Sources told KTV that the next session of the Assembly is to take place on Monday and that the invitations to MPs are expected to be delivered today. In addition, the chairman of the Kosovo Assembly’s constitutive session, Adem Mikullovci from Vetevendosje, will not be calling any more consultative meetings.
Vetevendosje’s candidate for prime minister, Albin Kurti, said in an interview with KTV that if elected he would not continue talks with Serbia in the same way as in the past and that he would work on establishing direct talks with Kosovo Serbs. “We would not stop dialogue with Serbia but our government would have certain conditions to its resumption. Serbia would have to agree to the principle of reciprocity with Kosovo. I believe we wound find many friends that would support our stance towards Serbia,” Kurti said.
Officials from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) reacted to the news that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) signed a pre-election coalition with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) by saying the move was foreseeable. LDK spokesperson Arban Abrashi said to Klan Kosova that PDK signed the coalition as a reaction to the “fear” from the LDK earlier reaching an agreement with the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) and Alternative.
Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, said in an interview for KTV that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa acted rightly when he dismissed Ljubomir Maric from the post of Minister of Local Government and Administration. “Maric cannot be reinstated. He was my colleague but his dismissal was a long time coming due to his actions,” Hoxhaj said. He added that the wall in Mitrovica North has to be brought down as it was not part of any agreement signed between representatives of Kosovo and Serbia.
Vetevendosje parliamentary group chief, Glauk Konjufca, told KTV on Wednesday that the autopsy report does not say that Vetevendosje activist, Astrit Dehari, who was found dead in his cell at Prizren Detention Center, had committed suicide. “The autopsy report does not say it was suicide. Not a single part of the report mentions suicide,” Konjufca added.
Pristina Mayor Shpend Ahmeti said in an interview for KTV on Wednesday that the Orthodox church in the yard of Pristina University must not be demolished but rather remain there as evidence of what former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic wanted to do in Kosovo. Ahmeti said the municipality of Pristina has not received any documentation for the church which was built by Milosevic’s regime. He said that Serbia does not want to recognize the state of Kosovo and that this is why they are not submitting the documents required for legalization.
The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group chief, Ismet Beqiri, told KTV that throwing teargas in today’s session of the Kosovo Assembly has nothing to do with democracy. Beqiri recalled that it was Serbian police and army that once used teargas and bullets against Albanians. He also said that there were other democratic means for the opposition to achieve its political objectives, not through teargas.
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland is expected to pay a visit to Kosovo on 12 and 13 July, reported KTV quoting its sources. Nuland will meet President Atifete Jahjaga, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci. Her visit is expected to be decisive in convincing Kosovo Assembly MPs to endorse constitutional changes paving way for establishment of specialist chambers. According to KTV, government of Kosovo is most likely to resubmit draft amendments to the Assembly following Nuland’s visit.
KTV editor-in-chief Adriatik Kelmendi argues in an opinion piece that Kosovars have lost their patience and by fleeing in mass numbers to the West they have decided to throw away the naïve idea that the visa regime policy will prevent the illegal crossing of borders and illegal migration.
Today’s protest called by Vetevendosje and supported by other opposition parties has turned violent after the police tried to disperse protesters with teargas to prevent the crowds from approaching the government building. At present, Kosovapress reports that the protest has worsened, with a major clash occurring between the police and protesters in front of the Ministry of Culture building at Mother Theresa Square.