UNMIK Headlines 20 June
MPs will not be able to vote on draft law on special court (Koha)
The Kosovo Government and Assembly have found a compromise solution to unblock the decision-making process on the constitutional amendments that will enable the establishment of the special court. The Assembly has been informed about the draft law but it will reportedly not have the right to immediately vote on the constitutional amendments. The paper recalls that a month ago, following a proposal by the ruling parties, the Assembly postponed the session on the constitutional amendments saying that MPs did not have before them the draft law on the special court. This was only a formal justification, because the session in fact was postponed due to the lack of necessary votes. On Friday, the draft law was not submitted for a vote but only to inform the MPs about its content.
German Special Envoy: Serbia must implement agreement with Kosovo (RTK/Danas)
In an interview for Belgrade-based Danas newspaper, Ernst Reichel, the Special Envoy of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that Germany strongly supports Kosovo as an independent state and that "we want other countries to do the same”. Reichel also said that Merkel would not bring any gifts to Serbia during her upcoming visit and that Germany expects Serbia to fully implement the April 2013 agreement for the normalization of relations with Kosovo.
Haradinaj: No one can play games with Albanians (RTK)
Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and member of the Kosovo Assembly, arrived in Pristina Airport early Saturday morning, after he was detained by the Slovenian authorities in Ljubljana based on a warrant issued by Serbia. Commenting on his detention, Haradinaj said it was an obstacle and an insult. “I was stopped based on an arrest warrant issued by a union that no longer exists, Serbia and Montenegro, in 2004”. Haradinaj also said he was insulted by statements made by Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and President Atifete Jahjaga. “I believe Prime Minister Mustafa was wrong when he said based on the law. If he believes that an arrest warrant issued by Serbia and Montenegro is the law then he should go there and see that that creature no longer exists, there is no law. The law was when I, on behalf of my country, responded to the International Criminal Tribunal. In that case we were praised that Kosovo had fulfilled its obligations. But this recent case had nothing to do with the law. President Jahjaga was also wrong when she said we thank Slovenia for releasing Haradinaj. Jahjaga should thank them for something personal and not for Haradinaj ... We will teach everyone in the Balkans about our existence. There are 7 million Albanians. We have always been here but some people thought we are not important. It should be known that no one can play games with Albanians,” Haradinaj added.
Ahmeti and Sejdiu will not leave Vetevendosje (Zeri)
The Mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti, and his deputy, Dardan Sejdiu, will not leave the Vetevendosje Movement, contrary to reports in some Kosovo news sites on Friday. Citing unnamed sources, Zeri reports that Ahmeti and Sejdiu, who are some of the key officials of the Vetevendosje Movement, are satisfied with the work of their party and have no plans to leave.
KLA war veterans begin protest in Kacanik (Indeksonline)
The Council for the Defense of the Rights of KLA Combatants has started its protest between the town of Kacanik and Hani i Elezit. Their goal is to block trucks moving toward the border crossing point with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. A representative of the council told a news site that protesters are determined to keep the road blocked despite a large number of police troops present there. He added that the war veterans would also block other roads leading to other border crossing points. The war veterans are protesting to the delayed publication of the lists of war veterans and other categories of the former Kosovo Liberation Army.