• COVID-19: 290 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Hoti: LDK's election result will be better than that of 2019 (Koha)
• Kurti: LVV needs a victory with over 61 MPs (media)
• Hoxhaj promises quality education, higher salaries for teachers (media)
• Haradinaj: As president I will act without asking Serbia (Telegrafi)
• Latest poll projects LVV winning 40.95%, PDK and LDK trail behind (Klan)
• British Embassy pledges to watch closely counting of diaspora ballots (media)
• First delivery of diaspora ballots reaches CEC (media)
• EU: Dialogue to resume as soon as new Kosovo government is formed (Telegrafi)
• Status conference in Thaci and others case set for Thursday (media)
• Belgrade court institutionalizes use of pejorative for Albanians (Gazeta Express)
• U.S. Embassy criticises decision making at KPC (media)

 

COVID-19: 290 new cases, three deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 290 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths in the last 24 hours. 189 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 7,063 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Hoti: LDK's election result will be better than that of 2019 (Koha)

Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo and the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) ticket, Avdullah Hoti, said that his party will come out better than it did in previous 2019 elections as a result of the work his government during its months in office.

He noted that the LDK has no red lines to other parties. "In principle we have no red lines because we believe this does not serve the country's stability and the political scene. The red lines are the LDK's programme."

In an interview with KTV, Hoti also said that the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia should include mutual recognition and that he has raised the issue of missing persons in the dialogue process. "We have agreed for Serbia to provide Kosovo with all the sources of information on the missing persons. The issue has been negotiated and concluded," he said.

On the issue of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, Hoti said the public has been misled about it by other political parties and that the topic will not be part of the talks with Serbia.

Kurti: LVV needs a victory with over 61 MPs (media)

Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement and acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani were in Kamenica and Vitia yesterday as part of their election campaign and said that they need a victory which enables the party to have over 61 MPs in the new Assembly of Kosovo.

In a video message Kurti said that the Vetevendosje campaign can be summed up in two words: justice and employment. "Not justice only in courts but justice in the whole society and not work only for the sake of employment but professional work. Our citizens, especially the younger generation, need a dignified life in their country. That's why these elections are important, therefore February 14 is a referendum," he said.

On Facebook, Kurti wrote: "127 hours to the opening of polls on February 14. Number 127 will win!"

Hoxhaj promises quality education, higher salaries for teachers (media)

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj criticised the previous governments of Kosovo for mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic and also pledged to work to improve the quality of the education system.

"There can be no quality education without increasing the salaries of teachers," he said while presenting the party's programme to teachers. "We have decided to increase the salaries in the elementary level to 700 euros, 800 in the secondary level and for all university professors’ salaries of 1,800 euros."

Haradinaj: As president I will act without asking Serbia (Telegrafi)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said in Klina that if he becomes president of Kosovo he would decide on things without asking for Serbia's opinion. "I have experience in countering Serbia and to be honest, I will make its job easier because I would act on my own without asking Serbia."

"Had we asked it [Serbia] about the army, we would have inconvenienced it; had we asked it about Trepca, we would have inconvenienced it; had we asked it about energy independence we would have inconvenienced it; This way we made its job easier, we did our thing. There is a need for that spirit to once again lead our country, that spirit is liberating and visionary. It is this vision that has helped us be allies to NATO," Haradinaj said.

Latest poll projects LVV winning 40.95%, PDK and LDK trail behind (Klan)

The latest poll presented at Klan Kosova by PIPOS Institute shows the projected outcome of February elections with Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) coming in first with 40.95 percent of the votes, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) with 22.03 percent. The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is projected to come in third with 19.35 percent while the other parties are expected to get less than ten percent.

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) is shown as winning 7.8 percent while the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) with 3.15 percent stands below the threshold needed to secure seats in the new Assembly.

According to the poll, LVV stands to have 45 MPs in the new Assembly, PDK 25, LDK 21, AAK 9 and 20 seats stand to be won by non-majority communities.

Head of the pollster, Fisnik Halimi, said they interviewed 3,000 respondents and that the poll’s margin of error in 1.7 percent.

British Embassy pledges to watch closely counting of diaspora ballots (media)

In response to comments and messages regarding the voting of the Kosovo diaspora, the British Embassy issued a statement saying that the independent UK elections mission has followed the issue closely:

“Over 100,000 applications for new diaspora voter registrations were accepted by the CEC. These are record numbers. As in previous elections, this process has not been perfect. Previous EU Election Observation Missions have recommended that the law be changed in order to allow more time for pre-electoral processes to take place. That has not happened and the timeframe for these snap elections is even shorter than normal, putting pressure on the CEC and creating risks that not all ballots cast overseas will arrive on time.

“This mission, along with others, is engaging with the relevant institutions and is satisfied that arrangements have been made for all diaspora ballots that arrive on time to be received securely and counted without interference. We will of course continue to monitor this closely.”

First delivery of diaspora ballots reaches CEC (media)

The head of the Central Election Commission Secretariat, Burim Ahmetaj, said yesterday that the first shipment of votes from the diaspora has arrived at the CEC on Saturday.

Ahmetaj revealed that the shipment includes around 3,000 packages that were mailed by express service. He added that the CEC was making the final preparations ahead of Sunday's elections and that the voting booths had already been distributed while the printed ballots are expected to arrive to Kosovo on Friday.

EU: Dialogue to resume as soon as new Kosovo government is formed (Telegrafi)

Peter Stano, spokesperson for the EU foreign policy, told RTV Dukagjini that the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak is working intensively to ensure the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina resumes as soon as the new government of Kosovo is in place.

"Dialogue efforts are ongoing. Lajcak is engaged in acting jointly with EU partners, Western Balkans countries and international community. Special meetings between Kosovo and Serbia will begin once a new government in Kosovo is formed," he said.

Status conference in Thaci and others case set for Thursday (media)

The third status conference in the case against former KLA leaders - Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi - has been scheduled to take place on February 11 at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers at The Hague.

Thaci, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi stand accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity including illegal detentions, torture, murder, enforced disappearances and persecution from at least March 1998 through September 1999 and took place in several locations across Kosovo as well as in Kukës and Cahan, in Northern Albania. All four have pleaded not guilty.

Belgrade court institutionalizes use of pejorative for Albanians (Gazeta Express)

A court in Belgrade has ruled in favour of Serbian minister, Aleksandar Vulin, who openly used derogatory term “Shiptari” for Albanians, Gazeta Express reports.

The news has been confirmed by Albanian MP in Serbia’s Parliament, Shaip Kamberi. He said the Higher Court in Belgrade has ruled in favour of Vulin who continuously uses the pejorative for Albanians.

“The Court in Serbia gives the right to the institutional insult towards Albanians! The EU, US and countries of the region, should react to this dangerous precedent for minorities in Balkans,” Kamberi wrote on Facebook.

He said the court gave judicial weight and institutionalized the derogatory and insulting rhetoric in Serbia adding that this has not happened even during Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. Kamberi said that he has decided to undertake institutional actions to appeal the Court’s decision.

U.S. Embassy criticises decision making at KPC (media)

Lana Owens, legal advisor with the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo, has criticised the decision making processes at the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) saying that certain acts are in violation to legal provisions and regulations.

"I urge you to stick to your regulations. We will be by your side when you take right decisions. There are many things you as a prosecutorial system can do but you can do that only by relying on the law and regulations," Owens said.

Most recently the KPC announced the appointment of members to four of its committees and also decided on temporary transfer of a number of prosecutors.

In October of last year, the U.S. Embassy had slammed the appointment of new KPC members and chief prosecutors saying the processes were 'fundamentally broken' and that they lacked transparency and were subject to increasing conflicts of interest.