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UNMIK Headlines 06 October

Albright brings them together (Express)

Express reports on the front page that Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, LDK leader Isa Mustafa and AAK deputy leader Blerim Shala had a joint meeting with former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Pristina on Friday. Sources told the paper that the meeting which focused on the current political developments was held at Swiss Diamond Hotel far from the public.

"Yes, chairman Mustafa attended the meeting with PDK leader Hashim Thaci and AAK deputy leader Blerim Shala. The meeting was called by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright," an advisor to Mustafa said.

The paper notes that no other details about the meeting were revealed.

General elections, not before local elections (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore on the front page quotes a high-ranking member of the Kosovo Government as saying that tensions in the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) which were also noticed at the Kosovo Assembly, will have no effect on political developments in Kosovo.

The official said that these developments will not produce early national elections. "Parliamentary elections will not be held before local elections," said the government official, who also holds a senior post in the PDK. "There is no reason to go to early elections. The situation in the Assembly is manageable and the situation in the party is even more manageable."

"We won't go to elections without prior consensus among political parties, without finishing constitutional and election reforms and not before the end of the regular mandate for municipal elections," the official added. "The solution for the president will be part of the consensual package."

 

LDK calls on AAK, AKR and LDD to run together in elections (Koha Ditore)

LDK leader Isa Mustafa has publicly called on the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) and the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) to cooperate and to run with a joint platform in the next elections. "We will cooperate with parties such as AAK, AKR, LDD and others. We will intensify cooperation and we will provide the possibility of acting together in the next elections," Mustafa said.

The LDK leader said Kosovo is in an institutional crisis but denied that the invitation to other parties relates to early elections. "This is not about early elections, but about the future political constellation in Kosovo. The LDK will reach out to other political parties," Mustafa added. "I think Kosovo is in a crisis. We don't want crisis. We want stable government in our country. We had doubts over stability because institutions were built around the theft of vote which is now being acknowledged even by the party that we criticized."

 

The presidential offer (Express)

Express notes that the Office of the President of Kosovo seems to have a different approach from other state institutions about the issue of the north. Although the issue is expected to be addressed in upcoming talks between Kosovo and Serbia, officials in the Office of the President already argue that people elected to represent the mainly-Serb north are legitimate representatives despite the fact that Kosovo authorities have declared elections there illegal.

Ramush Tahiri, political advisor to President Jahjaga said these structures contributed to saving the north from anarchy. In an interview for Serbian radio station KIM, Tahiri said there are no Kosovo institutions in the north. He added that although structures there are considered parallel, they are legitimate because they were elected by the people.

"Without those structures, there would be anarchy there. We need to talk to those people, because they have legitimacy and they were elected by their citizens," Tahiri added.

Krasniqi: I will never resign (Zeri)

Zeri quotes Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi as saying that he does not plan to resign from his post or to form a new political party. "I know there are individuals in my party who want me to resign, but I don't intend to do that," Krasniqi said, adding that he will stay in the PDK and oppose those who want to strangle democracy there. "I have no personal interest, I want the law to be respected and I am against misuses."