Headlines - 02.05.2017

• A crucial week for demarcation (Koha)
• Opposition parties against LDK MP’s proposal for demarcation (RTK)
• Thaci: We will not wait indefinitely for an army (RTK/Zeri)
• Kocijancic: EU expects Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to continue (EWB)
• Smith: Special Court not to start work for several more months (Kosovapress)
• LDK to request Thaci’s dismissal from position of President (Bota Sot)
• Ministry of Justice succumbs to pressure (Koha)
• “Albanians not interested in massacres and genocide like Serbia” (Bota Sot)
• Illegal Serbian operators cease activity in Kosovo (Zeri)

A crucial week for demarcation (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that a compromise between the government and a group of LDK MPs is expected to unblock the issue of the border demarcation with Montenegro. Citing unnamed sources, the paper reports that the government is willing to accept a proposal by 16 LDK MPs in exchange for their votes in favor of the demarcation deal. The 16 MPs have namely proposed that an annex agreement should be attached to the draft law on the ratification of the border demarcation, whereby the government would be obliged after “two years” to review the contested part of the borderline. After an agreement is reached between the partners of the ruling coalition, the agreement would be sent for approval to the Assembly on Thursday or Friday. The Kosovo government meanwhile did not want to comment on the proposal of the 16 LDK MPs.

Opposition parties against LDK MP’s proposal for demarcation (RTK)

Representatives of the opposition parties have come out against the proposal presented recently by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP, Adem Salihaj, to ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro by adding to it an annex stipulating that the deal would be subject to review in “a year’s time”. Opposition parties say the proposal is unacceptable.

Thaci: We will not wait indefinitely for an army (RTK/Zeri)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, told German media that Kosovo would not wait indefinitely to create its own army. “Based on my constitutional competencies, I initiated a draft law that would transform the KSF (Kosovo Security Force) into an army. This action should not have come as a surprise to anyone because we worked for three years to achieve this,” Thaci said adding that the opposition for this initiative only comes from the Serbian List which he said is failing to represent interests of Serbs in Kosovo.  He said however that he would try to win over the Serbian List’s support but if they continue to reject the creation of a Kosovo army, “Kosovo in full coordination with our western partners would forward the new law on KSF.”

Kocijancic: EU expects Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to continue (EWB)

The EU expects Belgrade and Pristina to continue dialogue in the spirit of constructive commitment, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told Tanjug. Although the Haradinaj case has re-escalated tensions between Belgrade and Pristina, the EC does not expect this to lead to a potential freezing of the dialogue on normalisation of relations between the two sides. “What we expect in the weeks and months to come is a continuation of the constructive commitment we have seen on both sides during previous meetings”, Kocijancic noted in a statement sent to Tanjug. When asked if EU foreign policy and security chief Federica Mogherini – who acts as a facilitator in the dialogue – had a plan for a continuation of the dialogue, Kocijancic responded that a date for a new high-level meeting had not been set.

Smith: Special Court not to start work for several more months (Kosovapress)

The international lawyer, Gregor D. Guy Smith, told Kosovapress that the Special Court which will be dealing exclusively with the alleged crimes committed by KLA members will not start its work for several more months. According to him, this delay will happen after the recent decision of the Special Court on the regulations which are not in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo, and which will take several months. Smith also said that he has had discussions with a number of the individuals that could be prosecuted by the Special Court, however he did not want to mention their names.

LDK to request Thaci’s dismissal from position of President (Bota Sot)

Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Arben Gashi, said his party would request Hashim Thaci’s dismissal from the position of the President, because his nomination was part of the agreement of the coalition.“It is a political request because Hashim Thaci’s nomination as President was part of the agreement, therefore it is not a judicial or constitutional but political request. It can be fulfilled through political pressure, LDK’s decision-making not to recognize the President,” Gashi said.

Gecaj: Albanians not interested in massacres and genocide like Serbia (Bota Sot)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Bajram Gecaj, responded to the statements of the Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic. He said that Albanians do not want to follow the road of massacres. Gecaj responded to Dacic’s statement that Albanians do not have the courage to speak about greater Albania, saying that “If by courage Mr. Dacic, means war with neighboring populations, then yes, Albanians are not interested nor willing to follow the road of war, crimes and massacres to the edge of genocide, as Serbia did during the recent wars and not only then. Albanians, as our responsible politicians stated, will join the European family, where they are going to be a strong, unavoidable and significant element of peace and regional security. The only way for “European Serbia” should be recognition of this reality as soon as possible as well as coexistence and constructive neighborly cooperation,” Gecaj wrote.

Ministry of Justice succumbs to pressure (Koha)

Following pressure from civil society, media and the international community, the Ministry of Justice has decided to remove several disputed articles from the draft of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, which foresaw five years of imprisonment for libel and defamation against Kosovo’s constitutional bodies. “Taking into account the concerns raised by civil society, the Ministry of Justice informs the public that it has removed with immediate effect the proposed articles 134/C (“libel against the state and symbols of the state”) and 134/D (“libel against the constitutional bodies”) from the proposal for the amendment of the Criminal Code of the Republic. The Ministry of Justice wants to emphasize that it takes into serious consideration the concerns of civil society about any proposal coming from the Ministry of Justice and wants to prove that it is willing to make the ideas and proposals of civil society part of its decisions,” a press release by the Ministry of Justice said.

Illegal Serbian operators cease activity in Kosovo (Zeri)

The paper reports that two Serb mobile operators “Telenor” and “Vip Mobile” that operated illegally in Kosovo have ceased all functions as per the Brussels agreement reached between Pristina and Belgrade in the field of telecommunications. In a statement, the mobile operators said they would discontinue the networks’ signal in Kosovo on 1 May.