EU proposal: Elections on 3 November (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri said on Sunday that Brussels believes November 3^rd is a suitable date for local elections throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. Tahiri said the European Union suggested this date and that it should be supported by opposition parties in Pristina who backed the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia for the normalization of relations.

Opposition does not agree for elections to be held on 3 November (Epoka)

Representatives of the three biggest opposition parties in Kosovo have reacted about the consent achieved in Brussels for local elections to be held on November 3^rd. The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said the date is not suitable, while the Vetëvendosje Movement called on President Atifete Jahjaga to respect the proposal of political parties and not coordinate elections according to Serbia’s interests. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said it was surprised with the date and added that this month would cause problems for the voters’ turnout.

SAA and date with supervision (Tribuna)

Diplomatic sources told the paper that two member states of the European Union, Italy and Slovenia, as well as the new member state Croatia, will come out with a joint position in the form of a communiqué calling on member states to support the start of membership negotiations with Serbia and SAA negotiations with Kosovo. The same sources said the three member states will warn that a decision against their call would favor nationalisms and go against European values.

Customs and police officers travelling to the north without problems (Koha)

The paper reports that since last Thursday Kosovo police and customs officers are not travelling anymore with EULEX helicopters to the customs points located in the northern part of the country. Instead they are now using roads.

Bekim Çollaku, political advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi told the newspaper on Sunday that this change came about several days ago. “Travelling of customs officers and policemen with vehicles through land routes to the two border points in north of Kosovo is part of technical agreement of freedom of movement,” Çollaku said.

The paper further notes that barricades in the north are no longer active and that guards have been withdrawn.

Jahjaga meets Secretary Hague during London visit (dailies)

All dailies report that Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga arrived in London, where she met with Foreign Secretary William Hague. The two leaders discussed the implementation of the Brussels agreement for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the European integration process for Kosovo and the region. Jahjaga said that the agreement between the two prime ministers in Brussels opens a European perspective for both countries and stressed that for Kosovo and its people it is important for the EU to approve the start of SAA negotiations. Secretary Hague praised the Brussels agreement and said he expects it will be implemented in practice. Hague also supported Kosovo’s European integration process.

The agreement with disintegration effects in the north (Koha)

Koha Ditore reports that the agreement of 19 April has produced the first disintegration effects for few Serbs who were part of Kosovo institutions. A resignation has been declared last Monday. R. Kostic has been threatened with life last weekend shortly after the Serbian delegation has learned from the Kosovo delegation that she is a high municipal official for elections for Zvecan. The threat pushed Kostic to resign. Brussels has been informed about the case.

The implementation plan of the Brussels agreement foresees that elections according to Kosovo’s laws would be held in the north the latest by the end of October. The north does not recognize Kosovo’s constitutional authority.

Last week Pristina presented the list of Serb officials in the three northern municipalities who would take over the implementation of this point of the agreement. Kostic did not present the case in the police. Besim Hoti, police spokesman for the region in the north, said that no one has initiated this as a threat case, but he said that he cannot deny this case. Kostic submitted her resignation on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister, Edita Tahiri, told the newspaper that on Tuesday she discussed the issue with Fernando Gentilini, EU Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans and Turkey. “There were three CEC municipal officials and one of them has resigned, because of threats made in the north and about this case I had a meeting with Fernando Gentilini, to express our concern that there is a tendency by Serbia to request the removal of these officials so that it can put them under its control,” Tahiri said.

Dacic: We must live together with Pristina (Tribuna)

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday that Serbia is going to live together with Pristina and all other people living in Kosovo. “We must live together, because fate and history have linked us,” Dacic said in Novi Sad. He added that the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is a step closer to a better future. “During the hard negotiations, the safety of citizens was never at risk, and the safety of Serbs in Kosovo was in the first plan.”

Two more months in detention for Drenica Group (dailies)

All dailies report that a judge at the Basic Court in Mitrovica approved a request filed by the prosecutor to extend for another two months the detention of members of the so-called Drenica Group who are suspected of having committed war crimes during the Kosovo conflict.