UNMIK Headlines 1 October
CEC not to re-verify Serb applications (Koha Ditore)
The decision of the Central Election Commission to reject most of voter applications from Serbia has outraged authorities in Belgrade who warned they will raise the issue in the upcoming meeting in Brussels. Sources told the paper that as a result of Serbia’s pressure, the CEC may be forced to re-verify the applications and accept them as being in order.
However, officials at the CEC refused the possibility claiming they will not deal with applications any more. “The process of verification of applications has ended and there will be no increase or decrease of the number. We will soon come out with official report of applications that have been admitted,” said head of CEC Valdete Daka.
In Brussels for elections (Tribuna)
Delegations from Kosovo and Serbia are expected to travel to Brussels on Tuesday and discuss issues that concern the parties. Now with just over a month to elections, the parties have expressed disagreements on a number of issues relating to the election process. The large number of voter applications from Serbia and the work on the ground of the Serb Minister Aleksandar Vulin are causing concern with authorities in Pristina while Belgrade considers Pristina has not provided sufficient space for it to be an equal shareholder in elections where Serbs from the north are to take part for the first time.
Assembly presidency does not include PTK in the agenda (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that the report of the government commission for privatization of 75 percent of shares of Kosovo Post and Telecom (PTK) is not expected to be in the agenda of the regular session of Kosovo Assembly. In this session which is continuation from the last, the agenda will include 5 points that have remained from 26 September. This was decided by the presidency of the Assembly but PDK does not agree with this decision although it has not made a request that this issue be in the agenda.
Head of the parliamentary group of PDK, Adem Grabovci said, “The remaining points, including PTK, should be included in the agenda of the next session.” He did not exclude the possibility of initiating a motion on this issue. “I believe that I am very clear. In next session PTK should also be in the agenda. This is clear, because this is one of the remaining points where it has not been voted,” said Grabovci.
Nikaj to replace Kusari-Lila (Zëri)
Bernard Nikaj is reported to be the likeliest successor to Mimoza Kusari-Lila to the post of Minister of Trade and Industry once she steps down due to her candidacy for Gjakova Mayor. Nikaj is at present deputy minister and was advisor to Kusari-Lila beforehand.
€700,000 for advertising in CNN and BBC (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that two 30-seconds advertisements, which promote Kosovo as an attractive place to invest, will be broadcasted in two biggest television networks, CNN and BBC. The contract with CNN will have a value of 400,000 euros while with BBC it will be 300,000. One advertisement will have the aim to tell the reasons why it should be invested in Kosovo. The other one will show seven priority fields where it can be invested.