UNMIK Headlines 31 August
Thaci’s initiative for unity team, not supported (Koha Ditore)
The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, has proposed a unity team which would be involved in the final process of the dialogue with Serbia. However, representatives of the Vetevendosje Movement, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and even members within the PAN coalition, do not support the proposal.
“Methods of use of using terms that could be perceived as positive markers, cannot cover the harmful process. Unification is a good thing indeed, but prior to this, we should see what the project that we are unifying around is. Unification to align in front of Vucic’s demands? No thank you! Unification to discuss modalities of internal division? No thank you,” said the leader of the Vetvendosje movement, Visar Ymeri.
LDK’s deputy leader, Agim Veliu said that “It is difficult to have a certain alignment when carriers of the most senior state duties are biased.
Bilall Sherifi, general Secretary of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), said that the manner to approach Serbia should proceed after a debate at the Assembly after the constitution of institutions.
The U.S. Senator Johnson, visted Kosovo, met Thaci and Mustafa (Koha)
The United States Senator Ronald Johnson, visited Kosovo on Wednesday, where he met with the President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci and outgoing Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa. There were no press conferences after the meetings, however the communiques issued by the offices of the President and the Prime Minister, noted that Senator Johnson promised support of Donald Trump’s administration for Kosovo.
“President Thaci demands a more dynamic dialogue” (Epoka)
Ardian Arifaj, adviser to the President of Kosovo, told the paper that Presidents Thaci and Vucic will be discussing today in Brussels implementation of the reached agreements and the future of the dialogue process. Arifaj said that Thaci is demanding a more dynamic and meaningful dialogue. According to him, Thaci is requesting to work towards a comprehensive political agreement for normalisation of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. He said that Thaci’s initiative to create a unity team intends representation and contribution of all institutions in the dialogue.
Mustafa accuses political opponents and former U.S. Ambassadors (Epoka)
The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, took to Facebook on Wednesday to criticize political parties, media and former U.S. Ambassadors for being against him and his family during the time he was mayor of Pristina and Prime Minister of Kosovo. He was harsher towards Vetevendosje Movement activists, calling them “bandits” and “hooligans” and accused them for attacking his family house in Prapashtica, in Prishtina, attacks by throwing stones on his escort, as well as “attempted attack with metallic stars produced especially to turn over the vehicle I was using to go to work…”
He wrote that the former U.S. Ambassador had proclaimed him as anti-American and anti-European only for objecting the footnote. He also said that former U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Tracey Jacobson’s announcement that Vetevendosje Movement has raised 70 charges on corruption against LDK’s local government in Pristina, appears to be ungrounded.
Shala: Kosovo Assembly to be constituted during first week of September (Zeri)
The Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) MP, Haxhi Shala, told daily Zeri on Wednesday that the Kosovo Assembly will be constituted during the first week of September. He also said he was certain that PDK leader Kadri Veseli would be elected Assembly Speaker. He did not specify which political parties will support the PDK-AAK-NISMA coalition but said during meetings with the leaders of the PAN coalition that he understood that the coalition has the necessary votes to form new institutions.
Tim Judah: Thaci has never been in a weaker position (Lajmi)
The British journalist and political analyst, Tim Judah, said yesterday that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is currently in a "coma". He said that this was because out of four agreements signed in 2015, only one has been implemented so far. According to him, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is stronger than ever, while Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has never been in a weaker position in this dialogue. He made these comments during an interview for Belgrade's Blic.