Headlines - 22.02.2016

Kosovo President could be elected on Wednesday (dailies)

Several dailies report today that partners of the ruling coalition are afraid to reveal the date of the election of the President of Kosovo due to fierce objection expected by the opposition parties. The sole presidential candidate so far is Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Hashim Thaci. Under the leading front-page headline Crucial week for election of the President¸ Koha Ditore reports that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has called for celebration this Wednesday, 24 February. PDK deputy leader Enver Hoxhaj told media on Sunday that Thaci’s election as president is a done deal. According to him, the coalition has the necessary votes to complete the process. Citing unidentified sources, Zeri reports that government representatives have not denied that Thaci will be elected president on Wednesday. Meanwhile the opposition has warned that they would oppose Thaci’s election by all means. According to them, Thaci’s election would only deepen the current crisis.

Haradinaj: The country is moving towards elections (Epoka e Re)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said to Top Channel on Sunday, that Kosovo is moving towards elections. He expressed his conviction that the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, will not be elected president and that there will be new elections as a consequence. “I do not believe that he will be elected. I do not see this situation to be possible. I think that on 7 March we will automatically go for new elections,” Haradinaj said.

Opposition to hold several days of peaceful protests (Koha)

Citing sources within the opposition parties, the paper reports that the opposition bloc is planning to organize several days of peaceful protests in front of the Kosovo Government. Vetevendosje information officers neither denied nor confirmed the possibility of uninterrupted protests demanding the immediate resignation of the government. Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), mentioned the possibility of continuous protests in an interview for KTV last week.

Collaku: EU is not rushing to close visa process (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, said that Kosovo has fulfilled all the criteria for visa liberalization and that it is now up to the European Commission to make the assessment for the meritorious decision. However, for Collaku, the EU is not in a rush to conclude this process and the delays in the process are unjustifiable. “This negligence is harming the EU’s image in Kosovo and it is endangering the credibility of the process,” Collaku said.

Government, civil society oppose petition against U.S. Ambassador (Zeri)

Kosovo’s institutions and civil society representatives are opposing the petition for the removal of the United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, initiated by former KLA fighter Roland Bartezko. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, said on Sunday that an insult against the U.S. Ambassador is an insult against the people and the government of Kosovo. Civil society representatives have called on authorities to investigate those who initiated the petition. According to them, such a petition does not contribute to Kosovo’s relations with the United States of America.

Author of petition against U.S. Ambassador described as close to SHIK (Koha)

The paper reports on page three that Roland Bartezko, the initiator of the petition against U.S. Ambassador in Kosovo Greg Delawie, was described in an article by Der Spiegel in 2001 as a person who is believed to have carried out “dirty work” for the radical wing of the former Kosovo Liberation Army and as a person with close ties to the former Kosovo Intelligence Service (SHIK). However, Blerim Latifi, a senior advisor to Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli who was a former SHIK chief, denied any links between Bartezko and SHIK.

Djuric: Serbs should have a candidate for president of Kosovo (Epoka)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, said that Serbs in Kosovo should have their candidate for the president of Kosovo. “We have advised the representatives of the Serbian List to have a candidate. I think that this a decision in the interest of the Serbs, and if Serbs do not have their own candidate, it does not appear realistic that they would support Thaci,” Djuric said to Radio KiM.