UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, July 21, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Dialogue goes on "break" without implementation of Agreement (Koha)

PDK asks Court to rule on decision to hold Assembly session on July 13 (media)

Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss developments and dialogue process (media)

Haradinaj: We will not keep silent about situation Kurti has brought us in (Kosovapress)

Kadrijaj: When we secure vote from majority MPs, we’ll initiate no-confidence motion (KTV)

Krasniqi: Violence in the Assembly was a scenario of the Kurti government (RTV21, media)

Serwer: A well-briefed committee, but Administration isn’t listening (media)

U.S. Embassy hosts reporters and camera crews that reported from the north (media)

Mitrovica North stops constructions; Mayor: Laws must be respected (media)

Indictment against two Serbs for attacking reporters and KFOR soldiers (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

Indictment raised against two Serbs arrested at Jarinje crossing point on May 31 (KoSSev, RTS, media)

Mitrovica North inspection department halts construction of projects financed by Serbia (KoSSev)

Serbian List: Kurti seizes Serbian land and bans reconstruction of social buildings and school in Mitrovica North (Kosovo Online)

Vucic discusses key national issues with Patriarch, Dodik (N1)

Milorad Djokovic pleaded not guilty for allegedly committed war crimes in Pec (RTS)

International Media:

Bislimi: EU Plan Gives More Attention to Serbia’s Demands Rather than Kosovo’s (BIRN)

Kosovo Serb Pleads Not Guilty to War Crime Charges (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Dialogue goes on "break" without implementation of Agreement (Koha)

The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia "went on summer break" without putting an end to most of the issues agreed in the February 27 Agreement in Brussels and the Annex for its implementation agreed in Ohrid on March 18.

The documents on which the parties did not put their signatures remained under the shadow of the tensions of May and June in the north populated by a Serb majority. There was no agreement even in the last meeting that the EU emissary for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, had with the chief negotiators of both countries. As a result, he repeated the refrain of the last few months that urgent steps should be taken to improve the situation in the north and to mark progress in the normalization of relations between the two countries, reports the news website.

PDK asks Court to rule on decision to hold Assembly session on July 13 (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the decision to schedule the plenary session of the Kosovo Assembly on the day when a fight broke out between MPs from the PDK and the government. After the fight, the session went on a break. Later, regardless of disagreements and the opposition’s request to end the session, the government decided to adopt several points, including the Law on the Minimum Wage.

PDK parliamentary group chief, Abelard Tahiri, said in a Facebook post that the PDK has asked for the July 13 session to be annulled entirely and that there were two violations of the Constitution. “The last plenary session of the Assembly was scheduled and called in opposition with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the Regulation of the Work of the Assembly, therefore, as such it needs to be annulled together with all decisions that were made at this unconstitutional session. We believe that the Assembly President made two constitutional violations: first, in failing to meet the timeline to call and schedule the plenary session, and second, by not presenting for approval the agenda of the session – in the lack of a consensus in the [Assembly] Presidency as a result of the lack of required quorum, namely the failure to hold the meeting of the Presidency,” Tahiri said.

Tahiri also said that they have requested a temporary measure whereby the effect of all decisions made at the session would be suspended until the Constitutional Court makes a final decision on the matter.

Vetevendosje MP Adnan Rrustemi reacted to the PDK’s request, claiming that the “PDK are clearly positioned against the people of Kosovo. They want to take revenge on the people for the results of the February 14 elections. It is unimaginable to see that this party has sent to the Constitutional Court the decision of the Assembly President about last week’s session where a series of important decisions were adopted”.

Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss developments and dialogue process (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, on Thursday, and discussed current developments, with special emphasis on the process of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that she and Hovenier also discussed “continued coordination with partners, knowing that our institutions and the United States share the objective of de-escalating the situation in the north of the country”.

Haradinaj: We will not keep silent about situation Kurti has brought us in (Kosovapress)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, criticized Prime Minister Albin Kurti about the current situation and the penalty measures against Kosovo. After a roundtable with representatives of civil society and media, Haradinaj said they will continue internal dialogue, which he says, is aimed at restoring normality in Kosovo.

“The meeting concluded that we must not keep silent before the situation we are faced with, before a situation where Kosovo has been sanctioned by the main supporters of our freedom, independence, and democracy. We will continue meeting with other sectors too in order to emerge from the current situation and blockade,” he said.

Haradinaj also called on the government to coordinate with Kosovo’s partners for the path toward NATO membership and the dialogue with Serbia.

Kadrijaj: When we secure vote from majority MPs, we’ll initiate no-confidence motion (KTV)

MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Time Kadrijaj, said on Thursday that the Kosovo government needs to be transparent about all processes, especially about the dialogue with Serbia and the situation in the north. After a roundtable with civil society and media representatives, Kadrijaj said: “all participants agreed that the country is in a deep political, economic, and social situation, and that clear steps are needed from civil society, opposition parties, and the media, to highlight all the failures of the government, because this is a conflicting government. At the roundtable it was said that there is no media that was not attacked by this government, all those that have a position that is different from the Vetevendosje are attacked”.

Kadrijaj said that as soon as they secure votes from majority MPs too they will initiate a no-confidence motion against the Kurti-led government.

Krasniqi: The violence in the Assembly was a scenario of the Kurti government (RTV21, media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi, has accused the Kurti government of inciting violence in the Assembly. Krasniqi said that such scenes have no place in the Assembly of Kosovo, and also recalled tear gas and other attacks made against former prime ministers, government officials, MPs.

"It was a senseless, unreasonable tendency and readiness to escalate the situation and it is the first time that we have a direct incitement from the highest exponents of the government to have violence in the Assembly", he said.

Serwer: A well-briefed committee, but Administration isn’t listening (media)

Several news websites cover an opinion piece by U.S. analyst on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, on the recent testimony by U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“Well-briefed, the members of Congress asked good questions. The Administration responses were less convincing. They consistently avoided any serious criticism of Serbia and continued to hold Kosovo principally, if not exclusively, responsible for the current train wreck. There was no sign that Gabe was listening to the repeated indications that a tougher approach with Serbia is needed,” Serwer writes.

“Two notable omissions. Gabe did not mention Open Balkans, a Belgrade initiative that appears to have died a merited death. But bad ideas never die in the Balkans. They return like zombies to haunt the region. Just wait a few years, or maybe months. It will be back, along with partition.”

Read full piece at: https://t.ly/0GVK8

U.S. Embassy hosts reporters and camera crews that reported from the north (media)

The United States Embassy in Kosovo hosted a meeting on Thursday with reporters and camera crews that covered the recent tensions in the north of Kosovo. “We were glad to welcome reporters and camera operators who have been covering the recent tensions in the north of Kosovo to the Embassy. These courageous individuals are working every day to ensure the public can receive accurate information about the situation on the ground - sometimes at great risk to their safety and security. Thanks to each and every one of you for your tireless and fearless reporting,” the U.S. Embassy said in a Facebook post.

Mitrovica North stops constructions; Mayor: Laws must be respected (media)

Mitrovica North Mayor Erden Atiq said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the Department of Inspection stopped construction in several sites, because the construction work was being done without respecting legal procedures. He said that the construction will not be allowed until the criteria foreseen by law are met. “We encourage the citizens to follow the recommendations of institutions and for every investment to meet the criteria foreseen by law, otherwise, the Department of Inspection will act in accordance with the law,” he added.

Indictment against two Serbs for attacking reporters and KFOR soldiers (Kallxo)

The news website reports that two Serbian nationals were arrested in late May at the Jarinje border crossing and were investigated for terrorism by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo. They have been in detention since June 1. The Special Prosecution on Thursday filed an indictment for participation in mobs that engage in the criminal offense of hooliganism. One of the Serbian nationals is also charged with the unauthorized possession of arms.

Serbian Language Media

Indictment raised against two Serbs arrested at Jarinje crossing point on May 31 (KoSSev, RTS, media)

The Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office has raised indictment against two Serbs with initials S.J. and I.S., arrested at Jarinje crossing point on May 31, their defense lawyers Ljubomir Pantovic and Milos Delevic confirmed for KoSSev.

Both have been charged with the criminal offense of “participation in a group that commits criminal acts or hooliganism,“ while I.S. faces an additional charge of “unauthorized possession of weapons”, given that Kosovo police said they found pepper spray in the vehicle they traveled with, and it is considered a weapon by the law.

The lawyers pointed out that this is a somewhat more favorable situation compared to the very serious charges under which they were initially arrested, that accused them of “endangering the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.“

Mitrovica North inspection department halts construction of projects financed by Serbia (KoSSev)

The fact that employees in institutions in North Mitrovica and Zvecan have been protesting daily in front of the municipal building in Zvecan for almost two months now, following the forcible entry of Kosovo police special units poses no obstacle to the functioning of Mitrovica North municipality, which operates within the Kosovo system, KoSSev portal reports.

This municipality has made a series of decisions and taken concrete steps since Serbian List and Serb municipal employees tendered their resignations in November last year, most of them Serbian community finding contesting.

Yesterday, they stopped the construction of at least three infrastructure facilities in Mitrovica North: a residential building in the Brdjani settlement, the new school for students of South Mitrovica schools, which nowadays are mostly attended by Roma children, which is being built near the “Vojni remont” site, and a new rectory building under construction downtown, within the university campus.