UNMIK Headlines 28 June
Reply to Vetevendosje conditions, next week (Koha Ditore)
Leaders of opposition coalition parties – Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiatives for Kosovo (NISMA) – met yesterday and discussed priorities their governance will have. Opposition’s candidate for prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said they are awaiting legal timeframes for constitution of the Assembly of Kosovo. He did not wish to elaborate on the reply of the opposition coalition to conditions set forth by Vetevendosje but said he will continue meetings with the movement’s leader, Albin Kurti. At the same time, officials at Vetevendosje confirmed a meeting did take place yesterday between Kurti and Haradinaj and added that there is an approximation of stances but that it is not yet clear whether Vetevendosje will be part of the opposition coalition bloc attempting to form the future government.
Autumn could bring new elections (Tribuna)
Sources told the paper that if none of political blocs shifts from current positions, Kosovo could head to new elections that would take place in autumn. While the Constitutional Court could clarify the dilemma over who is the right candidate to try to form the new government, there is also a dispute on who is eligible to propose the candidate for Assembly Speaker and this issue could prove irresolvable and lead to new elections.
Nikolic in Kosovo for Vidovdan (Tribuna)
Serbian President, Tomislav Nikolic, will arrive in Kosovo on Saturday and take part in festivities to mark Vidovdan. Nikolic will stay in Gazimestan and Gracanica and his visit is reported to have been approved by the Kosovo’s Interior Ministry.
Mustafa: Dialogue will continue (Zeri)
Leader of Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, announced through a Facebook post that he had separate meetings on Friday with the ambassadors from the US, Germany and Greece. He said he assured the diplomats that the opposition coalition doesn’t plan to stop dialogue with Serbia. “We will continue the dialogue which will focus on the interests of our country as the only way to build relations with neighbours”, wrote Mustafa.
Rakic causes a stir with the Government of Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that the request for removal of the barricade in Mitrovica has shaken the Government of Kosovo. Two days ago, the Ministry of Local Government Administration has sent the request for removal of the barricade to the mayor of Mitrovica North, Goran Rakic, and reminded him that his decision to build a park on the bridge is a violation of the Constitution of Kosovo and international agreements. However although the letter was addressed by the Minister of Local Government Administration, Slobodan Petrovic, the signature on Petrovic’s behalf was put by Deputy Minister, Basri Musmurati. This, sources told the paper, has outraged Petrovic as he is claiming the letter was drafted and sent without his authorization. Petrovic threatened to write his own letter to Rakic concluding that the construction of the park on the Mitrovica bridge has not infringed any laws.