• COVID-19: 272 new cases, 3 deaths (media)
• Szunyog: Supply with vaccines from COVAX after June (RTK)
• Kosovo – Serbia dialogue not expected to resume before summer (Koha)
• CEC spokesman: CEC will publish results of certified candidates only (RTK)
• Women largely absent from election campaign (BIRN)
• Haradinaj: Idea of national unification speeds up recognition from Serbia (media)
• Kurti: We will not form coalitions after the elections (media)
• Hoti: Visa liberalisation and recognition from Serbia this year (media)
• PIPOS publishes results of poll on potential seats of political parties (media)
• SPO insists trial of KLA leaders to begin in September (media)
• Berlin objects to Prishtina’s decision to open embassy in Jerusalem (Klan Kosova)
• Citaku: Serbia courts sealed their approval of racism against Albanians (media)
• It’s time for Kosovo to secure its true independence (The New Leam)
• Russia concerned with situation in Kosovo and Bosnia (Klan Kosova)

COVID-19: 272 new cases, 3 deaths (media)

272 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 226 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 7,204 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Szunyog: Supply with vaccines from COVAX after June (RTK)

Tomas Szunyog, head of the European Union’s Office in Kosovo, said on Tuesday that Kosovo is expected to get the vaccines from the COVAX program in the second half of the year. “Both the Kosovo government and the European Union are doing their best to secure vaccines as soon as possible. For example, through the COVAX program Kosovo will get free vaccines for 20 percent of the population. Kosovo has followed all the procedures but due to high demands, the full supply with vaccines from COVAX is not expected to happen before the second half of the year,” Szunyog said.

Kosovo – Serbia dialogue not expected to resume before summer (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that EU Head of Office in Kosovo Tomas Szunyog and EU Special Representative for the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, reported before representatives of EU member states on Tuesday about the political situation in Kosovo and expectations after the February 14 parliamentary elections. The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is not expected to resume before summer due to the complicated political situation in Kosovo and the possibility that things will not be clarified before summer. Lajcak is seeking another mandate as EU Special Representative and he no longer talks about “a quick agreement” but says that he “cannot set timelines”.

An unnamed diplomat told the paper that what they learned from the discussion is that there could be uncertainties until May. “If the government is not formed and a President is not elected by that time, there could even be new elections,” the diplomat added.

The same diplomat said that there was clear criticism against Kosovo’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem but that this was done more to show that the European Union respects the resolutions of the United Nations.

CEC spokesman: CEC will publish results of certified candidates only (RTK)

Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesman Valmir Elezi is quoted as saying on RTK that the CEC will publish and recognise only the results of certified candidates in the February 14 parliamentary elections. Elezi said that if voters mark the number of a candidate that is not certified, “the ballot will become invalid”.

Women largely absent from election campaign (BIRN)

According to a coalition of NGOs monitoring the ongoing electoral campaign, women have remained underrepresented both in terms of campaign activities and media appearances.

Democracy in Action, a coalition of NGOs monitoring the ongoing parliamentary election campaign, has found that women have made up only 25 percent of the participants in the electoral activities it has observed so far. The coalition also found that only 27 percent of the 343 women candidates for MP have addressed the electorate.

Women candidates’ representation in the media was similarly low according to Democracy in Action’s findings, both in the period leading up to the campaign and during it.

Out of a total 402 candidates appearing on 259 televised debates across nine television channels between January 13 and February 7, only 21 percent were women.

Meanwhile, since the launch of the official campaign, women have accounted for only six percent of total airtime in debates broadcast between February 3-7. In promotional broadcasts for the political parties, Democracy in Action found that only 17 percent of airtime is provided to women.

In a press conference revealing Democracy in Action’s findings on Tuesday, Democracy for Development’s Ngadhnjim Halilaj stated that up until February 9 the coalition has monitored 98 activities. Monitoring began on February 2, when the election campaign officially started, and has included events in Kosovo’s seven biggest municipalities, as well as in two Serb-majority municipalities.

Halilaj stated that the findings show that political parties have continued not to respect the Law on Gender Equality and provide equal access to women during electoral campaigns.

Haradinaj: Idea of national unification speeds up recognition from Serbia (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader and candidate for Kosovo President, Ramush Haradinaj again mentioned the possibility of national unification between Kosovo and Albania on Tuesday, saying that Kosovo’s international allies will exert pressure on Serbia to recognise Kosovo’s independence.

“It is now easier for our allies to tell Serbia and Russia ‘look you may think that you are keeping them blocked but they plan to take things into their own hands if you delay them’,” he said.

Haradinaj also said that Kosovo and Albania could form joint institutions in order to exert even greater pressure on Serbia. “If they maintain their blockade we will proceed with the idea of unification in a union with Albania. Kosovo would in that case remain a state, but we would form joint institutions,” he added.

Kurti: We will not form coalitions after the elections (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (VV) leader Albin Kurti said on Tuesday that this party will not form any coalitions after the February 14 parliamentary elections because it will win enough votes to form the new institutions on its own. “We will not form any coalitions after the elections, because we formed a coalition before the elections with Vjosa Osmani,” he added.

Kurti pledged that he and Osmani would not “back down before any powerful criminal” and that they will strengthen the law so that criminals would back down before the judiciary.

Hoti: Visa liberalisation and recognition from Serbia this year (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) candidate for Prime Minister, Avdullah Hoti, said during an election rally in Gjakova on Tuesday that Kosovo will get visa liberalisation and recognition from Serbia this year.

“EU member states trust the LDK governance as a member of the European People’s Party. We have the support of our sister organisations to successfully conclude the process of visa liberalisation this year. We also have the support of the United States of America to conclude the process of dialogue with Serbia, as President Biden said, with mutual recognition,” Hoti said.

PIPOS publishes results of poll on potential seats of political parties (media)

Prishtina-based PIPOS Institute presented on Tuesday the results of its latest poll on the potential number of seats in parliament of political parties after the February 14 parliamentary elections.

PIPOS Director Fisnik Halimi said that the Kurti-led Vetevendosje Movement is expected to have 45 MPs, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) 25 MPs, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 21 MPs, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) nine MPs.

SPO insists trial of KLA leaders to begin in September (media)

Several news websites reported on Tuesday that the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in the Hague is insisting that the trial of the former KLA leaders to begin in September.

Berlin objects to Prishtina’s decision to open embassy in Jerusalem (Klan Kosova)

The TV station reported on Tuesday that Germany does not support Kosovo’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem. “The German government congratulates Kosovo for its recognition by Israel. At the same time, we bring to your attention the unified position of the European Union regarding the capital of Israel, and for this reason all the EU embassies are located in Tel Aviv,” the German Government said in a written response to Klan Kosova.

Citaku: Serbia courts sealed their approval of racism against Albanians (media)

Kosovo’s Ambassador to the United States, Vlora Citaku, took to Twitter on Tuesday to react against a decision by Serbia’s High Court which refused to find Serbian Minister Aleksandar Vulin guilty for discrimination, insult and hate speech against Albanians. “Serbia’s courts have sealed their approval of racism against Albanians. Unacceptable, yet unsurprising. This is not, and should not remain, a battle only for Albanians of the Presheva valley,” Citaku tweeted.

It’s time for Kosovo to secure its true independence (The New Leam)

Opinion piece by Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU.

No foreigner should advise the Kosovar public who to vote for in the upcoming election, and I certainly dare not make such a recommendation. However, every Kosovar citizen should demand that each individual running for office provide a clear and comprehensive socio-economic program that will put the public on a course of economic recovery and growth, along with social and political reforms. Such programs have been missing since the establishment of Kosovo in 2008. Although even well-established countries constantly face new challenges, a newly-born state confronts even greater challenges in just about every field of life and assuredly it takes strong, visionary, and committed leaders to rise to the occasion.

Sadly in Kosovo, successive governments have generally failed the test of time, and 13 years following its establishment, the country still faces multiple crises that require immediate attention. Thus, every single eligible voter should demand answers from those who are seeking high office regarding their plans to tackle what’s ailing the country.

Since economically Kosovo is suffering from rampant unemployment, ranging from 25 to 30 percent, what sort of development program do any of the competing parties have to stimulate the economy? How do they plan to modernize the manufacturing sector of the country? How will they revamp trade? What steps would they take to make the country energy independent? And how effectively can Kosovo utilize its natural resources, especially silver, lead, and a host of minerals, to secure a net gain from their trading and eventually make Kosovo decreasingly dependent on foreign aid, which usually comes with strings attached? Finally, since the coronavirus pandemic has a direct effect on the economy, the new government must take every measure necessary to address this most formidable national challenge.

Brain drain in Kosovo has and continues to be one of the most daunting problems the country suffers from. Young men and women who struggled to access higher education end up leaving the country because of the lack of job opportunities. Certainly, economic progress ties directly to this painful national problem. It is essential, however, to address this phenomenon in an urgent manner. The new government should commit itself to job creation for young men and women, especially in the high-tech and clean energy sectors, by making it attractive to foreign investors while maintaining controlling interests.

The new leaders must commit to weeding out corruption, which has infected just about every strata of the government as well as much of the private sector and is sine qua non to cultivate trust in the government and in companies in the private sector. Bribes in Kosovo are treated as a way of life as they are used as the way to get things done—to acquire permits of all manners, get out of trouble with the police, and exchange favors to cover up for a variety of transgressions, etc. The lack of transparency and accountability makes bribery a natural resort and the quickest way to achieve one’s ultimate objective.

The new government must also pledge to form an ethics committee, led by the country’s General Inspector and composed of honorable people with the authority to investigate any government or private agency at will and without prior notification. If for no other reason, foreign investors shy away from countries known for their corrupt systems, and Kosovo stands little chance of reaching economic recovery without foreign investment.

Social and political reforms are other areas where the new government must pay special attention. For a country that seeks integration into the European Union, it must take such reforms seriously and fully adhere to Western values. Freedom of the press must be guaranteed at all costs, human rights must be sacred, violators must face the burden of the law, the judiciary must adjudicate from above the fray, fair and equitable taxation must be implemented, politicians must disclose their assets and debts, and finally, the government must brief the public about its progress or lack thereof in all areas. Moreover, the government should not allow foreign powers, especially Turkey, to influence Kosovo’s social and political reforms, as Erdogan’s ambition is to subjugate Kosovo to his personal political and Islamic agenda.

Finally, the public should demand that the government be abundantly clear about its policy toward Serbia and publicly declare if there is a path that could lead to normalization of relations with Belgrade. The government should commit itself not to commence any negotiations unless Serbia first recognizes Kosovo as an independent state; only the differences in terms of territory, water supply, trade, and other issues on this level between the two countries to achieve that objective will be subject to negotiation. Moreover, as long as the US under Biden and the EU are committed to Kosovo’s independence, they can exert greater influence on Serbia to change its position, particularly now that Putin, who has been exerting undue influence on Serbia, is in trouble domestically and on the defensive with Biden as the US president.

To be sure, the Kosovo public can now exercise their electoral power to demand all of the above and other areas of concern from the competing political parties and make it clear that their vote can no longer be taken for granted. Those who want to reach the pinnacle of power must understand that they need to use their power to serve the people, not to exploit those who gave them power.

Russia concerned with situation in Kosovo and Bosnia (Klan Kosova)

Russian Ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko, said in an interview with Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency on Tuesday that “the situation in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina is very concerning”.

He said that Belgrade’s approach in the dialogue with Prishtina is right and that a solution must be achieved that can be confirmed at the United Nations Security Council and which first and foremost is in line with Serbia’s national interests.

“Russia is not a participant in the dialogue, but it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and it monitors the situation in Kosovo with a constant exchange of information and views with Belgrade as is the case with the telephone conversations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vucic,” he added.