-Corruption Task Force and they were caught communicating with different mediators. Novotna and Florit are believed to be involved in closing the cases against Fatmir Limaj, Ilir Tolaj and the case of the explosion at a bar in Pristina. Bamieh also accuses Jonathan Ratel, deputy chief prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, for obstructing investigations against Novotna and Florit. In his previous capacity as chief prosecutor, Ratel is also accused of obstructing investigations in an organized crime case that involved a group of over 10 people, including businessmen, a politician and the publisher of a Kosovo newspaper, regarding hundreds of hectares of land in Pristina. According to the paper, investigations on this case were reopened only after intervention from Brussels.
Kosovo Serbs against Jahjaga’s visit to Belgrade (Tribuna)
Kosovo Serb political representative Marko Jaksic is against the idea of the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, visiting Belgrade. According to him, this visit represents yet another betrayal by the Belgrade authorities. “After the signing of the Brussels treaty which implies Kosovo’s secession from Belgrade, there is now movement towards the creation of another Albanian state in the Balkans”, said Jaksic.
Political deadlock delays functionalizing of court in the north (Bota Sot)
According to the paper, it is not known if a Basic Court will be established for the four northern municipalities. Several days ago, media reported that the Kosovo government has already agreed on such a court for the four Serb-inhabited municipalities. On the other hand, Enver Peci, chairman of the Kosovo Judicial Council, told the paper that such an agreement has not been reached. He also said that this does not involve establishing a court outside Kosovo’s legal framework, but rather about functionalizing the existing court. “There are plans to functionalize the existing court in the north with competencies for all municipalities in the Mitrovica area, and in accordance with the law on courts,” Peci said.
Slow integration of northern municipalities (Epoka e Re)
Former Minister for Local Self-Government Sadri Ferati and the director of the Administrative Office in the north, Adriana Hodzic, said on Saturday that the integration of northern municipalities into the system of the “Republic of Kosovo” is going slow. They also said that the failure to form new institutions is having a negative impact on the process. Ferati and Hodzic added that once the political deadlock is resolved, progress will be achieved in the integration of northern municipalities.