LOCAL PRESS 

Vucic: Non-paper surprise, Serbia to face growing pressure (Tanjug/RTS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday he was very surprised by the way a new non-paper on the Kosovo issue had been put together but that the document was not good for Serbia, despite offering much more than the Ahtisaari plan. “The emergence of the non-paper means Serbia will face growing pressure and that we are getting closer to final pressure aimed at some kind of solution being reached or a culprit named,” Vucic told reporters in Novi Sad, where he had attended the cornerstone-laying ceremony for a new COVID-19 hospital. “I and our teams are still analyzing the non-paper. I think I know who must have taken part in putting it together. However, I am not sure they achieved more than the surprise. I was really surprised by that paper because it was written more intelligently than any so far. There is more in it for Serbia than there was in the Ahtisaari plan – much, much more. It is where the most has been offered so far, informally at least… But is it good or not? Let’s make it clear – it is terribly difficult and bad,” Vucic said. Vucic dismissed allegations by the president of the provisional Kosovo authorities Vjosa Osmani that Serbia was behind all non-papers. That is a falsehood and a lie, Vucic said, noting that Pristina should not even dream about the possibility of Serbia recognizing Kosovo. Just minutes before the news came that Pristina’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti had announced he would not be attending a 11 May round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels, Vucic said: “I will attend the May 11 dialogue, if it does take place. If they say there is no dialogue, that is even better – I will do something good elsewhere and I will have less trouble on that day.”

Vucic to Godfrey: Belgrade ready for open talks with Pristina (FoNet) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told US Ambassador Anthony Godfrey that Belgrade is always ready for an open dialogue with Pristina. A press release issued after the meeting quoted Vucic as saying that the Washington agreement to normalize economic activities is complementary to the EU activities and is a step towards normalizing Belgrade-Pristina relations. It said that they discussed the continued implementation of the Washington agreement and European integration as well as bilateral cooperation. “American support in the country’s European integration process is of great important to us. The United States could tell their European partners that progress on European integration is needed for the Western Balkans primarily because the candidate countries could get tired of the constant lack of progress. Reforms of our societies is a goal unto itself but the outcome has to be certain and clear,” Vucic said. According to Vucic, stronger cooperation with the US is one of Serbia’s foreign policy priorities. The press release said that Vucic and Godfrey agreed that the two countries need more projects of common interest and stressed the importance of the engagement of the International Development Finance Corporation’s regional office.

Fabrizi: Serbia should show commitment to achieve progress (N1) 

The Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi told N1 on Wednesday that Brussels expects to see Serbia’s commitment to achieve progress in rule of law. Fabrizi said that the areas in which more needs to be done were determined during President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to Brussels, adding that those include the independence of the judiciary, creating a better environment for freedom of the media, concrete results in the fight against corruption and organized crime. He said the agenda is very wide-ranging, adding that the discussion also covers the economic stability of the media and media literacy. “Our expectations are clear, it is up to the institutions to implement what has been agreed,” he said. According to him, the important thing is what happens on the ground. We want to see improvement and the facts that show we are heading in the right direction. “In the end, the result is what is important,” he said. Fabrizi said that he was in Brussels and saw that there was great satisfaction with the visit. “The mood is positive and there is a commitment by both sides to move forward,” he said. We discussed the safety of journalists, how they can work freely, he said adding that the Serbian government has introduced some measures and initiatives and that it is up to the EU to stimulate progress on the ground. He said that there is an important economic aspect in the media and that the EU urges clarity in finances and ownership as well as a maximum of pluralism and objectivity. “The more voices we hear in Serbia, the better,” he said. He said that Serbia has adopted a series of reforms which it has to implement to achieve progress. We have discussed concrete steps such as changes to the constitution and the independence of the judiciary, he said. Asked about the inter-party dialogue, Fabrizi said that it has strong support from the European Parliament and in EU institutions. We are mediating the dialogue and the European Parliament is there to help improve the election conditions, he said, adding that he is sure that the European and Serbian parliaments will clear things up. We can help the process but the political dialogue should be in the hands of political players in Serbia, he said.

No statements from Serbian ruling, opposition parties after meeting (N1) 

None of the ruling coalition and opposition party officials who took part in Wednesday’s inter-party dialogue meeting made any statement to the media. According to statements prior to the meeting, the participants agreed to meet behind closed doors and not make any statements in public about what was discussed. The meeting was held in the Serbian parliament with 26 officials from a number of ruling and opposition parties taking part along with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. It was chaired by parliament speaker Ivica Dacic. The ruling coalition was represented by Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Dacic’s Socialist Party of the Serbia (SPS) and the Serb Patriotic Alliance (SPAS). Just four opposition parties were present – the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), Serbian Radical Party (SRS), the Dveri movement and Dosta Je Bilo (DJB). Dveri and DJB officials said that they would also take part in meetings mediated by European Parliament officials.

Serbian parliament backtracks on adopting resolution on EP report (N1) 

Serbian parliament deputy speaker Elvira Kovac told N1 on Wednesday that MPs did not pass a resolution as an answer to the latest European Parliament (EP) report, which included several high-profile affairs that rocked the country. Kovac said that MPs “were shocked” after the first reading of the report, but that gave up the idea to pass any resolution about it. “We won’t answer (to the report’s remarks) in the form of a resolution,” she told N1.

Janjic: Serbian Minister Vulin’s statement related to solution for Kosovo and RS is political propaganda not official stance of Serbia (Al Jazeera Balkans)

Guest of Al Jazeera Balkans evening news was political analyst and representative of the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade Dusan Janjic via video link. Commenting on the statement of Serbian Minister of Interior Aleksandar Vulin, who said that “there can be no solution for the issue of Kosovo and Metohija without a solution for the RS and for the national issues of Serbs in general”, Janjic stated that Vulin has been saying this since the internal dialogue in Serbia, on the Kosovo issue, was launched back in 2016. “He simply advocates demarcation, re-tailoring of maps, out of fear that the project of ‘Greater Albania’ would succeed while Serbia would lag behind”, Janjic noted, referring to Vulin’s claim as “a political propaganda statement that is not the official stance of Serbia”. Speaking about Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s announcement that he will not attend the upcoming meeting in Brussels within continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Janjic assessed that Kurti’s motives as “private and political” although he agrees with Kurti that the announced meeting is not well-prepared. In his opinion, the EU officials like EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak “are simply in a hurry to show that something is happening”. The analyst was asked what messages Lajcak and the other EU officials send by rushing with continuation of the dialogue, to which he replied that the EU shows it has not prepared itself sufficiently, while the public in Serbia and Kosovo are not ready for that either. “The EU as a facilitator needs to offer something. It needs to keep track of how the parties involved in the dialogue are behaving,” he concluded.

REGIONAL PRESS 

 

Nelson: The future of all citizens is single B&H of two entities, three constituent peoples (Dnevni avaz)

US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Eric Nelson published a new blog ‘The Cost of Rhetoric’, which underlines the fact that USA is a friend to B&H and strongly supports its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Daily published an entire piece. “When the United States brokered the Dayton Peace Agreement to end the war of the 1990s it put in the hands of B&H leaders and citizens the important opportunity to build peace and stability. Today we are supporting B&H's efforts to achieve a prosperous future in the Euro-Atlantic Community built on those foundations. The United States remains a friend to B&H and firmly supports its territorial integrity and sovereignty.  Together with our EU, UK and other partners, we are resolute in our support for B&H citizens' basic expectation that they can make a living, raise children in an environment of mutual respect, and elect leaders who respond to their needs instead of lining their pockets and robbing them of hope. Every KM (B&H currency) that goes into a politician’s pocket is a KM not used to educate children, improve infrastructure, or provide a living wage to B&H citizens. This has become even clearer through this devastating pandemic in which far too many people in B&H and around the world have died while politicians fail to cooperate. Every day, citizens feel the effects of a short-sighted focus on entity competencies rather than on creating a functional B&H that strengthens all citizens. The simple and important impacts can cost lives, like the lack of a central 112 emergency number.  An updated state-level e-signature law is another commonsense reform that will improve the life of every B&H citizen by reducing bureaucracy, speeding up delivery of public services, and easing international commerce.  A central registry of bank accounts is necessary to combat money laundering, hinder corruption, block terrorist financing, and better secure the banking sector. The future of all citizens is a single B&H of two entities, three constituent peoples, with all citizens moving together as part of the European community. As Secretary (Antony) Blinken communicated clearly, basic yet important rule of law, economic, and electoral reforms are what B&H leaders can achieve this year. Instead of doing the work needed to create jobs and economic growth, root out corruption, end discrimination, and enable freer and fairer elections, politicians seek to distract and to abandon their own responsibility. They do so by stoking fear and division reminiscent of the 1990s, a period to which nobody wants to return. They call for secession, want to revert to a retrograde Original Dayton and call into question the DPA-guaranteed existence of both entities.  These distractions serve leaders’ interests by preserving the opaque and unequal economic and political systems that enrich them and maintain their influence at the expense of ordinary citizens and lives. Sanctions for destabilizing the DPA and for corruption are on the table. Citizens can deliver an even more powerful sanction at the ballot box. This is why reforms are so essential in this non-election year and why leaders seem intent on distracting citizens from what is at stake. The United States is here to support all efforts that will take B&H forward toward the EU and a brighter future.  It's not too late for leaders to ‘get real’ and deliver on citizen expectations for action on real problems. B&H leaders have in the past demonstrated that they have the power and capability to reach consensus and to collaborate step-by-step to change things for the better for the citizens of this country”.

SDA: We have been warning of dangers of rhetoric that Ambassador Nelson talks about; Other reactions to Nelson’s blog (Nova BH)

According to Nova BH, Ambassador Nelson’s article sparked numerous reactions in B&H.

It was stated from SDA that they have been warning of dangers of rhetoric that Ambassador Nelson talked about. They added that neither the DPA nor Constitution of B&H can be violated. SDA representatives underlined that B&H is a single country and that only as such it can survive and achieve progress. SDA’s representative in B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Adil Osmanovic stated that since it seems the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in B&H does not have necessary strength to react, they expect the EU to sanction all those who have been violating the Constitution of B&H, the DPA and those slowing down the EU path of B&H.

HDZ B&H’s officials deem that sanctioning of people for presenting their political stances is not in line with democratic principles. MP in B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Nikola Lovrinovic (HDZ B&H) expressed hope the US will not be imposing sanctions and that it is necessary to find different methods of passing decisions in B&H. Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Zoran Tegeltija emphasized that he did not see abovementioned statement of Ambassador Nelson, adding that there is no a single reason to impose sanctions against B&H, especially in the period when political subjects within B&H have been discussing some important topics. Reporter noted that reactions of the opposition in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) were rather harsher than reactions of the opposition in Republika Srpska (RS). SDP’s Sasa Magazinovic said that it is necessary to define all activities or statements aimed to spread fear among people as a criminal offense. He added that individuals using inflammatory rhetoric fail to consider consequences of it. “B&H as state will definitely not be sanctioned, but those destabilizing political situation in this country will and should be sanctioned”, explained Magazinovic. Representatives of opposition parties in the RS underlined that the DPA has to be respected because it is guarantee of peace, stability and security, as well as guarantee of progress of B&H. They added that ruling parties have been attempting to justify the lack of achievements by using inflammatory rhetoric and by increasing inter-ethnic tensions. Leader of PDP Branislav Borenovic stressed that the society is a hostage of catastrophic politics that have been condemned by majority of the international community.

US Embassy: State Department’s Chollet calls on B&H leaders to discuss progress on key reforms and reaffirms Blinken’s message (Dnevni avaz)

The US Embassy to B&H issued a press release, which is published on their Twitter account and which reads that the State Department Counselor Derek Chollet called B&H leaders to discuss progress on key reforms necessary for greater prosperity, transparent institutions, freer and fairer elections, stronger rule of law, and deeper partnership with Euro-Atlantic institutions. Chollet reaffirmed the message of State Secretary Antony Blinken, noting strong US support to B&H sovereignty and territorial integrity. “B&H has a crucial window in this non-election year to carry out electoral reforms including limited constitutional reform to implement ECTHR rulings, election law changes to address B&H Constitutional Court judgements and technical reforms to strengthen election integrity. These reforms are not just about implementing legally-binding court judgements to ensure greater equality, but also mitigation fraud and ensuring citizen can hold their leaders accountable for corruption and mismanagement – all crucial safeguards for building stronger democracy”, reads the statement. The US Embassy stressed that US expects B&H leaders to deliver on their commitments to advance crucial reforms: “Good faith dialogue, not inflammatory rhetoric and maximalist demands, will be what improves services, brings jobs and strengthens the people of B&H’s confidence in their government”.

Dodik: Komsic left meeting with Borrell after I highlighted his illegitimacy (FTV)

B&H Presidency members held an online meeting with EU High Representative Josep Borrell on Tuesday evening. Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik stated after the meeting that Croat member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic left the meeting after Dodik addressed him as the illegitimate representative of the Croat people in B&H. Dodik added that Borrell called for an honest discussion and he told him sincerely that it is impossible to expect Serbs to support Kosovo as an independent state, while the RS is being tortured in B&H. He added that Komsic left the meeting because Dodik said it is awkward for the B&H Presidency to lead these negotiations since Komsic is not seen as the legitimate by Croat people.  Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic said that no one has the right to question the legitimacy of Komsic, not even Dodik. He added that Dodik cannot assess the legitimacy or lack thereof for any B&H Presidency member and they cannot do this for Dodik either. Dzaferovic said that Komsic was elected in accordance with the B&H Constitution and the B&H Election Law. Borrell urged the B&H Presidency members to engage in dialogue with each other and foster an environment conducive to unity, consensus and constructive engagement in the interest of the citizens of B&H, by lowering political tension and promoting reconciliation. EU Delegation to B&H issued a statement which read, among other issues, that Borrell reaffirmed the EU’s unwavering commitment to B&H’s EU perspective as a single, united, and sovereign country, and expressed the EU’s readiness to continue facilitating and contributing to these efforts in the country. According to the daily, the Western Balkans will be one of main topics of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council scheduled to take place on 10 May.

Dzaferovic: Dodik acted inappropriately towards Komsic during meeting with Borrell; I will not be candidate for member of B&H Presidency in 2022 (Nova BH)

In an interview for Nova BH, Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic talked about current political developments in B&H. Asked to comment the fact that Croat member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic left Tuesday meeting that the B&H Presidency held with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell due to Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik’s statement that Komsic is not a legitimate representative of Croat people, Dzaferovic said that Dodik acted inappropriately towards Komsic and that this was cause of Komsic’s reaction. Reminding that the leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic commented the fact President of Slovenia Borut Pahor asked members of the B&H Presidency whether peaceful dissolution of B&H is possible and that Izetbegovic stated that President of Slovenia posed a similar question several years ago, Dzaferovic stated that he understood Pahor’s question as a sign of concern for B&H and that he acted accordingly. Dzaferovic added that at the meeting with members of the B&H Presidency, Pahor said that they are some circles within the EU advocating thesis that the process of dissolution of Yugoslavia should be completed before accepting former Yugoslavia’s republics as the EU members. Dzaferovic stressed that the ideas presented in the alleged non-paper calling for changing of borders in the Western Balkans is the road to the war. “Those who created this non-paper provoke the war and not those saying they will defend sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H,” explained Dzaferovic. Commenting the fact that the number of prominent members of SDA has been leaving this party, Dzaferovic stated that this will not weaken SDA and that results of general elections scheduled for 2022 will show it. Asked whether he will participate in the race for the member of the B&H Presidency in 2022, Dzaferovic replied negatively, adding that he will not participate in the race for any position elected directly in elections. Commenting claims that he has only been saving a seat in the Presidency of B&H to leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic, Dzaferovic rejected such claims, adding that the only goal of such claims is to cause disputes between him and his party’s leader. Dzaferovic also expressed hope Izetbegovic will again be elected a member of the B&H Presidency.

SNSD: Postponement of discussions creates room for harmonization of joint conclusions with opposition and public in general, we will not accept any kind of HR’s ultimatums or deadlines (ATV)

The RS parliament Collegium adopted the request of the SNSD RS Caucus on Wednesday to postpone the discussion on the agenda items related to the dialogue on possible solutions for B&H and the letter that High Representative Valentin Inzko sent to the RS parliament on 27 January. The discussion has been postponed for the RS parliament’s session on 11 May. Namely, the agenda item related to the dialogue on possible solutions for B&H refers to SNSD’s initiative for launching the talks and the dialogue between the RS and the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and between the three constituent peoples – Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks – on possible solutions for B&H. The other agenda item that will be discussed after the Orthodox Easter holiday is Inzko’s letter to RS parliament speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic and RS caucuses in which he demands revoking the charters of merit that were awarded to first RS President Radovan Karadzic, second RS president Biljana Plavsic, and first RS parliament speaker Momcilo Krajisnik. In his letter, Inzko noted that three former RS officials are convicted war criminals so they cannot be awarded such charters of merit because of that. Inzko demanded that the charters of merit are revoked by the end of April. According to ATV, Serb representatives from both the ruling majority and the opposition in the RSNA announced that they will respond to Inzko’s letter unanimously and that they will not accept his ultimatums. According to these officials, Inzko has other things to deal with instead of constantly focusing on the RS. Head of the SNSD Caucus in the RS parliament Igor Zunic stated that the law does not allow Inzko to set any deadlines in this regard. Zunic also said that they postponed the session in order to achieve consensus among all political actors in the RS and they hope to give unified answer to Inzko. He added that they hope that the message will be that they will not accept any sort of blackmail from Inzko. Zunic said that the awards will not be revoked since it was not the RS parliament that awarded them. Asked what they expect Inzko to do, Zunic said that they do not expect anything in particular to happen and they are not tied to any deadline set by him. The ruling coalition expects the opposition to support the formation of a negotiation team which will discuss the future of B&H with the FB&H and other two peoples with constituent status. SP RS’ representative in the RS parliament Srdjan Todorovic assessed that HR’s letter represents disrespect of the RS parliament, which is the same as disrespecting the RS citizens. “I hope that Inzko will understand that such RS’ stance is intended to defend the dignity of its citizens,” Todorovic added.  Dusko Ivic (DNS) said that the ruling majority in the RS is trying to avoid its own responsibility. Nebojsa Vukanovic (SDS) said that he will not support any initiative coming from SNSD, especially when it comes to populist topics. He added that their goal is to divert attention from the essential issues of the citizens and to lure in the opposition in order to destroy them. The Caucus ‘Together for B&H’ rejected the agenda of the RS parliament session because they believe the entity institutions are not adequate to discuss this. MP of SDA Senad Bratic said that the demand of Inzko needs to be respected as he is the authority in interpreting the Constitution. He added that any changes to the B&H Constitution can only be discussed in the B&H parliament.

US, UK Embassies to B&H criticize rhetoric of genocide denial and glorification of war criminals (Oslobodjenje)

The RS parliament pushed the discussion about the letter of the High Representative Valentin Inzko asking the RS parliament to annul awards given to convicted war criminals, meaning that the issue will be discussed after Easter/Spring break. The daily reminded that three-month deadline set by the HR has expired and it is obvious that this does not bother the RS parliament. Representatives of the Public Relation Office of the US Embassy to B&H told the daily that the US Embassy supports all practical activities which contribute to reconciliation and establishing of trust. They underlined that glorification of war criminals is unacceptable, it insults the victims and deepens suffering of the victims and their families and at the same time it jeopardizes peaceful future of B&H. The Embassy noted that war crimes judgements point to individual responsibility and do not refer to entire people: “Significant steps towards reconciliation, such is recent removing of the plaque with name of Radovan Karadzic, which we welcomed, are crucial for Euro-Atlantic path of B&H. We call on the local leaders to remove symbols of divisions in their respective communities, all over the country, and to turn toward peaceful and inclusive future”. They further noted that the US Government was clear on this issue as the fact that genocide was committed in Srebrenica is established and irrefutable, as it was confirmed with the judgements of the ICTY: “No attempts to deny genocide can change this truth”. “We continue to be disappointed by the rhetoric which questions these basic facts. We call on everyone to respect court rulings, to brave face the past and accept the truth, regardless how painful it is. As the greatest massacre committed in Europe after WWII and crime against entire humanity, genocide in Srebrenica must not be forgotten and must never be minimized,” US Embassy stated. Spokesperson for UK Embassy to B&H Biljana Ristovic stated that the UK opposes celebrating and glorifying of convicted war criminals and denying of facts from the past, including genocide in Srebrenica and other horrible crimes: “Too often the recognizing of one tragedy is consider to be minimizing of the other. But that it not the case. Future of this country will be brighter when everyone come to realize that. Denying of the past and rulings rendered by international courts based on a huge number of evidence, tarnishes the memory of those who suffered and who lost their lives, it and again traumatizes survivals and families”.

Izetbegovic will reject all proposals for electoral reform in order to push legitimate Croat representatives out of political scene after 2022 elections (Glas Srpske)

Political analyst Milan Sitarski stated that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic is “setting up a smoke screen” and he will soon “enter a general political strike “– i.e. Izetbegovic will block all attempts of electoral reform. According to Sitarski, Izetbegovic will do so in order to make sure that 2022 elections are held in line with the existing rules and he will use the B&H Central Election Commission (B&H CEC) to completely eliminate legitimate representatives of Croats from the political scene. Sitarski noted that Izetbegovic used the same tactics in 2018. He warned that this strategy will lead B&H into an even deeper crisis. Political analyst Ivan Vukoje stated that Izetbegovic’s plans represent only one part of the unitarist narrative which negates the basic principles of constituent status and equality of peoples in B&H. According to him, Izetbegovic’s statements about alleged underrepresentation of Bosniaks in B&H and Federation of B&H institutions are false, and they serve the purpose to create an alibi for SDA to reject proposal for electoral reform. Commenting Izetbegovic’s statements about the so-called civil, pro-Bosniak bloc, Vukoje said that the parties of this bloc are in fact Bosniak political parties. Political analyst Vojislav Savic stated that the so-called civic political parties are in fact serving the interests of only Bosniak people.

 

Plenkovic: State is functioning normally, I am not squabbling with President Milanovic (Hina)

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday that the state is functioning normally, dismissing interpretations that he is squabbling with President Zoran Milanovic and that their relationship is affecting the state of the country. "There is no squabbling. What you are saying is misrepresentation of facts and deduction of a conclusion that does not exist," Plenkovic told reporters when asked if the country can function with him and the president squabbling for months. There is civilized, polite communication, arguments... listen, watch, follow and you will see who is insulting whom, who is arguing with whom, who is whose target, added Plenkovic. "The government has always been constructive and willing to resolve problems and negotiate. But there is no sense in faking some sort of unity that doesn't exist" he said. "The state is functioning well. There is nothing wrong with the state - everything that needs to function is functioning," he said. Everyone is receiving their wages, pension allowances, a COVID supplement will be paid to pensioners, tax refunds and job-keeping measures will continue, he said. "The election will be held, we need to fix some details regarding vaccination and we are working on enabling the tourism season," he added.

Grlic Radman says Ambassador Biscevic enjoys government's support (Hina)

Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Tuesday that Croatian Ambassador Hidajet Biscevic enjoyed the support from the Croatian government, in his comment to the ethnic Croat leader's accusations against the diplomat. Addressing a news conference, Grlic Radman said that the experienced Croatian diplomat Biscevic enjoyed the support of the government in Zagreb. He says that exclusively Croatian institutions are in charge of assessing the performance of Croatian diplomats. The minister said that the status of the Croatian community in Serbia is one of Biscevic's priorities. "Media speculations and such statements in media about Croatia's diplomats are not the best way of communication. Croatia's diplomacy does not deserve that and furthermore this could also be an indirect attempt from outside to impact the political relations in Croatia," said the Minister who will travel to Subotica on Wednesday. He also said that it was also inappropriate to disseminate reports against Biscevic after the recent incident in which the Croatian flag was removed from the residence of the Croatian ambassador in Belgrade. Following media reports about the criticism targeted against Biscevic, President Zoran Milanovic said that he would recall the ambassador for consultations to establish the truth.  Grlic Radman also rejected Milanovic's claims that it was him who appointed Grlic Radman to an ambassadorial post. Grlic Radman said that he had been employed for diplomatic tasks for the first time in 1991 by the first Croatian president Franjo Tudjman and since then he has been an official in the foreign ministry.

 

Krivokapic: Leposavic expressed his personal position on Srebrenica, and he wasn’t entitled to that (CdM)

Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic has said during PMQs that once Minister of Justice, Human and Minority Rights Vladimir Leposavic is dismissed, which is expected in parliament, there can be no question of government reshuffling if one minister is laid off. He has added that Minister Leposavic expressed his personal position on Srebrenica, and that he didn’t have the right to do that. He believes that officials who took apartments and loans on favorable terms, should return the money and thus prove that they are patriots.

Moscow silent on government messages that Russians can come unconditionally (Pobjeda/Business FM)

The Russian airline Ural Airlines has canceled the flight to Tivat on 26 April at the last moment, when 66 passengers had already passed the passport control. The confirmation of the flight cancellation has been posted on the airport’s website, writes the Russian portal Business FM, Pobjeda reports. This was supposed to be the first direct flight from Russia to Montenegro in more than a year. A spokeswoman for the Russian Union of Tourist Economy Irina Tyurina has told bfm.ru that direct flights to Montenegro are not expected and that they will not be carried out until the Russian authorities approve them.

 

Socialists secure 74 mandates as the opposition moves towards non-recognizing the results (Tirana Times)

After the conclusion of the counting process of all the ballots from the parliamentary elections of 25 April, the Socialist Party has won the majority of seats needed to form the government, securing 74 parliamentary seats, 3 more than the 71 required to form the parliament majority.  According to the result published by the Central Election Commission, the SP managed to win 768,177 votes or 48.68% of the votes. For the second time in a row, the SP guided by Prime Minister Edi Rama will have the numbers to govern without needing to form a coalition, while overall this will be the third term for him as Prime Minister. The DP and its coalition have received 622,234 votes or 39,43% of the total of votes, which will bring to the new parliament 59 mandates. The second-biggest opposition party, SMI, has received 107,522 votes (6,81%), winning 4 mandates in the next parliament. The biggest surprise of these elections is without a doubt the Social-Democratic Party guided by Tom Doshi, who received 35,477 votes, or 2,25% of the total votes during the 25 April elections, meaning that it won 3 seats in the next parliament. According to the head of CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi, the turnout in the 25 April elections results to be 46,32%. In the preliminary conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) published yesterday, “the ruling party derived significant advantage from its incumbency, including through its control of local administrations and from the misuse of administrative resources. This was amplified by positive coverage of state institutions in the media. Allegations of vote buying by political parties were pervasive during the campaign and a high number of investigations were opened in this regard.” According to IEOM, “widespread practices of vote-buying remained a problem,” adding that around 30 cases related to vote buying are under investigations. The IEOM witnessed also one case of money being distributed to voters outside the voting center. “The leaking of sensitive personal data, including political preferences of citizens, is of serious concern and makes voters vulnerable,” IEOM said.  In the preliminary results, it was mentioned that despite a legal framework, “ministers continued to campaign during official engagements. The resultant publicity gave the ruling party a significant advantage. The provision of incentives and alleged pressure on civil servants was of concern.” While the DP saw significant growth compared to the previous elections, it failed to stop Rama from securing a third term. During the election campaign, the leader of the opposition Lulzim Basha refused to answer questions about his fate in the DP in case of defeat, declaring with conviction that on April 25, the opposition would win. Basha declared in front of his supporters that he will "fight until victory", implying that he will continue to be at the helm of the Democratic Party. He listed several reasons that led to the loss of the elections, such as unilateral changes to the Constitution, the use of concession money, or the use of private data of citizens. “These elections had nothing to do with democracy. We went into battle with a regime that did everything to destroy the fair race by amending the Constitution and the Electoral Code. Tens of thousands of votes destroyed, millions of euros invested […] They used the millions gained through the corrupt concessions, stole citizens' personal data, used criminals and gangs, threatened administrations, journalists and the media, making the electoral massacre even greater,” said Basha. In the meantime, high-ranking members of the Democratic Party, such as former President Bujar Nishani, have requested that Basha should resign from his position in the party. Although not on the same ticket, the Socialist Movement for Integration, the second-biggest opposition party, that had signed a pre-election agreement with the DP to form a government coalition after the elections in case of a possible win, received a huge blow, losing in many areas considered as strongholds. The SMI has secured only 4 parliamentary seats nationwide, an extraordinary contraction compared to 2017 when it had 19 seats. Although the leader of SMI Monika Kryemadhi recognized several mistakes made by the opposition in the past years, she further attacked the majority for distorting the people's vote. “The SMI and the citizens faced a great perfidiousness that deeply distorted their will, gave space and spirit to gangs and crime, gave the oligarchs the opportunity to alienate and obscure any position,” said Kryemadhi. None of the leaders of the opposition so far has accepted the results of the elections, meaning that they will make such issues as vote-buying part of their future agenda. Meanwhile, President Ilir Meta, after declaring that the elections were “calm” and “peaceful”, today confirmed that he will continue to maintain the role of President until 2022. On various occasions, Meta had declared that in case of a possible win by Rama, he would have resigned the day after. After Meta's statement, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party Taulant Balla reacted by saying that once the counting process will be officially over, the SP will start the process of dismissal of the president. Another surprise was Doshi’s resignation immediately after the start of the counting process. For many analysts, that move suggests that the seats of SDP will support Rama's government, considering the ties Doshi and Rama have had in the past. Doshi has been mentioned on many occasions by the US Ambassador to Tirana Yuri Kim who before the elections urged Albanian institutions to prevent Doshi’s running in the elections, due to allegations of “significant corruption”. Although Rama has been previously urged not to collaborate with Doshi, after Doshi's resignation it will be easier for Rama to cooperate with SDP.

 

US DOS: Respect for the results of legitimate elections strengthens Albania’s democracy (Tirana Times)

The US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price congratulated Albania on the 25 April elections, saying that “respect for the results of legitimate elections strengthens Albania’s democracy.” In the message delivered through Twitter, Price wrote that the U.S were looking forward to continue their “close partnership” with Prime Minister Edi Rama, and also “commend the opposition’s strong campaign.” “The United States congratulates the people of Albania on the recent elections. We look forward to continuing our close partnership with Prime Minister Rama and commend the opposition 's strong campaign. Respect for the results of legitimate elections strengthens Albania's democracy,” he wrote. US Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim retweeted the message of Price, congratulating Rama for his electoral victory and Basha for the strong campaign. “By recognizing the results of this election & cooperating with each other, leaders will be acting responsibly for the benefit of the Albanian people,” wrote Kim, echoing the message of Price. The Ambassador said also that the US has noted OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report on the elections, and that they were looking forward to receive the final version of the report, which will be helpful to improve the elections in the future. “We reiterate that law enforcement & judiciary should prosecute any who violated law & obstructed citizens' right to vote freely & in peace,” said the US Ambassador commenting the final results of the elections.

UK pushes Albania to investigate alleged 25 April polls irregularities (ADN)

British Ambassador to Albania Duncan Norman has urged Wednesday evening the institutions of the country to scrutinize all the irregularities claimed to have taken place during the general elections of 25 April, as a result of which the Socialist Party (SP) run by Prime Minister Edi Rama was able to get a third governance term. Via a statement to the social networks, Ambassador Norman also expressed satisfaction about seeing that the electoral framework was implemented and that high numbers of people voted. Furthermore, the Ambassador congratulated Rama and the Socialists on the victory of the elections and the Albanians for their participation. “The UK has supported Albania and followed the preparation & holding of this election. We were happy to see the implementation of the electoral framework & witness citizens voting in large numbers. We encourage Albanian institutions to investigate all alleged irregularities. Congratulations to Rama and the SP on the results of the parliamentary election, and to the Albanian people for their participation, despite this year’s COVID limitations. We also acknowledge the strong policy-based campaign run by the DP and the electoral gains they made”, tweeted the Ambassador of Britain.

Ambassador Bucci congratulates Rama on elections’ victory (ADN)

Ambassador of Italy in Tirana Fabrizio Bucci has joined Wednesday the congratulations for Prime Minister Edi Rama, after the victory by the Socialist Party (SP), which the latter leads, in the April 25 general elections. Through a message on Twitter, Bucci congratulated Rama and the SP on the result, as well as the leader of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha and the leaders of the opposition parties for the election campaign. Also, the Italian ambassador, while sharing a statement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that now is the time for all parties to work in the interest of Albanians. "My congratulations to the Prime Minister Edi Rama and the SP for the election result. Compliments to Lulzim Basha and the leaders of other opposition parties who gave life to an intensive election campaign. For all political forces, now is the time to work in the interest of all Albanian citizens, respecting the election result. A mature and responsible opposition is essential in every democracy. Maximum support to Albania and its institutions for a new season, where among the priorities will be the start of EU accession negotiations," tweeted Bucci. Statement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared by Ambassador Bucci below: The Farnesina recorded with satisfaction the progress of the electoral round in Albania which took place on Sunday 25 April. Italy congratulates for the good organization of the electoral process, as indicated by the OSCE / ODIHR in its preliminary report, and in particular for the professionalism and transparency shown by the Central Electoral Commission and its Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi. Reports of alleged fraud and irregularities must be scrupulously assessed and in full compliance with the procedures established by the electoral code. The elections on Sunday 25 April contribute positively to the consolidation of democratic processes in Albania and represent an important step forward in its path towards Europe. After the electoral confrontation, it is now essential that all political actors commit themselves to work for the good of the country, contributing to the consolidation of democratic institutions which find their central point of reference in a fully legitimate and functioning parliament. The hope of Italy is that all political forces work cohesively in support of the strategic objective represented by the entry of Albania into the EU, through a constructive and respectful dialogue between the majority and the opposition that allows the country to face successfully the challenges that await him. Italy will continue to strongly support the Albanian institutions in this path and the legitimate aspirations of the Albanian people to be part of the European family.