Headlines - 26.07.2013

Amnesty can punish Jahjaga (dailies)

Zëri reports on the front page that Enver Hasani, chairman of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, sent a letter to President Atifete Jahjaga, asking her not to decree the Law on Amnesty. In the letter, which was sent on July 22^nd, Hasani calls on Jahjaga not to interfere directly in the independence of the highest judicial institution.

Koha Ditore reports that the plan to silently decree the law could lead to Jahjaga losing her post after the Constitutional Court recalled on Thursday that such an action is violation of Constitution, a consequence of which would be dismissal from the post of the president.

A source of the newspaper said that Jahjaga was ready to positively answer on the “recommendations from outside” not to promulgate or return this document to the Assembly. “It was thought the law would be published in the official gazette as on Friday expires the eight-day timeframe within which the president should either promulgate or return the law to the Assembly. Such an action would directly make the President responsible. Therefore, she was forced to respect and to declare the suspension of procedure for promulgation which starts at the moment of dispute of the constitutionality of the law,” said the source of the newspaper. “Any other action is violation of constitution.” 

Association of municipalities of the north leads to Bosnianization (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Assembly MPs postponed approval of changes to the law on local self-government as they considered article that speaks of creation of the association of municipalities with Serb majority as being unacceptable. PDK’s Hydajet Hyseni said it is unacceptable to have two different linguistic terms referring to the same thing in the law. Hyseni was referring to the term “association” used in the Albanian version of the law while in the Serbian version the term “community” is used. He said that he did not dispute the right of municipalities to form an association but rejected the idea of it having an ethnic character warning that this could lead to Bosnianization of Kosovo.

Assembly requests plan for end of EULEX mandate (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Kosovo Assembly with majority of votes has approved a resolution requesting the Government to draft a plan for transitional role of EULEX mission. The motion was supported by 61 MPs, 3 were against and 3 other abstained. “Kosovo Government by 1 September 2013 should bring to the Assembly a transitional plan for the end of EULEX mandate on 14 June 2014,” says the resolution.

Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi said that the departure of EULEX will happen in 2014 while Vetëvendosje has requested the mission’s immediate departure. However Kuçi, who is also Minister of Justice, has recalled to Vetëvendosje that EULEX cannot leave now while the justice system needs the expertise from this mission. “EULEX came in Kosovo under mutual agreement and it should leave from here under the same mutual agreement with us. This is means they should not take unilateral actions that would surprise us and the same goes for us,” said Kuçi.

PDK MPs criticized EULEX for not meeting expectations of citizens; furthermore, each of them mentioned the prosecutor of this mission, Maurizio Salustro, as the most negative character.  

Zbogar recalls that EULEX deployed under Kosovo’s invitation (Tribuna)

The EU Special Representative to Kosovo Samuel Zbogar said in a statement that he is following with interest debate at the Kosovo Assembly regarding EULEX’s mandate but recalled that the EU mission was installed upon invitation of Kosovo institutions. “Member states of the EU answered Kosovo’s request for assistance and agreed to provide the European Union Rule of Law Mission to help build up and strengthen the rule of law, support a functioning democracy, as well as aid Kosovo along its European processes,” said Zbogar adding that the progress needs to continue and that the EU will continue to discuss the evolution of its support with its Kosovo counterparts.

Jacobson: Illegal wealth to be confiscated (Tribuna)

US Ambassador to Kosovo Tracey Ann Jacobson said in an interview for the paper that she expects the Kosovo society to focus on the fight against corruption and for the law on confiscation of illegal wealth to be implemented. She also called on political parties to renounce officials under investigations or accused of corruption. “There needs to be political will to fight corruption and institutions should have capacities in the aspect of personnel, training, legal basis and there is also a need for broad support of the public,” said Jacobson.

Speaking about agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, Jacobson said its implementation will require time and said she didn’t want to give any specific timeframes. “I am impressed with what has been done so far and with the seriousness with which working groups and prime ministers take on their responsibilities. We are seeing further progress every day,” she said.

Blomeyer, optimistic of Albanian and Serb reconciliation (dailies)

German Ambassador to Kosovo Peter Blomeyer said before students of Pristina University that he hopes in the reconciliation of Albanians and Serbs now that a political agreement has been reached in Brussels. “There is a possibility of reconciliation even if there was a great hostility between two people. I think this reconciliation can happen also between Albanians and Serbs,” he said adding that agreement of 19 April between Kosovo and Serbia is a huge step forward and needs to be implemented.

Blomeyer said Albanians need to make it clear to Serbs in the north that they want them in the state of Kosovo. “We are now at the initial stages of normalization there but I think this normalization will happen,” pointed out Blomeyer.

Kastrati: No to double standards (Epoka e Re)

In a front-page interview, Mitrovica mayor Avni Kastrati calls on local and international institutions to verify who will benefit from the two buildings that are being constructed by Serb parallel structures in the north, in the Bosniak Neighborhood. Kastrati expressed his concern that people who are not residents of Kosovo will be accommodated in these settlements. He also criticized KFOR and EULEX of applying double standards for the construction of houses in northern Kosovo.

Kastrati argued that the international community should react against the construction of the two buildings, the same way it reacted against the construction of Albanian houses in the north. “Every time we are building in the northern part we provide the necessary documents and we verify that those people have been residents of the north since before the war. I think the other side in the north should do the same thing; therefore, KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo Police are responsible to check the construction and see who will be accommodated in these buildings,” he added.