• COVID – 19: 303 new cases, 5 deaths (media)
• Kosovo accused of limiting Diaspora voting rights (Balkan Insight)
• Haradinaj asks for votes to become President of Kosovo (media)
• Limaj: PDK didn’t want a coalition; we won’t join them after elections (T7)
• Lajcak: New government in Kosovo first before we resume dialogue (media)
• Osmani: Justice is a precondition for peace and reconciliation (media)
• Osmani meets EU MPs in the Kosovo Friendship Group (media)
• Osmani meets EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak (media)
• Palmer: Elections are the foundation of democratic practices (RTSH)
• PSD leader Molliqaj and 16 activists arrested by police (media)

COVID – 19: 303 new cases, 5 deaths (media)

303 new cases of COVID – 19 and five deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 476 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 6,337 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Kosovo accused of limiting Diaspora voting rights (Balkan Insight)

A decision by Kosovo Central Electoral Commission ahead of upcoming parliamentary polls to verify voters who live abroad by telephone has been criticised as a violation of the diaspora electorate’s rights.

Amid widespread criticism of a decision by the Central Election Commission to verify citizens living abroad by telephone if they apply to register to vote, Kosovo NGO Germin filed a complaint to the country’s election appeals body on Tuesday arguing that the move is a violation of diaspora voters’ rights.

“We believe and have given sufficient arguments in the complaint that we have given to the ECAP [Election Panel for Complaints and Appeals] today that there are enough factors to reject it [the decision] because the CEC [Central Election Commission] has taken a decision that violates constitutional rights,” Lirim Krasniqi, the co-director of Germin, told media.

Krasniqi insisted that Kosovo’s current legislation has “sufficient opportunities for the verification of applicants for registration because… all those who apply together with the application attach their identification documents and sign the application”.

Kosovo will hold new parliamentary elections on February 14, after the Constitutional Court ruled that the current government is not legitimate because it was voted in with an invalid vote from a MP who had been convicted of a crime.

The Central Election Commission decided on Monday that the period for the registration of voters outside Kosovo will run from January 13 to January 21. It said it will check applications from abroad by telephone, and if the applicant does not answer, their application will be rejected.

Liza Gashi, an expert on migration and the diaspora and a former deputy foreign affairs and diaspora minister, told BIRN that the decision violates the “voting rights as basic rights of Kosovo citizens that live abroad, guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Gashi claimed that the election commission is “attempting to suppress the vote from abroad… instead of thinking of alternatives to make the voting process easier”.

Kosovo’s Acting President Vjosa Osmani wrote to the commission on Monday to ask it to reconsider its decision because it “can create circumstances in which the right to vote is flagrantly violated”.

Former minister of justice, Albulena Haxhiu, from the biggest opposition party Vetevendosje (Self-Determination), wrote on Facebook on Monday that the commission’s decision was “absurd” and “illegal”.

Haxhiu added that “the right to vote is inviolable, it cannot be cancelled just because someone ‘did not answer the phone'”.

This is the latest of a series of difficulties that Kosovo citizens living abroad have faced in voting in the country’s elections. In December, Kosovo’s Constitutional Court annulled a Supreme Court ruling that allowed postal votes from abroad that arrived after the deadline to be counted.

Haradinaj asks for votes to become President of Kosovo (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj addressed the people of Kosovo through a video message on Tuesday asking for their votes to become the new President of Kosovo and pledging that he will work in the interest of the people.

“I have never served or decided against the interests of my country. All my life, I have worked for Kosovo’s interests and for the interests of its people. I am asking for your trust, your vote, so that I can lead the country and become your President, the President of our Republic,” Haradinaj said.

Limaj: PDK didn’t want a coalition; we won’t join them after elections (T7)

NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj said in an interview with T7 that he was told by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Acting Leader Fatmir Limaj that his party does not want to enter into a pre-election coalition with NISMA.

“Today, we closed the possibility of a coalition with Hoxhaj. Hoxhaj told me today about the position of the presidency of the Democratic Party, that they are not ready, and that they want to run alone in the elections,” he said.

Limaj also said that even after the elections his party will not go into a coalition with PDK.

Lajcak: New government in Kosovo first before we resume dialogue (media)

European Union Special Representative for the Belgrade – Prishtina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday that he would not try to organise a new round of talks before a new government in Kosovo is formed. “Now is not the time to organise a new meeting. We need a new government with a strong mandate, to continue the process of dialogue,” he said during an online conversation with German Ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber.

Lajcak’s remarks about the agreement on economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia in Washington in September last year, attracted the most attention in the media. Most news websites noted in their headlines that “Lajcak is against the Washington agreement”.

“The September 4 agreement is not an agreement but a declaration of commitments. They are only political declarations, there are no implementing mechanisms, no timelines. Everything depends on the will of the parties. There can be no free trade if there are open issues about the borders, identification documents. A European model is needed for the Balkans. We are negotiating an agreement that will be clear in all its points and there will be timelines for their implementation. We know that in the past there have been two different interpretations about the same issue, but now we need to be clear and we cannot leave room for such interpretations,” Lajcak was quoted as saying.

Commenting on changes in the U.S. administration, Lajcak said he is encouraged by the new appointments in the new administration which according to him “don’t need lessons about the region” because they are people very familiar with processes in the Western Balkans.

“I am optimistic because the new administration is appointing people that are familiar with the Western Balkans and who feel responsible for the region. The ones that have been appointed don’t need lessons about the region. It is a new administration, but it is appointing people who have proved to be partners of the European Union and the Western Balkans,” he said.

Lajcak acknowledged that there was lack of coordination between Brussels and Washington last year. “Last year there were undoubtedly two tracks: the European and the American. It was not our choice to go separately. Our partners in the region were confused because they didn’t want to be in a position in which they would have to choose sides,” he said.

Lajcak said that no one can guarantee that even after a possible agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, the five non-recognising EU member states would recognise Kosovo’s independence. He said this is an internal matter of these countries but that there are signals that they are closely following the process of dialogue.

“As former Foreign Minister of Slovakia, when they would ask me when would my country recognise Kosovo, I would say: give me some good news, so that I can go to parliament and tell them that the time has come to reconsider our position. So clearly good news is the agreement with Serbia,” Lajcak said. “Anything that is acceptable for Serbia will be acceptable for other countries that haven’t recognised Kosovo.”

Osmani: Justice is a precondition for peace and reconciliation (media)

Kosovo Acting President Vjosa Osmani met with David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, during her visit to Brussels on Tuesday. Osmani thanked Sassoli on the proactive role of the European Parliament in supporting Kosovo on its path to EU. She also thanked President Sassoli for his role in involvement of the Western Balkans in all EU endeavours in tackling of the pandemic.

Osmani said the European Parliament was and continues to be the most vocal institution in the EU regarding the Republic of Kosovo, seeking not only visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo but also in assisting the state of Kosovo through various initiatives. She emphasized in particular the need for the European Parliament to be more strident in its request to the five non-recognizing EU states to recognize the Republic of Kosovo.

Osmani confirmed the intention of the Republic of Kosovo and its people to the cultivation and preservation of the European values.

“The institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, together with those of the EU, must work harder to offer as soon as possible a European perspective to the people of Kosovo, who continue to be the most pro-European people on the continent, but isolated due to visa requirements. Kosovo has met the criteria, so the EU must keep its promise to Kosovo by liberalizing visas,” Osmani said in her meeting with the President of the European Parliament.

“Our region will move forward when there is justice, because justice is a precondition for peace and reconciliation,” Osmani said. She also stressed that the role of the Assembly in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process should be increased, as well as the unity of the Kosovar political spectrum in relation to the dialogue.

Osmani meets EU MPs in the Kosovo Friendship Group (media)

Kosovo Acting President Vjosa Osmani met on Tuesday afternoon with members of the European Parliament who are in the Kosovo Friendship Group: Rainer Wieland, Vice-President of the EP, Lukas Mandl from the EPP Group, Viola von Cramon-Taubade, Rapporteur for Kosovo in the EP (Green Group), Ilhan Kyuchyuk of the Renew Group and Andrey Kovatchev, Deputy President of the EPP.

Osman said it would be good for the next report of the European Parliament on Kosovo to explicitly seek recognition from the 5 EU member states, which still do not recognize the state of Kosovo.

Osmani thanked the EU for supporting Kosovo in facing the pandemic, while in this context she also asked for support in monitoring the electoral process in order to maintain the credibility of this process.

During the meeting it was said that Kosovo should focus its priorities and investments in health, education and employment of young people, to create an environment where they do not want to leave the country. Discussions also focused on preparations being made for the electoral process and the importance of creating strong and representative institutions as a result of these elections. During the conversation, the challenges in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process were stressed, while Osmani emphasized the principles that should be a guide for this process. According to her, the country needs to be represented by a legitimate Government, which will protect the territorial integrity, the sovereignty of Kosovo and the constitutional regulation of the country.

Osmani meets EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak (media)

Kosovo Acting President Vjosa Osmani met on Tuesday evening in Brussels with EU Special Representative for the Belgrade – Prishtina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak. “Good to have dinner with acting President @VjosaOsmaniMP in Brussels tonight. I appreciated to hear her views on her visit to Brussels, the situation in Kosovo, upcoming parliamentary elections and the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue,” Lajcak said in a Twitter post.

Palmer: Elections are the foundation of democratic practices (RTSH)

The United States Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, said in an interview with RTSH on Tuesday that the new administration in Washington will continue to have the same stable approach toward the Balkans.

Palmer said he will welcome the new government that will be formed after the February elections in Kosovo and that it will be its partner. “Elections are the foundations of democratic practices. The February elections will bring a new government in Kosovo. The United States will be a partner of this government. We will be a good partner to this government just as we have been to previous governments in Kosovo. I believe it will be important for this government to address some of the pressing problems for the country, including the rule of law, a transparent and accountable government, promoting economic growth and development opportunities for foreign investors,” Palmer said.

PSD leader Molliqaj and 16 activists arrested by police (media)

Dardan Molliqaj, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and 16 activists of the same party were arrested by Kosovo Police on Tuesday after they performed an action in front of police headquarters opposing fines against citizens for failing to respect anti-Covid measures while political parties are not imposed any fines for holding election rallies. Koha notes that in the last 24 hours, at least three political parties have organised rallies in closed premises in opposition with anti-Covid measures.