Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 318 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Kosovo leaders violate Law on KIA (media)
• United Arab Emirates committed to cooperation with Kosovo (media)
• Kurti and Abbott meet, discuss elections (media)
• Vetëvendosje clarifies what will happen to Kurti's votes (media)
• Political parties outline plans for fighting corruption (Prishtina Insight)
• Hoti promises to conclude dialogue with Serbia and visa liberalization this year (media)
• Konjufca: No court can declare invalid ballot for Kurti (media)
• Haradinaj: Vote for President is referendum for a safe homeland (media)
• Kosovo allocates 210 thousand € for Ulcinj and Bujanovc (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• In Serbian communities in Kosovo, one death, 15 new cases (Kontakt plus radio)
• Until this morning almost 514.000 people inoculated in Serbia (N1, FoNet)
• Vucic and Putin discussed Covid-19 pandemic, vaccines, Kosovo issue (B92, KoSSev)
• Vucic with Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo on vaccines (RTS)
• US grants for Serbia (N1)
• Palestinian Foreign Ministry disappointed by Kosovo (BETA, N1)
• Xharra: Kurti’s removal from the electoral ballot is a boomerang for the outcome of the elections (KoSSev)
• Weber: Mogherini, Grenell and Bolton made damage in connection with Kosovo; story of innovative solutions nebulous (Kosovo Online)
• Salijevic: The goal is to improve the position of Roma in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Sporazum TV Show: New year, new elections (RTV Puls, KiM radio)
• Hodzic: Bosniak community neglected, institutional support needed (KiM radio)
• Rasic: We’ll work on youth employment (RTK)
• Milan Dabic: Door to door campaign of CI “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” (Radio kontakt plus, RTV KIM)
• Panotivc: Prosecutor biased, presents wrongful interpretations in case of Zoran Djokic (Kosovo-online)
• Western Balkan businessmen demand removal of business barriers in the region (RTV Puls, Tanjug)
• SPC Synod to elect new patriarch (Tanjug, B92)

International:

• EU: No Kosovo accession to the EU if it opens an embassy in Jerusalem (eureporter)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID – 19: 318 new cases, five deaths (media)

318 new cases of COVID – 19 and five deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 214 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 6,659 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Kosovo leaders violate Law on KIA (media)

Political disagreements have left the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA) without a director since December 17 last year, when Kreshnik Gashi was dismissed.

Thus, the Acting President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani and the acting Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti have violated the Law on KIA.

Article 5.3 of this Law stipulates that "The President of the Republic of Kosovo together with the Prime Minister, jointly appoint the director of the KIA within 20 working days from the day when the position remains vacant."

The spokesperson of the Government of Kosovo, Antigona Baxhaku, also admitted that there is disagreement between Osmani and Hoti.

"Prime Minister Hoti has made a proposal for this post, while the Acting President has made another proposal, which has not been agreed with the Prime Minister. There is no agreement between them on the candidacies. The process is at this stage and I do not believe that there can be a decision before the elections," Baxhaku said.

Albanian Post has also sent questions to Osmani's media office, to ask why the new head of the KIA has not been selected yet, but this institution has not replied.

According to security expert Besa Kabashi, a professional person who is accepted by the government and the opposition should be appointed to this position.

"This would enable such a position to be properly exercised, and for a full mandate, without political interference and enabling the KIA to do its important work, without political preferences," she said.

According to her, the frequent change of directors of this institution is seen as detrimental to the national security of the country.

"Frequent change of this position seriously damages the security in the country, knowing that in Kosovo the process of transfer of responsibility is done formally, or creating a serious space for loss of important information from ancestor to successor in such a position," Kabashi concluded.

The former director, Kreshnik Gashi, was asked by the acting Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to vacate the position on December 17, 2020.  Hoti was also supported by the acting president, Osmani on this request.

United Arab Emirates committed to cooperation with Kosovo (media)

The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo. Avdullah Hoti, received in a meeting the non-resident ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Kosovo, Nabila Abdelaziz Alshamsi.

Hoti expressed appreciation to Ambassador Alshamsi for the continuous assistance that the United Arab Emirates has provided to Kosovo in all stages of state building.

He also expressed the commitment and readiness of the government to deepen cooperation in every field of mutual interest, in particular the deepening of economic relations and the promotion of investments by the United Arab Emirates in Kosovo.

Prime Minister Hoti and Ambassador Alshamsi agreed that Kosovo has a lot of potential for development that should be supported and promoted.

Kurti and Abbott meet, discuss elections (media)

Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) met today with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Nicholas Abbott.

“It was nice to catch up with Albin Kurti this morning. We discussed electoral procedures and his party’s plans for the campaign. I introduced him to Dominic Howell, the Head of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy UK Expert Mission, who will be monitoring the election process over the coming weeks,” Abbot wrote on Facebook.

"Justice and employment are the two issues we will be committed to, while the fight against corruption and organized crime will be at the center of our commitment to a democratic state in the service of all without distinction. With the Ambassador, Mr. "Abbott agreed to further advance the good relations between our two countries", it is said in an announcement issued by LVV.

Vetëvendosje clarifies what will happen to Kurti's votes (media)

Vetevendosje Movement’s (LVV) representative in the Central Election Commission (CEC), Sami Kurteshi, explained what he called ‘confusion’ created on participation of the LVV leader Albin Kurti in the 14 February elections.

He blamed the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), for creating ambiguities in the public.

"The ballot paper has on one side with the political entities and on the other side the numbers of the candidates. Each voter has the right to vote for one political entity and five numbers of his or her choice. If it were otherwise, we would remove the numbers, this is a ‘spin’ that is being spread by the LDK and other parties to confuse people. Each voter has the right to vote for each candidate from number one onwards, or has the right not to vote for any candidate and only votes for the political entity. They are trying to destroy everything in this country. PDK and LDK’s claims that the vote can be declared invalid, are nonsense. The vote for a candidate who is not certified, is only not officially counted, but the vote is not declared invalid," he explained.

In conclusion, Kurteshi stressed that all votes will be counted, but that only the CEC will not include in its statistics votes for candidates who are not certified.

"The CEC does not include them in its statistics, nothing more, but all votes should be counted. PDK and LDK have managed to create confusion about this", he added further.

Three Vetëvendosje candidates were not certified by CEC to participate in the February 14 elections.

Meanwhile, LVV have stated that their list is complete with 110 candidates and that the holder of the list is Albin Kurti.

Political parties outline plans for fighting corruption (Prishtina Insight)

Representatives from LDK, AAK and Vetevendosje outlined their parties’ policies to tackle corruption in the first of BIRN’s pre-election debates on Wednesday night.

On Wednesday, as the campaign for Kosovo’s parliamentary election on February 14 officially kicked off, BIRN launched its DebatPernime (Debate For Real) series, which scrutinizes Kosovo’s major political parties’ plans for governance.

The first issue tackled on the show was the rule of law and the fight against corruption, with representatives from the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and Vetevendosje outlining their party’s policies in this area. 

Opening the debate, AAK’s outgoing Minister of Justice, Selim Selimi, stated that his party had taken a number measures to tackle corruption over its six month tenure of the ministry. He pointed to changes made to regulations on whistleblowing, which he stated encouraged citizens to inform authorities about corruption, as more protection was provided to whistleblowers.

Selimi also highlighted that the incumbent Kosovo Government changed the Criminal Procedure Code to further punish officials indicted on corruption charges, as anyone holding an official position must now be suspended if an indictment containing corruption charges is filed against them.

LDK’s Shkemb Manaj, however, argued that the minister was taking credit for key achievements in tackling corruption that were initiated by his party, adding that a future LDK government will further commit to this fight.

“We believe that the fight against corruption is one of the key challenges that the country has, but LDK, with all the mechanisms it has, will guarantee that it will be committed to the fight against corruption,” he said. Manaj added that LDK is focused on empowering justice institutions and particularly the Anti-Corruption Agency, by increasing its budget and its staff.

Vetevendosje official Adnan Rrustemi concurred with his counterparts that the fight against corruption was one of the key battles facing the next government, adding that his party would focus on corrupt officials in high positions. 

Rrustemi stated that a new agency was required to investigate high level corruption. “We need to say loud and clear that corruption in Kosovo is centred around officials in higher positions and, as a consequence, we have foreseen the establishment of a Bureau of Investigation only for high level officials,” Rrustemi said.

Rrustemi added that the role of Kosovo’s Anti-Corruption Agency should also be expanded. “We believe that the Anti-Corruption Agency should have additional responsibilities, including to verify sources of wealth for officials in higher positions, as it is not sufficient to have only a formal declaration of wealth.”

Manaj responded by stating that a legal basis must first be created in order to establish a new bureau, adding that it was important not to rush into its formation.

Rrustemi countered by declaring that the fight against corruption first requires political willingness. “Besides legal infrastructure and institutional support for the existing mechanisms, the will of central institutions to fight corruption is crucial, and has been missing so far,” the Vetevendosje representative said.

Doarsa Kica, who appeared alongside Rrustemi representing Vetevendosje, echoed her party colleague, adding that a legal basis has existed for some time but failed to bring results. “We have 19 institutions that deal with corruption in Kosovo, but we do not know who is really responsible for tackling corruption,” Kica said. 

Minister Selimi twice drew attention to the closure of the Anti-Corruption Task Force by outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti’s office, blaming LDK for damaging the public’s perception of the fight against corruption.

“The perception is: ‘What are you doing in the fight against corruption?’” Selimi said. “If you start using a sword to dismantle institutions then the perception will be that you are not fighting corruption sufficiently.”

BIRN’s Jeta Xharra then focused the debate on conducting a vetting process in Kosovo’s security and judicial institutions, working groups for which have been established by the previous two Kosovo Governments. 

Incumbent minister Selimi stated that vetting should not only be applied to the state prosecution and courts but to other institutions, adding that it should be seen as a positive process. “Vetting should not be conducted to punish, or to use the stick on the judiciary, but to preserve those working with honour, and remove those corrupted,” he said.

Shkemb Manaj insisted that LDK is also committed to vetting, highlighting the party’s support for the process over the last year. “As institutions and as a state we are late in starting this process,” he said. “But during its governance with Vetevendosje and afterwards the Democratic League was engaged in this process.”

Manaj suggested that vetting should be applied to justice and security institutions, adding that the Constitutional Court should also be subject to the process, which he predicted could be concluded within three years.

Rrustemi said that vetting is Vetevendosje’s key policy in the justice sector, and that the process will be concluded within the mandate. “We believe that vetting should start with the Kosovo Judicial Council and Prosecutorial Council, as well as with the heads of the courts, police and intelligence,” he added. “It needs to tackle three key elements: wealth verification, professionalism and moral integrity.”

An invitation to this debate was also extended to the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, but was declined due to a dispute with the broadcaster. The Social Democratic Initiative, NISMA, also received an invitation, but the party’s representative failed to attend the debate.

Hoti promises to conclude dialogue with Serbia and visa liberalization this year (media)

The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, who is also the LDK candidate for Prime Minister in the extraordinary elections of February 14, said during an activity in Istog, that this year will be concluded with international agreements, on the dialogue process with Serbia, which he said will end with mutual recognition. He also said that the issue of visa liberalization will end this year.

“The year 2021 will be concluded with the help of our friends, our political family of European People's Parties, with visa liberalization. The year 2021 will be closed with big projects, which will start from the Washington agreement and many other projects that will turn Kosovo into a geopolitical and geostrategic crossroad for the region," Hoti said.

He said that rival parties are not appearing before them in televised debates nor are they speaking publicly to tell citizens what they will offer in the next four years.

"It is clear they have nothing to offer, except metaphors and various slogans," Hoti said.

He said that in six, seven months of government he has returned Kosovo to some stability.

"We found Kosovo politically and economically isolated from the greatest friend of the Albanian people in Kosovo, the United States. After a few weeks we received an invitation to go to the White House. There we found neither maps nor knives, nothing. We found an agreement to sign, negotiate and sign, which strengthens the state of Kosovo in the international arena," Hoti said adding that he is not known for very populist speeches.

Konjufca: No court can declare invalid ballot for Kurti (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (VV) senior official Glauk Konjufca argued in an interview with Kanal 10 on Wednesday that no court in Kosovo can declare invalid a ballot for VV leader and candidate for Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. According to Konjufca, the citizens of Kosovo can vote for Kurti without any problem.

Konjufca accused the Constitutional Court, the Central Election Commission and the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel of working with directives. “They work with political telephones, the Constitutional Court, Valdete Daka [CEC Chairwoman] and the ECAP,” he said.

He also said that the decision not to certify Kurti was unjust. “This was one of the most unjust decisions in the post-war political race … I think the CEC was not right,” he added.

Haradinaj: Vote for President is referendum for a safe homeland (media)

Ramush Haradinaj, candidate for President from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), met the structures of this party in Skënderaj.

"The vote for President is a referendum for a secure homeland and integrated in Euro-Atlantic structures and it is an obligation for me to remain steadfast for the future of Kosovo as we all want it. I met today the structures of the Alliance in Skenderaj ".

"It is to be proud of their tireless work at a time when our country needs more than ever such energy that shows determination on our path to strengthening the state and our future,” Haradinaj wrote.

Kosovo allocates 210 thousand € for Ulcinj and Bujanovc (media)

Kosovo will provide over 200,000 euros to Albanian-majority cities in Montenegro and Serbia for damage caused by the January floods.

According to the announcement of the Kosovo government after the meeting held today, "ten thousand euros have been allocated for the reconstruction of the Castle of Ulcinj, after the damage caused by the floods in Montenegro. The municipality of Bujanovc will be assisted with 200 thousand euros for the repair of flood damage. 

Heavy rains in January caused serious damage to the ancient city walls of Ulcinj and to the households in Bujanovac.

   

Serbian Language Media

  In Serbian communities in Kosovo, one death, 15 new cases (Kontakt plus radio)

According to the latest data, in Serbian areas in Kosovo, one person died as a result of the coronavirus, 15 new cases of infection were registered, and the same number of people came out of isolation, the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica announced today.

Out of 98 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: North Mitrovica (5), Zvecan (5), Gnjilane (2), Zubin Potok (1), Priluzje (1) and Pec (1).

There are currently 207 active cases.

So far, 101 people have died in the Serbian communities.

Until this morning almost 514.000 people inoculated in Serbia (N1, FoNet)

According to the latest information provided this morning a total of 513.652 persons have been inoculated against Covid-19 in Serbia, while the massive vaccination continues at several spots today as well, FoNet news agency reports.

All interested citizens can register for vaccination through e-Uprava portal or by dialing the number 0800 222 334.

Since each of the vaccines requires two shots in different timeframes, revaccination in Serbia is due on February 9.  No new registration is required for re-vaccination given that all the data were registered during initial application for the vaccination.

According to the latest information 15 more people died from Covid-19 in Serbia, while total number of new cases today was 1,932. 4002 people are hospitalized, and 153 people are on ventilators. 

Vucic and Putin discussed Covid-19 pandemic, vaccines, Kosovo issue (B92, KoSSev)

President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, talked on the phone yesterday with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, B92 reports.

According to the statement, the two presidents ascertained that no one can destroy the friendship between Serbia and Russia, and that relations between the two countries are stable and on the rise.

On this occasion, President Vucic thanked President Putin for his support in the fight against coronavirus, and especially for the delivery of the Sputnik V vaccine, because it contributed to our country leading the way in inoculating the population. President Vucic also asked President Putin to help Serbia get additional quantities of the Russian vaccine as soon as possible, so that as many Serbian citizens as possible would receive reliable protection against the coronavirus as soon as possible. He also emphasized that Serbia, with the help of experts from Russia, will build plants and produce vaccines independently.

The two statesmen discussed a whole range of topics covering the areas of bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international situations.

President Vucic and President Putin stated that Serbia and Russia have confirmed a high degree of mutual understanding and friendship in the past period, marked by difficulties brought about by the coronavirus. President Vucic expressed his gratitude to President Putin for the message that Minister Lavrov read in the Temple of Saint Sava.

Vucic confirmed that Serbia intends to further develop strategic relations with Russia and stated that the opportunities for economic cooperation are much greater than it used to be. He therefore said that special attention should be paid to increasing trade, completing current and launching new joint energy and infrastructure projects, and further strengthening cooperation in the field of technological development and innovation, as well as military-technical cooperation. In that regard, President Putin emphasized the importance of the work of the Intergovernmental Commission for Cooperation.

Vucic emphasized the importance of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which contributes to Serbia's energy stability.

Discussing the regional situation with President Putin, President Vucic thanked President Putin for his unwavering personal support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as for the active support of the Russian state on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.

"Russia understands our efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region and Serbia's readiness for dialogue and compromise as the only way to resolve open issues," President Vucic concluded.

On the other side, President Putin said that Serbia can count on Russian support “regarding a well balanced resolution of the Kosovo issue that needs to be approved at the UN Security Council”, the Russian Presidency Office said.  

Vucic with Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo on vaccines (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met yesterday with the Ambassador of Peoples’ Republic of China to Serbia Chen Bo and kindly asked her to convey Serbia’s gratitude to the Chinese President Xi Jinping for his human and state care and solidarity in helping delivery of Chinese vaccines to the Serbian citizens as soon as possible and in large quantities, RTS reports.

Vucic said he was proud that Serbia was the first country in Europe to receive Chinese vaccine. He also noted that Serbian citizens demonstrate a strong confidence in the Chinese vaccine and by doing it they also demonstrate confidence in the Chinese state and its experts.

He also kindly asked Ambassador Chen Bo to convey the appeal to the President Xi Jingping and Chinese leadership so that the remaining quantities of the vaccines arrive to Serbia as soon as possible.  

US grants for Serbia (N1)

European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovic signed documents on 22 million Dollars in US grants to Serbia, a government press release said Thursday, N1 reports.

Joksimovic, the government coordinator of international development aid, signed amendments to agreements to provide aid to Serbia to improve the public administration and a competitive market economy.

The Minister is quoted as saying that the grants will be used to finance projects implemented by USAID and the Serbian Government. “In addition to supporting the economy, a significant part of the funds will be directed to the implementation of projects to support judicial reform and increase the efficiency of the judiciary, improve the regulatory framework in the media, and strengthen the capacity of relevant bodies to implement media reforms”, the press release said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3jo8tLJ Palestinian Foreign Ministry disappointed by Kosovo (BETA, N1)

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment over the establishing of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel and Pristina’s intention of opening an embassy in Jerusalem, BETA news agency reports.

“The step taken by Kosovo with the signing of the agreement with the occupier state and declaration of its intent to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem is a step which is completely counter to all efforts by Kosovo to convince the states of the world to recognize it”, the statement sent to the media in Serbia by the Embassy of Palestine said.

It said that the agreement signed by Kosovo and Israel on February 1 is disappointing because it called Kosovo “which is trying to find a place among independent states is expected to literally abide by international legitimacy and international law”. According to the statement, Kosovo has shown that it is ignoring and openly violating international law and resolutions complicating the position of any state that is considering recognition.

“The Ministry hopes that the decision making institutions in Kosovo will reconsider the step and quickly annul the decision”, it said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3pMuQgc Xharra: Kurti’s removal from the electoral ballot is a boomerang for the outcome of the elections (KoSSev)

Although Albin Kurti and others are not listed on the ballot, people will vote for them in even higher numbers because they were forbidden from doing so, they will want to help them because they see them as victims of the system – well-known Kosovo journalist, Jeta Xharra said in a statement for KoSSev. Xharra spoke of the election turnout, but also about what she believes is happening at the moment – Srpska Lista is allegedly working on securing support for two new minority lists while helping some Albanian parties in the efforts to prevent LVV from securing the parliamentary votes to form a new government.

The official campaign for the extraordinary elections scheduled for February 14th started yesterday. Two Kosovo governments toppled in a year – one, led by Albin Kurti, collapsed after less than two months, and the second, led by Avdullah Hoti, seven months later. Kurti and Hoti blame each other for the fall of their respective governments. Hoti’s government toppled by a decision of the Constitutional Court stating that it was illegally elected – based on an appeal filed by the Self-Determination, while the Supreme Court of Kosovo has now confirmed that Kurti cannot be included in the electoral ballot due to a final court judgment against him.

„It is peculiar that some of the key political figures, such as Albin Kurti, for whom people voted for in 2019, are now being told ‘you cannot compete in this election, the rules have changed, and by the way, the rules have changed because your party took a case before the Constitutional Court seven months ago!“ – Xharra said, citing this as one of the distinctive characteristics of the upcoming elections.

Currently, there are 20 candidates from all parties who cannot run, but they were allowed to do so in the 2019 elections, she recalled, warning of the „boomerang effect “.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2MPcT22 Weber: Mogherini, Grenell and Bolton made damage in connection with Kosovo; story of innovative solutions nebulous (Kosovo Online)

German political analyst and member of the Council for Democratization Policy Bodo Weber told portal Kosovo Online that Biden coming to power in the USA, after four years of undermining transatlantic ties by the Trump's administration, opens another possibility of close cooperation between the USA and the EU in the Western Balkans.  

Weber pointed out that over the last three decades, it was proven that structural problems and conflicts in the region could be resolved together.

"This is even more important today when, internally, in the United States and the European Union, democracies are in crisis, which seriously damages their global role, as we saw in the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia. First through the actions of the former High Representative for Foreign Affairs Mogherini, and then Trump's envoy Grenell. Also, and before, through Bolton's advocacy of the dangerous idea of exchanging territory, so his statement "that it would be a mistake for Biden to leave the Balkans to the EU is quite hypocritical," Weber said.

Weber emphasized that it is important that "the new cooperation between Washington and Brussels, especially Berlin, but also Paris, leads to the necessary reset of negotiations on a final, comprehensive agreement, based on the original principles of political dialogue that enabled its establishment in 2012/13."

"We have not had negotiations on a real, self-sustaining agreement so far. I believe that the first phone call between President Biden and Chancellor Merkel can be read from that perspective, as well as the recent meeting between Presidents Vucic and Macron, although the nebulous story of" innovative solutions " was little reminiscent of Vucic's political spin of the last four years, for which, I believe, there will be no more room," Weber emphasized.

Salijevic: The goal is to improve the position of Roma in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

For decades, the Roma have been the voting machinery of major political parties in the elections, and that is why we have gathered to change the position of our community, which has been "clinically dead" for 20 years, said Gazmen Salijevic,  MP candidate of the Roma Initiative in forthcoming elections in Kosovo. 

There are 12 parliamentary candidates on the list of the Roma Initiative. Salijevic believes that only united Roma can fight for a better economic and social position in society.

"Our appearance may have attracted the attention of others. In the last 20 years, the voice of Roma from central Kosovo, Pristina region, North Mitrovica and Gnjilane has not been heard. We have come together and offer change, not just for the Roma community, with economic prosperity and to improve people's lives with our institutional presence, regardless of ethnic, racial, gender and religious affiliation," says Salijevic.

Roma were represented in the Kosovo parliament by representatives of political parties from Prizren. According to Salijevic, the Roma initiative has election headquarters throughout Kosovo as well as activists, who are full of energy to fight for change.

Four Roma political entities, two civic initiatives and two political parties will run in the upcoming Kosovo snap elections on February 14th.

Sporazum TV Show: New year, new elections (RTV Puls, KiM radio)

Extraordinary parliamentary elections in Kosovo are scheduled for February 14th. The reasons for announcing them are both essential and formal, according to political analyst Beluj Beqaj.

"This government was an illegitimate government, but after the decision of the Constitutional Court, we learned that it was also illegal," says Beqaj.

Commenting on the fact that early parliamentary elections in Kosovo are more frequent than regular ones, Belgrade political scientist Stefan Surlic estimates that the socio-political situation in Kosovo is complex and is characterized by large splits, primarily within the Albanian political body.

"And these elections will not bring anything special. Regardless of who comes to power, strong political divisions and undefined status remain, which primarily depends on Belgrade," Surlic believes, adding that this is because the goals set in the election campaign cannot be implemented without an agreement with Belgrade representatives.

Promises are made lightly, without anyone seeing any readiness for dialogue.

"Relations are not warming up. Rational political messages that strive for compromise are not sent," warns Surlic.

Commenting on the recent surprise visits of Pristina politicians to northern Kosovo, NGO Aktiv director Miodrag Milicevic said it was indicative of when they took place, that is before the official start of the election campaign. He estimates that similar visits in the future should be coordinated with local legal authorities in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo, which is still a very sensitive political area.

Beqaj expects that it is possible to achieve a record number of people who went to the polls in this election, because a milieu has been created that reflects the need for change.

"That is very good, because in our country it is often said in politics that bad authorities are the product of good citizens who do not go to the polls," Beqaj said.

The show also presented the results of a survey among followers on Facebook. When asked whether they expect the early parliamentary elections in Kosovo to pass fairly and democratically, 27.6 percent replied positively, while 72.4 percent responded negatively, reported RTV Puls.

Hodzic: Bosniak community neglected, institutional support needed (KiM radio)

Due to the Covida-19 pandemic, the Civic Initiative "United Community - Adrijana Hodžić" will not organize large gatherings but will base its campaign on conversations in small groups and through social networks. Their priority is to establish two municipalities with a Bosniak majority, Hodzic said, reported KiM radio.

The goal of the campaign is to reach as many citizens as possible, in order to listen to their ideas, and citizens to listen to our program, list holder Adrijana Hodzic told RTV Kim.

"We want to send a clear message that the Bosniak community on the territory of Kosovo is in some way neglected and we believe that something concrete should be done regarding this community, and it refers to the establishment of two new local governments with a Bosniak majority. Those two local self-governments will be institutions in which other minority communities will take part, that are living in the vicinity of Prizren and the vicinity of Pec,'' Hodzic points out.

She says the formation of two new municipalities requires the support of the Kosovo parliament and government.

"The only way for the survival and survival of minority communities is precisely institutional support and providing opportunities for minority communities to make decisions in the municipalities in which they live through institutions, through local self-governments," Hodzic told RTV Kim.

When asked why citizens should support this initiative, Hodzic said that she has experience in founding the municipality of North Mitrovica, which, as she claims, is the only truly multiethnic municipality, and is yielding results.

"We, in a small municipality that has a lot of challenges, have coexistence and that is a good example. We want to share our experience with the rest of Kosovo because we believe that, when it comes to minority communities, we are left aside really, that assimilation is happening that we need to stop,'' concludes Adrijana Hodzic.

Rasic: We’ll work on youth employment (RTK)

Civic Initiative “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” as part of their election campaign promised voters adequate representation in the parliament, as well as employment of young people who, according to the leader of Progressive Democratic Party Nenad Rasic, do not see a perspective in Kosovo, RTK reports.

Rasic, who supports the CI “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” said that he would work on adequate representation in the parliament, because, as he said, that has not been the case for the last eight years.

“What I can promise on my own behalf and probably on behalf of my colleagues Milan Dabic and others on the list is that the representation which will follow after the February 14 elections will be adequate. What we know for sure is that we will open an office for citizens, where they will be able to contact us at any time. I am not saying that we will solve all their problems immediately but they will certainly have an address where they will be informed first and after that I hope that we’ll be able to solve those problems, which will be a new era of representing Kosovo Serbs”, Rasic said.

He also said he would work on youth employment.

CI “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” is led by Milan Dabic and in addition to him, there are two other candidates on the list, RadaTrajkovic and Cvetko Veljkovic. 

Milan Dabic: Door to door campaign of CI “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” (Radio kontakt plus, RTV KIM)

Goals of the Civic Initiative “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” would be economic empowerment and reduction of unemployment, the first candidate on the list Milan Dabic told RTV Kim.

He pointed out that, although he had no experience in politics, he would try to bring new energy to the people of Kosovo through the Civic Initiative “For Freedom, Justice and Survival”, and that together they would try to solve the problems of the local population.

“Our campaign will be based on visiting the potential voters, door to door, talking in private, establishing good communication, exchanging opinions ... We will try to include part of the problems in our political plan, so that later when, I hope, we will be part of the government, we could solve those problems”, he said.

According to Dabic, economic empowerment implied helping small and medium enterprises, but also reducing unemployment.

“The main focus is on young people. As you know, the tendency of young people to leave is constantly growing, and if something does not change in the near future, I am afraid that the situation will get worse”, he added.

Dabic pointed out it was ungrateful to talk about promises, but he pointed out that citizens were eager for change.

“We are aware that many citizens do not have a permanent job, everything that was done was only ad-hoc, temporarily ... You have no changes on the local level, our people are leaving, property is being sold ... If this continues, what can we expect?...My message to all voters is that they are not just a number, they are voting for themselves, for their family and for their homeland, to try to stay in this area”, Dabic underlined.

Panotivc: Prosecutor biased, presents wrongful interpretations in case of Zoran Djokic (Kosovo-online)

A closing argument of a public prosecutor was full of wrongful interpretations and distorted picture of what the witnesses have said, thus she proved the bias she has demonstrated since the very day of the arrest of Zoran Djokic, his defense lawyers Ljubomir Pantovic said, Kosovo-online reports.

Closing arguments of the representatives of the affected parties, defendant and his defense would be presented during the day, the portal added.

Pantovic also said that the chief prosecutor presented wrong interpretations in her closing argument, adding that half of what she said doesn’t correlate with presented evidence.

“Zoran Djokic was accused of committing war crimes in March 1999. He is accused of murdering two civilians and of taking part in the murders of two more civilians. In both cases there were no evidences whatsoever (to support the claims) as well as for the accusations that he allegedly has expelled one person from his house and under the threats of arms expelled him and his family. This is the indictment and I am absolutely convinced it was not substantiated”, Pantovic said.

Western Balkan businessmen demand removal of business barriers in the region (RTV Puls, Tanjug)

Businessmen from the Western Balkans sent a joint appeal to their governments and political structures in the region to do everything to make the economy operate in the simplest possible way and to turn to the future and joint regional cooperation, RTV Puls quoted Tanjug report. 

This appeal was sent from the session of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Investment Forum of the Western Balkans Six.

According to a statement from a meeting held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce in Belgrade, businessmen are calling for the immediate removal of all business and economic barriers in the region, especially those resulting from poor political relations between Belgrade, Pristina and Sarajevo.

The governments in Sarajevo and Pristina have been asked to abolish visas and all other restrictions on freedom of movement.

It was also assessed that the initiative to abolish the PCR test for citizens' travel to the countries of the region, adopted at the initiative of the chambers of commerce, had a great effect on the business of companies.

SPC Synod to elect new patriarch (Tanjug, B92)

The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at which a new patriarch will be elected, will be held on February 18 and will last until a patriarch is elected.

The SPC Holy Synod will probably be held in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia and guardian of the patriarchal throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Chrysostom, told Tanjug.

However, he notes that the final decision on where Synod will be held will be made on February 10.

"We discussed this at the Synod session, because the epidemiological conditions are different than usual," explains Metropolitan Chrysostom, adding that three locations are possible for holding the assembly - two places in the patriarchate where the assembly has been held so far, or in the crypt, which would be the first way so far.

The Metropolitan believes that the new patriarch will be elected on the same day, and as he explains, the election comes three months after the death of Patriarch Irinej, as provided by the Constitution of the Church.

According to Chrysostom, the holding of the Assembly could be called into question only in the case of an worsened health situation, which would prevent a larger number of archbishops from coming.

He reminds that until 1968, the then Council, headed by Patriarch Herman, passed an amendment to the Constitution that the patriarch be elected only by diocesan archbishops and active vicar bishops.

When it comes to the procedure of electing a patriarch, he says that first the bishops choose three candidates from among themselves, and then the chosen names are placed on the gospel, and one of the three envelopes with the name of the elected patriarch is chosen by a monk from a monastery who is considered to be a great clergyman, and whose name will be known on the 10th of February.

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International

 

EU: No Kosovo accession to the EU if it opens an embassy in Jerusalem (eureporter)

On Monday (1 February), Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi unveiled the sign that will be placed at the entrance to the Kosovo embassy in Jerusalem. When Kosovo opens its embassy, it will become the third country after the US and Guatemala to open an embassy in Israel’s capital.

Already last September, the EU warned Serbia against moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem following a high-profile summit with former President Donald Trump at the White House where Serbian President Aleksander Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed statements agreeing measures to improve economic relations – and in Serbia’s case pledging to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Kosovo, a Muslim-majority former province of Serbia that became independent in 2008, established diplomatic relations with Israel on Monday during an online ceremony due to the coronavirus crisis, writes Yossi Lempkowicz.

The ceremony ended with the unveiling of a sign that will hang at the entrance to the future Kosovar embassy in Jerusalem.

Kosovo indeed also agreed to open its embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third nation to do so after the United States and Guatemala.

Pristina’s move doesn’t please the EU. At a daily briefing of the European Commission, the EU regretted the  decision.  "This decision is diverging Kosovo from the EU position on Jerusalem,” EU spokesperson for foreign affairs Peter Stano told reporters, pointing out that all embassies of the EU countries in Israel, as well as the EU delegation, are located in Tel Aviv, based on the corresponding UN Security Council resolutions and European Council decisions.

Stano added that the final status of Jerusalem as a future capital of both states has to be found through negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

No accession if the Kosovo embassy is in Jerusalem

Peter Stano added that Kosovo "has identified EU integration as its strategic priority and is expected to act in line with this commitment".  He said it was logical that the EU would expect Kosovo to progress on its EU accession path by aligning with EU policies and principles. He added that from 2008 to 2020, the EU has spent €2 billion in helping Kosovo to develop.

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