LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Policy of creating a Greater Albania is a process that will continue, Kurti will not stop (RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that the policy of creating Greater Albania is a process that will continue and that the Prime Minister of Pristina’s provisional institutions Albin Kurti will not stop. “Serbs did not leave Kosovo and Matohija just because of the plates, it was not their whim. Let’s remember that there was a lot of violence, which was not prosecuted and nobody wanted to solve those problems. I just want to say that it is not a question of whether we want to condemn something. The policy of creating a Greater Albania is a process that will continue, and Albin Kurti will not stop. There is no way to stop Mr. Kurti in this matter. There is a possibility that he will not succeed in achieving it because you will oppose him at some point - with political argumentation, seriousness, but also with his firmness. He will not stop,” says Vucic. He points out that all those who think that someone in Brussels will convince Kurti not to be a follower of Enver Hoxha and Adem Demaci are wrong. “Whoever thinks that Kurti will be convinced by someone in Brussels not to be a follower of Enver Hoxha and Adem Demaci is mistaken. For people in Serbia who do not know, Adem Demaci spent 28 years in prison in a relatively liberal system in which, once you go to prison, they always looked for a way to release you as a political prisoner, they couldn’t release him. He was so extreme. He was such a Serb-hater and an Albanian nationalist that it was impossible to do that,” said Vucic. He added that it is not only the flag of Greater Albania that was displayed during Kurti’s recent visit to North Macedonia that is problematic, but also what he was talking about, Kurti, the way the prime minister of the Pristina provisional institutions was announced and presented there.

 

West not interested in story about Greater Albania

Vucic says that the West is not interested in the story of Greater Albania. “It’s bad for them, but those bad guys are our guys. We have to trample on these others until they accept independent Kosovo and we have to conduct a campaign against Serbia,” Vucic paraphrased the West’s attitude towards this issue. He says that he expects great and heavy pressure on Serbia regarding the sanctions against the Russian Federation, as he says, probably the hardest so far. “You can see how that circle is closing in Serbia as well, they want to isolate me completely. Everyone has become either Americans or Russians, there are no more Serbs anywhere. Or those Serbs, both of them, say we are real Serbs only if we are Americans or we are real Serbs only if we are Russians. There is nothing that would be balanced,” Vucic points out. He expects that Serbia will face numerous problems. “The situation in Ukraine is such that it is now clear that you cannot easily defeat Russia on the battlefield. I will not say that Russia can win because I do not think it can. Many expected that Ukraine would easily win with modern Western weapons, but there is none of that. Since it is now clear, it is important to strengthen the complete front against the Russian Federation. All the holes that exist anywhere should be plugged and therefore the pressure on Serbia will be as strong as possible. They don’t care that they have a much larger trade exchange with Serbia, they don’t care that they cooperate with Russia much more than Serbia, they don’t care that they lied about Belgian weapons,” says Vucic. He points out that countless lies are catching up with each other and will continue to do so.

Vucic condemned the abuse of artificial intelligence on TV Pink over which Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) leader Dragan Djilas said he would sue this television station and its owner Zeljko Mitrovic. “You are talking about how Zeljko Mitrovic and TV Pink used and aired the voices and faces of some former regime leaders. I believe that the representatives of the former regime are right, that this must not be used, that it is something that is not allowed, not fair, and something that a democratic state should not do, and I hope the relevant bodies will take measures in connection with this. I expect that,” Vucic said.  He added that the video clips featuring opposition leaders on TV Pink are fake, adding the “representatives of the former regime” did the very same thing when they released an edited photo of him hugging Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. “I am not asking them to condemn these insane, senseless caricatures such as those published today, yesterday, nor do I mind,” said Vucic, adding that he is used to being called “a faggot, negatively born, a lunatic and a sick person”. “Why are you looking at me like I said something weird?! Last night whenever the referee failed to award a corner kick they shouted ‘Vucic, you faggot’,” said the Serbian President. When the RTS journalist interviewing him said that the public broadcaster makes an effort to prevent this from being heard in the program, Vucic replied: “Why? Why would you hide that from the people when I am not embarrassed.”

 

Seven Serbs leave ranks of Kosovo police (Indeksonline.net/Kosovo Online)

 

Seven new members of the Kosovo police from the Serb community have resigned, Indeksonline.net writes. According to this portal, four police officers in Leposavic, two in Zvecan and one in Kosovska Mitrovica have resigned, writes Kosovo Online. Previously, the US Ambassador in Pristina and the head of EULEX said that they were "concerned about the resignations of three newly recruited Serb police officers and are closely following the developments".

 

EULEX concerned by resignation of Kosovo Serb police officers (Beta)

 

Head of EULEX Giovanni Pietro Barbano said on Thursday that he was concerned by the resignations of three Kosovo Serb members of the Kosovo Police who were recently recruited. “EULEX is closely following these worrisome developments. Police composition should reflect and represent the society they serve and protect,” Barbano posted on his X (Twitter) account. He added that non-majority members of Kosovo Police can contribute to the safety of their own communities through community-oriented policing. “The Mission is committed to supporting KP’s efforts aimed at developing effective, efficient, representative and responsive policing in the broader rule of law scope,” Barbano wrote.

 

Stefanovic: Opposition united on elections in Belgrade (TV N1)

 

Deputy president of the Freedom and Justice Party Borko Stefanovic said on Thursday that the entire opposition was unanimous that early elections needed to be held in Belgrade. Stefanovic told the TV N1 station that the Freedom and Justice Party had been calling for elections in the capital "for over a year" and the rest of the opposition "for months", and that elections were necessary because the Serbian Progressive Party's reign in Belgrade "lacks legitimacy". He rejected as a "cheap Progressive trick" Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic saying that elections in Belgrade would be held if the opposition asked for them, but at the same time that the opposition had no say in whether other elections would be held simultaneously. "It is clear to them that they are almost definitely going to lose elections in Belgrade as a result of their bad and corrupted rule. That is why Vucic is trying to tie these elections with early parliamentary elections and regular local elections. It's a cheap Progressive trick to sidestep what all citizens can see, such as record increases in the prices of food, electricity, utilities, taxes," he said.

 

Aleksic: Silent majority in Serbia gas awakened, opposition needs to create as board a possible for elections (Nedeljnik)

 

People's Movement of Serbia leader Miroslav Aleksic, until recently vice president of the People's Party, said on Thursday that "the silent majority in Serbia has awakened, citizens who want politicians they can trust have awakened". "Simply put, every politician has an expiration date and you must have a sense for that. The problem is when you become intoxicated by political power. We do not need power, we need a system and politicians who will sacrifice and be with the citizens across Serbia. People who will be ready, not to enjoy power, but to sacrifice for the state and greater good," Aleksic stressed in an interview with the Nedeljnik weekly. Asked about his strategy for the next elections, he replied that, "It is hard to think about a strategy when you don't know which elections will be held, or when." "Local and provincial elections will definitely have to be held. It is almost certain that parliamentary elections will be held as well. I would like elections on all levels, including presidential and in Belgrade. The government does not have legitimacy in Belgrade," Aleksic said.

 

Obradovic sees People’s Party in patriotic opposition’s election bloc (Danas)

 

The President and member of parliament of the Dveri Movement party Bosko Obradovic stated on Thursday that he believed the People’s Party of Vuk Jeremic should run within the election bloc of the “statehood, sovereignist and patriotic” opposition, and not the pro-Western one. Obradovic said in an interview with the Danas portal that, at the next general elections, there should be a platform agglomeration into two or three opposition columns – one with all the “sovereignist, statehood and patriotic” options, while the pro-Western opposition should not have more than two columns, according to him. “This will result in votes not being lost due to the artificial merging into one, ideologically heterogeneous and irreconcilable election ticket, but added up across logical ideology options. There will be no wasting of votes below the census that result in more parliamentary seats for the ruling regime. I believe this will also result in greater turnout of voters who are dissatisfied with the current regime, as was the case in Montenegro,” he stated.

 

Tepic: Administration in Belgrade has already collapsed, someone just needs to tell them that (Nova)

 

Freedom and Justice Party Vice President Marinika Tepic has said that the authorities led by Aleksandar Vucic were not calling elections at the level of Belgrade due to "cowardice and awareness that they have already fallen in Belgrade, but no one has told them that". "All that is left is to make that official in elections, which will happen sooner or later, they will not be able to run from them forever," Tepic said in an interview in Nova. Asked whether a common election ticket that would include all the organizers of the ongoing protests was possible, she replied that she believed that ticket was possible and that she was hoping for "the will and readiness of all colleagues to make it so". According to her, the Serbia Against Violence protests should stay calm, like they have been so far, because "we cannot fight violence with violence". "But they will certainly become more agile, more active and more intensive," Tepic said when asked what could be expected when September rolled around.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Banjaluka.net portal receives letter from group of judges of Court of B&H in which they state that indictment against Dodik and Lukic will be confirmed at suggestion of US Ambassador in Sarajevo Michael Murphy (RTRS)

 

RTRS reports that pending the decision on confirming or rejecting the indictment against RS President Milorad Dodik and Acting Director of the RS Official Gazette Milos Lukic, the details of the judicial process started against Dodik and Lukic are emerging in the public. The Banjaluka.net portal received a letter from a group of judges of the Court of BiH in which they state that the indictment will be confirmed at the suggestion of US Ambassador in Sarajevo Michael Murphy. Judging by the anonymous letter from the Court of B&H delivered to the Banjaluka.net portal, the US Ambassador asked President of the Court of B&H Ranko Debevec to confirm the indictment against Dodik and Lukic. RTRS reminded that Murphy was the first to welcome the indictment. According to the letter delivered to the Banjaluka.net portal, Dodik and Lukic will be sentenced to prison terms and will be banned from holding public offices, after which an order will be issued to remove the President of the RS. The Court of B&H resolutely rejected media allegations about the existence of a plan to prosecute the President of the RS and the Acting Director of the RS Official Gazette. Representatives of the Court of B&H stated that they have no role in the issuing of the indictment, and due to the integrity of the process, they do not want to reveal which judge is in charge of the indictment. The anonymous letter delivered to the Banjaluka.net portal states that the judge who is in charge of the indictment against Dodik and Lukic is Jasmina Cosic-Dedovic, who became famous in the acquittal of Naser Oric. “The US Embassy, as well as Ambassador Michael Murphy, never contacted the President of the Court, Ranko Debevec, for this or any other case,” the Court of BiH said in a statement. The unsigned letter further states that the original plan to charge Dodik with an attack on the constitutional order failed because it is difficult to prove it. So, according to the letter, one switched to plan B, to article 203a imposed in the Criminal Code of B&H by Christian Schmidt. And this is where the problems emerge, who will sign the shaky indictment, and in the end, as stated in the letter, prosecutor Nedim Cosic did it. Professor at the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka Vitomir Popovic said that the Constitutional Court, as well as the Court and the Prosecutor's Office of B&H, is set up in such a way that one can always find a suitable Muslim, a suitable Serb or a suitable Croat who will do what the US and UK ambassadors ask from him. “And now they will try to find someone who, first of all, will be in a position to confirm the indictment, and after that to proceed with the trial process,” Popovic emphasized. As RTRS noted, it would be a surprise if the Court of B&H rejected the indictment against Dodik and Lukic, because it would mean the defeat of Schmidt and the Western machinery, which is why the composition of the judicial panel is already being considered. According to the portal Banjaluka.net, Debevec is counting on the so-called loyal Serbs. “There are Serbs there who will be very loyal, who will sign what is submitted,” Popovic said. As RTRS said, from the anonymous letter published by the Banjaluka.net portal, it can be concluded that there is polarization among judges of Serb ethnicity - those with dignity and a dose of national pride who do not want to participate in the political persecution of the RS President and those who, like the Bosniaks, would like to see him behind bars. The Court of B&H rejected these allegations as well.

 

US Embassy says it is preposterous to suggest that US Embassy authored indictments against Dodik and Lukic (RTRS)

 

The US Embassy to B&H stated Thursday that it is preposterous to suggest that the United States Embassy authored the indictments against RS President Milorad Dodik and Acting Director of the RS Official Gazette Milos Lukic or is masterminding a conspiracy. “If there is an author of the indictment against Dodik outside of the State Prosecutor’s Office, as Dodik has claimed, it is Dodik, himself. The plain and simple fact is that Dodik’s problems are of his own making,” the US Embassy in B&H said in a statement.

 

Dodik: All problems B&H has were created by international officials such as US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy, including circus related to interventions in B&H Criminal Code (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik stated on Thursday that all the problems B&H has were created by international officials such as US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy, “including the circus related to interventions in the Criminal Code of B&H”. “The indictment against Milos Lukic and me has a recognizable author and a well-known handwriting. Even if I did not say his name, there is no one in B&H and the region who does not know the author of that para-judicial circus,” Dodik stated on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

 

No updates from Court of B&H on indictments of Dodik and Lukic, and Dodik’s indictments against Cosic (BHT1)

 

BHT1 carries that there were no reactions from the Court of B&H and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H regarding the indictment that RS President Milorad Dodik filed against prosecutor from the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Nedim Cosic, or any word on the decision of the Court of B&H on the indictments filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H against Dodik and acting Director of the RS Official Gazette Milos Lukic. The Court of B&H has a 15-day deadline, until 28 August, to approve the indictment filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H against Dodik and Lukic. Lawyer Aleksandar Jokic stated that only political questions are being discussed in the media, without having any idea about the details of the indictment. Law expert Josip Muselimovic said that he believes in the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, but cannot say if the indictment was justified. He added that it has caused large political tensions in the country, but that he believes that BiH institutions will act in accordance with the law. The RS Bar Association commented on the indictment against Dodik by saying that imposing laws implemented by a false and illegitimate representative instead of following their own laws and institutions, represents the destruction of the pillars of society. Billboards showing support for Dodik were put up in numerous locations in Banja Luka. Attorney General of the RS Milimir Govedarica has confirmed that the Office of the Attorney General of the RS will fully represent interests of the RS and the RS President and will be actively involved in his defence in case the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H’s indictment is confirmed. Govedarica said the indictment against Dodik is a political indictment and represents a criminal offense. The full makeup of the defence team for Dodik and Lukic will be known by the end of the week, adding that the team is consisted of lawyers and legal experts from RS and Serbia. Belgrade lawyer Toma Fila explained that Schmidt is illegitimate without the support of the UN Security Council, meaning all his decisions are invalid. He added that all of what is happening is to discredit and work against Dodik, with the goal of destroying RS. Vrhovac concludes that Dodik has received support from the heads of RS representative offices abroad and 24 civil society associations from Serbia.

 

Croatian authorities stop journalist Simic at border crossing (N1)

 

N1 reports that journalist Danijel Simic, known in B&H for spreading Russian propaganda and denying the genocide in Srebrenica, claims that Croatian police stopped him on Thursday around noon at the Batrovci border crossing, and then he was handed a decision banning him from entering Croatia. Simic said that he was interrogated by people who did not introduce themselves by name, but said they were from the Croatian intelligence service, adding that he was harassed for reporting from Donbass.

 

Dodik: Detaining Simic at Croatia’s border is open pressure on media freedom and violation of human rights EU swears by (ATV)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik said that detaining journalist Danijel Simic at Croatia’s border is “an open pressure on the media freedom and violation of human rights the EU swears by”. “The RS has recently faced an unprecedented pressure also from the EU because it wanted to introduce accountability for publicly said words. Only one month later, in Croatia, the EU member, a journalist was stopped only because he was of view he had a right to the freedom of expression and the freedom of thought,” Dodik was quoted as saying. He also said that the silence is noticeable in the media community in the RS and B&H “that as late as yesterday swore by the freedom of expression and the freedom of media”.

 

Cvijanovic: Simic’s human rights are violated (RTRS)

 

Reacting to the ban to journalist Danijel Simic to enter Croatia, Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic believes that this is a blatant attack on the basic human rights of journalist Simic. “I strongly condemn this shameful act. We demand from the relevant institutions of Croatia and the EU to explain to us whether European values imply restricting the freedom of movement of journalists due to their publicly expressed views. How many journalists should we treat in this way in order to meet the criteria of the EU,” Cvijanovic was quoted as saying.

 

Viskovic criticizes media and NGOs for being silent in case of journalist Simic (ATV/RTRS)

 

Reacting to the ban to journalist Danijel Simic to enter Croatia, RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said that entry ban for Simic is a “gross violation of his rights and freedoms”, noting that he is more concerned about silence of journalists in the RS and of many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are often vocal in the public with regard to many issues, “whilst remaining silent about entry ban to one of the EU countries for their colleague journalist only because of his reporting”. “Unfortunately, this silence speaks volumes and I am sorry that some journalists from the RS have allowed themselves to remain silent about such a violation of freedom and the right to journalistic accurate and truthful reporting and cast doubt on their credibility in the performance of journalistic work,” Viskovic was quoted as saying.

 

Jokovic: Failure to form govt. would lead to instability and new elections (CdM)

 

SNP leader Vladimir Jokovic believes that it is certain that the process led by PM-designate Mikojko Spajic will result in the formation of the 44th government. He says for CdM that if the government is not formed, it will lead to instability and new elections. “At the last meeting, we greatly agreed on the priorities. These are Montenegro’s membership in the EU, economic prosperity, the fight against corruption and crime, strengthening the rule of law…,” Jokovic says for CdM. He notes that the position of SNP is that the government should be as inclusive and broad as possible. “SNP knows who they will not join the government with, and it is up to Spajic to determine what the composition of that government will be. Our wish is for the 30-August winners to be part of the government,” Jokovic points out. He has told CdM that it is up to Spajic to say who will form the government and to propose the distribution of ministries. “The focus is currently on the principles and modality of functioning of the future government. I believe that the process of these negotiations will be completed with the formation of the government, because otherwise we would have to organize new elections, and I don’t know what good they would bring us,” Jokovic concludes.

 

Zivkovic: I’m not thinking about candidacy; Milatovic shouldn’t give himself more importance than he deserves; Vucic pressuring Spajic (CdM)

 

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Danijel Zivkovic says that at this moment he is absolutely not thinking about running for the leader of this party, because he is preoccupied with other things. When asked when the DPS congress will be held at which Milo Djukanovic’s successor will be chosen, and whether he will run for office, Zivkovic points out that the party informed the public that there would be an immediate election of the party leadership. He recalls that they have already had an extraordinary congress, and when the party’s databases are sorted out, the immediate election of the party’s leadership will begin. He also commented on the fact that President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic said yesterday that he and his colleague Aleksandar Vucic would discuss the debt of the Simo Milosevic Institute the following week. When asked if Milatovic’s statement also means a way out of his constitutional powers, because it is not known that the President can solve problems that are exclusively within the competence of the government, Zivkovic points out that he does not know on the basis of which constitutional powers the President can solve the issue of the Simo Milosevic Institute. President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic has said today that the Serbs in Montenegro are not in charge of anything. Zivkovic points out that Vucic’s statements are becoming more frequent as we move towards the process of forming the government in Montenegro, “we know for whose account and interest”. Vucic, adds Zivkovic, wants to put pressure on the future PM-designate Milojko Spajic with such statements, in order to bring the For the Future of Montenegro coalition into power. Zivkovic adds that in the past three years, DPS has filed over 70 criminal charges on various grounds. “Until today, we do not have an answer to any of them,” Zivkovic has pointed out at the press conference. Montenegro, Zivkovic stresses, is living in a time of powerlessness – the government functions as if it had a full mandate, the mayor of the municipality manages the local self-government from detention, public officials do not care about the state. “The lack of power is a consequence of the inadequate institutions’ reactions,” states Zivkovic.

 

Constitutional changes necessary for a European North Macedonia, elections not a solution: PM (MIA)

 

Eighty MPs are needed for a vote for a European North Macedonia, the government needs 61 MPs to be able to fully decide and work until the election of the next government. A two-third majority in parliament for the constitutional amendments is an imperative for every citizen in the country, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Thursday when asked why he thinks elections are not the solution while lacking the two-third majority necessary for the constitutional amendments. “You see that one of the key topics are the living standard social protection, democratic rule. These are the three elements according to which the EU is the best in the world, on the level of the US, and we, as a country, strive to fulfill these standards. So, it is not the government that needs a two-third majority or 80 MPs, they are necessary for the citizens of the country. When the process began there were a lot of comments creating hysteria that Macedonia would be ‘Bulgarized’, that we would lose our language, we would be assimilated. None of that has happened. Now, almost a year later, we have a clear, guaranteed Macedonian language in the EU, affirmed through the Frontex Agreement, the Macedonian identity is becoming a part of the mosaic of EU identities, the entire EU acquis is already being translated into Macedonian. There is no greater affirmation of the language and identity of a country, than the recognition from the largest union in Europe,” said Kovachevski. The Prime Minister added that the upcoming debate on the constitutional amendments in parliament will show the citizens that this is a part of the Euro-integration process. “The ten-day debate in parliament is a good opportunity for the citizens to once again be assured that this is a process for the realization of the second strategic goal of the country, after NATO membership, and that the sooner we complete this process, the sooner we will become an EU member state. For the first time our country isn’t vetoed from abroad, but could be vetoed from inside,” said Kovachevski in answer to a journalist’s question. Kovachevski criticized VMRO-DPMNE for failing to explain why they don’t support the amendments considering, he said, they are not being done under Bulgarian dictate, because the EU and the US have clearly pointed out that the amendments are a part of the Negotiating Framework. “At one point they were saying they would change the negotiating framework. They aren’t saying that anymore because representatives from the EU and the US said that the Negotiating Framework was approved by all EU member states and is the best compromise between the 27 EU member states and our country. And now when this is not an option, a single word is being used – ‘dictate’, while a press release exists from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which says, yes, this is the Negotiating Framework as part of which everyone should fulfill their tasks,” said the PM. Regarding Afrim Gashi, Bilal Kasami and Izet Mexhiti’s demands to discuss the Albanian language and corruption alongside the constitutional amendments, Kovachevski said that the MPs are free to propose whatever they want, but, he said, they should keep in mind why the amendments are being carried out. “The constitutional amendments are part of a procedure where many proposals can be made. I haven’t seen the press conference. Other parties said things about corrections to the Constitution as well. But, the constitutional changes working group unanimously adopted a proposal over the country’s tasks from the Negotiating Framework. This is what the government has been working on. The MPs are free to propose whatever they want. But, they should always keep in mind why a certain strategic process is being carried out. The goal of this strategic process is the continuation of the EU path,” said Kovachevski.

 

Marichikj: Constitutional changes to be adopted if we wish the country well, and not isolation (Civil Media)

 

If we really wish the country well, and if we really want to fulfill our goal of EU membership by 2030, now is the time to demonstrate this through actions, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs Bojan Marichikj told Civil Media in an interview Thursday ahead of the session of parliament on the constitutional amendments. The Deputy PM said now is not the time for populism, and that the opposition’s blockades are bringing isolation and uncertainty to the country, as well as leaving room for the influence of third parties. Running away from statesmanlike decisions and not participating in the most important national process only complicates and slows down the country’s progress, and distances us from the European perspective. If the opposition doesn’t become proactive and doesn’t provide its support for the constitutional amendments then the outcome is clear, we stop here and once again we will be stuck in the EU’s waiting room. And this isn’t good for anyone, and shouldn’t be anyone’s goal for any reason, least of all a political reason,” said Marichikj. The country, he said, is now at a stage when EU membership is within reach by the end of the decade, an opportunity which mustn’t be missed. “The goal of all of us should now be to remain on the European path and add North Macedonia to the new enlargement package which will include Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Western Balkan countries. That is why the constitutional amendments must be adopted by the end of November, so we can remain within the process and secure continuity in the EU negotiations. The longer we remain outside the process, the worse it will be for the economy, the overall atmosphere in the country and more and more young people will leave the country. This will further weaken the trust in the institutions and threaten the stability and prosperity of the country, and I am certain that no one wants that, which is why I believe that we will manage to fulfill our shared tasks on the path to EU membership,” said Marichikj.

 

VMRO-DPMNE: SDSM doesn't have enough MPs to change Constitution (MIA)

 

Urging the ruling coalition to put the constitutional amendments to a vote, VMRO-DPMNE in a press release ahead of Friday's session of parliament held to discuss the need of updating the Constitution and continue the country's EU integration said SDSM did not have enough lawmakers to vote for the changes and once again called for a snap election. "Let them put them to a vote and let them see for themselves. The only solution is elections. The government has been manipulating numbers all year. In fact, if they had 80 MPs, they would have adopted the constitutional amendments a long time ago," the release said. In the release, VMRO-DPMNE reiterated its position that it will not vote for constitutional changes "under these circumstances and Bulgarian dictation". "The SDS should not harass the citizens and the state and as soon as today, after the constitutional amendments fail, it should dissolve parliament and let's go to the polls," the party said.

 

SDSM: Parliament session to show who's for EU, who's against (MIA)

 

Saying VMRO-DPMNE's Hristijan Mickoski was manipulating the public just like his predecessor Nikola Gruevski had been, SDSM in a press release ahead of Friday's parliamentary session on the need of updating the Constitution wrote that this was "the moment of truth, a session that will show who is for and who is against the EU". Adopting the proposed constitutional changes, SDSM said, would strengthen the multi-ethnic character of the country and the Macedonian identity, as the EU has recognized the Macedonian language with the negotiation framework. Updating the Constitution is necessary to continue the country's European integration and opening the chapters of the negotiation process, the party reiterated. "But Mickoski says with great ease that he is ready to block the country's citizens' European future, just like Gruevski did," it said.

 

DUI: MPs should vote for North Macedonia’s European future (MIA)

 

The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) said Friday's parliamentary session on constitutional amendments would decide on North Macedonia's continuing negotiations with the EU. In a press release ahead of the session, the party has urged all MPs to think about the weight of their historic task for the country's European future. "Citizens can no longer be manipulated by different destructive forces since the DUI, as a serious party with pro-American and pro-European views, has made all options available so the country's European integration process is not hindered," the release reads. "DUI once again calls on the political parties and MPs to put aside their personal and party interests, to not vote against, but to prioritize citizen's European future." "The Republic of North Macedonia has its place in the great European family. At Friday's session we will see who will vote for integration and who for isolation, who is pro-Europe and who is pro-Russia, who is for perspective and who is for regression," DUI stressed.

 

US-Albania Law Enforcement cooperation, Balla meets the US Chargé d'Affaires, H. Martin McDowell (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Interior Minister Taulant Balla held a meeting with the US Chargé d'Affaires, H. Martin McDowell. During the meeting, the US-Albania cooperation and support in the field of law was discussed on a variety of security related issues. "Cooperation with US law enforcement agencies is of strategic importance to us. We discussed cooperation with US Chargé d'Affaires H. Martin McDowell, in the field of law enforcement and support for a number of issues related to security," writes Balla. "Every finding, complaint, information about breaking the law, ethical norms and internal regulations will be fully investigated, placing emphasis on data security and sensitive systems. Our request for any possible form of support from the United States and other partners for the Ministry [of Interior] and the State Police is finding positive support in this direction," concludes Balla.

 

Intensification of parliamentary relations with Spain (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Assembly speaker Lindita Nikolla congratulated today the respective speakers of the Congress of Deputies and of the Senate of Spain, on the occasion of their election. In her congratulatory message, Nikolla expresses her confidence on the intensification of parliamentary relations between the two countries. "Congratulations to Francina Armengol, who was elected today speaker of the Congress of Deputies, and Pedro Rollan, who was elected speaker of the Spanish Senate. I hope that the relations between the Assembly of Albania and the Congress of Deputies and the Senate of Spain will continue to increase to the benefit of our peoples. Good luck in your high tasks, dear colleagues," ends her congratulatory message speaker Nikolla.