UNMIK Headlines 28 May
Government sends Armed Forces amendments to the Assembly (Epoka e Re)
The Kosovo government, with a majority of votes, sent on Wednesday to the Assembly of Kosovo the amendments which open way for the creation of the Kosovo Armed Force (KAF). Only the two ministers from the Serbian List voted against. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa stressed that Kosovo’s Armed Force is not being built on an ethnic basis.
Veseli: Drenica Group conviction, difficult feeling (Bota Sot)
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli spoke about the conviction of the members of the Drenica Group yesterday saying “it is a difficult feeling for all former KLA fighters.” Veseli said he has faith that justice will confirm the purity of the Kosovo’s fight for freedom and independence.
CEC ready for elections in two Kosovo municipalities (Bota Sot)
Central Elections Commission (CEC) said they are ready to organise local elections in the municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica and Drenas/Glogovac upon the conviction of the two respective mayors on war crimes charges. Head of CEC Valdete Daka said the Appeals Court will have the final say on the sentence issued by the Mitrovica Basic Court to Sami Lushtaku and Nexhat Demaku and if the initial verdict is upheld the CEC will organise extraordinary elections in the two municipalities.
Mustafa asked to report to Assembly on Kumanovo events (Zeri)
The Kosovo Assembly’s commission on internal affairs and security has requested that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa report to MPs on the involvement of several people from Kosovo in the recent armed incident in Kumanovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Vetevendosje’s representative at the commission, Rexhep Selimi, said Mustafa will have to explain what prior knowledge he had about events in FYROM.
Evidence on Kumanovo incident and attack on high-security prison (Koha)
In the third part of a series of articles about the Kumanovo incident and the plan to attack the high-security prison in Podujevo, the paper quotes an unnamed source in the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI) as saying that their interception of the suspects revealed that the latter were trying to reactivate the National Liberation Army. The paper claims to have seen and heard video and audio recordings made by the AKI. The source also said that the Agency had notified the President and the Prime Minister about the activities of the suspects. The source further told the paper that before the fighting began in Kumanovo, the group of Kosovars and Macedonian nationals was accommodated in five private houses that were connected by tunnels. The population of the area was reportedly aware of their presence. On the night of the fighting, over 70 percent of the civilian population was evacuated. Only four members of the armed group knew that this was a previously-prepared scenario. The others went to Kumanovo voluntarily. “They gathered in Kumanovo for an alleged meeting of the headquarters. The plan was to arrest several members of the group. But some of them that were unaware of this plan responded to the police forces with fire and killed one of the officers. This is how the situation got out of control,” the source added.
Kosovo Police arrest man suspected of stealing in Serb houses (Zeri)
Kosovo Police arrested a man from the Roma community yesterday in relation to the recent cases of theft in houses owned by members of the Serb community in the municipality of Kamenica. Police said they found credible evidence that indicate the man’s involvement in the recent thefts.
Limaj: Thaci is joking with war victims (dailies)
Fatmir Limaj, leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), considers that the statement of Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, made at the UN Security Council, that Kosovo will press charges against Serbia for genocide, is joking with war victims. He wrote on his Facebook page that Thaci’s appearance in front of the UN Security Council shows that we are diplomacy in Kosovo is serving individual interests.