UNMIK Headlines 5 August
Kosovo will not negotiate Gazivoda (Koha Ditore)
Experts claim that Serbia has not invested any money in the construction of the Gazivoda water plant and is therefore not entitled to ask for a share in its management. The issue as to which side will take control over the water plant is said to have caused a stalemate in talks between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels. While the Kosovo side maintains that the Gazivoda Lake is under its ownership, the Serb side is trying to put the water plant under the competencies of the association of Serb municipalities.
However, Kosovo officials part of Brussels talks said the issue of the Gazivoda water plant will not be discussed at all. Dren Zeka, advisor to chief negotiator Edita Tahiri, said energy services are being negotiated but Kosovo assets will not. “Our side has made it clear that Kosovo’s main assets will not be negotiated,” asserted Zeka.
Elections and IBM, topics of new round of talks (Tribuna)
Members of the Kosovo delegation have travelled to Brussels to take part in the newest round of dialogue with Serbia on local elections in northern municipalities and implementation of the Integrated Border Management agreement. The two sides will have separate meetings with OSCE representatives to discuss modalities for organizing local elections in the north and are also expected to report to the EU officials on progress in IBM’s implementation.
OSCE facilitates voting of Serbs outside Kosovo (dailies)
OSCE will be engaged in facilitating procedures for the voting of Serbs outside Kosovo. The mission’s spokesperson Nikola Gaon said for Radio Kosova that modalities of this issue should be a result of the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade. “There are defined procedures for voting outside Kosovo. OSCE can facilitate this process. The modalities about this issue should come as a result of an agreement between Pristina and Belgrade. There is consent that in accordance to relevant dispositions and in consideration to previous practices, every valid identification document is acceptable,” said Gaon.
Daka: Same ballots all over Kosovo (dailies)
Head of Central Election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka said that there will be same ballots used in local elections of 3 November throughout Kosovo. Daka said that the design of the ballots has not yet been decided but, she stressed, the ballots in the north will be the same as those used in other parts of Kosovo. “Fortunately, we have an agreement between Republic of Kosovo and Serbia, an agreement which says that local elections will be held according to the laws of Kosovo,” said Daka for RTK.