• Kurti-led government set to be voted today (media)
• Who will be the ministers of the new government of Kosovo (media)
• Serbian List: We do not support Kurti-led government (Zeri)
• “Belgrade doesn’t want an anti-corruption government in Kosovo” (media)
• Osmani rejects Speaker’s post, seeks MIA and Deputy PM post (media)
• LDK elects new deputy leaders, Gashi to head parliamentary group (Telegrafi)
• New govt to inherit series of financial obligations and illegal decisions (Koha)
• Leaders from Albania hail LVV – LDK coalition (Koha)
• Kurti has yet to reach an agreement with the minorities (Epoka)
• Haradinaj to hand over his mandate not through ceremony but via call (RTK)

Kurti-led government set to be voted today (media)

The new government of Kosovo led by Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader Albin Kurti is scheduled to be voted by the Assembly today at 11.00hrs, media report.

The papers report that the new government is expected to receive the required votes after the LVV and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) announced they reached a power-sharing agreement.

According to the agreement, the new government will have 15 ministries, two deputy prime ministers and around 33 deputy ministers. LVV and LDK are expected to each lead six ministries, one deputy prime minister while the post of Assembly speaker will be assumed by an LDK candidate. The post of the Kosovo president has been decided to be discussed at a later stage. Three ministries are expected to be led by representatives of the non-majority communities.

In a press conference yesterday, LVV leader Albin Kurti and LDK’s Isa Mustafa pledged to work towards changes that the people of Kosovo voted for in 6 October elections.

“We have already signed the agreement, we have agreed on everything, including harmonising the programme and dividing competencies within the new government,” Kurti said. “We have agreed for LVV to propose an LDK candidate for Assembly speaker and move forward,” Kurti said adding that the current speaker, Glauk Konjufca, will take on a government post.

Mustafa meanwhile stated: “We consider the agreement is positive, is for the good of Kosovo, is in the interest of changes which will inevitably happen in our country.”

Who will be the ministers of the new government of Kosovo (media)

Media report that the two parties, Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), have also agreed on who will take ministerial posts in the new government of Kosovo.

According to Koha Ditore, Vjosa Osmani (LDK) will take on the post of Assembly speaker while Glauk Konjufca (LVV), currently on the post, will be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, Blerim Reka, whom LVV proposed previously for the post of foreign minister will take over the Ministry of Integrations.

From LVV, other officials taking on government posts will include: Haki Abazi – Deputy Prime Minister, Albulena Haxhiu – Minister of Justice, Besnik Bislimi – Minister of Finance, Rozeta Hajdari – Minister of Economy, and Arben Vitia – Minister of Health.

From LDK: Avdullah Hoti – First Deputy Prime Minister, Lumir Abdixhiku – Minister of Infrastructure, Besian Mustafa – Minister of Agriculture, Hykmete Bajrami – Minister of Education, Vlora Dumoshi – Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Anton Quni – Minister of Defence, Agim Veliu – Minister of Internal Affairs.

Serbian List: We do not support Kurti-led government (Zeri)

Leader of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, said after a meeting with Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, and the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, that they will not be supporting the formation of the new Government of Kosovo but will instead defend the rights of Serbs at the Kosovo Assembly.

“We will fight at the Assembly in Pristina and our MPs know best how to fight as each of their proposal for improving the lives of the Serbs has encountered opposition,” Rakic said adding that they will continue to consult and coordinate with authorities in Belgrade about any future steps.

Djuric on his part stressed that the Serbian List would not be voting the formation of the new Government of Kosovo but underlined that this does not mean to say they will not talk to Albanian political parties.

“Considering the fact that over the last period institutions of Pristina have fundamentally misused the trust of the Serb people in Kosovo, that their actions have violated collective rights of Serbs in Kosovo, in economy, political rights, Serb representatives have decided not to support with their votes the formation of the future government of Kosovo,” Djuric said.

“Belgrade doesn’t want an anti-corruption government in Kosovo” (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Mefail Bajqinovci has reacted to statements by members of the Serbian List (SL) who said that they will not vote in favor of the Kurti government in the Kosovo Assembly session on Monday. Bajqinovci took to Facebook to say that the Serbian List had a completely different position several days ago, but that they changed their stance after the LVV and LDK reached the coalition government agreement.

“Now that the coalition has an Albanian majority, Vucic and his Balkans advisors changed their position: they will vote against the Government because they know that their plan has failed. The [Vetevendosje] Movement has survived numerous such attacks by the political crime class in Kosovo and the Balkans and it has grown stronger. Your efforts are in vain … Serbia doesn’t want Kosovo to have an anti-corruption government. They want the corrupt class leading Kosovo …,” Bajqinovci wrote.

Osmani rejects Speaker’s post, seeks MIA and Deputy PM post (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP Vjosa Osmani clashed with the leaders of her political party about the division of the posts in the new coalition government with the Vetevendosje Movement. Osmani has reportedly asked to become Minister for Internal Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, however this did not happen as the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa was on Agim Veliu’s side.

Osmani has reportedly warned the LDK leadership on Sunday afternoon that she does not accept the post of the Assembly Speaker.

After the election process, LDK officials told Osmani she would choose her institutional post. However, due to the recent developments, the promise was not kept, Gazeta Express reports, adding that her reaction at Monday’s Assembly session remains unclear.

Osmani on the other hand, said on Sunday while entering LDK’s general meeting that she will be where she can contribute the most.

LDK elects new deputy leaders, Gashi to head parliamentary group (Telegrafi)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) held a meeting of the general council and elected new deputy leaders, raising the number from the current three to eight.

Apart from Agim Veliu, Lufti Haziri, and Vjosa Osmani who were already exercising these functions, the new additions include Ismet Beqiri, Imri Ahmeti, Anton Quni, Gazmend Muhaxheri, Haki Rugova.

The LDK general council also decided to appoint MP Arben Gashi as the head of the party's parliamentary group.

New govt to inherit series of financial obligations and illegal decisions (Koha)

The paper reports on page two that the new government of Kosovo, which is expected to be voted in the Assembly today, will inherit a series of financial obligations and illegal decisions from the previous government led by Ramush Haradinaj. The paper predicts that one of the biggest challenges of the new Kurti-led government will be the contract for the construction of the “Kosova e Re” power plant which obliges Kosovo to buy coal-produced energy from a private operator for the next 20 years. The paper also notes that if the Kosovo government and the investor do not conclude the legal procedures by May this year, there will be financial repercussions for the party that does not meet its obligations.

Leaders from Albania hail LVV – LDK coalition (Koha)

Albanian President Ilir Meta hailed on Sunday the coalition government agreement between the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo. “A stable governance serves not only Kosovo’s interests but also the interests of the whole region. I wish to the Kosovo Government led by Mr. Albin Kurti the best success and greatest achievements for the good of Kosovo,” Meta wrote in a Facebook post. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama took to Twitter to welcome the agreement. “I wish we will have the most useful cooperation for Albanians on both sides of the border and I anxiously wait to table the issue of the free movement of the citizens and companies along our border,” Rama tweeted.

Kurti has yet to reach an agreement with the minorities (Epoka)

After signing the coalition government agreement with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader Albin Kurti met with non-Serb minority communities’ representatives, however they could not reach an agreement. According to the paper, non-Serb minorities requested to lead with two ministries in order to support his government in the Assembly session on Monday. After the meeting, MP from the “6 Plus” Fikrim Damka, said they presented their demands in the meeting, and that he hopes that they will be fulfilled by Monday. “I believe that Albin will discuss our requests with his leadership and that we will reach an agreement for future coalition,” he said.

Haradinaj to hand over his mandate not through ceremony but via call (RTK)

Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj will not hand over his mandate to Albin Kurti through an official ceremony. He said he might do this through a phone call or that one of his deputies will do it.

“I will be out of the country, I will either ask one of the deputy prime ministers to hand over the duty immediately after the election of the Prime Minister or I will make a phone call to wish him success,” Haradinaj said on Sunday. He added that he will not vote on the formation of the new government in the Assembly on Monday.