UNMIK Headlines 25 December
Opposition requests resignation of the government and new elections (Koha)
After the verdict of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo on Wednesday on the constitutionality of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, opposition representatives consider that the first step towards the solution of the political crisis is immediate resignation of the government. Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, Visar Ymeri, said during opposition’s joint press conference on Thursday that the Constitutional Court proved claims of the united opposition during the last four months. He proclaimed the Agreement for the Association ultimately annulled. “When a considerable part of an agreement is not in compliance with the Constitution, then the agreement as such is nullified. It was proved yesterday that Isa Mustafa and Hashim Thaci as carriers of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, both involved in the Brussels dialogue and demarcation, have committed a flagrant violation of the Constitution,” Ymeri said. “Therefore we, as united opposition, request their urgent removal from their current positions. It is clear that this dialogue has only one intention: gradual undoing of the Republic of Kosovo. Continuance of the dialogue without principals and reciprocity is continuance of this undoing.”
Commenting the statement of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Fatmir Limaj, said that the mistakes can not be corrected by those who violated the Constitution. According to him, Kosovo should have different governance, which would have the legitimacy and legality to discuss the issues that could be raised in the future.
Ahmet Isufi from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), also said that the government which violated the Constitution must give way to the population to elect another government.
Tahiri: Recommendations to be implemented in the statute of Association (Zeri)
Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, told the paper that in principal, she finds the verdict of the Constitutional Court on the Agreement for the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, to be positive. “The Constitutional Court gave its recommendations to have a clear language during the further phases of drafting of the statute and to fully respect the Constitution,” Tahiri said. She noted that all the recommendations of the Court would be incorporated during the drafting of the statute of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.
The U.S. Embassy: Association according to Brussels Agreement (Kosova Sot)
The Embassy of the United States of America in Pristina, issued on Thursday a press release, which calls upon all parties in Kosovo to respect the judgment of the Constitutional Court.
“We note that the Court explicitly holds that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities is to be established as provided by the Brussels Agreement and offers guidelines for ensuring that it is done so within Kosovo’s constitution and laws,” says the press release.