• Int’l community steps up pressure on LVV, LDK to form new government (media)
• “Visa liberalisation might happen next year” (RTK)
• Nagavci: LVV said it prefers to govern with LDK, we stand behind this (media)
• Basha: LDK is keeping hostage the agreement (RTK)
• Abrashi: LVV hesitates to take over PM’s Office (RTK)
• Gashi: For now constitution guarantees only Assembly President to LVV (media)
• Vetevendosje in Albania to protest against Vucic’s visit (media)
• Rama: Kosovo mistaking for refusing Mini-Schengen initiative (Klan Kosova)
• Citaku's complaint against Dacic not included in UN SC agenda (Klan Kosova)

Int’l community steps up pressure on LVV, LDK to form new government (media)

Several papers write that the international community is stepping up pressure on the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) to not delay forming new institutions of Kosovo.

In the coverage of the visit of two German MPs, Peter Beyer and Christian Schmidt, to Kosovo yesterday, Zeri says that the international community has issued an ultimatum to LVV and LDK to form new government as soon as possible and that the same message was conveyed by the head of the EU Office Nataliya Apostolova in her statement.

Koha Ditore meanwhile reports that the stalemate of talks between the LVV and LDK has put in motion the international community with the German MPs being more direct in stating that “this is not the time to be deciding on the president, but to form the government.”

The paper also writes that one day after the LDK ‘barricaded’ itself on the demand for getting the president’s post, heads of EU missions in Kosovo issued a statement saying that 6 October elections gave the people of Kosovo the possibility to exercise their right to vote and elect their representatives. “We trust that the parties concerned will reach the necessary consensus to overcome remaining challenges,” the EU said.

The German officials are said to have told the two parties to leave aside technical details and reach a coalition agreement. Beyer said that if there is political will to form the government the parties should not remain preoccupied with technical details “but should trust one another”. “Call one another, set a date for talks and end the coalition agreement,” Beyer said.

His fellow lawmaker Schmidt meanwhile said that now is not the right time for the parties to be discussing the post of Kosovo president and also said there should be mutual trust. “It is important to have a stable government and no tactical games. I think the Spanish model is not something to be imitated. The most important thing in politics is to have trust and responsibility,” he said.

“Visa liberalisation might happen next year” (RTK)

The news website reports that two German MPs Peter Beyer and Christian Shmidt silenced voices about the possibility of visa liberalisation for Kosovo this year. They said at a press conference during their visit in Kosovo that visa liberalization might happen next year. Beyer said they will do the utmost to support Kosovo in this process. The news website notes that Kosovo received promises for visa liberalisation in the past, however EU countries continuously postponed it despite fulfillment of the criteria.

Nagavci: LVV said it prefers to govern with LDK, we stand behind this (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Arberie Nagavci took to Facebook on Thursday to comment on statements by Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) officials that they can go in the opposition. Nagavci said VV said during the election campaign that it prefers to govern with the LDK “and we stand behind these statements”.

“We never believed this could weaken our negotiating positions. Our interest and focus are to implement the expectations of the people. We want to strengthen the institutions and good governance, and not our positions. They [LDK] need to choose between governing with the Vetevendosje Movement or we will go back to the people again,” Nagavci wrote.

Basha: LDK is keeping hostage the agreement (RTK)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Dimal Basha took to Facebook to write that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is keeping hostage the agreement for governing coalition by insisting on the posts of Assembly Speaker and that of the President.

“It is important to understand that the agreement for government is reached. So, each citizen should know that LDK and LVV reached agreement on program, on distribution of responsibilities, and we can vote the government immediately after the constitution.

The reason why the entire agreement is being held hostage is persistence for the Assembly Speaker and especially for the post of the President, something that we, Mr. Isa Mustafa himself, but also MS; Osmani as candidate for PM, said that it will not be part of political bargaining after the election, but that we will reach agreement when time comes. Citizens have fulfilled their duty, they now wait for us to start governing, and wait for the big change that would return their dignity and hope. Mr. Mustafa, I do not think it is sincere to keep hostage the fate of 1.8 million citizens due to a single post,” he wrote.

Abrashi: LVV hesitates to take over PM’s Office (RTK)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP Arban Abrashi said his political party made on Wednesday a significant step towards creation of partnership with Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) in order to form the government. “Giving away a ministry is a step forward, it is something that Mustafa offered on the table,” Abrashi said.

“There is a little bit of hesitation by LVV to take over the Prime Minister’s Office. This is my personal opinion. It might happen that dialogue is a fear. There are other elements for hesitation. I hope that we will have a positive move, because the citizen chose these entities and they should take over the burden and offer solution for them, form the government. LDK is part of each positive project that happened in Kosovo, from the first government, independence. As LDK, we have demonstrated that we do not fear major projects, such as EU integration, and this should be proved by each political party in Kosovo,” Abrashi said.

Gashi: For now constitution guarantees only Assembly President to LVV (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP Arben Gashi said in an interview with Telegrafi news website on Thursday that for now the election and constitutional system guarantees to the Vetevendosje Movement only the post of Assembly President. He said a ruling of the Constitutional Court makes it clear that this post belongs to the winning political party in the elections.

Gashi said that LDK representatives avoided making public statements in order to build a climate of confidence and that LVV officials did the contrary.

Gashi also said that the LDK is not even in a position to nominate a candidate for Kosovo President because this requires 30 votes in the Assembly and the LDK has only 28. “The election of the President requires 2/3 of MPs, and we don’t have this number even if we join forces with the Vetevendosje Movement. This is why we only want to open this issue and not mention any specific names,” he added.

Vetevendosje in Albania to protest against Vucic’s visit (media)

Vetevendosje Movement in Albania announced a protest against the visit of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Tirana to take part in the meeting of the Mini-Schengen initiative.

Vetevendosje said the government in Tirana is trying to present a ‘war criminal’ like Vucic as a ‘humanitarian’. “The Vetevendosje Movement Centre will organise a symbolic and peaceful protest against the visit of Aleksandar Vucic and the Balkan Mini-Schengen. Vucic cannot avoid justice by giving charity. He remains persona non grata for Albanians,” Vetevendosje said.

Rama: Kosovo mistaking for refusing Mini-Schengen initiative (Klan Kosova)

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama said in an interview with Klan Kosova that Kosovo is making a mistake for refusing participation at the Mini-Schengen summit in Tirana and added that the U.S. will also be sending its representatives to the meeting. “There is nothing more wrong than the winner [Kosovo] turning into a loser,” Rama said.

"The issue of Kosovo in relation to Serbia cannot be resolved with teeth clenching, self-isolation or by victimising Serbia through tariffs that are valid only for as long as there are means and are scandalous until they become goals."

Rama said he has support from the United States for the Mini-Schengen. “We wouldn’t have made a single step if they wouldn’t have encouraged us, or if they would be sceptical and told us ‘wait because now is not the time’,” Rama said. “And then there comes someone that has won the elections in Kosovo and he thinks he can save the world and tells me do not rush”.

Rama said he feels sorry for the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci who, he said, completely changed his previous position. “He sat on the same table with Serbia and he is now saying he won't sit with Serbia because it does not recognise us. This is a virus that risks infecting everyone competing at who is a greater patriot,” Rama said.

Citaku's complaint against Dacic not included in UN SC agenda (Klan Kosova)

Klan Kosova quotes reports from Serbian media saying that the complaint the Kosovo’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vlora Citaku, filed against the Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, has not been included in the UN Security Council agenda as a result of Russia and China opposing it.

Citaku is reported to have complained over Dacic’s public display of her birth certificate during a UN Security Council session on Kosovo.

“She complained about by statement, but she does have a Serbian citizenship. Next time, I will produce a list of Serb nationals employed by the UN, who are from Kosovo. The fact is they have our citizenship and they work against Serbia which is relevant because it is a matter of status,” Dacic is quoted to have said.