UNMIK Headlines 13 August
Serbia violates agreement on customs stamps (Koha Ditore)
Without providing any explanation, Serb customs officers at the border point in Jarinje for five days now have blocked the passage of two Kosovar exporters to Serbia. As a reciprocity measure, Kosovo customs officers have not allowed entry of Serb trucks into Kosovo. For the violation of the agreement by the Serb side, the Kosovo Government has complained to Brussels.
Newspaper sources said that Serb customs offices have not allowed entry of Kosovar exporters and told them to go through border point in Merdare. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Edita Tahiri, said for Koha Ditore that they have been informed about the obstacles at the border points. According to Tahiri, Serbia has violated the agreement on customs stamps. “After the violation of the agreement from Serbia we have implemented reciprocity and this is our message that Serbia has to respect the agreement for free trade,” said Tahiri.
CEC does not know what will the logo of ballots be (Koha Ditore)
Officials of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Kosovo stated that ballots for 3 November elections should reflect the will of the all parties. After the threat of Serbs to boycott elections if denomination “Republic of Kosovo” stands on the ballots, OSCE, which has the facilitating role in northern municipalities during the elections, has requested an agreement be reached on the matter. Head of CEC Valdete Daka once again denied to have discussed the design of the ballots.
OSCE Spokesperson in Kosovo, Nikola Gaon, said for this daily that “OSCE opinion regarding the ballots is that, as with all other issues, the best solution is finding a reciprocal solution that would please all parties involved in this process.”
Vetëvendosje requests Daka’s resignation (Zëri)
Vetëvendosje Movement has called for the resignation of the Central Elections Commission head, Valdete Daka, arguing that she is taking decisions which exceed her mandate. The Movement also alleges that Daka has violated the Constitution by giving the OSCE executive competencies in the process of local elections. “Her decisions are seriously undermining institutional independence of the CEC, are threatening the election process and can lead to irreparable consequences for the country’s political future,” said CEC member from Vetëvendosje, Alban Krasniqi.
Voting without state symbols, is going back to UNMIK’s time (Bota Sot )
Member of LDK leadership, Vjosa Osmani, said ballots without state symbols, would be a throwback for Kosovo. Even though she confirmed that LDK has not come up with a position on this issue, she said that she is certain that this will happen very soon. She added that holding elections without state symbols would return Kosovo to the time of UNMIK. “What I can say right now is that if state symbols are removed from the ballots of the elections, then this would be returning to UNMIK’s time,” said Osmani.
Rasic: No to a joint list (Epoka e Re)
Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Nenad Rasic, said that Serb citizens who are living in Kosovo have realized that not everything is as Belgrade claims it is. According to him, they have understood the reality of living in Kosovo. Rasic called the idea of Belgrade for Kosovo Serbs to race with a joint election list as being unacceptable. “This idea is not good because it does not reflect the reality and it is not democratic,” said Rasic. He said that normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia will not be easy but he made it clear that for the first time these two states have achieved historic agreement.
Hoxhaj, Hoti and Ahmeti to run for Pristina mayor (Lajm)
The paper cites sources as saying that Enver Hoxhaj (PDK), Abdullah Hoti (LDK) and Shpend Ahmeti (Vetëvendosje) will run for the post of Pristina mayor in the November local elections. The paper notes that surveys rank the PDK, LDK and Vetëvendosje as the leading political parties in Pristina, a close race is expected between the candidates, with Vetëvendosje’s Ahmeti having a slight advantage over Hoxhaj and Hoti. The paper also notes that Besnik Tahiri, the candidate of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), is the first to start his election campaign for Pristina mayor, “but he is not making any special offer for Pristina”.
Urtak Hamiti’s report (Zëri)
The paper claims to have secured a copy of the report that Kosovo’s deputy ambassador to Croatia, Urtak Hamiti, presented to a disciplinary commission following the drink-and-driving incident in Croatia. Hamiti denied allegations of Croatian authorities that he caused a traffic accident while driving the embassy’s vehicle and that he refused to undergo an alcohol test without the presence of one of embassy’s staff. He also claimed that he was unlawfully detained by the police.
Kurti: Brezovica, hostage of parallel structures of Serbia (Koha Ditore)
Leader of Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, said on Monday in Shtërpce that the local governance of this municipality is continuing to be challenged by illegal structures of Serbia. According to Kurti, the municipality has potential for economic development through Brezovica ski resort and agriculture but instead of having a proper development, all these tourism capacities are being controlled by illegal structures of Serbia.
AXOS requests lower price, does not respond to letters or calls (Koha Ditore)
Privatization of Kosovo Post Telecom (PTK) shares is heading towards failure. 75 percent of PTK shares were foreseen to privatize today, however, instead of signing the contract, the Government Commission will come up with yet another decision. It is expected to be difficult for the Commission since no request to delay the process of signing the contract came from the winning company “AXOS-capital” in consortium with “Najafi Companies LLC”. According to a Government source, this consortium which initially offered €277 million for 75 percent of PTK shares, later requested reduction of the price by €90 million.