Headlines - 26.08.2013

Ballot logo to be discussed in Brussels (Koha Ditore)

The paper reports on the front page that the logo and design of ballots for the November local elections will be discussed by prime ministers Thaçi and Dacic at the upcoming meeting in Brussels on August 27. The government in Pristina meanwhile continues to reiterate that elections will be held in accordance with the laws and constitution of Kosovo, whereas Serbia insists that ballots should not contain elements of Kosovo’s statehood.

Election experts argue that political pressures will eventually influence the final decision of Kosovo’s Central Election Committee on the design of ballots.

Kosovo and Brussels officials neither confirmed nor denied that the logo will be discussed at the next meeting. Belgrade expects the issue to be solved at the meeting, and there are also attempts to reach accords on energy and telecommunications.

Thaçi optimistic for agreements on energy and telecom (dailies)

Several dailies report that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said on Sunday that he was optimistic that agreements on energy and telecommunications will be reached at Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic.

Thaçi repeated his call to Serbs in the northern part of Kosovo to take part in the November elections. “I expect the registration of Serb parties in the north and initiatives that want to race in the November elections. I call on all Serb citizens to take part in elections and build a better life in the European Kosovo,” he said.

Thaçi also said that all agreements with Serbia are in accordance with the constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.

Tahiri: Serbia is trying to deviate the agreement (Epoka e Re)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Edita Tahiri, stated that the agreement for the process of the local elections will be also discussed at Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels. She said that she expects increased engagement of Brussels on yet another interpretation of point 11 of the agreement, which clearly explains that local elections will be based on Kosovo laws. “I expect from the EU to confirm once again this issues in relation to the Serb party, which as we saw, has expressed some tendencies to deviate from the agreement. Therefore, the EU as mediator and guarantee of the agreement should make it clear to the Serbian party that local elections are based on Kosovo laws,” said Tahiri.

OSCE asks for monitors from the EU (Zëri)

The paper reports in one of the front-page stories that hundreds of international observers are expected to deploy in the northern municipalities for the November 3 local elections. According to the paper, the OSCE mission in Kosovo has filed an official request for election monitors to the European Union. This is expected to be the main topic of discussion in the upcoming meeting between prime ministers Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic on August 27.

“The OSCE, as facilitator and organizer of elections in that part of Kosovo, has asked the EU to send a large number of election monitors. This will also be the main topic of discussion between the two prime ministers,” an unnamed official from Brussels told the paper.

In a recent interview for the paper, U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Tracey Ann-Jacobson said she hopes the European Union will send its monitors for the November elections.

Serbs divided on joint list (Tribuna)

Serb leaders of central Kosovo, who participate in Kosovo institutions, are divided regarding the importance and role of participation of Serbs in a joint list in local elections. Current Deputy Speaker at the Assembly of Kosovo, Petar Miletic, stated for RFE, that a joint list of Serbs in local elections, does not make much sense. According to him, there is not a single reason for this to happen, and it would have been unrealistic to create such list. “If for instance only one list appears in Leposavic, then whom would citizens choose and for whom would they decide? Therefore, I do not see any reason to strangle pluralism and the will of the citizens. Let there be more lists, and then, whomever wins, creates the government,” said Miletic.

However, Deputy at Kosovo Assembly, Rada Trajkovic, considers that there is no other solution for Serbs, but to appear in elections in a joint list. According to her, PM Thaçi is continuously offering logistics to The Independent Liberal Party, which is partner of the governing coalition, therefore this party has created monopole on representation of Serbs at Kosovo institutions. 

Kuçi: All parallel structures will be shut down by late September (Zëri)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi told Radio Free Europe on Sunday that all by the end of September all offices of Serb parallel structures in northern Kosovo will be shut down. “We expect the full shut down to happen during September and then followed by the full integration by the end of the year. There are tendencies to prolong this process, but we are confident that integration will happen in accordance with our constitution and laws,” Kuçi said.

Kosovo Police officials meanwhile say that all offices of the Serbian Ministry for Interior Affairs, which have operated in northern Kosovo, have been closed. A police spokesman said nine offices were shut down. The shutting down was a result of the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade for the normalization of relations.

The power of barricader Pantic (Zëri)

The paper reports on the front page that Krstimir Pantic, former parallel mayor of Mitrovica and now current chief of Civilna Zastita (Civil Protection), has the power to organize members of this organization to place barricades on the street even after the Brussels agreement. Roads in northern Kosovo that lead to the Jarinje and Bërnjak crossing points are still controlled by the Civil Protection. Pantic, who has said on several occasions that Civil Protection is under his command and that this organization will protect Serbs of the north and will never allow it to be disbanded, has the power to mobilize the members of this armed organization to organize them for placing barricades in the road Mitrovica-Leposavic, in village of Rudare, Municipality of Zvecan, to prevent Kosovo police and customs officers to go to the border point in Jarinje. The Jarinje road has been cleared now, but the road to Bërnjak remains blocked by barricades placed by the Civil Protection.

Thaçi considers using Erdogan for elections (Tribuna)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, appears to have found formula to keep Prizren. In order to convince the citizens of Prizren to give them their votes, the governing party is expected to use the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Diplomatic sources told this daily that Erdogan will visit Kosovo in October, after the start of the election campaign. The same sources explained that the main reason for Erdogan’s visit will be inauguration of the works at the International Airport of Pristina, “Adem Jashari.” However, he will also visit Prizren, the second biggest city of Kosovo, currently governed by Thaçi’s party.