Headlines - 30.05.2017

• President Thaci calls for fair and democratic elections (Epoka e Re)
• Fragile situation in the north involves OSCE in 11 June elections (Koha)
• German Embassy calls for peaceful election campaign (Koha)
• 14,000 outside voters for June elections (Kosova Sot/Zeri)
• Tahiri: Brussels dialogue to take on the Vienna format (Epoka e Re)
• “Citizens paying €8 million for north’s energy consumption” (Indeksonline) 

Kosovo Media Highlights

President Thaci calls for fair and democratic elections (Epoka e Re)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, met yesterday head of EULEX, Alexandra Papadopoulou, and discussed cooperation of security mechanisms during the election process. In a press release issued by the President’s office after the meeting, Thaci is quoted as saying that Kosovo has built a tradition of free, fair and democratic elections and that he expects upcoming elections will take place in the same spirit.

Fragile situation in the north involves OSCE in 11 June elections (Koha)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) is not ready to organize elections in the northern part of Kosovo, the paper reports on page three. Under the excuse that the security situation in the north remains fragile, CEC chairperson Valdete Daka has asked the Organization for Security and Cooperation Mission in Kosovo (OSCE) to provide technical support for elections in the four mainly-Serb inhabited northern municipalities. Daka wrote in a letter to OSCE Mission chief Jan Braathu: “The Central Election Commission … has assessed that the security situation in these four municipalities remains fragile, therefore, we ask that your mission provides technical support to our institution for the early elections. The CEC needs support from the OSCE mission in Kosovo in the following areas: technical advice for the municipal election commissions and technical support for polling stations advice on election day”.

German Embassy calls for peaceful election campaign (Koha)

German Embassy officials in Pristina called on Monday for a peaceful campaign for the upcoming early parliamentary elections, the paper reports on page three. Marten Menger, a spokesperson for the embassy said: “The election campaign period plays an important role in democracy, because this is the period when voters shape their opinions on who they will vote for in the elections. Parties and candidates need to have peaceful debates on policy issues so that the voters can make informed decisions on election day”. 

14,000 outside voters for June elections (Kosova Sot/Zeri)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) published the list of voters outside Kosovo that have been registered to vote in upcoming parliamentary elections. According to Kosova Sot, the list contains 14,808 voters and this figure does not only include Albanians living abroad but also Serbs. Zeri at the same time reports that over 20,000 applications reached the CEC by post but that around 6,000 of them were rejected.

Tahiri: Brussels dialogue to take on the Vienna format (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo’s outgoing minister for dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said in an interview that she believed the new government would resume dialogue with Serbia but with a different dynamic. “Dialogue has no alternative at a time when we aspire Kosovo becoming member of the EU, NATO and the UN”, Tahiri said. She said that while the format of dialogue will depend on the new government, it needs to have representation from the office of the president, the assembly and the government. “Being the final stage of the dialogue process with Serbia, I think it needs a composition and format that encompasses a wide political and institutional spectrum. It needs to take on the format of Vienna talks,” Tahiri argued.

“Citizens paying €8 million for north’s energy consumption” (Indeksonline)

Kosovo’s Ombudsperson, Hilmi Jashari, said that since 1999, people of Kosovo have paid over €8 million for electricity used by Serb residents in the north. Jashari said the findings are a result of an inquiry that he launched in April and that he was now awaiting response from relevant ministries as to what steps they plan to undertake to amend this situation. “This is an unequal treatment of citizens and could be a sufficient basis to claim discrimination”, Jashari said.