Headlines - 27.03.2017

• Thaci: We will wait until the last minute for Serbs to come on board (KP)
• “Serbian List soon to return to Kosovo institutions” (Kosova Sot/RTK)
• Viets: Army diverts attention from more pressing matters (Kosova Sot)
• U.S. wants transparency and inclusiveness for creation of army (Koha)
• Kosovo Democratic Party holds eighth convention (media)
• Grabovci: PDK ready for elections (Epoka e Re)

Thaci: We will wait until the last minute for Serbs to come  on board (KP)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said in an interview to Kosovapress that Kosovo institutions will wait “until the last minute” for Serb MPs to come on board regarding the creation of the Kosovo army, but that if this does not happen, the armed forces will be established through the approval of the draft law he initiated. “I am completely in favour of constitutional changes because it would be in the common interest for all in this process to be decision makers. But at present, the Serbian List has made it clear it will not vote as per instructions from Belgrade,” Thaci said. “The international community has not maintained the dynamic of interest to return the Serbian List to an important process of consolidating the state of Kosovo. They are Kosovo citizens, Kosovo MPs, they are legitimate [representatives] and we have privately and officially discussed the establishment of the Kosovo army and they said they would not be against the idea but that their position is instructed by Belgrade. Therefore, we cannot remain hostage to Belgrade; we are an independent and sovereign country.”

“Serbian List to soon return to Kosovo institutions” (Kosova Sot/RTK)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview to Austrian daily Der Standard that he expects the Serbian List to soon end its boycott of Kosovo institutions. The Austrian paper wrote that Vucic’s change of position is credited to his recent meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Serbian List leader, Slavko Simic, confirmed to Tanjug that they would return to the Kosovo Assembly in order to exhaust all possibilities for preventing the creation of a Kosovo army.

Viets: Army diverts attention from more pressing matters (Kosova Sot)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Angelika Viets, told the paper that although the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is a “sovereign” decision of Kosovo authorities, it has to be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo and should be a transparent and inclusive process. “We are disappointed that this proposal endangers Kosovo’s cooperation with NATO and puts obstacles to the dialogue for normalization,” Viets said referring to the initiative of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci to pass a law transforming the KSF into Kosovo armed forces.  Viets stressed that the Kosovo army issue is diverting the attention from much more pressing matters for Kosovo such as implementation of health insurance or better social welfare for the people.

U.S. wants transparency and inclusiveness for creation of army (Koha)

The paper quotes Michelle Schohn, spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, as saying that the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Armed Forces must be done through a transparent and inclusive process. At a time when the two biggest parties – the PDK and LDK – are holding frequent party rallies and talking about the army, the U.S. have called for genuine efforts to convince the minority communities that the transformation of the KSF into the Armed Forces should be done through constitutional amendments. Schohn added: “With regards to the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Armed Forces, we continue to support this transformation through a transparent and inclusive process that leads to the amendment of the Constitution. The only way to do this is by making genuine efforts to reach out to the minority communities and win their support, and we remain committed to working with Kosovo in this respect”.

Kosovo Democratic Party holds eighth convention (media)

Several media cover the eighth convention of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). Under the headline Veseli announces “New beginning”, Koha Ditore reports that PDK leader Kadri Veseli, in a long speech to PDK supporters, criticized the government and stressed the necessity of changing the direction of the state. “We, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, are always ready for a new beginning. We are ready for victory … Instead of dealing with the real problems of the people, politicians are dealing with their own selves and are creating even more problems. In my meetings with the people, I have seen a big gap between what the people want and the futile debates of politicians on TV,” Veseli said. Zeri reports that Veseli is now the official candidate of the PDK for the post of Prime Minister of Kosovo. The paper also quotes Veseli as saying that Kosovo will have its army and that Kosovo will transform from a country of supermarkets to a country of factories.

Grabovci: PDK ready for elections (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Adem Grabovci, told the paper that the coalition between his party and the Democratic League of Kosovo, was dedicated to be a coalition of major decisions and responsibilities, however he added this has not been proved so far. Grabovci said that PDK is ready for early general elections. He also said that PDK does not have any red lines when eventual coalitions with political parties are concerned.