• Parties waiting for last minute to declare pre-election coalitions (Koha)
• Mustafa: LDK will not enter any coalition without its candidate for PM (Bota Sot)
• Kosnett meets CEC head Daka and outgoing PM Haradinaj (media)
• Daka: International presence in the north guarantees citizens’ votes (Telegrafi)
• Hamza: We have allocated budget for elections (Insajderi)
• Vucic: Serbian List should take part in Kosovo elections (media)
• Hoxhaj: It is time for Serbs to elect leaders not puppets (Zeri)
• Rasic: We do not cooperate with Serbian List (RTK)
• Nitaj: Tariff is a strong instrument in Kosovo’s hands (Express)
• Kosovo marks International Day of the Disappeared (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Parties waiting for last minute to declare pre-election coalitions (Koha)

The paper reports that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetevendosje have stepped up their consultations, a day before the deadline to register pre-election coalitions with the Central Election Commission (CEC) is due to expire. However, the paper adds, none of the parties has indicated it is ready to give up the post of prime minister.

Yesterday’s meeting between LDK leader Isa Mustafa and Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti was followed by internal consultations and while LDK deputy leader Lutfi Haziri said he believed ‘unification’ is happening, Vetevendosje officials spoke about conditions that are preventing a possible coalition deal.

“We have gotten closer, there are no differences. We are working in this direction. LDK has its candidate for prime minister, Vjosa Osmani. They de facto have their leader Albin Kurti who was the only one nominated by Vetevendosje. This time we are saying to them: ‘Join us, we will make it with Vjosa’. We are working for unification, I think it is happening,” Haziri told reporters.

Meanwhile, Vetevendosje’s Liburn Aliu said in a press conference that the nature of conditioning is the main obstacle in the coalition agreement negotiations. “The unilateral decision was damaging,” Aliu said in reference to LDK’s nomination of its candidate for prime minister.

“We have not taken any decisions at the chairmanship or the general council and have been always ready to sit down and talk about things as we are right now, sincere and ready to talk,” he said adding that LDK is the only party Vetevendosje is currently negotiating a pre-election coalition deal.

Mustafa: LDK will not enter any coalition without its candidate for PM (Bota Sot)

In an interview with the paper, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo Isa Mustafa said that the party’s decision to put forward Vjosa Osmani’s candidacy for prime minister of Kosovo demonstrated the culture of communication within the LDK. He said LDK will not enter a pre-election coalition with Vetevendosje without its candidate for prime minister.

“We will agree to a coalition with Vetevendosje only by having our candidate for prime minister. If we do not agree, we will run each on their own and there is always a possibility of a post-election coalition,” Mustafa said.

Kosnett meets CEC head Daka and outgoing PM Haradinaj (media)

The U.S. Ambassador Philip Kosnett met separately yesterday head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka and the outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj.

According to a statement issued by the CEC after the meeting, Kosnett expressed support for their efforts in organising early parliamentary elections in Kosovo. “In his message, ambassador Kosnett underlined the crucial role of CEC in democratic processes in the Republic of Kosovo and commended the CEC on its work by encouraging it to continue in this direction,” the statement reads.

Haradinaj meanwhile commented on meeting with Kosnett in a Facebook post. “In a meeting with the American Ambassador to Kosovo, Philip Kosnett, to discuss recent political developments, with special emphasis on elections and the political maturity Kosovo has demonstrated so far. I underlined that together, all parties need to be committed to ensuring a fair and democratic electoral process and strengthen the people’s trust in our institutions,” he wrote.

Daka: International presence in the north guarantees citizens’ votes (Telegrafi)

Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka considers that international presence on 6 October elections is reasonable and required in the north of Kosovo. “We are aware that northern part of Kosovo has its own specifics and international presence guarantees more votes of the citizens there. This is the essence, as we also organized elections on our own in that part,” Daka said.

Hamza: We have allocated budget for elections (Insajderi)

Kosovo’s outgoing Minister of Finance Bedri Hamza said on Thursday that the budget for the 6 October elections is already allocated. “We have already given the funds to Central Election Commission (CEC). We cannot risk quality of elections. There is a request for around € 6 million, we have allocated the fund and all preconditions for good election process are created,” Hamza said.

Vucic: Serbian List should take part in Kosovo elections (media)

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, said that the Serbian List should run in Kosovo parliamentary elections scheduled on 6 October so that “it wins and fights for interests of Serbs.”

“Serbs in Kosovo know very well who fights for them and who represents their interests,” he is quoted to have said for Belgrade media.

At the same time, Marko Djuric head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, called on Kosovo Serbs to take part in upcoming elections and support the Serbian List. “We have to prevent a scenario which Pristina would like to see whereby Serbs are divided into several parts. As always, we take the decision on whether to take part in elections together and I think Serbs should strongly support the Serbian List,” he said.

Hoxhaj: It is time for Serbs to elect leaders not puppets (Zeri)

Kosovo’s outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj reacted on Twitter following the statement of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Serbian List should take part in Kosovo elections and win.

“Upcoming elections are an excellent opportunity for Serb community to elect those who represent best their needs and interests. For many years, Kosovo Serbs were used as a tool from Belgrade to create fog & uncertainties. The time is now to choose leaders & not marionettes,” he wrote.

Rasic: We do not cooperate with Serbian List (RTK)

Kosovo Serb politicians have established a new political coalition for the 6 October elections. Nenad Rasic, leader of Progressive Serb Party (PDS) said he believes that they will create a balance in October elections.

“We have a program which is based on the decisions of Kosovo’s local Serbs and a more institutional engagement for the benefit of the country,” Rasic said. He added that they are discussing further coalitions. He said he is open for cooperation with Albanian political parties. He however said that there is no space for cooperation with Serbian List as according to him, they are in instrument of Belgrade and do not work for Kosovo Serbs.

Nitaj: Tariff is a strong instrument in Kosovo’s hands (Express)

Muharrem Nitaj, senior official of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said that there was much abuse about the positions of international partners. “We should careful with our relations with International partners. Kosovo should finally behave as a sovereign state. We should be sincere with our international friends but we should not forget that Kosovo is a sovereign state. There was much abuse about the tariff, but it is the strongest instrument in Kosovo’s hands towards Serbia,” he said.

“It is not true that Kosovo is blocked. Tariff is not related to visa liberalization, dialogue has not produced anything,” he said.

According to him, Ramush Haradinaj did not say he would not lift the tariff, but he requested to know the date of the conclusion of the dialogue. He also said that consequences of the agreement for the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities can still be felt. “It was signed in Brussels without going through Constitutional Court,” he said.

Kosovo marks International Day of the Disappeared (media)

Kosovo institutions are marking today the International Day of the Disappeared under the slogan “20 years of wait, pain and pride.”

Several activities have been envisaged to take place today including paying tribute to the memorial of missing persons in front of the Kosovo Assembly building and a march in Pristina. A book titled “Living with the Memories of the Missing” containing stories of families of missing persons will also be launched in Pristina to mark the day.