Headlines - 03.04.2018

• Gashi remains intelligence chief, Sefaj to resign today (media)
• Government hopes Serbian List will reconsider their decision (Zeri)
• Pacolli: Facebook statuses do not represent position of the party (Lajmi)
• “We will bring Haradinaj’s government down very soon” (Lajmi)
• Erdogan attacks Haradinaj again (Koha)
• Haradinaj tells Erdogan not to meddle in Kosovo’s affairs (media)
• Haradinaj to take part in EU Summit on Western Balkans (media)
• Dacic confirms Serbia’s participation at Sofia Summit (Lajmi)
• OSCE offers technical expertise in drafting Association statute (Koha/Zeri)
• Serbia supports even unilateral formation of Association (Kosova Sot)
• 3 percent increase in unemployment rate (Koha)

Gashi remains intelligence chief, Sefaj to resign today (media)

Koha Ditore reports on its front page that Driton Gashi will keep his post as head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI) despite Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj’s attempt to dismiss him following the arrest and deportation of six Turkish nationals. Meanwhile, Interior Affairs Minister Flamur Sefaj will announce his resignation in a public letter today. The Office of President Hashim Thaci confirmed to the paper on Sunday that Thaci does not support Haradinaj’s decision to dismiss Gashi. “The President did not approve dismissing the head of AKI, because he is waiting for the competent authorities to finish their investigations and they will prove if there were any legal or procedural violations by the AKI. Only after the investigations are concluded, the President will act in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable legislation,” the President’s Office said in a written response to the paper. Zeri reports on its front page that after the Serbian List’s decision to leave the ruling coalition and after the dismissal of Interior Minister Flamur Sefaj, “the ruling coalition has become dysfunctional”. Pristina-based Gazeta Express news website reports that State Chief Prosecutor Alexander Lumezi, who was assigned to head investigations on the arrest and deportation of six Turkish citizens, said that his office will start collecting evidence starting from Tuesday. Lumezi said he would investigate the involvement of Kosovo state officials in the events. “Officially I have not received request for investigations yet. We will find out whether there are elements for a criminal offense. Based on the information we collect, we will find out which state officials are responsible for the deportation of Turkish citizens,” Lumezi told Express. Kosova Sot argues in a front-page editorial that political parties should meet and decide on a date for early parliamentary elections. “The country also needs political unity on issues such as the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the Kosovo Army,” the editorial notes. Bota Sot reports that the Vetevendosje Movement is considering addressing the Constitutional Court in regards to President Thaci’s eventual order to arrest and deport the six Turkish nationals.

Government hopes Serbian List will reconsider their decision (Zeri)

Despite the fact that Kosovo Assembly MPs from the Serbian List sat on the seats of the opposition during the last session, government officials hope that Ministers from the biggest Serb party will continue their work at the executive. Halil Matoshi, political adviser to the Prime Minister, told the paper that he expects the Serbian List to reconsider once again the decision to leave the government. “I hope that Serbian List will have a more rational position and consider its decision,” Matoshi said. He did not want to respond to the question if they are planning to replace Ministers from the Serbian List, with the justification that they are waiting for this political party to reconsider their decision.

Pacolli: Facebook statuses do not represent position of the party (Lajmi)

The news portal reports that dismissal of the Minister of Interior, Flamur Sefaj, has caused debate within the Alliance for the new Kosovo (AKR). While adviser to the leader of the political party, Jetlir Zyberaj said earlier that AKR has approved Prime Minister’s request for Sefaj’s resignation, Sekretary of the party, Rrahim Pacolli, took to Facebook to write that if Sefaj leaves, then AKR will leave the government. However, AKR leader, Behgjet Pacolli, said “AKR has its own assembly and other statutory bodies and as such, only they can decide for the future of AKR. Any writing on Facebook and other social networks does not present the official position of the part.”

“We will bring Haradinaj’s government down very soon” (Lajmi)

Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Naser Rugova, said his political party is working to bring the government down. “The Democratic League of Kosovo, as the biggest political group at the Assembly of Kosovo, is commencing required preparations, in accordance with the Constitution and Laws, to send this government at home,” Rugova said for T7 broadcaster. “I do not know what should happen in this country and around it, for us not to react as the biggest party,” he added. He added that LDK will act at the “favourable political momentum”. He added that they are collecting required numbers to present a motion against the current government.

Erdogan attacks Haradinaj again (Koha)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan has continued to attack Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, the paper reports on page two. During a rally of his political party, Erdogan thanked President Thaci for the arrest of six Turkish nationals and said that Haradinaj’s decision to dismiss two senior state officials was shameful. “By meeting with the families of FETO terrorists, Haradinaj did the same as when France hosted Kurdish terrorists in the Elysee Palace,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. The Turkish President also said this would not be the last operation and that Kosovars must hold Haradinaj accountable for what he did.

Haradinaj tells Erdogan not to meddle in Kosovo’s affairs (media)

In response to recent criticism from Turkish President Erdogan, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Sunday that “Kosovo and I have never meddled in the internal affairs of the Republic of Turkey and this is very true. Meanwhile, no one will be able to interfere in our affairs. We will do our own job”.

Haradinaj to take part in EU Summit on Western Balkans (media)

Kosovo government officials told Pristina-based news website Gazeta Express that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj will attend the European Union’s Summit on the Western Balkans that will be held in Sofia on May 17.

Dacic confirms Serbia’s participation at Sofia Summit (Lajmi)

Serbia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic said that Serbia will participate at the Summit in Sofia, which will be held on 17 May. “For the moment, Serbia will certainly participate at the meeting, but we will analyse the situation, in order not to give an alibi to anyone to say that we are contributing on recognition of Kosovo,” Dacic said. Asked about the decision of Cyprus, Spain and Romania not to participate at the Summit, Dacic said this only confirms that Kosovo has proclaimed unilaterally its independence.

OSCE offers technical expertise in drafting Association statute (Koha/Zeri)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is waiting to find out what role it will have in drafting the statute of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, but it has ruled out the possibility of being part of the decision-making process, the paper reports on page three. The Kosovo government and the Office of the President could not say in what capacity they have asked the OSCE to join the process of drafting the statute of the Association. OSCE officials meanwhile have said they are willing to provide technical expertise and assistance in the process. Zeri quotes officials from Prime Minister Haradinaj’s office as saying that work on drafting the statute will commence soon.

Serbia supports even unilateral formation of Association (Kosova Sot)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Sunday that the Serbian government will call on authorities in Pristina to fully implement the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations. “We will insist on the implementation of the Brussels agreement and the formation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities will all its competencies. If they [Pristina] don’t want to do this, we will support Serbs in Kosovo to do this,” Brnabic said.

3 percent increase in unemployment rate (Koha)

The paper reports in one of its front-page stories that according to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics there has been a 3 percent increase in the unemployment rate. The Agency said the unemployment rate increased from 27.5 percent in 2016 to 30.5 percent in 2017.

EULEX gives up on trial of two UNMIK police officers in 2004 (Koha)

Several months before the end of its mandate, the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has transferred the case of the murder of two UNMIK police officers in March 2004 to local institutions, the paper reports on the front page. The paper also notes that this is the 21st case that the EU mission has transferred to local institutions in three years.