UNMIK Headlines 6 December
Dialogue and elections realize Serbia’s plans (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi, and his counterpart from Serbia, Ivica Dacic, held on Thursday another meeting which both called “constructive” but still remained faithful to their stances in interpreting differently the course of the dialogue. Thaçi continues to see the dialogue and the achieved agreements as something which is in accordance with laws and Constitution of Kosovo while Dacic thinks that in this entire process, Serbs and Serbia have achieved everything they have planned and have in no way changed their stance about Kosovo. Even in their last meeting, the differences were evident although it was reported that some uncertainties have been clarified regarding the integration of Serb policemen of Kosovo Serb ethnicity into the structures of Kosovo Police.
Association also with an office in Brussels (Tribuna)
Tribuna reports that the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo will not operate only in Serb municipalities. The mechanism that Pristina sees as NGO but Belgrade sees as representing a Serb institution apart from North Mitrovica, will also have an office in Brussels and Pristina. The Office of Government of Serbia for Kosovo will be converted in the representation of Community of Serb Municipalities in Belgrade. These are first elements, which delegations from Kosovo and Serbia, led by Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic, have discussed on Thursday in a meeting that lasted three hours.
Cliff: “Republika Srpska” … that is nonsense! (Kosova Sot)
In a front-page interview for the paper, British Ambassador Ian Cliff rules out the risk of another Republika Srpska in Kosovo. “I was ambassador in Bosnia for four years. I lived with Republika Srpska and on the other hand with the federation. The other side was more problematic because it was divided into ten cantons. I think that everything that has been talked about a ‘Republika Srpska’ in Kosovo is nonsense,” Cliff said. He added that mayors of Serb majority municipalities will have to work according to the Kosovo system regardless of whether or not they recognize Kosovo.
Asked about the association of Serb majority municipalities, Cliff said, “I think the most important part is that the April 19 agreement has clarified this. It will be a good organization of local government, education and healthcare … It will be a cooperation link with local government under Kosovo’s legislation and this is very clear.”
Referring to Vetëvendosje’s victory in municipal elections in Pristina, Cliff said it was very good that Vetëvendosje for the first time will have administrative responsibility and that this will be a very important challenge for it.
Mayors that don’t recognize Kosovo’s authority to be dismissed (Zëri)
Kosovo Assembly MPs opposed the possibility of the Association of Serb Municipalities being granted competencies of a special political entity. In yesterday’s session, MPs called on Kosovo Government and European Union to prevent the creation of a Serb entity in Kosovo. They also raised concerns over the statements of the newly-elected mayors from the Serb list that they do not recognize the state of Kosovo. MPs said such a statement presents a new challenge for Kosovo institutions and urged institutions to carefully monitor the work of the new mayors and ensure their actions are not in conflict to the Constitution of Kosovo and applicable legislation.
MPs afraid that Kosovo laws will not apply in the north (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that in the Thursday’s session of Kosovo Assembly, MPs who voted in favor of the agreement with Serbia have called on European Union to take measures towards Serbia in case leadership in the north does not implement Kosovo laws. Assembly Speaker, Jakup Krasniqi, recalled that “they should have considered this earlier when they voted in favor of the agreement”. Deputies have evaluated as concerning the provocations made from the elected mayors of Serb municipalities, who stated that they will not accept Republic of Kosovo.
Strength of Serb List will be confirmed in national elections (Koha Ditore)
The victory of the “Serb Civic Initiative” list in nine Kosovo municipalities has opened the path for its new mayors to dispute every decision of Kosovo Assembly, analysts argue. According to them, the real strength of the list which is supported from Belgrade will be confirmed in next national elections if reserved seats for Serbs in Kosovo Assembly are to continue. While the opposition said that it will not accept to prolong the reserved mandates for Serbs, ruling PDK is still without a stance in this issue. The Serbs with reserved mandates and those which could win in the national elections, could become second in strength and could block the decisions of the majority.
Fuele supports Kosovo (Tribuna)
Kosovo Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj had a telephone conversation with EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fuele. Minister Hoxhaj expressed the gratitude of the people and Government of Kosovo for the support that Commissioner Fuele and European Commission are giving for Kosovo, especially after the start of negotiations for the SAA.
Hoxhaj: EU integration, an irreversible process (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj had a telephone conversation on Thursday with the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek. Hoxhaj briefed Lunacek on Kosovo’s steps aimed at advancing its European integration path. Hoxhaj said the start of Stabilization/Association Agreement negotiations is a very important process for Kosovo because it marks contractual relations with the European Union and will serve as a very important instrument for building Kosovo’s European future. “This is the first and irreversible step of Kosovo’s membership in the European Union,” Hoxhaj added.
FIFA postpones the issue of Kosovo for 10 January (dailies)
International Football Association (FIFA) Executive Committee has discussed about football of Kosovo but did not take any decision whether to allow Kosovo teams to internationally compete. The last session of FIFA Executive Committee was held on Wednesday and Thursday in Brazil and after the meeting FIFA announced that the issue will be further discussed in the next meeting with Kosovo Football Federation and Football Federation of Serbia on 10 January. “The political Kosovo-Serbia issue has been postponed for 10 January, when the next meeting will take place,” said the head of FIFA, Sepp Blatter on Thursday.
Lushtaku may rerun if he loses mayor mandate (dailies)
EULEX is reported to have turned down the request of Democratic Party of Kosovo to temporarily release Skenderaj mayor Sami Lushtaku so that he could be sworn in for another term in office after winning local elections in the municipality. EULEX said in a statement that the request was rejected as it was made by neither the accused nor his defence counsel as stipulated by law. The same request is now expected to be filed by Lushtak’s lawyer, Arianit Koci.
At the same time, Koha Ditore reports that officials from the PDK branch in Skenderaj did not rule out the possibility of again nominating Lushtaku for mayor if he loses the mandate and early elections are scheduled.