Session with quorum, speaker to be elected through open vote (Koha Ditore)

On the front page, the paper reports that the coalition bloc has reaffirmed its unity days ahead of the Assembly’s constitutive session and stressed it will enforce its “right” to elect the new speaker. The bloc’s representative from the Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK), Avni Arifi, said they will fully respect the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has the right to propose a candidate for the speaker but rejected the idea of the election being through secret vote. “It should be known who votes for whom, there is no reason to have secret voting”, said Arifi. He added however that the members of the bloc will take part in the voting process.

Secret voting, as the last card (Tribuna)

One of the most discussed options at present regarding the constitutive session of the Assembly remains imposing the procedure of secret voting for the Assembly Speaker. Representatives of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) are convinced that this would be the solution for overcoming the current crisis while representatives of the coalition bloc are against any scenario prepared by PDK. “We are convinced that if deputies of the Bloc were allowed to vote according to their will, they would vote for our candidate, not because they like him, but because they do not want to hold new elections,” said a senior official of the PDK. 

LDK: We are not for sale (Zeri)

On the front page the paper writes that Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) senior officials dismissed claims that five of its MPs are about to reach an agreement with Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) to vote its candidate for assembly speaker. Adem Salihaj, Naser Osmani, Doruntine Maloku and Njomza Emini, four of the MPs rumoured to be in talks with PDK, rejected the reports. The fifth LDK MP said to be ready to vote for PDK is Teuta Rugova but there is yet no reaction on her part.E

Ready for elections (Lajm)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Haki Rugova, said that they are ready for every possible scenario regarding establishment of Kosovo institutions without rejecting the possibility for new elections. “We have our plans and we stand united as a post-election coalition,” said Rugova. He also said that the news that several MPs have defected from LDK to PDK are slanderous.

Coalition bloc and Vetevendosje close to reaching an agreement (Lajm)

Coalition bloc is very close to reach an agreement with Vetevendosje Movement for joining the possible future government in Kosovo. Sources close to Vetevendosje said that the parties are very close to coming out with a specific agreement during the week.

Tahiri: IBM will be implemented without problems (Epoka e Re)

Edita Tahiri, the outgoing deputy Prime Minister, said that she does not expect problems in implementation of the agreement to build permanent facilities for the Integrated Border Management. “This issue has passed under the competencies of the European Union which will also fund and build the facilities at these border points,” said Tahiri. She added that this agreement is also one of the criteria for visa liberalization for Kosovo.