UNMIK Headlines 7 March
Both Association and Zajednica (Koha Ditore)
Municipalities with Serb majority will be represented under an umbrella mechanism. At least on two official designations, this will satisfy Albanians and Serbs. The parties agreed on the bodies of this mechanism, while an agreement on competencies is expected to be reached by 20 March. According to sources included in the process of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, when it will be written in Albanian, this mechanism will begin with “Association…” and in Serbian with “Zajednica” (Community). According to sources, Brussels as a facilitator of political dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is planning to propose such a solution, which is not expected to be refused by Pristina or Belgrade.
“The governing bodies of the association will be: Assembly, Council and the Board,” said a source. “There is an agreement for how delegates will be designated to the Assembly. Serbia gave up on insisting that this should be done through direct election. At present, the municipal assemblies will delegate members according to votes won in regular elections, which will be organized and should be also given importance to the party representation.”
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton is expected to visit Pristina and Belgrade before 20 March in an effort to convince the leadership of both parties to accept one solution for the north, modeled by her. According to these sources, the EU high official will also take the proposal for the model how the Association should function with her, around which a mechanism will organize municipalities with Serb majority; she will also list its competencies.
Close to an agreement (Zëri)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi continued the briefing members of his cabinet on the recent meeting with Serbia’s PM Ivica Dacic in Brussels, and admitted that the dialogue process is rather “complicated”. However, he said he was hopeful the process was heading towards an agreement that will make Belgrade abolish its illegal security structures in the north. Thaçi assured that the association of municipalities with a Serb majority will be in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo, Law on Local Self-Government and Ahtisaari Package. “This mechanism under no circumstances will have a legislative and executive character or mandate,” said Thaçi.
Vulin: We do not want Republika Srpska, but better life for Serbs (dailies)
Director of the Serbia’s Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin said authorities in Pristina and the international community should take into account interests of the Serbs both in Serbia and Kosovo in order to come to a plausible and just solution for the north. He said Serbia does not want another Republika Srpska but is interested in improving the lives of members of the Serb community in the north. “Serbia proposes an association of Serb municipalities as an organized entity which would truly safeguard interests of Serbs in these areas,” said Vulin during a visit to Prizren.
Kuçi: Slow down Behgjet (Express)
AKR threatens to leave the coalition if their requests for additional positions are not fulfilled or taken seriously by PDK. They even denied Behgjet Pacolli’s statement that there were discussions to distribute positions during their last meeting. PDK Deputy Leader Hajredin Kuçi said everything will be clarified between the PM and the AKR leader. “I have not seen that letter,” said Kuçi regarding Pacolli’s letter requesting two additional ministries, “and at the meetings where I participated, there were no such threats. However, partnership does not function on threats,” said Kuçi.
Haradinaj doesn’t rule out cooperation with LDK and Vetëvendosje (dailies)
Several dailies report that after PDK leader Hashim Thaçi turned him down, AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj began criticizing the current government. Haradinaj said on Wednesday that the PDK is the last party he would cooperate with in the next elections. “We are aiming for partners outside the PDK,” Haradinaj said. He added that his earlier offer to the PDK was clear: Hashim Thaçi should resign from the failed government. “There are not many political parties. We do not rule out cooperation with Vetëvendosje or the LDK. PDK is last on our list,” Haradinaj said.