CEC removes Republic of Kosovo from the ballots (dailies)

All dailies report that in a tensioned meeting and with accelerated procedure, which was attempted to be held far from the eyes of media, Kosovo Election Commission with majority of votes, has removed from ballots the insignia and denomination of Republic of Kosovo. Seven from 11 CEC members voted in favor of the removal of state insignia and Republic of Kosovo, Fadil Maloku from AKR was against while Florian Dushi from LDK and the head of CEC Valdete Daka abstained. Just before the voting of the new design of the ballots, Vetëvendosje member, Adnan Rrustemi, left the meeting since despite all rejections, could not stop the voting. The proposal for the new design of ballots and application letters for registration of new parties and candidates, came from CEC member from Serb Liberal Party, Goran Draskovic.

CEC: The decision is accordance with the law (Epoka e Re)

The Central Election Commission released after its meeting on Monday a press communiqué, which says that CEC is committed to fulfill constitutional obligation, to organize elections in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo. The press release further notes that all the decisions of CEC are according to the law and the same for the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo. “The ballots will have the symbol of Central Election Commission and will be the same for the entire territory of Kosovo. Central Election Commission is committed to offer equal conditions for all voters in the Republic of Kosovo,” says CEC press communiqué.

Thaçi expects an agreement on 8 September (Kosova Sot)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi, has expressed his belief that agreements not only on telecommunication, but also on the other topic, which has been assessed as the most problematic in this dialogue, that of energy, will be reached at the meeting of 8 September in Brussels. He also announced that disagreements related to the use of symbols of the state of Kosovo in the local elections of 3 November, are overcome “We have political compliance with entire political spectrum that we have met and talked. This means, it will be a constitutional and legal solution,” said Thaçi.

The U.S. support CEC decision (dailies)

The Embassy of the United States in Kosovo, has supported the decision of the Central Election Commission to change the appearance of the ballots. “We hail the decision of CEC related to the election process, which represents a significant step forward. CEC’s approach serves as basis for all inclusive elections which reflect participation of the communities that live in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo,” says the press release of the U.S. Embassy. “We encourage Kosovo leaders to continue to work together to assure elections that fulfill international standards and that are inclusive for all communities,” says this press release.

Kuçi in Brussels for the courts in the north  (Tribuna)

Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi met in Brussels with the facilitators of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. He discussed the manners of changing the current mandate of EULEX mission, which ends in June of next year as well as about the manner of functioning of the courts in the north.

Sources of this newspaper said that the principal of neutrality should reflect at the basic courts that will be created in the north as well as at the Court of the Appeals, which will deal only with the cases of the courts with Serb majority.

Ballots at the Constitutional Court (Tribuna)

Vetëvendosje activists are considering seriously the possibility of sending the latest decision of the Central Election Commission on changing the design of the ballots, to the Constitutional Court. They claimed that they will not sit cross handed and instead they will use all the possible means to resolve this issue in a legal manner. CEC member from Vetëvendosje, Adnan Rrustemi, said in an interview for this daily that they are in the process of the research of legal basis that would prove CEC decision as illegal and anti-constitutional. He accused head of CEC, Valdete Daka, for orchestrating the entire situation after the pressure from the Government.

Bomb alarm at a school in the north (Zëri)

Zëri reports that students of a school in the north of Mitrovica have been evacuated after anonymous information about a bomb being placed inside the school. As a result of this information, the students of elementary school “Branko Radicevic” in north Mitrovica were evacuated, while specialized police units searched for the timed bomb.

Mustafa: We don’t know the strategy of the Government on EULEX (Lajm)

Opposition parties have not received the strategy approved by the  Government of Kosovo, which aims to help EULEX mission transfer its competencies to the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, by June 2014. LDK leader, Isa Mustafa, said for Kosovapress that they have not received the strategy prepared by the Government yet. He added that their political evaluation and decision will come after considering and discussing the draft-law.