UNMIK Headlines 8 November
PDK could again be the cause for early elections (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the debate on privatisation of Kosovo Post and Telecom (PTK) could be the cause for the country to go to early elections, same as it happened in 2010, where LDK left the government unhappy with the persistence of PDK to vote for the strategy of privatization of PTK. Clashes between position and opposition in connection with privatization of PTK did not rest even in the Thursday session.
While the discussion made the Assembly become a nonfunctional institution, holding of early elections is seen as an option by few political representatives. The boycott of the Assembly continued also on Thursday, where session has been left from LDK and Vetëvendosje deputies. This while the PDK parliamentary group has requested initially the continuation of the session from 23 October to vote the report of the government for privatization of PTK, while afterwards to continue with the creation of investigation commission in connection with the privatization of 75 percent of PTK shares.
Kosovo leads with number of asylum seekers (Zëri)
EU Special Representative to Kosovo Samuel Zbogar said in an interview for the paper that citizens from Kosovo top the list of asylum seekers in Europe and this could work against Kosovo on its path to visa liberalization. However, he noted that the process is moving ahead and “I think we have achieved a lot over the past years in meeting set requirements”.
Speaking about recent local elections, Zbogar said they represent a positive step for democracy and although there have been occasional complaints about the election process, all in all “they were good elections with a very high turnout, a very high turnout of Serbs in the south that exceeds 60 percent in six municipalities in the south but it was a slightly different situation in the north”.
Asked whether security institutions failed to adequately respond to the incidents in the north on election day, Zbogar said the only ones responsible for the incidents on three polling stations are the those who carried out the attacks. “I firmly believe there is a small group of people who think they will lose a great deal in the north of Kosovo and they were very loud in conveying their message against elections”, added Zbogar.
EULEX-KFOR: Kosovo police had main role in the north (Tribuna)
Tribuna newspaper reports that EULEX and KFOR through a joint press statement have given explanations about the created situation on Sunday in north of Kosovo. These both international mechanisms have recalled that on Sunday Kosovo police had the main role as first to intervene. It is said that EULEX was the second to intervene while KFOR the third one. “In accordance with its responsibility, EULEX had immediately offered its help to Kosovo police after an attack in the polling station in north of Mitrovica to offer security to OSCE personnel and to the EU Monitoring Mission. KFOR also reacted, while sending more personnel, including Rapid Deployment Force to secure bridges in the Iber River and this way to prevent deterioration of situation. At the same time, over that zone it has been send another company with helicopters sending two units in Zvecan and two other units in Zubin Potok. Also in has been engaged EULEX helicopter who has noticed the group of perpetrators of the attack and dispersed them,” says in the joint statement of EULEX and KFOR.
Vucic: Our services know what happened in Mitrovica (Tribuna)
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that Serb intelligence services have all the information that is behind of attack in north Mitrovica during Election Day in north Mitrovica and this information has been given to those who needed them. “I will not hide this. The whole world knows who and what has done in Mitrovica,” said Vucic, adding that “our services have worked well and they have all information needed and that information has all that they should have.” Vucic did not explain to whom it has been given this information.
CEC doesn’t publish results for two northern municipalities (Koha Ditore)
Central Election Commission has opened ballot boxes from four northern municipalities and after verification of the material, it concluded that the ballots have not been damaged. Votes from two municipalities in the north, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok, have already been counted but the CEC did not publish preliminary results. “Counted votes from two northern municipalities have not yet been inputted to the data base and we therefore have no figures for them”, said coordinator of the counting centre, Burim Ahmetaj. He said the results would be announced as soon as all procedures are finalized.
Ivanovic, the most voted candidate in North Mitrovica (Zëri)
Oliver Ivanovic from the Serb Civic Initiative is, according to the paper’s sources, the most voted candidate in north Mitrovica. He is followed by Agim Deva from Democratic Party of Kosovo, Krstimir Pantic from the Serb List, Adriana Hodzic and the fifth is Dimitrije Janicijevic from the Serb Liberal Party. However, the paper says these results may change following the repeat of elections in three polling stations in North Mitrovica.
Vetëvendosje alone in the runoff voting (Zëri)
Spokesperson of Vetëvendosje Movement Erzen Vraniqi said they will not support any of the candidates of other political parties running in a second round of elections. “We will leave it up to the citizens to decide which candidate they will support”, said Vraniqi.
EU conditions reemphasized (dailies)
Tribuna newspaper reports that Catherine Ashton has recalled to the parties, especially to Serb party, that if it claims that European Council to take positive decision for the start of the membership dialogue, then until December should dismiss parallel structures in the north. Dismissal of security and justice structures turns out to be one of the biggest challenges of implementation of the Brussels agreement after the elections in the north. From Kosovars EU facilitators request constructivism in the creation of the Association of Serb municipalities and other institutions that would enable neutral integration of the north.