Headlines - 21.06.2017

• Mustafa: Under no circumstance with the PDK (Koha)
• Veseli: I see no other alternative than prime minister Haradinaj (RFE)
• Haradinaj: We will create new institutions within legal timeframe (Epoka)
• Kurteshi: Vetevendosje won’t give up on Prime Minister’s post (Klan Kosova)
• PAN will not speak with one voice in Parliament (Koha)
• Roth: Kosovo in emergent need for stable government (Epoka e Re)
• Manza: Do not rush with KSF transformation (Epoka)
• President Thaci to meet representatives of political parties today (media)
• No human remains found at Krizevak site, Serbia (Telegrafi/Kosovapress)

Mustafa: Under no circumstance with the PDK (Koha)

Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, told KTV on Tuesday that his party would under no circumstance join the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) in forming a new government. Mustafa also ruled out possible talks with AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj and Nisma leader Fatmir Limaj as long as they are part of the coalition with PDK. “We won’t reach any agreement with PDK. We have agreed to wait for the certification of election results. Our position is clear: we will have no communication or agreement with PDK,” Mustafa said. “We don’t rule out talks with the Vetevendosje Movement. But we will talk after the certification of results. We will not join Vetevendosje but we will co-govern”. Mustafa also said that the post of Prime Minister will be LDK’s main condition in future talks for forming a new government. At the same time, Kosova Sot quotes Mustafa as saying that neither Ramush Haradinaj, candidate for prime minister from the PAN coalition, nor Vetevendosje’s Albin Kurti can rely on LDK votes.

Veseli: I see no other alternative than prime minister Haradinaj (RFE)

In an interview to Radio Free Europe, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Kadri Veseli, said that Ramush Haradinaj will become the future prime minister of Kosovo as this is how the people have voted. “Alternatives are almost inexistent to Ramush Haradinaj becoming prime minister”, Veseli said. He said the coalition led by his party scored a convincing win in June elections and stressed that Kosovo cannot afford blockades. Veseli said further that he very much hoped political parties would “positively reflect” following certification of final results and cooperate on implementation of election result.

Haradinaj: We will create new institutions within legal timeframe (Epoka)

The debate between the candidates for Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj and Albin Kurti, on who is going to create the new institutions, continued on Tuesday. PAN candidate, Ramush Haradinaj pledged that he would establish the new government within the legal timeframe, while Vetevendosje candidate, Albin Kurti, called publically on the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) to cooperate on establishment of the new institutions.

Kurteshi: Vetevendosje will not give up on Prime Minister’s post (Klan Kosova)

Vetevendosje’s Sami Kurteshi told Klan Kosova on Tuesday that his party would not bargain with the post of Prime Minister in future talks for forming a new government. Kurteshi said: “the Vetevendosje Movement has gone through an exceptional growth that is unusual for democratic countries in the last 30 years. Talks for forming a new government will commence after the certification of election results. We will not talk with the PAN coalition. We will invite all MPs that agree with Vetevendosje’s governance program. We are relatively confident we will form a new government, because we believe that PAN will fail to do so. We have received the people’s mandate to form a new government. We are also confident that we should not bargain with the Prime Minister’s post.”

PAN will not speak with one voice in Parliament (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that the Initiative for Kosovo (Nisma), which is part of the coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), will have its own parliamentary group in the next legislative. Nisma representatives however said they will support Ramush Haradinaj’s candidacy for Prime Minister and will be part of a new government that the winning coalition will try to form. The Haradinaj-led AAK meanwhile has left open the possibility of functioning as a sole parliamentary group, whereas the PDK did not comment on these issues.

Roth: Kosovo in emergent need for stable government (Epoka e Re)

The German Minister for Europe, Michael Roth, said during the meeting with Kosovo’s outgoing Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, that Kosovo is an urgent need for a stable and European government in order to push forward reforms from that are beneficial for the people of Kosovo. Roth said that Kosovo’s future is in Europe and that Kosovo’s perspective for EU membership is realistic, just as that of the other Western Balkans countries.

Manza: Do not rush with KSF transformation (Epoka)

NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, John Manza met on Tuesday with Kosovo’s outgoing Minister for Security Forces. He said during the meeting that transformation of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) should commence through constitutional changes and added that this should not be a hastened process, but a progress based on secure steps. He added that the letter of the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg is proof of NATO’s support for KSF.

President Thaci to meet representatives of political parties today (media)

Several news websites report that Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci will meet today with representatives of political parties to set the date for local elections. The meeting will start at 09:00 hours in the premises of the Kosovo Parliament and will be open to the media.

No human remains found at Krizevak site, Serbia (Telegrafi/Kosovapress)

Excavations into a suspected mass grave site at Krizevak, Serbia, concluded yesterday without any human remains found. Head of the Kosovo government’s missing persons commission, Prenk Gjetaj, said the excavation works had started late 2015 and continued on and off until now. Gjetaj said however that there are mores suspected mass grave sites in the region of Raska which have not been included in the excavation agenda.