The Islamic Community of Kosovo (BIK) has expressed concern after the arrest of 12 imams in several locations in Kosovo during a police operation aimed at combating the incitement of inter-religious hatred and national division. Ahmet Sadriu, spokesman for the Islamic Community, told Radio Free Europe that BIK is concerned with the fact that imams were escorted to the police, but also added that “no one can be above the law and institutions need to do their job”.

The chair of tomorrow’s constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, Flora Brovina, has called for a meeting with representatives of political parties today at 15.30. Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) officials said there is still no decision on the possible postponement of the constitutive session.

At the same time, it is reported that PDK has begun to talk about postponing tomorrow’s session under the justification that this was requested by minority communities’ representatives who are not informed as to what will happen in the session.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) announced on Tuesday that Arsim Bajrami will be their official candidate for the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo. However, PDK does not plan to give in if Bajrami does not manage to gain sufficient number of votes. Sources of GazetaPlus within PDK said that based on the decision of the Constitutional Court, which gives PDK the exclusive right to propose and elect candidate for the Speaker of the Assembly, this party has prepared a list with additional names to be presented to the parliament.

Kosovo Islamic Union (KIU), reacted today against the action of around 20 young members of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) who set on fire the flag of the Islamic State, on Monday in Pristina, joining in this manner the world initiative #Burn ISIS Flag Challenge. The KIU stresses in a press release that Monday’s act of burning the flag which carried the Muslim prayer is an unaccepted act and it is in contradiction with Albanian tradition of tolerance and understanding.

Syle Hoxhaj, Kosovo’s chief prosecutor, spoke today about functionalization of a new mechanism with which the State Prosecution would target the most serious cases, especially those of economic crime. Hoxhaj said that through this mechanism, they will also investigate well-known politicians and powerful economic companies, using the expression of one of the EULEX prosecutors, that they will target “the big fish.” He added that the mechanism is based on the strategic plan for inter-institutional cooperation in the war against organized crime and corruption.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs is not informed about the execution of agent of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI) in the war in Syria.  Head of this Ministry, Bajram Rexhepi stated for Indeksonline that it is not the duty of his Ministry to deal with such cases.

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Hajredin Kuci, said elections are the last resort but if the situation is such that requires elections, PDK is ready to enter the process once again.

Kosovo Police spokesman Baki Kelani told Gazeta Blic that all persons arrested today are believed to have supported terrorist organizations. He said Kosovo Police had no reliable information that the suspects were planning to attack the cultural event “Dokufest” in Prizren. “We had no such details,” Kelani said. Gazeta Blic however quoted sources in Kosovo Police as saying that the suspects were planning to attack the event. One of the reasons for such an attack would be to attract international attention for their presence in Kosovo.

It has not yet been decided who will represent Kosovo at the upcoming UN Security Council session on 25 August. Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuci, told Tribuna that it is the Security Council that decided about the level of representation. “We will be represented depending on the level of representation of the other side,” said Kuci.

Vetevendosje Movement has rebutted reports that the post-election coalition bloc between the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), has accepted their conditions for entering the Government.

Vetevendosje said that there have been no meetings with the representatives of the LDK-AAK-NISMA coalition since the inaugural session of the Kosovo Assembly on 17 July. The Movement also added it has not changed its principles presented to the coalition as a condition to join it.