UNMIK Headlines 22 October
Kosovo closer to UNESCO membership (dailies)
With 27 votes in favor, 14 against and 14 abstentions UNESCO's Executive Board yesterday voted to recommend Kosovo as a full member of this organization, despite fierce opposition from Serbia. The membership bid will be put to a final vote at the UNESCO General Conference in November, where Kosovo needs to gain a two-thirds vote out of the 195 General Assembly member states. Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said that the UNESCO’s Executive Board’s support for Kosovo is evidence that Kosovo's Euro-Atlantic agenda is getting stronger by the day. Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, said that this was a very big step for Kosovo while Deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi noted that it was a very tense situation yesterday in Paris, “full of attempted traps.” “In the end, despite the fierce campaign from Serbia, we managed to win,” Selimi said.
University of Pristina Rector dismissed (dailies)
The Steering Committee of the University of Pristina (UP), yesterday dismissed Rector Ramadan Zejnullahu, who lately won local and international support for his efforts to reform the UP. Civil society representatives announced a protest against this decision which is expected to start at 11 am today in front of the Ministry of Education. Zejnullahu said that the decision to dismiss him has nothing to do with him individually but with the “idea of reform which is strongly supported by me and the idea of blackmail and deceit that is supported by some powerful people.” “Today, unfortunately, the latter won,” Zejnullahu said. The Ministry of Education has reacted to this decision by saying that the dismissal of the rector deepens the crisis in the university and damages initiatives to improve the quality there. Later in the evening, Minister of Education Arsim Bajrami, dismissed the head of the Steering Committee, Shefkije Islamaj, “due to the failure to fulfill her duties.” President Atifete Jahajga also said that the dismissal of the rector is concerning and against the reform of higher education. Although, according to the UP Statute, the rector has the right to appeal, the Minister of Education has the last say on the rector's dismissal.
Decision to call Assembly session on Friday considered wrong (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports on the front page that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci are expected to attend Friday’s session of the Assembly. “It is a joint decision of Mustafa and Thaci to be present in the hall so that they assume state responsibility. The leaders agreed on the day and the participation of all, and this was done on the suggestions of internationals,” a source said. In fact one of the reasons that the session was scheduled in the afternoon was to make sure Thaci can make it on his return from Paris. And while the President of the Assembly Kadri Veseli did not reveal how he would respond to the opposition blockade, Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP Vjosa Osmani and Vetevendosje’s Ilir Deda have warned against calling a session on Friday saying it is a dangerous experiment.
Opposition to block the Assembly again on Friday (Kosova Sot)
The opposition leaders met yesterday evening and agreed to block the next session of the Assembly on Friday. Visar Ymeri, Fatmir Limaj and Ramush Haradinaj agreed to block the work of the Assembly but didn’t specify what means will they use this time. According to them, calling the session for Friday is a provocation.
Haradinaj: Agreements will be retracted (Epoka e Re)
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinanj, said in an interview for the paper that he is confident that the agreement with Serbia on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the one on border demarcation with Montenegro will be retracted. “However, whether they will be annulled through the government’s fall or through elections, remains to be seen,” he added. Haradinaj said the opposition remains firm in its positions and said they were shocked at the decision of the Kosovo Assembly presidency to call a session on Friday.
Konjufca: Kosovo will lose 25% of territory (Zeri)
Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group chief, Glauk Konjufca, said yesterday that with the agreement on Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities, Kosovo will lose 25 percent of its territory. He said that the Association/Community will have executive competencies, with a government and Assembly independent from Kosovo’s central institutions. He noted that the Association/Community will have under its control the Trepca mines, the Brezovica resort and independent financing on the energy, education and health sectors.
Tahiri: SAA to be signed on 27 October (dailies)
Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, confirmed that the Political Committee of the EU ambassadors yesterday took a decision to support the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) for Kosovo. "The signing of the SAA is scheduled for 27 October,” Tahiri said. "It is important that the reforms that are required for a country in order to sign the SAA were already met. This is a great success for Kosovo in the Euro-Atlantic integration process,” she added. Kosovo has completed negotiations with the EU in July 2014. Sources told Zeri newspaper that the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn will sign the accord next week. Kosovo European Integration Minister, Bekim Collaku, said that the signing of this agreement is a turning point for Kosovo. "By signing the SAA, Kosovo’s European future will be guaranteed,” Collaku said.
Kurti sues police officers that detained him last week (Koha Ditore)
Former leader of Vetevendosje and MP Albin Kurti has filed a lawsuit against the Kosovo Police officers that detained him on the evening of 12 October. He said his detention without a written arrest warrant is a case of abduction and called on the prosecution to identify the police officers responsible for the act and take appropriate measures against them.