Headlines - 26.05.2017

• Risk of increased incidents during election campaign (Koha Ditore)
• Haradinaj: Serbia won’t exist in Kosovo if I am Prime Minister (media)
• Serbian Minister reacts to Haradinaj’s statement (media)
• Police arrest four persons suspected of planning terror attacks (Koha)

Risk of increased incidents during election campaign (Koha Ditore)

The United States Embassy and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo have warned about the risk of an escalating situation during the campaign for the June elections, the paper reports on page three. The U.S. Embassy and the OSCE Mission several days ago issued a joint statement calling for a stop to all forms of political intimidation. “Media have reported extensively on the possibility of political intimidation. We call on all political parties to support democratic ideals for these elections. This goes for every political party in Kosovo,” a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy told the paper. A spokesman for the OSCE Mission meanwhile said the joint statement came after media reports about attacks against Vetevendosje member Agron Kabashi and PDK member Arbana Xharra, an attack on Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) premises in Skenderaj and pressure on Kosovo Serb politicians.

Haradinaj: Serbia won’t exist in Kosovo if I am Prime Minister (media)

Most news websites quote Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the candidate for Prime Minister of the PDK-AAK-NISMA coalition, as saying that “Serbia would not exist in Kosovo” if he becomes Prime Minister of Kosovo. Haradinaj’s statement comes as a response to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s remarks that Haradinaj’s eventual election as Prime Minister would create problems for Serbia. Haradinaj told Pristina-based Kosovapress news agency that he has no plan to create problems for Serbia. “But Serbia will no longer exist in Kosovo. The Serbian state will no longer have a role here,” he said. Asked if he would hold talks with Belgrade, Haradinaj said: “I will talk with everyone, but only as an independent state”.

Serbian Minister reacts to Haradinaj’s statement (media)

Several news websites report that Serbian Minister for Labor, Aleksandar Vulin, has reacted to a statement by Kosovo Prime Minister candidate, Ramush Haradinaj, who said on Thursday that when he is elected Prime Minister “Serbia will no longer exist in Kosovo”. Vulin said in his reaction: “If Serbia will not exist in Kosovo why is Serbia then asked to hold talks with Albanians. If there is no Serbia in Kosovo, why is then Kosovo not a member of the United Nations and why Haradinaj should then hide from the arrest warrant that Serbia has issued against him?”

Police arrest four persons suspected of planning attacks (Koha)

Kosovo Police issued a press release on Thursday saying it has arrested four persons, suspected of organizing terror attacks. According to Koha Ditore, all four persons are members of the so-called organization “Eye of the People”. The Special Prosecution of Kosovo suspects that the four persons were involved in the actions and platform of the organization, which allegedly has prepared a list of different people, whom they called “traitors of the nations” and planned to kill them. The arrests were carried out in four locations in Pristina, Gjilan and Ferizaj. Following interrogations, two of the suspects were placed under 48-hour detention, while two others were released.