Several news sites report that Kosovo Police arrested Vetevendosje MP Ismail Kurteshi this morning. The court had previously ordered a house arrest measure for Kurteshi for setting off a teargas canister in the Kosovo Assembly, and Kurteshi violated the measure by attending an opposition rally in Gjilan/Gnjilane on Saturday. The Basic Court in Pristina later announced a 30-day detention measure against Kurteshi.
Glauk Konjufca, head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, told reporters that he set off a teargas canister at the Kosovo Assembly session today. “I set off the teargas with several other MPs. This is a collective action by the opposition; others have done this before me and others will do it after me. We decided to set off the teargas and who would set it off. The opposition is determined to prevent the implementation of these agreements because they are damaging for Kosovo.
Kosovo-based think tank FOL presented today results of a recent poll on the political preferences of the citizens of Kosovo asking them how they would vote in case of fresh elections. According to the results, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) would come first with 29 percent of the votes, followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 26 percent and Vetevendosje with 14 percent. The poll was carried out in all Kosovo cities and includes respondents from all communities.
Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri took to Facebook to say that threats to Kosovo have historically come from Serbia and not Albania. Today, according to Ymeri, the threat to Kosovo comes from the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. “It is unacceptable, even frustrating, this regime’s propaganda which incites hatred amongst Albanians,” Ymeri wrote. He said the problem that Kosovo needs to discard is the Association/Community.
The news websites reported earlier in the day that the Kosovo Police arrested Vetevendosje MP Albulena Haxhiu wanted for her role in the releasing of teargas at the Kosovo Assembly chamber. Haxhiu is reported to have been arrested in Pristina. In the afternoon, the media reported that another Vetevendosje MP, Faton Topalli, also wanted by the police, was arrested inside the premises of the Kosovo Assembly. In a Facebook post, Topalli said he was inside the Assembly and was not being allowed by the police to leave.
Deputy President of the Assembly of Kosovo Xhavit Haliti, says the relations between the opposition and political majority at the Assembly, have been strained and conflicting, ever since its delayed constitution. In fact, he adds, relations are inexistent. He notes that issuance of the arrest warrant for four MPs of the opposition and Albin Kurti’s public arrest by the police, during the Flag Day at Vetevenodsje headquarters, has seriously damaged and even closed ways to discussions and dialogue.
Opposition leaders in a meeting with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga presented their demands for overcoming the current political situation which include the annulment of the agreement with Serbia on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities and the one on border demarcation with Montenegro as well as the release of all imprisoned opposition MPs and activists. If the agreements are not revoked, the leaders of the Vetevendosje Movement, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) demanded a referendum.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has issued a press release accusing Kosovo political leaders of persecuting opposition members following the call to the party’s senior official Pal Lekaj to report to the prosecutor’s office. AAK said is it unacceptable and hypocritical of the government to, on one hand, make calls for dialogue, and on the other, to continue repressive measures against the opposition representatives.
Activists of the three opposition parties, the Vetevenodsje Movement, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), initiated today a symbolic action for the release of the arrested MPs. They stopped in front of the Kosovo Police Headquarters carrying pamphlets “Freedom for Deputies! Down dictatorship!” and “No violence can stop us.”
Two days after the Amnesty International called for investigation into the actions of the Kosovo Police (KP) during an operation to arrest Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti, the KP issued a press release explaining its actions. The KP denied using excessive force during the operation at Vetevendosje Movement offices on 28 November. "The actions of KP officials who participated in the arrest on 28 November 2015, are being examined by the KP Commission for reviewing the use of force by the KP, and the Directorate of Professional Standards.