Headlines - 04.11.2013

Elections start with changes – failed in the north (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that while in Pristina fireworks celebrations took place after elections, in the north inhabited by Serbs polling stations closed early because of the attacks from masked youth persons. CEC did not give information if the voting is going to be repeated in this part. Political party leaders, who have committed this act, are satisfied with the organization of elections in other parts of Kosovo. And two biggest parties, LDK and PDK have declared victory in the country level. Preliminary results have shoved for the movement of vote. Mustafa could not take over Pristina without runoff, and Thaçi encountered decline in the strongholds Malisheva and Drenas.

In the polling station at “Sveti Sava” school in North Mitrovica, at about 17 hours entered a group with masks in their heads and they have violently removed commissioners and monitors. They have also broken ballot boxes and they have used tear gas. This attack has forced OSCE to interrupt voting process, firstly in three centers in the north Mitrovica, and afterwards in Zvecan and Zubin Potok. All voting centers have closed earlier in almost entire north, where it has been voted to the extent of 20 percent.

Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi, who has led political dialogue with Serbia, has considered the fact that elections have been held in the entire territory of Kosovo, but also he left to be understood that he will consider as legitimate those structures who are elected by that number in the north. 

Violence halts voting in the north (dailies)

Voting in one of the largest polling stations in north Mitrovica was stopped after masked persons stormed in the school building and destroyed election material. As a result, the polling station closed an hour before it was scheduled with OSCE pulling off from the voting process in three centers of north Mitrovica, Zveçan, and Zubin Potok. Several other polling stations in the north were also closed before time.

Koha Ditore quotes sources as saying that the group of persons, members of Serbian Gendarmerie, collected election material and set fire to it and then threw teargas in classrooms were the voting was taking place.

OSCE did not request cancellation of elections in the north, CEC decides (Bota Sot)

Central Elections Commission will decide on the fate of elections in the north of Kosovo, it is need time to analyze the process, said OSCE Ambassador, Jean Claude-Schlumberger, on Sunday, half an hour before midnight, in a press conference organized in Mitrovica. According to him, OSCE did not request to be cancelled elections in the north.

“We have been misinterpreted, OSCE requested from OSCE to allow as closing down voting centers in three municipalities in the north, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, because of the situation. Ambassador added that OSCE on Sunday was involved in organization of elections in four municipalities in the north. “Everything went well until 17:00 hours, when masked persons have attacked OSCE staff in the voting center “Sveti Sava”, north Mitrovica, while also throwing tear gas,” said Schlumberger. According to him, participation of voters in Leposavic was, 22 percent, in Zubin Potok, 22 percent and in Zvecan 11.1 percent. It is important that the entire elections and sensitive material is on the hands of OSCE and now slowly we are transporting it in south Mitrovica. 

Kuçi responds to Vucic (Zëri)

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi immediately responded to a request by his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic who called on the international community in Kosovo to allow Serbian police to enter Kosovo after the incident at St. Sava School. “Thank you Vucic, but we have EULEX and KFOR and I suggest Vucic should not worry. No other mechanism, except for Kosovo Police, KFOR and EULEX, can launch actions there,” Kuçi said. 

Vulin: Serbia will deal with perpetrators of incidents (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Minister without portfolio in the Government of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin, stated that the Serb state will deal in accordance with the law, with its citizens, who have caused incidents in the north of Mitrovica. In a press conference, he said that from such incidents benefits Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi and PDK. “Serbia respects Brussels agreement and is not responsible for those incidents. Everybody should know that Jarinje will not be a safe house, not that Central Serbia will be refuge for those who flamed Mitrovica, therefore against them there will be gathered evidence,” said Vulin. 

UNMIK deplores incidents in the north (dailies)

Special Representative of the UN Secretay-General, Farid Zarif, condemned incidents against polling stations in the north of Kosovo. “The attacks this evening against polling stations in northern Kosovo are utterly deplorable. A full investigation will be necessary to determine circumstances of events and ensure their perpetrators are held to account”, said Zarif.

UNMIK chief Zarif urged all people involved with the Kosovo elections to remain calm, and for all residents to respect the democratic process and cooperate with local and international law enforcement.

EU ambassadors: Fair elections (Zëri)

Ambassadors of EU member states said Sunday’s local elections were fair and without serious problems, except for incidents in the northern part of Kosovo. “Everything went OK in other parts of Kosovo. I travelled to central Kosovo, in Gracanica and other municipalities, where I saw a quiet election process,” Norwegian Ambassador Ian Braathu told Jeta në Kosovë. British Ambassador Ian Cliff who visited Northern Mitrovica and Zvecan said he noticed no serious problems there. “In general, I can say that during my stay there I did not notice any serious irregularities,” Cliff said. 

CEC: Incidents in the north do not question regularity of elections (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Central Election Commission did not manage to announce final results by midnight. They are expected to be published on Monday, where it is expected to be published from the monitors of elections, Democracy in Action. The network of NGO’s but also political parties, during the day have reported about irregularities, but according to the head of CEC, Valdete Daka, those, as the violent acts in the north, does not put in question normal flow of voting process. 

Isa Mustafa to face Shpend Ahmeti in a run-off vote (Koha Ditore)

According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission, LDK leader and candidate for Pristina mayor Isa Mustafa will face Vetëvendosje’s Shpend Ahmeti in a second round of voting with the first having secured 44%  and the latter 30% of the votes from Pristina citizens. Third is PDK’s Agim Çeku with 11%, followed by AKR’s Korab Sejdiu with 6%. According to statisticsm, turnout in Pristina was 51%. 

Most of Kosovo municipalities to head to second round of voting (dailies)

Central Election Commission announced that the overall turnout in yesterday’s local elections in Kosovo reached 47.8% while preliminary results indicate that the largest municipalities will most likely head to second round of voting. Apart from Pristina, it seems Prizren, Peja, Gjilan, Gjakova, Mitrovica, Malisheva and Ferizaj will also have run-off voting as none of the candidates won majority of votes.

Tribuna writes that the power of political parties in Kosovo has changed with LDK having increased support while PDK and AAK have experienced a decline in popularity. Pristina has also changed where Vetëvendosje has managed to enter a run-off as has Gjakova where AKR’s candidate Mimoza Kusari-Lila is in the lead.

Thaci and Dacic to meet on Wednesday (Tribuna)

The European Union’s High Representative Catherine Ashton has invited Kosovo and Serbia prime ministers, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic, to a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. The meeting will focus on assessing the course of local elections in Kosovo and the start of actions to establish the Association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

Diplomatic sources told the paper that problems at polling stations in the northern part of Mitrovica could delay the process of establishing the association of Serb municipalities. The meeting between the two prime ministers will resume the process of dialogue which was suspended for several weeks due to the election process in Kosovo.

Serwer: The entire Balkans in NATO in 2020 (Epoka e Re)

The U.S. expert on Balkans, Daniel Serwer, assessed that by 2020, all countries of Balkans will be NATO members. According to him, Montenegro and Macedonia have already fulfilled the conditions for membership, while Kosovo would want to join the Alliance as soon as it has its Security Forces.

Server, who is professor at Johns Hopkins University, shared the same opinion about Bosnia and Herzegovina. “This would have been the end of the story for the wars that started 30 years ago,” said Server. He added that Serbia could change its position towards NATO, especially if Kosovo makes changes on this way.