Albanian Language Media:

• PDK withdraws emergency financial package proposal (media)
• Osmani does not put PDK’s additional motion on the agenda (Koha)
• LVV does not participate at Assembly session, Nagavci gives the reasons (RTK)
• Kurti: Emergency fiscal package to be followed with revitalization of economy (Koha)
• Government sets up coordinating group on economy during pandemic crisis (Koha)
• Mustafa:  Recent movement restriction measures, concerning (media)
• Mayors: We weren’t contacted by Ministry, new measures causing chaos (media)
• Five Kosovo Police officers infected with COVID – 19 (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Two new cases of Covid-19 infection registered in northern Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• “For Mitrovica citizens decision unclear and astonishing” (Radio KIM)
• Church’s bells tolling in Pristina “primitive Russian model” for some Kosovo media, Eparchy warns on targeting church and unprofessional journalism (KoSSev)
• KoSSev editor-in-chief detained while on assignment (KoSSev)
• Journalists’ associations, civil society organizations react to detainment of Tatjana Lazarevic (KoSSev)
• Mitrovica Innovation Centre donates 100 visors to health institutions (KoSSev)

International:

• Podcast: “The Americans have encouraged friends in Kosovo to get rid of this truculent PM”—a Balkan bust-up (The Economist)
• Democrats In Congress Question Trump's 'Heavy-Handed' Approach To Kosovo (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• WHO: COVID-19 mortality rate ten times higher than 2009 flu pandemic (N1)

   

Albanian Language Media

  PDK withdraws emergency financial package proposal (media)

The parliamentary group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said it was withdrawing the proposal for an emergency financial package as a response to the coronavirus pandemic after, as it said, there was no readiness for its endorsement.

Bedri Hamza, head of the PDK parliamentary group, said that there was no agreement for the proposal to be included in the agenda. 

Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani then proceeded to declare the session over. 

Osmani does not put PDK’s additional motion on the agenda (Koha)

Bedri Hamza, caucus of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has requested during the extraordinary assembly session today, to include discussion on two additional draft laws. “They concern the law on temporary measures to facilitate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the draft law for supplementing and amending the Law on management of public finances and responsibilities.”

However, his request was not supported by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Deputy Assembly Speaker Kujtim Shala said additional discussions cannot be added to an extraordinary session.

Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani also said that based on the Constitutional Court, additional issues cannot be added to an extraordinary session.

“The agenda of the extraordinary session must be set in advance and it should not change any more. Due to the regulations, I cannot include these points to today’s agenda. You have the right to raise these matters at other sessions,” Osmani said.

The Assembly started work on Tuesday with the absence of the Vetevendosje Movement’s MPs. They will discuss the emergency package of 320 million, proposed by PDK in order to face the crisis caused by COVID-19. The session began with a 40 minute delay.

LVV does not participate at Assembly session, Nagavci gives the reasons (RTK)

Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo from the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Arberie Nagavci, said MP’s of her political party would not participate at today’s extraordinary session of the Assembly called by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

She told Ekonomia Online through a telephone conversation that the reason for their absence is that PDK’s requests are completely political just as the call of the session.

She said it is not proper to endanger the health of the MPs for an unnecessary session. 

Kurti: Emergency fiscal package to be followed with revitalization of economy (Koha)

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and Minister of Finance and Transfers, Besnik Bislimi, spoke today at a joint press conference about the emergency fiscal package with Kurti saying that it was designed to help the most socially vulnerable groups. They also said that today’s session of the Assembly called by the PDK to discuss a financial package is counterproductive.

"It will then help businesses to cover operational costs so that businesses can function. Later on, stimulate increase of activities and stimulate employment in the private sector. This package is not aimed at long-term policies," Kurti said.

He said that the fiscal emergency package will be followed by measures to revive the economy. "We are convinced that for the emergency stage, this package is sufficient."

Government sets up coordinating group on economy during pandemic crisis (Koha)

The acting government of Kosovo has set up a coordinating group to focus on economy during the pandemic period.

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at the meeting of the group that there is a direct link between the health of the citizens and the health of the economy. "We are a poor country and the majority of our citizens are poor and so they are directly more at risk of the pandemic," he said. 

"Those who destroyed the health system for years did not go to the state dosctors or hospitals so they did not invest on public healthcare," Kurti said further. "We need to realise that we can never have a healthy society without a developed economy, and even less so with a robbed economy."

"Emergency fiscal package is the first aid given to a patient at the emergency room. It is not the long-term therapy given as a cure. Because initially we need to prevent the deterioration of the situation and stabilise it. Then comes the long-term therapy for cure and observation."

Mustafa:  Recent movement restriction measures, concerning (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said that the measures put in place by the Ministry of Health concerning restriction of movement  are ‘concerning’.

“The decisions that the acting Prime Minister read to us last night on the ‘historic night’ through the mouth of the Minister of Health are concerning. They cross every boundary of a democratic country,” Mustafa wrote.

He said it was expected for the acting government to segment the crisis areas and regulate the movement of citizens there but “not to camouflage a situation of emergency throughout the territory through the Minister of Health”.

Mustafa said that the government was not respecting the Constitution of Kosovo. “The MPs today would have to say their word. Not for the financial package but for the usurpation of the country by the acting government.”

Mayors: We weren’t contacted by Ministry, new measures causing chaos (media)

The mayors of municipalities reacted today through the Association of Kosovo Municipalities to the latest restrictive measures undertaken by the Ministry of Health in the fight against COVID – 19. The reaction, which was sent to Minister of Health Arben Vitia and Minister of Local Governance Emilia Rexhepi, argues that the mayors were not consulted about the measures.

“The measures have immediately started creating chaos both in the municipalities and other public spaces and are in a way counter-effective in the battle to prevent the spread of the COVID – 19 pandemics. The reaction of the mayors comes as a result that the municipalities were never consulted in the drafting of measures that will be undertaken from April 15. All mayors have expressed their full readiness to cooperate from day one and this readiness was completely ignored,” the reaction notes.

Five Kosovo Police officers infected with COVID – 19 (Kallxo)

Kosovo Police General Director Rashit Qalaj confirmed today that five officers of the Kosovo Police have been infected with COVID – 19, the news website reports. “Yes, five police officers of different units have unfortunately been infected with the coronavirus,” Qalaj told Kallxo. “There are five officers in total. One is from Malisheva, one is from Prishtina and three are from the north”. Qalaj also said that the infected cases are staying at the Student Centre which has turned into a quarantine with a decision of the Kosovo Government.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Two new cases of Covid-19 infection registered in northern Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Two more people have tested positive to coronavirus in northern Kosovo, bringing the total number of infected persons in Serb-populated areas in Kosovo at 51, epidemiologist Aleksandar Antonijevic said, Radio Mitrovica sever reports. The new cases were registered in Zvecan and Zubin Potok.

Radio Mitrovica sever reports that the current breakdown of confirmed cases is as follows: 23 in Mitrovica North, 13 in Zvecan, 8 in Zubin Potok, 6 in Leposavic and 1 person in Gracanica. Two people have passed away.

Antonijevic added that three patients were cured and released from the Infectious Diseases department at the Clinical Hospital Centre in Mitrovica and they were placed under home isolation.

He also said that 27 patients with mild symptoms were recovering in a makeshift hospital at the Student Centre and one is at the Belgrade Fair, and that 46 new samples were sent to Kraljevo Veterinary Institute this morning. Antonijevic once again appealed to the citizens to respect the prescribed measures and stay at their homes.

“For Mitrovica citizens decision unclear and surprising” (Radio KIM)

Executive director of NGO Aktiv, Miodrag Milicevic told RTV KIM that the latest decision on movement ban is “utterly astonishing,” adding that for citizens of Mitrovica North “it remains unknown how it would function.”

According to Milicevic, the previous decision to ban the movement of citizens in the period from 17.00 to 6 a.m, in comparison to the new one, was more practical.

“The decision is utterly astonishing. For us, citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica, it remains unknown how it would function. There would be many problems concerning its implementation, including the situation we have in the north, where people have two ID cards, because people would use both when going out. Police and local authorities will have serious issues,” Milicevic said.

He added much remains unclear for the people dealing with retails, because no one officially addressed them.

“I think that the decision is rather restrictive, not only because of one hour and a half for free movement, but also because nobody simply thought about rotating system on a daily basis. So, to get a separate time slot every day, if you are going to introduce that sort of ban, but to enable a system of rotation, that would in my opinion serve the purpose much better,” MIlicevic noted.

One of the problems, Milicevic underlined, is that the “infographic available to the wider public is in Albanian language only.”

Asked if citizens of Mitrovica North are in doubt which decisions to respect, the one of the government of Republic of Serbia or the one of Kosovo, MIlicevic responded that citizens got used to that sort of dualism.

Church’s bells tolling in Pristina “primitive Russian model” for some Kosovo media, Eparchy warns on targeting church and unprofessional journalism (KoSSev)

Kosovo news agency Kosovapress, and then RTK, Gazeta Express, Telegraf and Bota Sot have published the article on Sunday and Monday morning with the headline “Serbian Church in Pristina against Covid-19 with unverified Russian model,” KoSSev portal reports.

Serbian Orthodox Church Raska-Prizren Eparchy in a reaction to the article said that the bells tolling are European civilization value, adding that announcements, being it made from minaret or by bells, are regulated by the Kosovo laws.

The Eparchy said it was very unfortunate that a message was sent from Kosovo that bells are bothersome to some, assessing the article as unprofessional journalism and dangerous targeting of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Raska-Prizren Eprachy Bishop Teodisije made the decision that the Church of Saint Nikola in Pristina would cease frequent tolling.

“The bells of Serbian Saint Nikola Church are tolling for several days with high intensity, in the name of “fight against coronavirus.” The residents in the neighborhood are feeling distressed because of the noise,” Kosovapress writes in an article.

It was noted that although there were no reactions to ceremonial manifestations happening in the church earlier, the bells are tolling so often that it now represents a problem for inhabitants of the old Pristina settlement Taslidze, the article continues, referring to an unnamed source.

“Security expert” KoSSev portal said, as presented in the article Agim Musliu said that “it was not only about a primitive Russian model” but also “a provocative trend.” He argued that we bear witness to disinformation spread from Moscow related to the humanitarian catastrophe caused by coronavirus. Russians are not spearing their Orthodox believers either in order to do what pleases them. On the other hand, it is clear that people from the Serbian secret service circulate through all the churches, even through this one. As per rule, if there is Serbian secret service, there is also Russian secret service. Therefore one could make the conclusion that this is a consequence of a chaos from Moscow, KoSSev portal reports about the content of the article.   

Assessing the content of the article as “inappropriate” Raska-Prizren Eparchy published its response last night, noting that “it was surprised and disappointed.”

“The Raska-Prizren Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church at these tragic times of coronavirus pandemic with regret notes this article which deeply oversteps the most dissent boundaries of professional journalism and represents an example of targeting the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, that exists here for centuries,” the Eparchy said in a statement.

Recalling that the bells did not appear in Russia, but in Italy in the campaign in the V century, and that in Christian world the bells are used not only to announce regular services but also at times of great sufferings, same in Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant world, the Eparchy noted that for example, every night the churches’ bells in Amsterdam are tolling as a sign of solidarity at the times of pandemic.

The bells tolling, same as a call for prayers from minaret, five times a day, primarily aims at calling for prayers and it is not disputable for anyone who believes in God and respects others,” the Eparchy further said.

“By doing this, we show solidarity that our Church feels for all the citizens of Kosovo, regardless of their religion or language, because we all are equally endangered by pandemic.”

At the end of reaction, the Eparchy voiced expectations that there would be no further such articles at the times of pandemic, nor comments of “uninformed and obviously ill-intended ‘experts’”, but that “this recent suffering would encourage solidarity, mutual understanding and overcoming all political and interethnic differences, that have no room at the times when there are so many affected persons, in particular elderly ones.”

KoSSev editor-in-chief detained while on assignment (KoSSev)

Kosovo police detained the editor-in-chief of the KoSSev portal, Tatjana Lazarevic, who was on a journalistic assignment at the time, around 2 pm on April 11 on the road from Mitrovica North to the Mali Zvecan settlement, KoSSev portal reports.

The KoSSev editor was traveling on foot towards Mali Zvecan because Mitrovica-Zvecan traffic was suspended since Monday; just days after the North Mitrovica and Zvecan municipalities were placed under quarantine following an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in these municipalities.

After curfews to fight against the spread of coronavirus were introduced at the end of March, the Kosovo Ministry of Interior confirmed that these curfews do not apply to journalists reporting from the field about the coronavirus crisis.

See more at: https://bit.ly/34GuQEY Journalists’ associations, civil society organizations react to detainment of Tatjana Lazarevic (KoSSev)

Following detainment of KoSSev portal editor-in-chief Tatjana Lazarevic on April 11 by Kosovo police, journalists’ associations and civil society organizations condemned the arrest, demanding that the freedom of media is upheld.

Lazarevic was released after giving a statement on the same day, and is facing criminal charges for violating restriction of movement.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) called for collegial solidarity between journalists and media outlets reporting in Serbian and Albanian, demanding from the prosecutor in Mitrovica North drop the prosecution of the editor of KoSSev portal, Tatjana Lazarevic.

The two associations pointed out that this is the first time a journalist has been arrested and taken to a police station during a pandemic for reporting during curfew, and now faces criminal proceedings, even though there is a clear decision by the Pristina authorities to allow journalists to work in the field throughout the day.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) has received with concern the news that journalist Tatjana Lazarevic from Kossev portal in Mitrovica North, during her official duty, was detained and escorted to the police station.

Stopping and obstructing journalists while they are on duty is a pressure, not only on their work but also on freedom of expression. This is also contrary to the Constitution and Kosovo laws, as well as international conventions on human rights, the AJK said in a statement.

At the same time, the association has asked the competent authorities to clarify immediately the reasons for this illegal stop and at the same time to end the pressure on the journalists from the “Kossev” portal.

The Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and journalists’ safety “Safe Journalists” which represents more than 8,200 members, strongly condemned the detention of Tatjana Lazarevic, the editor and journalist of the KoSSev portal by the Kosovo police.

Also, group of civil society organizations including New Social Initiative (NSI), InTER, Link, Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC) and others strongly condemned the detainment of the editor-in-chief of KoSSev, Tatjana Lazarevic, by the Kosovo police for, as they said in a statement, allegedly violating the curfew.

“Freedom of media is one of the achievements of modern civilization, and its importance is especially evident today when it is necessary to obtain accurate and timely information about the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We, therefore, find it unacceptable that the public institutions, including the Kosovo police, prevent journalists from carrying out their reporting activities on the pandemic,” the statement said.

Mitrovica Innovation Centre donates 100 visors to health institutions (KoSSev)

Mitrovica Innovation Centre of NGO LINK, after recently launched action of manufacturing protective visors for medical professionals has donated more than one hundred pieces of this protective equipment to the doctors and medical staff in Mitrovica North, Mitrovica South, Zvecan and Zubin Potok municipalities, KoSSev portal reports.

“We will continue at the same pace in the forthcoming weeks until we meet the needs of all the institutions and individuals with whom we work together to fight COVID-19,” LINK said in a statement.

Radio Kontakt Plus pointed out that UNMIK has provided the necessary equipment and supplies.

The radio also recalled that Mitrovica Innovation Centre, at the end of last month, launched an action for the production and donation of visors for Clinical Hospital Centre health workers in Mitrovica North in cooperation with the Technical High School “Mihailo Petrovic-Alas”.

   

International

  Podcast: “The Americans have encouraged friends in Kosovo to get rid of this truculent PM”—a Balkan bust-up (The Economist)

WE SPEAK to Albin Kurti, a reformist prime minister, after his ouster—and ask how American officials may have played a role in his downfall. 

See at: https://econ.st/2VbkpGp Democrats In Congress Question Trump's 'Heavy-Handed' Approach To Kosovo (RFE) Two Democratic U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about what they say is a “heavy-handed approach” by the Trump administration toward Kosovo’s government. At the same time, the lawmakers say, “U.S. public pressure on Serbia appears to have been dropped." See at: https://bit.ly/2Vq6LxU    

Humanitarian/Development

  WHO: COVID-19 mortality rate ten times higher than 2009 flu pandemic (N1)

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the death rate from new coronavirus was ten times higher than from the 2009 flu pandemic and urged leaders not to use it for political goals, TV N1 reports.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva on Monday that people who contracted coronavirus faced a far higher risk of death than those who were infected with the flu.

"The mortality rate of COVID-19 is estimated to be ten times higher than influenza," he said.

WHO reiterated that the countries which thought about relaxing the measures for preventing the spreading of the virus shouldn't do that too soon.

The organization said it would publish updated strategic advice for those countries on Tuesday, including six criteria that should be considered before relaxing the measures.

 See at: https://bit.ly/3enyo39