The German daily, Die Welt reports that Hashim Thaci, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kosovo, might face the trial for war crimes. This paper notes that despite the fact that this powerful man is negotiating with Brussels on getting Kosovo closer to EU, he is in danger of facing the Special Court for war crimes, voted recently at Kosovo Parliament.
The Vetevendosje Movement MP, Albulena Haxhiu, told the news site that the opposition parties tomorrow will send a case to the Constitutional Court contesting the decision of the Assembly for the establishment of the special court. “We will send our case to the Constitutional Court to review in general the constitutional amendment in relation to Kosovo’s sovereignty and jurisdiction. We will send the case at 11:00 hrs tomorrow,” Haxhiu said.
Kosovo from 18 July until 1 August participated in the "World Heritage Volunteers" in Weimar, Germany. The first representative from Kosovo was Jusuf Koci from the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage. World Heritage Volunteers is an initiative which started in 2008 and functions within UNESCO. The purpose of this initiative is that young people and organizations around the world to engage in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
Several news sites report that around 50 war veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are protesting in front of the Kosovo government building in Pristina. Gazeta Blic reports that some war veterans threw bottles at Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and called him “thief” as he was entering the government premises. Indeksonline reports that some war veterans are inciting others to start a riot and a war veteran was reportedly heard telling others to fetch gasoline “in order to set the government building on fire”.
The head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, Donika Kadaj - Bujupi, today proposed a resolution on the genocide in Kosovo during the 1999 conflict. This proposal was made during the meeting of the Presidency of the Assembly and has received support from other parliamentary groups. Kadaj - Bujupi is demanding that this resolution be the first point of the agenda on the next session of the Assembly.
The government of Kosovo tomorrow will review and submit to the Kosovo Assembly the constitutional amendments that enable the establishment of the special court and the draft-law for the legal protection and financial support for the accused individuals. This was announced today through a press release sent by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s Office.
The Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Xhavit Haliti, said today that the constitutional amendments that enable establishment of the special court will not be on the agenda of the Assembly’s Thursday session. He said that whenever the government decides to re-submit the amendments, the Assembly would be ready to call the session. Haliti added that voting in favor of the special court is in Kosovo’s interest.
According to a survey carried out by the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Hashim Thaci is the most preferred candidate for the post of Kosovo president. Thaci is followed by Albin Kurti from Vetevendosje while the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj is third. The survey also concluded that the decision on whether the president is elected directly by the people or by the Assembly should not be guided by personal ambitions.
Head of the Kosovo delegation for the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels, Rrahim Pacolli, told Kosova Press that the agreement for the free movement between Kosovo and Serbia will start to implement from the next Friday. He also stressed that the agreement means removal of the fees for the vehicles which means full recognition of the insurance policies.
United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and British Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Baroness Joyce Anelay, met Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga in Pristina today, and said that Kosovo must keep its word and establish the special court. Anelay said she would meet Kosovo’s top leaders to discuss the special court and that she has a clear message. “My message is clear. Kosovo has sent a clear message that it wants to play an active role in the international arena.