• Thaci, Haradinaj appoint Gashi and Ramadani to lead Intelligence Agency (media)
• ECAP: LVV’s complaint, partially valid (RTK)
• Kurti indicates talks with Brussels on special court (Epoka e Re)
• Robelli: Kosovo’s dark side (Koha)
• Albania hit by powerful earthquake (media)
• Special Prosecution files indictment for three women returned from Syria (Epoka)
• International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, National Library lit up orange (Express)

Thaci, Haradinaj appoint Gashi and Ramadani to lead Intelligence Agency (media)

One of the leading stories in most news outlets are the appointments of Kreshnik Gashi as the new Director of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI) and Burim Ramadani as AKI Chief Inspector. Koha Ditore notes on its front page that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj decided on Monday to leave the Intelligence Agency in the hands of their former associates. Several media note that Gashi is known for his ties with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) while Ramadani is a member of the Haradinaj-led Alliance for the Future of Kosovo. Most media note that the law on the AKI says that political persons cannot be appointed in the leading positions.

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), which won the highest number of votes in the October 6 parliamentary elections, reacted to the appointments saying that they are anti-constitutional and that they will be reviewed after the formation of the new institutions.

LVV leader Albin Kurti wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that “the outgoing government should refrain from making sensitive appointments in the notary, judiciary, diplomacy, public security or AKI … These decisions are completely up to the new government, after it will have scanned the existing situation and identified obstacles for successful operations”.

The Pristina-based Kosovo Institute for Justice, which monitors the security and justice sector, reacted to the appointments calling them illegitimate. A member of the Institute said the appointments are in opposition to the Constitution of Kosovo which provides that the Kosovo Intelligence Agency is professional, politically unbiased and multiethnic. “They are also in opposition with Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Kosovo Intelligence Agency which notes that ‘AKI staff members cannot be members of political parties or receive instructions from political parties …,” the representative said.

ECAP: LVV’s complaint, partially valid (RTK)

Kosovo’s Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) has decided on the complaint of the Vetevendosje Movement’s appeal on two ballots. Their decision orders the Central Election Commission to proclaim invalid ballot 2704/02R, while the LVV’s request to proclaim invalid ballot at 2705B/01D, was rejected.

Vetevendosje Movement addressed on Monday the Supreme Court with regards to counting 392 boxes with ballots from diaspora. According to this political entity, the Supreme Court should once again reconfirm this right and order their counting without wasting time.

Kurti indicates talks with Brussels on special court (Epoka e Re)

The paper recalls that Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader Albin Kurti said in a recent interview with Radio Free Europe that the new government of Kosovo and he as Prime Minister will start two discussions about the Special Court. “One discussion will be held in the Kosovo Assembly about the Special Court, which has spent over €100 million of European taxpayers’ money and has not raised a single indictment, let alone conclude any process. The second discussion will be held with Brussels about this unusual justice mechanism. Based on these discussions, we will then make a decision next year,” Kurti said. He added that “instead of special courts, Kosovo needs normal courts, normal processes and a normal judiciary that will send criminals of war and peace in prison”.

Robelli: Kosovo’s dark side (Koha)

Publicist Enver Robelli argues in an opinion piece that “the Special Court will bring to the surface the dark sides of one part of the wing of war that did not fight against the Serbian criminal regime but against Albanians and members of minority communities. Among those summoned [by the specialist chambers] are also people who are believed to have been associates of Serbian services”.

Albania hit by powerful earthquake (media)

All news outlets report that a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Albania early Tuesday morning. According to media reports, at least six people have died while over 200 hundred have been injured. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said that he had a telephone conversation with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and that teams of the Kosovo Security Force have already been deployed to the areas most affected by the earthquake. Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said “Kosovo is ready to provide aid to the people of and state of Albania to overcome the grave situation”.

Special Prosecution files indictment for three women returned from Syria (Epoka)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo has raised charges against three women who are accused for criminal offences: participation in foreign army or police, organizing and participation in the militant group of the Islamic State (IS). All three women are suspected to have been part of the militant groups of Islamic State and al-Nusra.

During this year, 110 Kosovans returned from the conflict zone in Syria, from them, four fighters, 32 women and 74 children, nine of whom have lost their parents in war.

International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, National Library lit up orange (Express)

UN Women organised on Monday the launch of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” Campaign, which is accompanied by the lighting of the “Pjeter Bogdani” National Library in Pristina in orange.

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it was said that only last year six women and one child were killed.

Ulrika Richardson, UN Development Coordinator for Kosovo, said that in the last six months, one in three women have been subjected to sexual violence, which is a phenomenon that needs to be changed systematically.

“We heard that one in three women have been subjected to sexual violence, but when we think about it, if we have a mother and two daughters in the family, one of them is actually affected by statistics and one of us here is affected. This means that when we are talking about isolated cases, we are talking about something that is relatively systematic and has been sculpted in our society, and we need together a systematic social approach around it,” Richardson said.

Former President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga, British Ambassador to Kosovo Nicholas Abbott and Ambassador of Sweden Karin Hernmarck Ahliny, attended the event.