Headlines - 03.05.2018

• Prime Minister Haradinaj’s interview to KTV
• Court ruling ignored in establishment of Association/Community meeting (Koha)
• Hoxha: Visa liberalization by the end of the year (Gazeta Express)
• Ministry fails to submit draft law on KSF transformation (Zeri/Koha)
• Gashi: Early elections do not depend on LDK or PDK (RTV Dukagjini)
• Bahtiri: Mitrovica bridge to open next month (Zeri/RFE)
• Apostolova: Better put money on education than deputy ministers’ wages (Koha)
• Pacolli in a diplomatic tour in Asia (Zeri)
• Independent MPs to formalize new party on Europe Day (Zeri)
• Reporters to protest on World Press Freedom Day (Indeksonline/RTK)

Prime Minister Haradinaj’s interview to KTV

Several online media carry excerpts of an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj gave to KTV on Wednesday evening. On the issue of the dialogue for normalisation of relations with Serbia, Haradinaj said that President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci leading the process is a good idea as he has more free time on his hands.  “The president has more free time. It would either be the president or the Assembly president,” Haradinaj said adding that he would not have a problem if even Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti joined the negotiating team saying that this is not the right time to escape from processes. Haradinaj also said he was ready to resign his post after the deportation of six Turkish nationals, “because the incident made Kosovo look like a marionette of Turkey”. “It is implied that the President knew about this [the operation for the arrest and deportation], but because I don’t know if he knew about it, I cannot say that he did,” Haradinaj was quoted as saying.

Court ruling ignored in establishment of Association/Community meeting (Koha)

Managing team tasked with drafting the statute of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities is reported to have expressed determination in its first meeting to base its work only on Brussels Agreements and the Law on Local Governance thus making no mention of the Constitutional Court ruling which found aspects of the Brussels Agreement to be in violation to the Constitution of Kosovo. The paper reports that the meeting of the managing team took place in the northern part of Mitrovica and that only Serb representatives attended it. Vinka Radosavljevic, chair of the team, said after the meeting that they agreed for the municipality and law faculty to hire legal experts to support the drafting of the statute and that their work will be in consultations with the OSCE and relevant institutions in Pristina. The government of Kosovo did not comment on whether they received any report on the meeting of the team and what their position was.

Hoxha: Visa liberalization by the end of the year (Gazeta Express)

The first meeting of the EU assessment team today will be with the Minister for European Integration, Dhurata Hoxha. In an interview given to RTV21, Minister Hoxha said this team will prove that Kosovo has fulfilled its last obligation for visa liberalization. She expressed optimism that the EU will issue recommendation for liberalization of visas in June and according to her, Kosovo people will be able to travel without visas by the end of this year.

Ministry fails to submit draft law on KSF transformation (Zeri/Koha)

Zeri reports on the front page that the Ministry of the Kosovo Security Force failed to submit to the government the draft law on transformation of KSF into an armed force as set out in the legislative plan approved by the government at the start of its mandate. The plan stated that the draft law would have to reach the government by 30 April but officials with the KSF Ministry say they are still awaiting reply from two other ministries, that of finance and European integration. While the Ministry of Finance said it is still reviewing the draft law, Minister of European Integration Dhurata Hoxha said their reply was already issued on 30 April. Meanwhile Koha Ditore quotes officials from the KSF Ministry as saying that the draft law could be sent to the government next week, that is, as soon as they complete all necessary documents.

Gashi: Early elections do not depend on LDK or PDK (RTV Dukagjini)

Arben Gashi, Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), told RTV Dukagjini on Wednesday that early parliamentary elections could be announced within 45 days or 12 months. “LDK chose the way of the round table and all political parties were present at this table. Three problems were discussed: Liberalisation, platform for discussions with Serbia and the date of elections. And everyone agreed on the last issue, but they only did not agree with the date,” Gashi said. He also added that it does not matter what LDK or PDK want in terms of early elections, “it only matters what 61 MPs want”. He added that opposition parties should be the ones to collect these 61 signatures.

Bahtiri: Mitrovica bridge to open next month (Zeri/RFE)

Mitrovica Mayor, Agim Bahtiri, said that the main bridge in the city would be open for movement next month and that there are no obstacles to the construction works underway. Bahtiri said that the opening of the bridge will be done jointly by him and the Mitrovica North Mayor Goran Rakic as well as representatives of the European Union which is funding the project for revitalization of the River Iber/Ibar bridge.

Apostolova: Better put money on education than deputy ministers’ wages (Koha)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, said yesterday that Kosovo’s budget is spent more on salaries for government officials than necessary reforms. “Kosovo is a place with 80 deputy ministers. Majority of the public administration budget is used for deputy ministers. We would want this money be used for deep reforms in education and not only on salaries of deputy ministers,” Apostolova said at the presentation of the report on the functional review of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Apostolova said Kosovo has not made good progress in the education sector and underlined that the EU considers this field as a priority.

Pacolli in a diplomatic tour in Asia (Zeri)

After concluding his visit to Italy, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, has started his diplomatic tour in Asia. According to a press release issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Pacolli will participate at the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, which will be held in Dhaka on 5 and 6 May. At the margins of this conference, Pacolli will be meeting foreign ministers of the countries which have or have not recognized independence of Kosovo. After the conference, Pacolli is expected to visit some other countries of the continent.

Independent MPs to formalize new party on Europe Day (Zeri)

The group of twelve independent MPs, formerly Vetevendosje, are expected to “merge” into the Social Democratic Party on 9 May, Europe Day, the paper reports. The leader of the already-existing Social Democratic Party, Bajram Kelmendi, said the party will soon hold a convention and elect new leadership. “There will be a percentage of representation for people already in the party as well as the newcomers,” Kelmendi said.

Reporters to protest on World Press Freedom Day (Indeksonline/RTK)

Reporters in Kosovo will mark May 3 – World Press Freedom Day – by protesting, the news website reports. 27 reporters were attacked in different ways in 2017. The Freedom House report ranks Kosovo among partly free countries, along with Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. RTK notes that reporters will protest today in downtown Pristina at 11:00 with the motto “Impunity kills freedom of speech”.