Headlines - 21.01.2013 Belgrade removes the monument, causes tensions with Albanians (Koha Ditore) The monument of UCPMB is no longer in front of the Municipal Assembly of Preshevo. Serbian gendarmerie has removed it on Sunday morning. Albanian political leaders of Preshevo Valley have called for a pan-national protest on Monday. OSCE, a mediator in the dialogue between Albanian political leadership and the Government of Serbia on the monument issue that was expected to be reached on Sunday with Albanian factor expected to agree on removal of the monument, has expressed regret for the created situation. Pristina and Tirana have also condemned the decision of the Government of Serbia. In the operation for the removal of the monument, which took place on Sunday at 07:00 a.m., participated around 200 members of Serbian gendarmerie, their commander Bratislav Dikic was also present, together with his associates, chief of Vranje police, Sladjan Velinovic, and commander of the police in Preshevo, Avdi Bajrami. Jahjaga and Krasniqi condemn monument’s removal (Bota Sot) President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga said in a statement that the removal of the UCPMB monument in Preshevo Valley presents violation of fundamental human rights and European Charter for Local Governance. The move, said Jahjaga, shows lack of readiness to find a solution through dialogue. She however called for restraint and the creation of a climate of trust that would reestablish dialogue. At the same time, Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi also condemned the action of the Serb gendarmerie saying that this “cowardly act of Belgrade shows yet again that the current government of Serbia has not changed the logic, mindset and action of Slobodan Milosevic’s regime”. Berisha: Removal of the monument shows unification is decisive for the nation (Koha Ditore) Albanian Government also reacted to the removal of the UCPMB monument in Preshevo by Serb police. Prime Minister Sali Berisha condemned the act and called it another testament of Albano-phobia of Belgrade authorities. Berisha also urged international community to react against the move which he said threatens peace and stability of the region. On his social network profile, Berisha posted a message where he said that the act carried out by the Serb police for removal of the monument shows that unification of the Albanian nation is decisive for its future. Dacic: We have made the first step towards autonomy  (Koha Ditore) Creation of a special fund for the revenues collected at border crossings in Jarinjë and Bërnjak for the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, is the first step towards autonomy for Serbs in the north, said Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dacic in an interview for Serbian news agency FoNet. He added that all this is in accordance with the state platform. Dacic added that these funds should be also used for the other municipalities with Serb majority and explained that autonomy on finances and incomes is the main goal of any autonomy. According to Dacic, European Union has had an extraordinary understanding for Serbia’s position that finances from the border crossings in the north cannot go to the budget of Kosovo. This request was unacceptable for the Prime Minister of Kosovo, and this is the reason why Thursday’s meeting in Brussels lasted five hours, explained Dacic. According to him, Hashim Thaçi insisted that customs funds should go to Kosovo’s budget and then be sent to the north through a special fund. 27 Orthodox graves desecrated in Kllokot (Koha Ditore) Unknown perpetrators desecrated Orthodox graves on Sunday evening at around 18:00 hours. Commander of the police station in Kllokot, Boban Milosevic, has confirmed the case and stated that immediately after the case was reported, the police went to the scene and concluded that 27 graves were damaged at the Orthodox cemetery in Kllokot. He stated that after this case, a police patrol is staying at the cemetery, while the investigations on the case are ongoing.  Police disperses crowd at the Orthodox Church in Gjakova (Koha Ditore) Local police in Gjakova has intervened to disperse a crowd of about a dozen of citizens who gathered in the evening hours in front of the Serb Orthodox Church in Gjakova. The citizens, mostly youths, gathered following a call on behalf of the Albanian National Army posted on the social network site, Facebook. ANA called on the citizens to gather and demolish the church as a reaction against the recent developments in the Preshevo Valley. However, the crowd was prevented by the local police in cooperation with KFOR troops. Vetëvendosje says it has alternative to fight chaos (Koha/Epoka) The Vetëvendosje Movement claims to have found the way to fight what it called current chaos in the country. The second biggest opposition party in Kosovo adopted with a majority of votes the governing alternative on Sunday, Koha Ditore reports on page four. Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti said the governing alternative is a serious attempt to hold politics accountable toward the citizens and to define it in reasonable fashion. “This is the first time that a political party adopts such a document,” Kurti said. “Our program has three pillars: the rule of law, sustainable economic development and social protection. Epoka e Re quotes Kurti as saying that the dialogue in Brussels will damage Kosovo and the Albanian people. “This resulted with the establishment of an economic development fund for northern Kosovo, where revenues collected at the border will be dedicated only to northern Kosovo. With such policies, it seems as if the government wants to turn northern Mitrovica into Hong Kong, and leave Albanians in southern Mitrovica like Palestinians,” Kurti said.