Headlines - 14.07.2017

• Assembly session to be held by Wednesday, at the latest (Zeri)
• Non-Serb communities demand ministerial posts (Kallxo)
• Ymeri: Border demarcation to be discussed with Podgorica authorities (RTK)
• Vetevendosje’s Kurti says PAN could form new government (Lajmi/Periskopi)
• Ahmeti: Internationals may ask Thaci to grant mandate to VV-LAA (KTV)
• Special court goes on summer leave (Koha)

Assembly session to be held by Wednesday, at the latest (Zeri)

Officials from the PAN coalition said that the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly is expected to take place by Wednesday, at the latest and that this was discussed in yesterday’s meeting of President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci with PAN’s candidate for prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj. Rasim Selmanaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) told the paper that Thaci and Haradinaj agreed on the need to call the Assembly session as soon as possible. “We have the votes to form the government”, reaffirmed Selmanaj.

Non-Serb communities demand ministerial posts (Kallxo)

Veton Berisha, leader of Liberal Egyptian Party, who was at the meeting PAN coalition’s candidate for prime minister Ramush Haradinaj had with members of the non-Serb communities, said they asked to lead a ministry in the new government and that they refused that of deputy minister. Berisha said he told Haradinaj that his party requests a more senior post and a government programme that would support development of the Egyptian community. “We agreed to continue discussions and we want to see whether the numbers are secured. We are not seeing this is the case yet so everything remains open,” Berisha said. Meanwhile, Avni Arifi from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said earlier that Haradinaj received support from the non-Serb communities and that no conditions were put forward.

Ymeri: Border demarcation to be discussed with Podgorica authorities (RTK)

Leader of Vetevendosje, Visar Ymeri, currently on a visit to the U.S., said in an interview to VOA that if Vetevendosje forms the new government, it would seek to readdress the Kosovo-Montenegro border demarcation issue with authorities in Podgorica and look for ways to amend the current version of the agreement.

Vetevendosje’s Kurti says PAN could form new government (Lajmi/Periskopi)

Vetevendosje’s candidate for Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said on Thursday that the PDK-AAK-NISMA (PAN) coalition will try everything to form a new government. Kurti argued that this coalition is ready to cooperate even with the Serbian List, “which is under Belgrade’s direct control”. Kurti also talked about MPs from other parties that may vote in favor of Ramush Haradinaj’s candidacy for Prime Minister. “It can happen because there are MPs whose pockets can be filled, and the ruling regime never hesitated to intimidate them,” he added.

Ahmeti: Internationals may ask Thaci to grant mandate to VV-LAA (KTV)

Shpend Ahmeti, Mayor of Pristina and member of the Vetevendosje Movement, told KTV on Thursday evening that internationals may ask President Hashim Thaci to give the mandate to a coalition between the Vetevendosje Movement and the LDK-AKR-Alternativa coalition to form a new government, after the PAN coalition fails to form in their first attempt. According to Ahmeti, there could be international influences in Kosovo just like in Macedonia.

Special court goes on summer leave (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that the specialist chambers, which will address war crimes allegations made in Dick Marty’s report, will go on summer leave from July 24 to August 11. In a written response to the paper, the information office of the specialist chambers noted that during the leave the chambers will not be closed completely but they will limit their activity to only the most pressing issues. “As most courts, the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo have periods of leave, during which time the judicial activity will be reduced. This means that the Specialized Chambers will only deal with the most pressing issues,” the response noted.