UNMIK Headlines 12 October
Thaci calls on Serbs to take part in elections (dailies)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has called on Serbs in northern Kosovo to participate in the November local elections. He thanked the entire political spectrum in Kosovo for the start of a peaceful, fair and constructive election campaign in line with Western standards.
"I strongly believe that members of the Serb community in northern Kosovo will take part in the elections. I call on them to engage in elections and in the integration of the four northern municipalities in Kosovo's constitutional framework," Thaci said at the government meeting on Friday.
Rasmussen: Implement the agreement (Tribuna)
NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Pristina and Belgrade need to continue implementing the agreement for the normalization of relations. "The Belgrade-Pristina agreement is another important step in the normalization of relations between the two countries. The implementation of the agreement needs to continue. NATO and KFOR have a key role in the implementation of the agreement," Rasmussen said at the sessions of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dubrovnik.
Collaku: Procedures for visits by Serbian officials have not changed (Kosova Sot)
Bekim Collaku, senior advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said procedures for visits by Serbian officials to Kosovo during the election campaign have not changed. "No changes are foreseen in the April Agreement," Collaku said. The paper notes that Serbian officials must first submit their requests to EULEX authorities and then they are reviewed by the Kosovo Government. .
Djuric: Thaci is not telling the truth (Tribuna)
Marko Djuric, advisor to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, said Pristina would not impede visits by Serbian senior officials to Kosovo and that this was the agreement from the last meeting in Brussels. Djuric said Pristina would set no conditions for the visits.
Commenting on an earlier statement by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci that Serbian officials would be allowed to visit only monasteries and not election rallies, Djuric said this statement was aimed at relaxing the public opinion in Kosovo and that it has nothing to do with the agreement between parties in Brussels.
Tahiri: No major movements (Epoka e Re)
Political analyst Ramush Tahiri said the upcoming local elections are a test for national elections scheduled for next year. Tahiri said he does not think there will be major turnarounds in the local elections. "I don't think there will be major movements and I don't see any reason for this to happen ... But there will be some interesting developments, especially in the race for municipal mayors," Tahiri added.
Humanitarian Law Center files charges on killing of Albanians in Kosovo (dailies)
Several dailies report that the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Center has filed criminal charges at the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution against commanders and members of the former Yugoslav Army and Special Police, suspected of killing 78 Kosovo Albanians in 1999.