UNMIK Headlines 8 September
Haradinaj: We will protest (RTK)
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said in an interview that protests are the most appropriate way to change Kosovo. “We are in continuous discussions to prevent further degradation of the country due to weak governance,” said Haradinaj who at the same time ruled out the possibility of protests escalating into violence.
Konjufca: We will send the government back home (Kosova Sot)
Vetevendosje MP, Glauk Konjufca, said that the opposition protest against the government of Kosovo will be organised in several stages with the first being meetings with people in different parts of Kosovo to discuss implications from the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities. The second stage, according to Konjufca, will involve a petition and the final stage is taking to the streets to protest.
Police arrest Vetevendosje activists protesting at Govt building (Koha)
The paper reports on the front page that seven activists of the Vetevendosje Movement were arrested by Kosovo Police on Monday as they were performing a symbolic action at the Kosovo Government building. Police intervened as the activists started putting “administrative directives” on the windows of government vehicles instructing all state institutions to sell all official vehicles over personal interests and to announce a new tender for purchasing BMW vehicles. Police later said that the activists had also tried to break into the premises of the Ministry of Justice. The Vetevendosje Movement issued a press release criticizing what it called a brutal intervention by the police.
Kosovo government approves anti-jihad strategy (Zeri)
The Kosovo Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, yesterday approved the national strategy for the prevention of violent extremism and radicalism that leads to terrorism. This strategy explains in detail the causes that made hundreds of people from Kosovo join ISIS. According to experts who drafted this strategy, some radical imams in Kosovo and the Balkans have played a role in encouraging or recruiting young people from Kosovo to go fight in Syria. "The threat of radicalism and violent extremism in Kosovo is quite low right now, but concern remains on the spread of extremist ideologies with religious basis," notes this strategy.
Kuci visits the north, seeks justice for everyone (Zeri)
Kosovo’s Justice Minister, Hajredin Kuci, yesterday visited Mitrovica North and assured its residents that very soon the Basic Court of Mitrovica will begin work and said that there cannot be justice for everyone without the proper functioning of courts. Kuci met with the Mayor of Mitrovica North, Goran Rakic, and head of the Administrative Office in Mitrovica North, Adriana Hodzic, with whom he discussed the current developments in the northern part of Kosovo. "The integration policy is the only policy that that guarantees the integration and prosperity of all the citizens of this part of Kosovo," Kuci said.
EU Office organizes conference on missing persons in Pristina (Telegrafi)
The European Union Office in Kosovo will organize in Pristina today a high-level conference titled “Missing persons – The Road Forward” aimed at bringing together representatives of the government, judiciary, media and civil society from Kosovo and the Western Balkans. Attending the conference will be the EU Office Head Samuel Zbogar, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, former Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci.
Selimi receives support for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership (Zeri)
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, was on a visit to London and Paris where he met senior officials of the United Kingdom and France. The main topics of discussion were Kosovo’s membership in the UNESCO and European integration. “Selimi also met the delegations of 18 UNESCO member states in the light of lobbying for membership in this organization prior to the formal procedures and voting expected to occur in October and November this year,” notes a press release sent by the Foreign Ministry, confirming the support that Selimi received in this regard.