Headlines - 26.07.2017

• Election of Assembly President could block entire process (Koha)
• Veseli: Candidate for Assembly President to be known on 3 August (Epoka)
• Mustafa: LDK MPs would not vote Kadri Veseli (Zeri)
• Stavileci: Mustafa should not pressure MPs (RTK)
• Haliti: Veseli will be elected during first round of voting (Zeri)
• Kurti: I have support of Ambassadors for new government (Zeri)
• Rakic: Serbian List will consult Belgrade (Kosova Sot)
• Surroi: And now seriously? (Koha)
• Janjic: Vucic’s call for dialogue is manipulation (Koha)
• Thaci: July 25, the day of Kosovo’s unification (media)
• Surroi “no comment” on possible appointment as Albanian FM (Koha)
• “Expectations for Kosovo’s membership at INTERPOL are realistic” (Zeri)
• Serbs keep usurped 29 PAK properties in the north (Zeri)

Election of Assembly President could block entire process (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that although the constitutive session of the new Assembly has been scheduled for 3 August, the PDK-AAK-NISMA (PAN) coalition has yet to announce their candidate for the post of Assembly President. The paper also notes that it is uncertain if the PAN coalition has the required majority to elect a new Assembly President and form a new government. Meanwhile, representatives of the Vetevendosje Movement, the biggest opposition party, did not say if they will take part in the voting of the new Assembly President. Both Vetevendosje and the Democratic League of Kosovo have said they will not vote in favor of PDK leader Kadri Veseli if he is nominated to the post, and this according to the paper could block the entire process of forming a new assembly and government.

Veseli: Candidate for Assembly President to be known on 3 August (Epoka)

The outgoing President of the Assembly and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Kadri Veseli, did not want to comment on Tuesday after the meeting of Assembly Presidency, if he is going to be again candidate for the Assembly President. He also did not want to answer on the question if the PAN coalition has the required votes to create the government. He said that he hopes the sixth legislature to be more efficient that the fifth one, in order to serve the interests of the people of Kosovo and give Kosovo Euro-Atlantic perspective.

Mustafa: LDK MPs would not vote Kadri Veseli (Zeri)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, said after the meeting of LDK’s general council that MPs of his party will not vote Kadri Veseli for the President of the Assembly of Kosovo. According to Mustafa, Veseli was the initiator of breaching the coalition between LDK and PDK. Mustafa said that the PDK leader has set his own interests before those of Kosovo. He also added that LDK has left the option of a coalition with Vetevendosje, open. He added that LDK is also open for a coalition with AAK and NISMA if they decide to leave coalition with PDK.

Stavileci: Mustafa should not pressure MPs (RTK)

Minister for Economic Development from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Blerand Stavileci said on Tuesday that Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader, Isa Mustafa, should not pressure MPs to vote against Kadri Veseli’s eventual nomination as Assembly President.  “We believe on the good will and rational decisions of the other political parties. No one should be affected by personal angers and egos, instead, each MP should have in mind the interests of the state,” Stavileci said. “We do not have the luxury of entering a political stalemate or to allow the degradation of the Assembly,” he said.

Haliti: Veseli will be elected during first round of voting (Zeri)

Xhavit Haliti, deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), told RTK on Tuesday that the will of all PDK members is to elect Kadri Veseli as the Assembly President. “The leadership has not discussed this matter because there was no other candidate,” Haliti said. He added that regardless of what Vetevendosje MPs will do during the voting, Veseli will be elected Assembly President during the first round of voting. “It should become a practice not to refuse any candidate,” Haliti said. He also said that the coalition has sufficient votes to create the government.

Kurti: I have support of Ambassadors for new government (Zeri)

Vetevendosje’s candidate for Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, told the paper that certain international ambassadors in Kosovo have offered him their support if he manages to secure the required number of votes to form a new government. He added that President Thaci cannot use his position to play with the will of the population and international friends of Kosovo. “If PAN fails to create the government, he should give the chance to Vetevendosje movement,” he said. Kurti said Kosovo is in danger of being governed from PAN “which will be dependent on the Serbian List and Belgrade”. However, he added, this would have been only temporarily, because Vetevendosje now has sufficient power to stop “the small PDK” and make way for new elections.

Rakic: Serbian List will consult Belgrade (Kosova Sot)

Goran Rakic, leader of the Serbian List, said on Tuesday that his MPs will attend the Assembly’s constitutive session on August 3 to have their mandates confirmed. Rakic said Serbian List MPs have yet to decide if and who they will support for Assembly President and the formation of a new government. “We will not certainly not make any hasty decisions. We will consult Belgrade and then we will announce our position,” he added.

Surroi: And now seriously? (Koha)

Publicist Veton Surroi comments in an opinion piece on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s indications for a final settlement between Kosovo and Serbia. Surroi argues that it is in Kosovo’s interest to enter a process where the full range of open problems with Serbia is on the table. “In order to do this, Pristina must sit down and analyze its actions, at least since liberation up to this day; identify its failures and draft a new platform. The new platform should be structured around all three tiers of problems that Kosovo has with Serbia: the past (the consequences of occupation and war), the present (the continuous attack on the functioning of the state of Kosovo and its international representation) and the future (Atlantic and European integration) … Certainly, the new platform has two prerequisites: new people and an apparent support among the Albanian majority,” Surroi writes. “The invitation by the Serbian President for a ‘now serious’ action may even have a positive effect on the international community. The European Union and the United States can contribute greatly to a new process of negotiations. Especially if they too decide to be ‘now seriously’ included.”

Janjic: Vucic’s call for dialogue is manipulation (Koha)

Dusan Janjic, coordinator of the Forum for Interethnic Relations and political analyst, told Beta news agency that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s idea for internal dialogue on Kosovo was created based on the assessment that during his mandate Vucic will have to sign a legally-binding agreement with Pristina. “Talking about an issue and exchanging opinions is good, but what Vucic wants – internal dialogue – is neither necessary nor possible, because the process has already been programmed. We are moving toward the normalization of relations between the two countries … Vucic in fact does not have a clear idea what to talk about, but he initially disqualifies everyone that can oppose this, therefore, dialogue is in fact manipulation,” Janjic said.

Thaci: July 25, the day of Kosovo’s unification (media)

Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, posted on Facebook on Tuesday commemorating the death of Kosovo Police special unit member, Enver Zymberi, who was killed on 25 July 2011, during a police operation to regain control over the customs points in the north. “Every July 25, we proudly remember the hero of independence, Enver Zymberi. He fell heroically in the line of duty, protecting the sovereignty of our country. The Kosovo Police special units regained control over the 1 and 31 border crossing points and this marks the Day of the Unification of Kosovo,” Thaci wrote.

Surroi “no comment” on possible appointment as Albanian FM (Koha)

Publicist Veton Surroi did not comment on Tuesday on several media reports in Albania and Kosovo which said that he could be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in Edi Rama’s new government in Albania. “No comment,” Surroi said in a reply to Kohavision on Tuesday.

“Expectations for Kosovo’s membership at INTERPOL are realistic” (Zeri)

Behar Selimi, Kosovo’s Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs, said he was optimistic about Kosovo’s possible membership at INTERPOL in September. He told the paper that it is in INTERPOL’s multiple interest to accept Kosovo as a member. He said that Kosovo has started its engagement with member states and expectations for membership are realistic. He further argued that leaving Kosovo outside this organization would mean helping different criminal organizations in the region.

Serbs keep usurped 29 PAK properties in the north (Zeri)

The Director of the Privatization Agency of Kosovo (PAK), Ekrem Hajdari, said that properties in the north of Kosovo, those abroad as well as release of usurped properties, remain the main challenge for PAK. He said that 29 properties, mainly those of Mitrovica trade company “Lux’ as well as other socially owned enterprises in the north, continue to be usurped.