Headlines - 06.04.2017 

• “Clashes inside the Serbian List over leader’s post” (Koha Ditore)
• Limaj: It is time for motion of no confidence (Epoka e Re)
• Vetevendosje supports no-confidence motion (Klan Kosova)
• Grabovci: If obligations are not fulfilled, we head to early elections (Bota)
• Kosovo admitted as observer to World Jewish Congress (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo officially refuses the idea for a joint regional market (Lajmi)
• “Jevtic to either resign or face dismissal” (Koha)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

“Clashes inside the Serbian List over leader’s post” (Koha Ditore)

The paper reports on the front page that Kosovo Serbs have begun a power battle for the top post in the Serbian List after its former leader Aleksandar Jablanovic was confirmed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to the post. Jablanovic was one of the founders of the Serbian List but was replaced by Slavko Simic in 2015 on the request of the Serbian Government. The CEC said the decision to reinstate Jablanovic was lawful and that he himself had requested back in 2015 to pass over leader’s post to Simic. “Now, he only retracted that power back to him,” officials from the CEC said. In documents submitted to the CEC, Jablanovic said Simic was being dismissed from the post for failing to cooperate and forging certain decisions. At the same time, Simic has called on the CEC to clarify the media reports that he was being replaced by Jablanovic. Simic maintained he was still the leader of the Serbian List and any attempt to replace him would be unlawful.

Limaj: It is time for motion of no confidence (Epoka e Re)

The leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Fatmir Limaj, took to Facebook on Wednesday to note that the time has come for a parliamentary initiative for the motion of no confidence against the current government. “We can all already see that this government has failed in all its plans and programs. As a consequence, our country is facing political crisis for a year and a half now. This government did not manage to address and resolve a single problem of Kosovo. We have a total distrust and a lack of functioning of the governing cabinet,” Limaj wrote. 

Vetevendosje supports no-confidence motion (Klan Kosova)

Vetevendosje MP, Rexhep Selimi, said his party would support a possible no-confidence motion against the government proposed by Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA). Selimi said the current government is not functional and does not even have enough votes to pass laws. “Numerically they have the two-thirds but they don’t have these numbers for demarcation, association and other laws,” Selimi said.

Grabovci: If obligations are not fulfilled, we head to early elections (Bota)

Head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Ismet Beqiri, said after the meeting of the Assembly presidency that the current government is stable and that there is no need for early elections. However, Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Adem Grabovci, said that if obligations are not fulfilled and responsibilities are not taken seriously, elections will be required. “If you take on obligations and responsibilities, then they have to be fulfilled. In the concrete case, the governing coalition should prove itself and justify responsibilities that it has taken towards the citizens of Kosovo in the proper manner,” Grabovci said. “Kosovo cannot remain hostage of the wishes of Serbian minority, Kosovo has to move forward, it should function because this is an interest of all citizens, even the Serb ones,” he said and added that Kosovo should not allow a group of people instrumentalized by Belgrade to dictate Kosovo’s major issues. 

Kosovo admitted as observer to World Jewish Congress (Telegrafi)

Kosovo has received observer status at the World Jewish Congress (WJC), an international organization that represents Jewish communities in 100 countries around the world. The news was announced by Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj who said the decision to be accepted to WJC comes after intensive lobbying efforts. 

Kosovo officially refuses the idea for a joint regional market (Lajmi)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, reiterated once again that Kosovo does not have interest as the other countries of Western Balkans to become part of a joint economic market. He wrote on his Facebook page that he has consulted the Ministers and other government officials on this initiative of the Sarajevo Summit. “We discussed all the aspects and economic, political and integrating arguments related to this initiative, sharing the same opinion that such market is not in equal interest for all the countries it intended to involve, and that the Republic of Kosovo has to reject such idea,” Mustafa wrote. 

“Jevtic to either resign or face dismissal” (Koha)

KTV reports that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s pledge to dismiss any official that has been indicted is not being implemented with regards to the Minister for Returns and Communities, Dalibor Jevtic. Jevtic has been accused for abuse of official authority but continues to exercise his ministerial duties. Kosovo government officials said that Jevtic will face dismissal if he doesn’t hand in his resignation while representatives of the civil society claim is has become a standard to have ministers with valid indictments in the government of Kosovo.