Lavdim Hamidi writes today that the dilemma on the Special Court should definitely resolve by Friday. “If there is no third solution and if only two options are on the table, then there is no doubt that this dilemma should resolve with establishment of the court by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, in order to prevent the United Nations Security Council to do so,” writes Hamidi.
Kosovo institutional representatives and international officials called for raising the awareness among the population in Kosovo and policy-makers not to discriminate against people with a different sexual orientation. Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, said that as in many other European countries, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community in Kosovo continue to be marginalized. He said that politicians and leaders should do more for this category of society.
Women politicians from Serbia refused to attend the Regional Women Conference organized by the UN Women, which was held on Wednesday in Mitrovica South. The refusal came after the organizer of the event organized the round-table to take place in Mitrovica South and not in Mitrovica North. Women parliamentarians from Serbia and Kosovo as well as representatives of northern municipalities were supposed to discuss the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, particularly the challenges that women from northern Kosovo face.
The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga met on Thursday with young girls from Kosovo and Serbia, participating in the Peace Academy for Girls, and answered their questions on the role of women. Jahjaga commended the girls who are part of this platform of building bridges of cooperation and sustainable peace.
The Chairman of the Government Committee on Missing Persons, Prenke Gjetaj, said on Wednesday the forensic teams will begin excavating a suspected mass grave in Novi Pazar, on 23 and 24 April. According to Gjetaj, around 100 bodies of the Albanians killed during the conflict in Kosovo are suspected to have been buried in this mass grave. He also announced that Serbia has allowed the excavations at the site.
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli commented on recent developments in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) saying that Kosovo does not interfere in the country’s internal affairs. Veseli also spoke about the establishment of the special court saying there is no specific date set for when it would be put to a vote in the Assembly but noted that there needs to be a political consensus in Kosovo to preserve partnership with international community.
The paper’s deputy editor-in-chief Lavdim Hamidi writes in a column today that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has reached a record number of members now in 2015 as there are around 50,000 people who have gained the status of KLA veteran. Judging from the figures, writes Hamidi, it seems ‘everyone’ in Kosovo was part of the KLA and if this had truly been the case during the conflict in 1998-99, there would be no need for NATO to intervene in ousting Serb troops from Kosovo.
Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, does not agree with the criticism of the opposition parties and civil society that the European Union (EU) is “spoiling” Serbia. Tahiri told Zeri that the EU has put the Chapter 35 for Serbia, which demands the normalization of relations with Kosovo, and requires the withdrawal of parallel structures in the north. "The EU is warning Serbia for its negligence regarding the implementation of agreements with Kosovo.
The Kosovo-German Chamber of Commerce (KGCC) soon will enable the young people of Kosovo to go to Germany for training and professional education. The KGCC on Thursday signed a memorandum of cooperation with Kosovo’s Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare for training and professional education of Kosovo's young people in Germany. The President of KGCC, Samir Krasniqi said that this project provides many opportunities to young Kosovars to be educated and work simultaneously in Germany.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) led by Hashim Thaci believes the April 18 protest announced by the opposition parties – the Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), is unreasonable. Adem Grabovci, the head of the PDK parliamentary group, told Zeri that the ruling coalition is not afraid of the protest. “There is no reason to be afraid because we represent the will of the people.