LOCAL PRESS

 

Djordjevic: Continuation of participation in peacekeeping operations (RTS/Tanjug)

Serbian MPs discussed today the draft decision on participation of Serbian Army members in multinational operations this year and adoption of the annual plan of using the Serbian Army and other defense forces in multinational operations. The Serbian Defense Ministry has planned to continue this year engagement in seven United Nations peacekeeping operations in Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Cyprus, Lebanon, Near East and Central African Republic, and in four EU multinational operations, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic said in parliament. He said that participation in seven UN peacekeeping operations is planned for the first time – in Western Sahara, Republic of Mali, Jammu and Kashmir, South Sudan, Sudan, Near East, and two EU multinational operations – in Central African Republic and the Mediterranean. According to him, this way, conditions are being created for fulfilling Serbia’s obligations stemming from the concluded Memorandum of understanding between the Serbian government and the UN on contributing in the 2011 UN stand-by arrangement system.

 

Dacic: No information on progress in Bytyqi case (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic declared on Tuesday that he has not been informed on whether there is any progress in the Bytyqi case, but that this is not an issue dealt with by the Foreign Ministry. Asked about this issue at a news conference, Dacic said not resolving this case would be a problem, because the “US protects its citizens”. “They always highlight two topics that they discuss with Serbian officials – the Bytyqi brothers and the torching of their embassy. And this has been going on for eight years now, and even longer in the Bytyqi case,” he said.

 

Kuburovic-Bytyqi meeting, Serbia wants full truth on case (Tanjug/RTS)

Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic talked today with Fatos Bytyqi, where it was stressed that all competent institutions were willing to work on discovering the full truth in regard to this case. Minister Kuburovic pointed out that the Serbian government will offer, within its competencies, full support to strengthening the capacity of the competent prosecution, which is also in accordance with the implementation of the National Strategy for processing war crimes. The meeting was attended by US Deputy Ambassador to Serbia Kurt Donnelly and Second Secretary Jon Bowermaster.

 

Tachi let out of custody (N1/Beta/Politika)

Regional Director of Kosovo police Nehat Tachi has been released from custody after his arrest on Sept. 29. His attorney Vladimir Gajic told N1 that a court decided on Oct. 28 to extend his stay in custody, which he successfully appealed and was notified of that by the court on Nov. 1.

It is unusual that the prosecution, as Politika learns, demanded last Friday that Tachi remains in custody in order to interrogate during the investigation policemen from Nis who filed charges against him. For this reason, the judge extended custody for Tachi, while his attorneys filed a complaint. In the meantime, the court received a decision that the prosecution had given up the procedure.

 

Decision confirmed on custody for Kelmendi (Politika)

It was announced on Tuesday that the department for war crimes of the Higher Court in Belgrade had confirmed the earlier brought decision, by which Hilmi Kelmendi, suspected of war crimes in Kosovo, was set custody. The custody decision was originally brought in 2011, and the judge has decided for this decision to remain in force because of a flight risk, states the announcement.

The Serbian police arrested Kelmendi on Monday, who was returning from Kosovo to Germany, where he has been living for the past 12 years.

 

Tahiri and Djuric to discuss freedom of movement on 16, 17 November (Danas)

A new round of the Brussels negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina will be held on 16 and 17 November, Danas learns unofficially from diplomatic sources. These sources note that the main topic of the talks will be freedom of movement and implementation of the earlier reached agreement on “permanent facilities in regard to integrated management of crossings”, while the delegations will be headed by Marko Djuric and Edita Tahiri. According to these sources, if the next meeting beetween Belgrade and Pristina representatives ends with an agreement, the chances for Serbia to open new chapters in December will increase.

 

Miscevic: Serbia hopes to open additional three chapters by yearend (Beta)

Serbia is “very much interested” in opening an additional three negotiation chapters on EU membership, the Head of the Serbian negotiation team Tanja Miscevic declared on Tuesday.

The key challenge for this will be the implementation of obligations under Chapter 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights), she told a news conference on the application of activities envisaged by the chapter’s action plan.

 

Radulovic requests Vucic to sign his letter to EU concerning Trepca (Danas)

Leader of the movement it’s Enough Sasa Radulovic requested of the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to sign a letter by which that movement asks of the European Parliament and the European Commission to oppose the “attempted confiscation” of the mining-metallurgical complex Trepca on the part of the Kosovo government. Radulovic is demanding of Vucic to state his opinion of whether he is prepared to sign the letter and distribute it to all the EU members. “I believe that it would be wise to send such a letter since it is in the interests of Serbia and the shareholders and legal entities, and since there is now in Kosovo a process of denial of basic civilization values, and that is the sacrosanctness of property,” Radulovic said at a press conference in parliament, insisting that Trepca is in the ownership of its shareholders, and trustees. Radulovic said that it was “incredible” for the Serbian government to annul decisions of a parliament belonging to a country whose independence it did not recognize. “The government’s decision is obviously a theatrical, an expression of helplessness, and an indicator that they do not have a single answer as to what standpoint to take towards this matter,” Radulovic said. However, it is “irrelevant whether someone believes that Kosovo is an independent state or not. This is a property matter which should have absolutely nothing to do with the matter of the recognition of Kosovo,” Radulovic said. “No one has the right to confiscate someone’s property just because it is in the ownership of private and physical entities which belong to another nation,” he added.

 

Gasic to take over position of Head of Bureau for Coordination of Security Services (Kurir)

The former Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic is the most serious candidate for the post of the Head of the Bureau for Coordination of Security Services. He will take over the function of a coordinator of security services from Aleksandar Vucic with the goal of cleaning the existing structure, reorganizing the agency and reducing the influence of foreigners. Former Minister of Defense has already spent some time on a specialized training for this job.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

All security agencies in B&H asked to check certain data on portable anti-tank rocket launcher found near Vucic’s house in Jajinci (Hayat)

Serbian Minister of Interior Nebojsa Stefanovic submitted all security agencies in B&H with a request to check certain data about the portable anti-tank rocket launcher, found close to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s house in Jajinci near Belgrade. Namely, Serbian authorities suspect that the portable anti-tank rocket launcher was used in the war in the area of Sarajevo (and Doboj). Republika Srpska (RS) Minister of Interior Dragan Lukac confirmed that the RS Ministry of Interior (MoI) does not have data on where these weapons were used. According to Lukac, this most likely refers to residual weapons from the war that reached Serbia “through some channels”. B&H Minister of Security Dragan Mektic argued that the RS MoI should be dealing with the rocket launcher that was traced back to Doboj as well as the bomb from Pale, referring to the weapons that were recently found near the house of Vucic.

 

Zecevic: Allegations that weapons originate from B&H and Croatia are crazy (TV1)

Military expert Berko Zecevic said that such allegations are crazy. He explained that the found assault rifle was produced in Serbia, as well as the hand-held rocket launcher. Zecevic further said it is possible that the weapons could be in B&H and Croatia during the war, but stressed that does not mean anything. He emphasized that B&H and Croatia should not be linked to the case, because the most of weapons of former Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) remained with the Serbian Army. Reporter reminded that his was not the first alleged assassination against Vucic, but added that all these attempts were never proved.

 

RS sends 16^th report to UN SC: SDA is closely connected to Mujahedeen’s (Srna)

The 16^th Republika Srpska (RS) report, sent to the UN Security Council, reads that it is necessary to undertake serious action in eradicating of presence of jihadists in B&H, but this will never happen all until “its centralized security institutions are under domination of SDA, which is closely connected to Mujahedeen’s”.  The Reports reads that “friends of B&H”, if they want to help in decreasing of terrorism threats in B&H, need to stop supporting “centralization of intelligence and security services in Sarajevo based agencies and blocking of anti-terrorist activities of entities and local police”. It is stated that terrorists increased their attacks on B&H, even though they mainly use B&H as safe haven for jihadists who are acting abroad. The Report also mentioned couple of examples of terrorist acts in B&H, including the one from November 2015, when Enes Omeragic murdered two members of B&H Armed Forces. “B&H Security apparatus, under domination of SDA, is not working on eradicating of jihadists presence in B&H and security services in Sarajevo, and their domestic, political and international supervisors, simply do not want to answer extremists threats, which are closely connected to SDA and their wartime supporters,” reads Report. It is further stated that many recruits of the Islamic State, are in fact former members of El-Mujahedeen unit, formed by Alija Izetbegovic, including at least one of six persons from B&H, against whom the US raised indictment in 2015, because of sending money and material funds to the IS. “RS authorities are doing everything in their power to stop terrorism in B&H and abroad, but their hands are tied in efforts to secure protection from jihadist’s violence. Security and intelligence agencies at B&H and Federation of B&H level, often do not share intelligence information with RS institutions and in the meantime, jihadist communities exist in the Federation of B&H and Brcko District, outside of competence of the RS police”, reads the Report.  The Report also mentioned the statement of SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic that RS President Milorad Dodik will end up like Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi or Slobodan Milosevic, as well as Sefer Halilovic’s threats with war if referendum in RS is held.

 

B&H CEC confirms results of local elections except for Stolac (FTV)

B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) held an urgent session in Sarajevo on Tuesday and confirmed results of recently-held local elections in B&H, except for the ones held in Stolac. The announcement comes after the Appellate Division of B&H Court solved 75 complaints filed in relation to the elections. Thus, conditions for official confirmation and publishing of the results of the elections that were held on October 2 have been fulfilled. To remind, local elections in Stolac were interrupted and ballot boxes were stolen. FTV reported that no one knows when the elections in Stolac will be officially annulled and when competent institutions will call new elections in this town. President of B&H CEC Ahmed Santic said that they will adopt conclusions about accountability of candidates and members of Stolac Municipal Election Commission, on Wednesday. B&H CEC is expected to hand over certificates to new mayors, Heads of Municipalities, councilors and delegates in Municipal and City Assemblies at a ceremony in Sarajevo, in seven days. According to announcements, Collegium of B&H CEC will again discuss whether Fikret Abdic will attend the ceremony as a new Head of Velika Kladusa Municipality. However, representatives of B&H CEC reminded that each of their decisions have already been confirmed at Court. According to laws in B&H, B&H Criminal Code stipulates that as convicted war criminal, Abdic cannot assume public posts for at least 10 years. As for elections in Srebrenica, member of B&H CEC Suad Arnautovic issued a dissented opinion when it comes to results of elections for the Head of Srebrenica Municipality and Srebrenica Municipal Assembly. At the end, representatives of B&H CEC expressed their regret with the fact that local elections were not held in Mostar this year. In this regard, B&H CEC called on competent officials to do their best and enable legal framework for holding of elections in Stolac and Mostar.

 

Initiative for Stolac to organize protests in front of B&H CEC building in Sarajevo today (Oslobodjenje)

The Initiative for Stolac is organizing a protest gathering in front of the building of the Central Election Commission of B&H in Sarajevo on Wednesday, requesting a new date for the local elections in Stolac. The Initiative for Stolac stated two days ago that they submitted over 50 complaints to the Municipal Election Commission and B&H CEC before and during the elections, but both ignored them. “The whole public is clear that the refusal to annul elections in Stolac, as well as additional explanations about some investigations, are just an attempt to use a loophole in the Law on Elections, which would leave the current municipal structure in power,” reads the statement of the Initiative for Stolac. One of the candidates for the Stolac Municipal Council from the Initiative for Stolac Demir Mahmutcehajic stated that the Wednesday’s gathering is being organized under a request of Stolac residents. “We are coming in order to point out there has been more than a month since the attempt to hold local elections in our municipality. We will request from the CEC to work in accordance with the law and finally start fighting political pressure,” stated Mahmutcehajic and underlined that all they want are fair elections. Representative of the Initiative for Stolac Nermina Frenjo stated that they want to point out the agony they are going through in Stolac, as the CEC keeps ignoring all their complaints. “We hope the gentlemen in question will start doing their jobs,” stated Frenjo and added: “If the CEC respected the laws of this country, our problem would have been resolved within several days. All the Initiative for Stolac is demanding are free and fair elections, not the elections we had on 2 October.” Daily learned that some seven or eight busses full of Stolac residents will arrive to Sarajevo on Wednesday, and they are expected to have support of residents of Mostar and Bugojno.

 

Moore: We are closely following and supporting work of CEC B&H (Dnevni list)

The Head of the OSCE Mission to B&H Ambassador Jonathan Moore said that the OSCE is closely following and supporting the work of the Central Election Commission of B&H (CEC B&H). According to Moore, only independent and impartial bodies are capable of guaranteeing fair elections, adding that the OSCE hopes the CEC B&H will soon take a decision on the repeat of the elections in Stolac. Moore further said that, excluding the fact citizens of Mostar have not been able to vote for years and that the election process in Stolac has not been completed, it is clear that many citizens are not happy. In this context the Ambassador says “still we hear that most results reflect the voters’ will”. “Allow me to say that elections in rest of the world are not without minor irregularities and incidents,” he added.

 

Montenegrin opposition to boycott parliament’s inaugural session and to consider protests (CDM)

The Key coalition, the Democrats and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) will not attend Parliament’s inaugural session. Representatives of these parties decided that at the meeting. According to the information CDM obtained from the opposition, the decision not to attend Parliament’s inaugural meeting was made at the meeting of opposition representatives, which was not attended by the Democratic Font (DF) representatives. According to the source, the opposition will consider continuing to boycott Parliament in the coming period. The source also said that all options are on the table – the boycott of the Parliament and protests as a democratic form of struggle if it is insisted that the elections of 16 October were free and fair. The opposition invited the minority parties again to accept negotiations with the civic opposition. The inaugural session of the newly elected Parliament will be held not later than 14 November. According to Article 88 of the Constitution, the first session of the Parliament shall be convened by the Parliament Speaker of the previous composition within 15 days after declaring final election results. This means that the next Parliament session will be held not later than 14 November and, according to the Constitution, it shall be convened by the former leader of Positive Montenegro Darko Pajovic. The first parliament’s session will be chaired by DPS MP Marija Catovic, as the eldest MP, until the new parliament speaker is elected. According to the Rules of Procedure, she will be assisted by the youngest MP, Dzenan Kolic, MP for the Democrats and the Secretary General of the parliament Sinisa Stankovic.

 

Markovic starts coalition negotiations with Bosniaks (Dnevne novine)

DPS candidate for prime minister of the new government, Dusko Markovic, will start coalition negotiations with the Bosniak Party (BS), a source from DPS confirmed for CDM and Dnevne novine. A joint meeting between Markovic and representatives of the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI), Forca and the Social Democrats (SD) is scheduled for today. After that, all of them will discuss the positions in the future cabinet together. Along with SD and minority parties, DPS has 42 of 81 seats in the parliament. On the other hand, the Democratic Front (DF), the Key coalition, the Democrats and SDP decided to boycott the constitutive session of the Parliament, in response to, as they said, another electoral fraud. Given that the election result was officially declared yesterday in the Official Gazette, the constitutive session of the parliament must be held by 14 November.

 

Tense at coup case hearing: Contempt of court warning issued against SPP Janeva (Telegraf.mk)

Hearing on the case “Coup” was held on Tuesday at the Criminal Court in which defendants are the former director of the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK), Zoran Verusevski and SDSM leader Zoran Zaev. The trial for unauthorized wiretapping was scheduled for 5 August last year, but has since been repeatedly delayed. Tuesday's Coup case hearing, in which SDSM leader Zoran Zaev and ex counterintelligence chief Zoran Verusevski are defendants, was quite tense. Judge Ljubinka Basevska postponed the hearing because two jurors lacked security certificates, to which SPP Katica Janeva reacted harshly saying that the hearing is being postponed for over a year and that the judge is taking advantage of her official position. “Are you not ashamed? For once in your career be transparent. You have been harassing us for over a year,” Janeva said angrily at the judge. “SPP Janeva, keeps violating the order in the courtroom, and issuing insults. The report clearly states why the hearing is being postponed,” Basevska said. Lawyer Filip Medarski suggested by SPO, asked Basevska if witness Nikola Gruevski was called to Tuesday’s hearing. Judge Basevska again warned that the order in the court be respected so as fines can be avoided. Upon accusations by Janeva that the Court is blocking the Coup case trial, Basevska said that 6 hearings were canceled due to the absence of some defendants, to which Janeva reacted strongly. “Look me in the eye and tell me that. How are you not ashamed? You are not telling the truth,” Janeva said. After this, Basevska and the rest of the members of the judicial council got up to leave. Zoran Zaev asked to speak, but the judges already left the courtroom. The trail has been postponed indefinitely as it is uncertain how long will it take for the jurors to obtain security certificates. After the hearing’s postponement, Zaev said that the judicial council is not conducting a legal, but a political process. “The public has been a witness to a judiciary on its knees. Today, the Judicial Council and its president showcased that they have no intention to carry out a legal proceeding, but a political one, Zaev said. According to him, Coup case is a key in resolving the political crisis so as it can be “revealed who was involved in the wiretapping scandal.

 

Georgievski: VMRO-DPMNE’s offer was good, I do not owe anything to SDSM (Telma)

VMRO People’s Party leader Ljubco Georgievski, in an interview with TV Telma has dismissed reports that he abandoned the negotiations with the right block because he did not give guarantees that they will not enter a coalition with VMRO-DPMNE. “I use this opportunity to say that it is only speculation. In the negotiations we had with Pavle Trajanov and Jove Kekenovski no one asked this question, for which they say is the problem. The problems are the candidate lists. Ljube Boskovski can witness this, as well as the twelve people who negotiated,” Georgievski said on Telma. Georgievski added that the opposition party SDSM has no right to remark anything in his policy because, as he said, it has nothing to do with it. "I do not owe anything to the SDSM. Rather, if we need to talk this way, I will sign that I will not do a coalition with VMRO-DPMNE, but SDSM will have to sign a declaration to apologize to Ljupco Georgievski for everything they did to him in the past years,” Georgievski said. He confirmed that VMRO-DPMNE had offered a “very good package” for election coalition, but, as he said, the proposal was outvoted and rejected in the Executive Committee of the party.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

New War Court Could Disrupt Kosovo’s Politics (BIRN, by Arben Qirezi, 2 November 2016)

If the new Hague-based Special Court indicts senior politicians for war crimes and political killings, it could bring down Kosovo’s governing coalition and undermine the major parties, experts suggest.

The first indictments from the new Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague for crimes committed during and after the war in Kosovo, which are expected at the end of this year or early 2017, might not only spark calls for snap elections but could have a profound effect on the overall political scene in the country. The primary targets of these indictments are expected to include a number of top officials from the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, who were part of the senior leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, during the war. In spite of scepticism regarding the efficiency of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office and the Specialist Chambers - commonly known as the Special Court - local commentators believe that there is a possibility that Kosovo’s political scene will change, provided that justice is pursued independently and without political interference. The indictments are likely to bring the governing coalition between the PDK and the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, to an end, since a number of cases may relate to political violence allegedly perpetrated during and after the war by the KLA against people who are now LDK officials. “Indictments would destabilise the PDK,” Halil Matoshi, a political commentator from Pristina, told BIRN. Widespread discontent within the LDK regarding its current marriage with PDK could also bring down the current LDK leadership in favour of those who opposed the coalition.

‘Campaign of persecution’

According to a 2011 Council of Europe report, largely endorsed in 2014 by an investigation by the European Union Special Investigative Task Force, a number of unnamed KLA members were allegedly involved in a “campaign of persecution” against Serbs, Roma and Kosovo Albanians believed to be collaborators with the Belgrade regime. The alleged crimes include killings, abductions, organ harvesting, illegal detentions, drug trafficking and sexual violence during and after the 1998-99 war between the KLA and Serbian forces. The Council of Europe Report was mainly focused on the activities of the so-called ‘Drenica Group’, which allegedly consisted of the top KLA officials, including former prime minister and PDK leader and current president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, Kosovo Assembly chairman and current PDK leader, Kadri Veseli, and other senior PDK figures. Both Thaci and Veseli have strongly denied the allegations. Thaci has repeatedly said that both he and Kosovo have “nothing to hide”, while at the last Kosovo Assembly plenary session, Veseli called on “all witnesses to come forward”, saying that he and his party colleagues supported the establishment of the Specialist Chambers because it was in Kosovo’s interest. The Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, mandated with the authority to prosecute and try cases “which relate to the [2011] Council of Europe Assembly Report”, was enacted by the Kosovo Assembly in August 2015. In addition, the law mandated the court to try cases of political violence targeting political opponents of the KLA leadership. Various reports have claimed that there was an organized campaign of murders, abduction, illegal detention and torture targeting close associates of the former leader of the LDK and former president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, and KLA members loyal to him.

Implications for the PDK

A recent statement by Assembly chairman Veseli that early elections could be held if there is a consensus between Kosovo’s political parties was widely interpreted as a move linked to the expected indictments. It is widely believed that a snap parliamentary vote before the first indictments are filed could serve as an insurance policy for the PDK, which according to opinion polls continues to hold the leading position on Kosovo’s political scene. Local political commentators believe that the indictments would affect the PDK’s standing. “[Indictments] would weaken the PDK, but would not eliminate it from the political scene,” Nexhmedin Spahiu, political commentator and director of Radio Mitrovica, told BIRN. But if allegations its officials are judged guilty by the new special court, it could threaten the party’s entire future. “If the indictments are proven in the Specialist Chambers’ rulings, the PDK’s survival will be difficult, because no one will want to continue to identify with it,” Matoshi said. Many in Kosovo believe that the recent plenary session of the Kosovo Assembly, which was called by the PDK to object to last week’s appeals court decision to upheld the verdict convicting ten former KLA fighters from Drenica of war crimes, showed cracks in the party ranks over the new special court. “There will be huge disruption within the PDK, because an internal fight will begin, which was already seen in the recent debate… A fight about who belonged to who and who supported who will break out,” Matoshi argued. “Ultimately, if the PDK leadership goes to The Hague, people will begin to abandon it, because it is in people’s nature to abandon what is being judged, especially if allegations against those indicted are upheld,” he added.

The legacy of political violence

Apart from allegations about crimes against Serbs, Roma and Albanians alleged to be collaborators with Slobodan Milosevic’s regime, part of the scope of the special court’s jurisdiction is also politically-motivated murders committed from 1998 to 2001. A number of LDK leader Ibrahim Rugova’s close associates were murdered or wounded in attacks during that period. These included the attempted murder of LDK presidency member Sabri Hamiti in 1998 and the killing of Rugova’s close friend and ally, the LDK’s head of public information Enver Maloku, in 1999. A number of senior LDK officials who were members of Kosovo’s parallel parliament under Serbian rule, including former president Fatmir Sejdiu, were held in detention in the KLA-controlled Drenica valley for a few days when they visited in spring 1998. One of them, Gjergj Dedaj, head of the miniscule Liberal Party of Kosovo, said in a TV interview in 2011 that the detainees were personally interrogated by Hashim Thaci and that they were tortured while being questioned. His allegations were made after being fired by Thaci from the post of deputy transport minister in 2010 two days after being appointed because of an alleged abuse of funds while he was minister of labour and social welfare. Ahmet Krasniqi, defence minister in Rugova’s government in exile, was also shot dead in Tirana in 1998. After the war, several senior KLA members loyal to Rugova and some of his closest allies were then killed or attempts were made on their lives. They included Ekrem Rexha, alias Commander Drini, Tahir Zemaj, former MP Smajl Hajdaraj, Shaban Manaj, and Rugova’s closest friend and adviser, Xhemajl Mustafa. Fetah Rudi, the former head of the LDK’s branch in Malisheva/Malisevo, was also shot immediately after the 2000 local elections and has remained paralysed as a consequence of his injury since then. According allegations made in a televised documentary called ‘Target LDK’, broadcast this week on Zona Express, around 100 LDK activists, officials and prominent supporters were abducted, murdered or wounded between 1998 and 2001. Survivors and relatives of some of the victims said they believe the murders were carried out by KLA members. Although none of these cases has seen indictments or trials so far, the LDK has continuously accused KLA political structures of being behind the murders - but in spite of this, its leadership has been in coalition with the PDK three times, mainly owing to Kosovo’s electoral system which does not allow any party to come close to a majority in the assembly. In the case of an indictment related to politically-motivated murders, the LDK could also find itself in a similar position to the PDK, leading to internal conflict and the eventual break-up of the party. “The leadership of the LDK and [opposition party] Vetevendosje will be affected by the Special Court even if none of its activists is indicted, because the position of a number of people in these parties depends on the power of the PDK,” Spahiu claimed. “The PDK’s long standing in a position of power has given the PDK leverage and it has managed to create clientele-style relations with the leaders of rival parties,” he added. Matoshi said that he believes that the ruling coalition could be threatened by any indictment, which would be followed by an internal squabble in the LDK. “The ruling coalition will fall apart with the first indictments. Questions will be raised within the LDK, with the membership asking their leaders, ‘who got into bed with another party, whose main officials are accused of war crimes?’” he said.

Implications for the political scene

Changes in Kosovo’s political scene are not easily achieved because the ruling parties have managed to establish strong clientele-style control over almost every sector in the country.

Corruption, nepotism and lack of proper governance have also stalled Kosovo’s economic and social development, while the lack of impact made by external justice missions, including those of the UN and the EU, have made many sceptical that the latest legal efforts can make much difference. Many also believe that the ‘internationals’ in Kosovo have exploited the wrongdoings of top politicians to achieve their own ends, such as extracting concessions to Serbia.

On the other hand, the current political leaders are believed to have learned to use the language of democracy and human rights spoken by the internationals, making it seem to both that they are having their wishes accomplished. “The extent to which the Special Court will influence Kosovo’s political scene depends on the scope of its activities. The wider the scope, the larger its influence will be,” argued Spahiu. “If this court truly becomes functional and if it is guided by evidence and not by politics, and if it has sympathy for the victims and the will to do justice, then it would profoundly influence in Kosovo’s political scene, emphasising new values instead of the old ones - arrogance, aggression, ethnic cleansing and other people’s suffering as patriotic and heroic aims,” Matoshi said. However, some still hold out hope that if some of Kosovo’s leaders are now indicted and tried, it will transform the political spectrum. Berianё Mustafa, the daughter of former President Rugova’s murdered friend, Xhemajl Mustafa, said in the ‘Target LDK’ documentary that it could be the last chance for justice. “The Special Court is our last hope,” she said. “Our only hope.”

 

Bosnia-Croatia Relations Hit by Arrest of Croats (BIRN, by Srecko Latal, 1 November 2016)

Relations between the two countries face a new challenge as Croatian and Bosnian Croat officials expressed concerns after ten Bosnian Croat ex-fighters were arrested for alleged war crimes against Serbs.

The Croatian Foreign Ministry and the local government of Posavina canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the alleged war crimes were committed, have expressed serious concerns about the arrest of ten former Bosnian Croat fighters. Bosnian Croat war veterans’ associations also strongly condemned the arrests, insisting that during the 1992-95 conflict, Bosnian Croats were fighting a defensive struggle, and claiming that the arrests were aimed at intimidating Croats in the country. The former Croatian Defence Council fighters were arrested on Monday on suspicion that they committed crimes against Serbs from April 1992 to July 1993 in Orasje, a Croat-dominated town in the Posavina canton in northern Bosnia. Those arrested included Djuro Matuzovic, a retired Croatian Defence Council general, as well as Marko Dominkovic, also a senior member of Croatian Defence Council during the war and a former deputy director of the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA. After the police operation, the Croatian Foreign Ministry urged the Croatian ambassador in Bosnia, Ivan del Vechio, to request detailed information about the arrests and to try to meet the ten suspects, who also have Croatian citizenship. Croatian officials told BIRN that regardless of the presumed legal validity of the arrests, their timing - coming right after first official visit by the new Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to Bosnia, and just before the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day - was unfortunate. They said this could undermine the improvement of relations between the two countries after Plenkovic’s visit. The Posavina cantonal government also criticised the operation’s timing. “The [Posavina cantonal] government believes that the moment at which the activities of SIPA and the prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina took place was inappropriate, bearing in mind the approaching Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day,” it said in a statement. Croatian media reported further disquiet about the police operation. “[Bosnian Croat veterans’] Association: ‘The arrest is threatening citizens of Orasje, which contributes to [their] further emigration,’” reported Croatian newspaper Vecernji List on Tuesday. Other Croatian and Bosnian Croat media carried similar reports, some of them calling for an urgent meeting of the Croatian parliament to address the situation. Relations between Bosnia and Croatia have been increasingly tense in recent months due to internal political turmoil in both countries, as well as Zagreb’s implicit support for Bosnian Croat calls for a third, Croat-dominated political entity in the country.