The Municipal Assembly of Drenas/Glogovac, dominated by advisers from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, has just voted a statement, which appeals on the deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo not to vote the constitutional amendments which open way to the establishment of the special court.

This position is in contradiction with the determination of the central structures of PDK with regards to this court.

Kadri Veseli, Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo said at the third conference of Ambassadors that is being held in Pristina that courtesy diplomacy is not sufficient for Kosovo. “We need concrete actions of measurable effect. We need concrete agreements with the countries that we have bilateral relations, especially in the field of economic cooperation. It should be clear to us that no one will come pleading for this,” said Veseli.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli told reporters in Pristina today that the Assembly will discuss the constitutional amendments related to the special court on Friday. The Assembly will hold plenary sessions on Thursday and Friday. The special court, which is expected to address war crimes allegations in Kosovo, will be the only topic of Friday’s session. Kosovapress quotes Veseli as saying, “No one is going to threaten Kosovo’s sovereignty. It is important that we maintain our partnership with the international community”.

Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) Bilall Sherifi in an opinion piece published in Zeri and several online media writes that since the end of the conflict in Kosovo, prosecution of war crimes was an exclusive competency of international missions in Kosovo. Initially, it was UNMIK that investigated and tried war crimes until 2008 when this responsibility was handed over to EULEX.

Kosovo Assembly presidency is to meet tomorrow but Koha claims that the working agenda does not include review of constitutional amendments paving way for establishment of specialized chambers. However, it is possible the issue be included in the agenda on a request of a parliamentary group.

Analysts in Kosovo have repeatedly warned that the possible establishment of the special court by the UN would be damaging for Kosovo but Vetevendosje thinks differently. Its deputy leader Aida Derguti said in an interview for Radio Kosova that if the UN was to establish the court, this would produce two new developments.  “We believe it is impossible for the UN to establish the court for Kosovo because, to do so, a court would need to recognised the territory of Kosovo and its borders.

Kosovo's Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said today that the Kosovo government will send the draft law on the special court to the Assembly today. Mustafa said he hopes the Assembly will discuss the bill on June 26. On the detention of Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj, Mustafa said his government is in constant touch with the Slovenian authorities and that he expects Haradinaj to return to Kosovo soon. Mustafa also ruled out Haradinaj's eventual extradition to Belgrade.

The protest organized today by the Kosovo Liberation Army War Association against the special court, ended peacefully in Pristina. The protesters called on Kosovo Assembly MPs to vote against the establishment of the special court, and said that they would organize other protests if the Assembly decides to vote in favor of this court. They also criticized the justice system, saying the detention of the accused in the Drenica Group case, was one-sided justice. The protest was also supported by the Vetevendosje Movement, Initiative for Kosovo and some PDK MPs.

Political analysts in Kosovo assessed that Pristina will suffer enormous consequences in case the amendments to the Constitution and the Law on the Special Court for war crimes will not be adopted.

Kosovo Liberation Army veterans will protest against the creation of a new EU-backed court that will try ex-fighters suspected of war crimes allegedly committed during and after the 1998-99 conflict.

Veterans’ groups on Tuesday called for people to join them on a march through the streets of Pristina on Wednesday against the creation of the special court, which they say is an insult to the Kosovo Liberation Army’s wartime heroism.