UNMIK Headlines 14 November
Serbia preparing law for strengthening power in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Serbia is aiming to redefine its presence in Kosovo through a special constitutional law which will reflect also achieved agreements in Brussels, particularly new circumstances after the creation of the Association of Serb municipalities. Despite all the statements of Belgrade that it will never accept independence of Kosovo and that it will make a constitutional law, Kosovo Government officials are convinced that recognition from Serbia will follow negotiations.
Fule and Hoxhaj talk about Kosovo’s membership in organizations (Tribuna)
During his visit to Brussels, Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj met EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule. Hoxhaj thanked Fule for the start of Stabilization/Association Agreement negotiations with Kosovo and said the process is highly important for Kosovo because it constitutes contractual relations with the European Union.
Fule congratulated Hoxhaj on the November 3 local elections in Kosovo and reconfirmed the commitment of the European Union to support Kosovo in its European path. Hoxhaj and Fule discussed the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the implementation of agreements reached in dialogue.
Hoxhaj and Fule also talked about Kosovo’s membership in various regional organizations and agreed that without Kosovo regional cooperation cannot be complete.
Government allocates funds for CoE membership (Koha Ditore)
Government of Kosovo has undertaken concrete steps towards its membership at the Council of Europe. It allocated half a million euro for legal counsel and services related to preparing the necessary paperwork for application to CoE. The funds are also intended to be used for support to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement negotiations.
Pack: No changes of borders (Tribuna)
European Parliament member Doris Pack has reacted against a statement by Russian Ambassador in Belgrade, Aleksandar Chapurin, who said that borders in the Balkans are still under consideration and that the region is unstable.
“There were will be no border changes in the Balkans. This means that Kosovo is an independent state. The question is why the Russian ambassador is talking about instability and the potential for violence when he should be assisting Serbia and Kosovo in the dialogue they have initiated several months ago,” Pack told Radio Free Europe.
Pack said she does not believe Belgrade is behind the incidents at polling stations in the northern part of Kosovo, “because it is in Belgrade’s interest to implement the Brussels Agreement”.
Serbs from the north, organized for elections (Kosova Sot)
The so-called temporary body of the northern Mitrovica municipality, issued a press release which says that certain groups will not be allowed to have access at the polling stations the day of elections, on 17 November. “Directors of the public enterprises should be together with their employees and families, should vote in an organized manner.” According to this press release, it is necessary to undertake preventive measures in order for the incidents not to repeat.
Sylejmani Selimi accused of raping two Albanian girls (dailies)
The former chief of staff of the Kosovo Liberation Army and currently Kosovo’s ambassador to Albani, Sylejman Selimi, has been indicted on Wednesday for sexually assaulting two Albanian girls from Mitrovica during the war.
EULEX prosecutor, Maurizio Salustro, has filed charges against Selimi, Ismet Haxha, Nexhat Qubreli and Shefki Hyseni for war crimes against civilian population. EULEX did not give many details about the indictment, but Koha Ditore has learned the identity of the accused.
Tribuna newspaper reports that A, B and I, this is the identity of three witnesses whose testimonies have supported the indictment against Selimi. Selimi is accused for the crimes committed while he was a KLA commander for the operational area of Drenica in 1998. The witnesses claim that they were held prisoners in Likoc, Skenderaj. They also alleged they were beaten and tortured whilst in custody but were later released.
Court in Belgrade releases “Group of Gjilan” (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that the accused of the so-called “Group of Gjilan”, who have been arrested on 26 December 2008 from Serb Gendarmerie with the order of Serb prosecution for War Crimes, have been released on Wednesday from the court in Belgrade. They have been held for almost five years in prison and they have undergone many judicial processes, informs news portal Presheva News.
Arrested while attempting to add 95 votes to Isa Mustafa (dailies)
Three members of Central Election Commission from the Results Counting Center in Pristina have been arrested as suspected for fraud of voting results. The officials, according to the source, are three women. They have been arrested because they attempted to add 95 votes to the LDK candidate got mayor of Pristina. Isa Mustafa has condemned this act saying that these acts are an attempt to damage his personality.
Trial against Zarko Veselinovic to commence (Tribuna)
Tribuna newspaper reports that the proceedings against Zarko Veselinovic, the brother of the suspected boss smuggling in the north Zvonko Veselinovic, is set to commence today. His lawyer, Faik Korenica, rejected several points of indictment. Veselinovic stands accused of two criminal acts: attempt of aggravated murder and illegal possession of weapons.