• Thaci asks Veseli to nominate new candidate for PM (media)
• Isa Mustafa wins another term as LDK leader (media)
• Haradinaj: AAK to support parliament's dissolution (Kosovapress/Koha)
• Haradinaj: Media close to Vucic, part of slanderous campaign (media)
• Hellbach: Not wise to turn good friends against you (Koha Ditore)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Thaci asks Veseli to nominate new candidate for PM (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has sent a letter to the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli as head of the ruling PAN coalition to nominate a new candidate for prime minister following the resignation of Ramush Haradinaj.

Veseli replied to Thaci saying that there will be no other candidate. “Based on the current political circumstances, political will expressed publicly by the winning coalition parties, and my belief as to what would presently be the best for the citizens and the Republic of Kosovo, I inform you that I will not propose a candidate to form a new government,” Veseli said in a reply letter to Thaci.

He noted that extraordinary elections are unavoidable and announced that he has called for a meeting of the Assembly presidency to discuss the future course of action.

“As President of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, I have decided to call a meeting of the Assembly of Kosovo presidency on 5 August 2019 together with heads of parliamentary groups on actions we have to undertake in the coming days, specifically to discuss calling an extraordinary session to dissolve the current legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo,” Veseli wrote on Facebook.

Isa Mustafa wins another term as LDK leader (media)

Online media are reporting that Isa Mustafa won with acclamation today another mandate to lead the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Former party leader, Fatmir Sejdiu, is reported to not have received sufficient votes to be confirm his candidacy and walked out of the party’s convention as a sign of protest.

Earlier, officials with the party said that they did not agree on a consensual candidate but Koha Ditore quoted inside sources saying that in fact Mustafa was chosen as one. Klan Kosova meanwhile reports that the current deputy leader of the party, Lutfi Haziri, is expected to be nominated as the party’s candidate for prime minister while the other deputy leader, Agim Veliu, as the principal deputy of LDK.

Upon reelection, Mustafa said that the party will now focus on preparations for general elections and said LDK would not enter any coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). “We ended one process today and will begin a new one tomorrow,” he said.

Haradinaj: AAK to support parliament's dissolution (Kosovapress/Koha)

Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said his party will join the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetevendosje in voting in favour of the Assembly's dissolution and underlined that as for elections, the AAK will run on its own.

“The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo will head to elections on its own but we have respect, closeness with some parties… NISMA, PSD, AKR… we are open but AAK goes to elections alone”, he said.

Haradinaj: Media close to Vucic, part of slanderous campaign (media)

Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj has reacted to reports in Serbian media speaking about his alleged involvement in the human organ trafficking.

"Media close to the former propaganda minister of the Balkans butcher Milosevic, now president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has begun a slanderous campaign against me. They have failed in the past, they will fail now and always," Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Hellbach: Not wise to turn good friends against you (Koha Ditore)

Director for South-East Europe with the German Foreign Ministry, Christian Hellbach, said at the end of his mandate in the post that while Germany is against the idea of border changes as part of the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, it also is against the conditioning of the dialogue by the government of Kosovo. “It is absurd to demand Serbia recognises Kosovo as a precondition for entering dialogue,” he said.

Hellbach also said that Germany does not support the import tariff on Serbian and Bosnian goods. “Kosovo can and should make its own decisions but it is not wise to turn good friends against you.”

“Germany has recognised Kosovo and from this position supports dialogue for normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, facilitated by European Union. We therefore support the resumption of talks as a transparent, structured process and that it takes place on the understanding that a comprehensive, sustainable solution is achieved as soon as possible that regulates all issues and contributes to regional stability,” he said.