• CEC decides on full recount of votes in 28 municipalities (media)
• Hamza calls for full recount of votes: A necessary step (Klan Kosova)
• Totaj on vote manipulation in Prizren: This is not the PDK we worked for (Koha)
• LDK presidency to meet today (Zeri)
• Closing statements in trial of former KLA leaders from 9 to 13, 16 and 18 Feb (media)
• War Veterans to protest against Special Court in Pristina on Feb 17 (Klan Kosova)
• Kosovo leaders send “heartfelt condolences” following rail crash in Spain (media)
• Eight years after Ivanovic’s assassination, justice still elusive (Kossev)
• Starovic: Serbia’s red lines very clear, no changes (Vecernje Novosti/Kosovo Online)

CEC decides on full recount of votes in 28 municipalities (media)

Most news websites report that Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) decided today on a full recount of votes in 28 municipalities, after the partial recount of votes showed there was vote manipulation between candidates of parties for MPs.

CEC chairperson Kreshnik Radoniqi said that based on the recount process so far, there have been minimal and almost insignificant changes noticed in the votes for the political parties, which means that the results of entities were accurately counted and presented.

The CEC had earlier decided on a total recount of votes in 10 municipalities: Dragash, Kacanik, Leposavic, Prizren, Skenderaj, Shtime, Ferizaj, Vushtrri, Mamusha and Ranilug.

Hamza calls for full recount of votes: A necessary step (Klan Kosova)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Bedri Hamza, reacted after reports of vote manipulation during the recount of votes from the December 28 parliamentary elections, calling for a full vote recount for MPs across Kosovo. “Major discrepancies discovered during the partial recount of votes are extremely concerning. In these circumstances, as leader of the PDK, I think that the full recount of votes across Kosovo is a necessary step,” Hamza said in a Facebook post. He also said that the responsible institutions have a constitutional obligation to act immediately to protect the integrity of the elections. “Any delay or hesitation is a direct violation of the people’s trust,” he argued.

Totaj on vote manipulation in Prizren: This is not the PDK we worked for (Koha)

Prizren Mayor Shaqir Totaj, who also heads the PDK branch in the city, said in a Facebook post today that he was disappointed with irregularities identified during the recount of votes for MPs in Prizren. “As head of the PDK branch in Prizren, I will demand full responsibility and accountability because every violation is an individual responsibility and needs to be addressed in line with the applicable laws and regulations. This is not the PDK we have worked for and invested for years, and these actions do not represent our spirit and values,” he said.

Koha notes that based on the vote recount so far, Prizren is the municipality with the biggest discrepancies. The recount of 98 percent of ballot boxes shows that around 19,000 more votes than they got from the people were added to PDK candidates for MPs.

LDK presidency to meet today (Zeri)

The presidency of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will meet today at 15:00, the news website learns from its sources. The meeting comes at a delicate moment for the party following the resignation of deputy leader Hykmete Bajrami last week, who also called on party leader Lumir Abdixhiku to resign his post after the party’s poor results in the December 28 parliamentary elections.

Closing statements in trial of former KLA leaders from 9 to 13, 16 and 18 Feb (media)

Most news websites cover a press release issued by the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo in the Hague which notes that the closing statements in the trial of Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi will take place from 9 to 13, 16 and 18 February. The hearings are scheduled to begin at 9:00 and end at 16:30.

KLA War Veterans to protest against Special Court in Pristina on Feb 17 (Klan Kosova)

Leader of the KLA War Veterans Organization, Hysni Gucati, said in an interview with the TV station that they are discussing holding another protest against the Specialist Chambers in Pristina on February 17. “The protest will be in dissatisfaction with the special court which is prolonging the process [trial of former KLA leaders]. We have yet to make a decision, but we are discussing it. The protest will most likely be held on February 17, precisely one day before the closing statements,” he said.

Kosovo leaders send “heartfelt condolences” following rail crash in Spain (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that she sends Kosovo’s heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of a rail crash in Spain. “Heartbreaking news from southern Spain following a tragic rail crash that has claimed many lives and left many others injured. Our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, and our wishes for a swift recovery to all those injured. Kosovo stands in solidarity with the people of Spain in this difficult time,” she said.

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X “we are deeply saddened by the news from Spain about the tragic train crash that claimed many lives. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish the rescue teams strength in their efforts”.

Eight years after Ivanovic’s assassination, justice still elusive (Kossev)

Eight years after the assassination of Oliver Ivanovic, one of the most prominent Serbian political figures in Kosovo, his killing remains unresolved, with neither the direct perpetrators nor the masterminds conclusively identified. Ivanovic was shot dead on January 16, 2018, at 8:15 a.m., in front of the offices of his Civic Initiative SDP in North Mitrovica. On Friday morning, family members, political allies, opposition representatives, civil society activists, and citizens gathered at the site to mark the anniversary, lighting candles and observing a moment of silence. Numerous media outlets covered the event, as in previous years.

Speakers at the memorial emphasized that Ivanovic’s assassination was not just a personal tragedy but also a warning to society. “His murder was a warning to all of us who knew how to live freely—that we could end up the same way as he did,” participants said. “Until there is a verdict, those responsible for the crime will not be forgotten, nor the crime itself, nor Oliver Ivanovic.”

Addressing the gathering, Ivanovic’s longtime associate Dejan Nedeljkovic said, “Oliver was a man who knew how to think freely and act freely. Our duty is to remember him as long as we live.”

Another close ally, Marko Jaksic, noted that nearly the same group of people has gathered at this site every year since the murder. “From the very beginning until today, almost the same people have been coming here. I neither expected more nor fewer people than those present today,” he said, adding that the modest turnout reflects long-standing insecurity and political pressure in northern Kosovo. “Of course, I wish there were more people here. That would mean the city—and we ourselves—had changed. But we live where we live”.

Opposition representatives from Kosovo and Serbia reiterated that Ivanovic’s assassination was politically motivated. Milija Bisevac of the Serbian People’s Movement stated that the killing marked the collapse of genuine political pluralism among Kosovo Serbs. “With the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, it was not only a man who died—Serb political life in Kosovo and Metohija died with him,” Bisevac said, warning that fear continues to dominate the community.

Democratic Party leader Srđan Milivojevic described the site of the killing as “a place crying out for justice,” arguing that the murder followed a coordinated political and media campaign. “Oliver Ivanovic was killed because he stood for unity, freedom, truth, and justice,” Milivojevic said. He added that Serbia cannot achieve justice until “there is justice for Oliver Ivanovic.”

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/AQLw9

Starovic: Serbia’s red lines very clear, no changes (Vecernje Novosti/Kosovo Online)

Serbia’s red lines are very clear, and there can be and will be no changes when it comes to alignment with the EU’s foreign policy, Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starovic said in an interview with Vecernje Novosti.

Asked whether the path toward the European Union is conditioned on abandoning Serbia’s own foreign policy, as well as Kosovo and Metohija, Starovic was clear: “As I have said, Serbia’s red lines are very clear, and there can be and will be no changes as long as the policy directed and symbolized by President Aleksandar Vucic has the majority support of our people. As for alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, it is our obligation to gradually raise the level of alignment until the day we become a full-fledged EU member state. We adhere to that, and over the past year we have increased that rate by around fifteen percentage points, despite the fact that we have not joined a single package of sanctions against the Russian Federation”.

Although no new negotiating chapters have been opened over the past four years, Starovic says he would not agree with the assessment that Serbia’s EU integration process has been frozen. “Namely, we are implementing our Reform Agenda at a satisfactory pace and, accordingly, drawing funds from the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Last year Serbia became part of SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area, we are developing green corridors and participating in many initiatives through which we are integrating into the European market. Unfortunately, all of this has not been recognized through the formal opening of Cluster 3 due to opposition from certain member states, despite a positive recommendation from the European Commission, which is the only body authorized to assess whether Serbia deserves it,” Starovic said.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/ZtzxB