UNMIK Headlines 27 January
Serbia wants to discuss elections in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
The Prime Ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic, will meet on Monday evening for the 21st time in Brussels. The meeting was foreseen to take place a week ago, however, Ivica Dacic did not want this to happen only a day before the start of negotiations for Serbia’s membership in the EU.
According to EU sources, the main topic of this meeting will be implementation of the agreement reached in April, particularly on the courts in the north. The EU considers that, since both Serbia and Kosovo will hold elections this year, Monday’s meeting should be used to reach as many compromises as possible, which would have been difficult to reach when on the verge of elections. Serbia requested to discuss the manner in which Kosovo Serbs will vote in the Kosovo and Serbia general elections.
Serbia renews its structures in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Authorities in Belgrade have appointed Aleksandar Spiric as the president of provisional institutions in Mitrovica North, which the daily reports is a direct violation of the April 19 agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. Spiric replaced Krstimir Pantic, who refused to take the oath of office because of documents bearing Kosovo state symbols.
Officials from the Kosovo Government said the decision is illegal but did not say whether they plan to undertake any measures to counter it. “It is an illegal and inapplicable action in Kosovo. It certainly conflicts with Kosovo laws and the principles of the April 19 agreement,” said Bekim Qollaku, advisor to Kosovo PM Hashim Thaçi.
Serbia will also hold its elections in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic decided to lead Serbia towards early elections. Vucic received absolute support from the leadership of the Serbian Progressive Party. Asked whether Serbia’s early elections will be held also in the territory of Kosovo, Vucic stated: “I expect elections to take place in the entire territory of the country, as in the past…Now, I cannot says what will happen, but this is our intention.”
Serbia cannot organise elections in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
The Government of Kosovo announced that it will not allow Serbia to organise early elections in Kosovo. However, a possibility has been left open for Kosovo Serbs to vote in Serbia’s elections. Political advisor of the Prime Minister of Kosovo Bekim Qollaku said that Serb citizens in Kosovo can vote in Serbia’s elections. “Serbia cannot organise any kind of elections in Kosovo. However, Kosovo citizens of the Serb community, who have dual citizenships, have the right to vote in both Kosovo’s and Serbia’s elections. This is legal for all citizens of Kosovo with dual citizenships. It is too early to speak on the technical modalities that would be used to enable this,” said Qollaku.
The first No (Tribuna)
If Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi stays true to his word that, in the absence of a consensus, reserved seats for communities will not be extended and if the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) doesn’t change its stance on opposing such a move, as of next mandate, the Kosovo Assembly will have 100 members from Albanian political parties and 20 from communities. If this scenario takes place, it will be the first time Pristina would refuse a request from the EU and US since it started the dialogue with Serbia.
Vulin unable to inaugurate Serbia’s investments in Brezovica (dailies)
Serbian Minister without portfolio Aleksandar Vulin is reported not to have been granted permission by Kosovo institutions to attend the resumption of the ski lift mechanism in the Brezovica ski resort. The financial support to revitalise the ski lift was provided by a number of donors, including the Government of Serbia.
Discussions on energy, vehicle insurance (Tribuna)
The Kosovo delegation, comprised of Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri and the director of Kosovo Electricity Transmission, System and Market Operator (KOSTT), Naim Bejtullahu, had meetings in Brussels with EU representatives and discussed energy issues. The Kosovo delegation called for increased efforts to begin the implementation of the energy agreement with Serbia as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Kosovo delegation discussed vehicle insurance policies in Rome over the weekend in a bid to find a best possible solution for border insurances to facilitate free movement of citizens.
Belgrade neglects exhumations in Raska (Zëri)
The Government of Serbia is being accused of toying with the emotions of the families of missing persons by trying to undermine the mass grave in Raska. It is unknown when exhumations will begin at the site; Pristina authorities did not receive any information regarding the remains of four individuals located earlier. Furthermore, the meeting scheduled to take place in the second half of January between the delegations of Kosovo and Serbia on missing persons has failed.
Montenegrins, Croatians to be included in Constitution (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi stated that with changes of the Constitution of Kosovo, foreseen by the Brussels Agreement, the Montenegrin community will become part of the highest judicial act of the country. In an interview for the Montenegrin public broadcaster, Thaçi informed that he has been a supporter of the idea to include the Montenegrin community officially in the Constitution from the beginning.