Headlines - 18.11.2016

• No Association/Community without dissolution of parallel structures (Zeri)
• Havolli: No visa liberalisation without demarcation (Bota Sot)
• A march for Astrit Dehari today in Pristina (RTK)
• Shala: The state responsible for Dehari’s death (Epoka e Re)
• Lushtaku and 23 others indicted on organised crime charges (Koha Ditore)
• Protests in Skenderaj/Srbica against sentencing of KLA members (Epoka)
• AAK will not attend border demarcation meetings anymore (Koha)
• O‘Connell: Corruption is a problem for Kosovo (lajmi.net)
• Engel praises Kosovo authorities for stopping terrorist attack (RTKLive) 

Kosovo Media Highlights

No Association/Community without dissolution of parallel structures (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, told the paper that without complete dissolution of the parallel structures in Kosovo there will be no establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. “The Association will be established only after its statute is drafted and reviewed by the Constitutional Court. Also, before the establishment of this Association, all the parallel structures in Kosovo must be dissolved,” Tahiri said. Deputy Minister of Local Government Administration, Bajram Gecaj, told the paper that the Association/Community will be established, but “only when the political situation is favorable for that.” Meanwhile, the Serbian List expects immediate establishment of the Association/Community, after the agreement reached on telephone code. 

Havolli: No visa liberalisation without demarcation (Bota Sot)

Sokol Havolli, advisor to Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, said on Thursday that there will be no visa liberalisation for Kosovo if the Assembly does not ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. He also said that the non-ratification of this agreement cannot be seen as a reason for the dissolution of the government, because “the latter is working on many important issues, including economic development.” 

A march for Astrit Dehari today in Pristina (RTK)

Pristina high school students will hold a protesting march today for Vetëvendosje movement activist Astrit Dehari, who died at Prizren prison. An announcement issued for the media informs that the march will begin at 14:00 hours.

Shala: The state responsible for Dehari’s death (Epoka e Re)

Head of the Council for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Kosovo Behxhet Shala appealed to the parties to lower tensions in order to allow the investigation bodies to shed light on Astrit Dehari’s death. He said that if this expertise does not enlighten the case, then another one should take place. In an interview for the paper, Shala said that the state holds responsibility for Dehari’s death being that Dehari was left alone in the room while the others went out for a walk. He also said that after his death, prison officers, guards of that pavilion, supervisors and the director of the prison should have resigned. 

Lushtaku and 23 others indicted on organised crime charges (Koha Ditore)

The Mayor of Skenderaj/Srbica Sami Lushtaku, serving a prison sentence for war crimes, has also been indicted by EULEX on organised crime charges. Lushtaku and 23 other persons, including his son Mergim, are accused of creating favours to Lushtaku during his detention at the Dubrava Prison and even helping him to escape from the Pristina hospital. Among the accused, according to the paper, is also the director of the Pristina Prison, Emrush Thaci.

Protests in Skenderaj/Srbica against sentencing of KLA members (Epoka)

An organized protest will be held today in Skenderaj/Srbica to object the verdict of the Court of the Appeals on “Drenica I” case.  The verdict sentences mayor of the municipality, Sami Lushtaku, Sylejman Selimi and five other former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who come from this region. The War Veterans Associations and the council of the administrative employees of  Skenderaj/Srbica municipality called for the protest. 

AAK will not attend border demarcation meetings anymore (Koha)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) head of parliamentary group, Pal Lekaj, said his party will no longer take part in the meetings with the ruling and opposition parties on the issue of border demarcation with Montenegro. The meetings, facilitated by Naim Rashiti from the Balkans Policy Research Group, were aimed at finding a solution to the current stalemate.

O‘Connell: Corruption is a problem for Kosovo (lajmi.net)

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell, wrote on Thursday on his Facebook account that corruption in the form of tax evasion is a problem for Kosovo. “Tonight’s allegations in the programme ‘Jeta në Kosovë’ are worrying. They deserve serious treatment from the relevant authorities, and a professional and unbiased investigation. In addition, the whistleblowers must be fully protected, to encourage other whistleblowers to come forward and cooperate with the authorities. The whistleblowers are the new heroes, of which Kosovo has great need,” O’Connell wrote. 

Engel praises Kosovo authorities for stopping terrorist attack (RTKLive)

Representative Eliot Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, welcomed on Thursday the action by authorities in Kosovo that prevented a planned series of attacks by ISIS extremists: “I applaud authorities in the Republic of Kosovo for thwarting a planned series of terrorist attacks by ISIS extremists, preventing the massacre of Israel’s national soccer team.  Kosovo has built an impressive record confronting violent extremism. No one should doubt the commitment of leaders in Pristina to meet this challenge, and the United States is fortunate to have a partner like Kosovo in this important effort.  Given Kosovo’s strong record, it’s time speed Kosovo’s incorporation into key Euro-Atlantic structures, including NATO and the EU.”