Serbia wants its legal references in the Statute of Association (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo and Serbia have started an intensive process of talks for the creation of the Association of Municipalities with majority of Serbs, immediately after the end of local elections organised in the entire territory. The content of the Statute and aspects that are connected with competencies of the Association consist of disputable issues. Government through a press communiqué has announced the information that in Brussels have started the meetings of working groups for functionalising of the Association.

Sources of the newspaper said that the most problematic issue is the content of the Statute, based on which will function the Association. “The request of the Serb side was such, as the inclusion in this document (Statute of the Association) of legal references of Serbia. This will not be possible, while also Brussels did not want to listen to them about this point. But now they insist that in the Statute to be enlisted executive competencies of the Association for municipalities.” “We are not ready to offer more competencies for the Association, as those which are described in the agreement.”

Jacobson: Attentive to prevent creation of a Republika Srpska (Koha Ditore)

US Ambassador, Tracey Ann Jacobson, believes that the leadership of nine municipalities from the list “Srpska” will not pose a threat to the state of Kosovo, but she called for awareness not to be created one Republika Srpska. “I think that any risk could be minimised through talks, but I think that we have to be more attentive not to have a situation with a Republika Srpska,” stated US Ambassador, Jacobson.

Serb Association, from NGO to a political entity (Tribuna)

Tribuna reports that the victory of the “Serb List” in nine Kosovo municipalities has strengthened the position of Serbia in not requesting anymore for the Serb Association/Community an NGO statute but that of a special entity recognised from Pristina, Belgrade and international community. For now international community rejects creation of a Serb Republic. The dialogue in Brussels is expected to define advanced status of community.

Tahiri: Normalization of the relation, a long process (Epoka e Re)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Edita Tahiri, stated that normalisation of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia will be a long process that should conclude with recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, before the latter becomes an EU member. “Brussels agreement is important for peace, stability and good neighbourhood in the region, and it also contributes on the European future of Kosovo state,” said Tahiri during her participation at Seminar of the Oxford University in London, where she lectured on the “Importance, results and challenges of Brussels Agreement of April 9 2013.”

Ashton happy with elections in Kosovo (Tribuna)

Tribuna reports that EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Catherine Ashton, has highly evaluated the second round of elections in Kosovo. She evaluated elections as crucial for Kosovo. “I am happy with this second round of local elections of 1 December in Kosovo and I would like to congratulate the voters for their participation. These elections are crucial for the future of Kosovo and for the normalisation process between Kosovo and Serbia,” said Ashton.

Fuele: Kosovo and Serbia will reach other agreements (Epoka e Re)

The EU Commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fuele, qualified the agreement between the two Prime Ministers as “historical turn” on the way towards Europe. At the annual press conference on Western Balkans, Fuele announced that April agreement reached in Brussels between the two Prime Ministers is only the first one, because, according to him, Kosovo and Serbia will reach other agreements in the future. Referring to Serbia’s membership at EU, Fuele mentioned that normalisation of the relations with Kosovo should be related to this process, and the same should apply for Kosovo’s Stabilisation Association Agreement.

Elections were fair (Tribuna)

European teams that monitored elections in Kosovo are happy with that what they have seen on 3 November and 1 December. According to them, in general, the integrity of the vote has been protected sufficiently, but there were reports of taking pictures from the ballots and cases of family voting. “With these elections Kosovo is making further progress in its democratic path. I hope that these encouraging developments that we have observed until the end of the process and they will put strong foundations of the future democratic development of Kosovo,” Said Roberto Gualtieri, the head of International Observation Mission to Kosovo municipal elections (ENEMO), in the occasion of the preliminary statement of the mission.

Fake ballots could lead Mitrovica into a re-vote (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that during counting of votes in the evening of Sunday, in the polling station at the elementary school “Avdullah Shabani” in Mitrovica, commissioners have encountered irregularities in the ballots. Because of this PDK has requested re-voting in entire Mitrovica, while it considers that through fake ballots has been applied “Bulgarian train”, a method of abuse through which is controlled the vote. The decision for the annulment of the elections in this municipality, Election Complaints and Appeals Panel will take on Thursday evening.

PDK asks EULEX to release Lushtaku for being sworn in (Zëri)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) branch in Skenderaj has sent a letter to EU rule of law mission (EULEX) asking it to release former KLA mayor and re-elected mayor of Skenderaj, Sami Lushtaku, only for as long as he is sworn in to the post before the municipal assembly. According to the law, the new mayors have to be sworn in a month upon being elected and if they fail to do so within the given timeframe, they risk losing their posts. “Just as the court decides on behalf of the people, we ask EULEX to respect the will of 88 percent of the citizens of Skenderaj”, said for the paper deputy leader of PDK in Skenderaj, Fadil Nura.

Krasniqi and Limaj soon with a new party (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that two members of the presidency of PDK, Jakup Krasniqi and Fatmir Limaj, in the coming days will establish their political subject. The head of Democratic Union of Prizren, Zafir Berisha, while confirming the idea of Krasniqi and Limaj for the creation of the new party after runoff, said that he is expecting that next year together with them to lead towards Pristina for the overthrow of Thaçi from the Government. “With two of them I am very close with political thoughts for the future of Kosovo and for the road to overthrow from power and to bring before the responsibility for national treason the man who has sold Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, I will do this with these two persons,” said Berisha.