Minister of Diaspora Valon Murati has asked for accountability from the Kosovo government regarding recent remarks of the Minister for Communities and Returns, Aleksandar Jablanovic. Murati said Jablanovic’s statements are in violation of the Constitution of Kosovo and offensive to mothers of missing persons in Gjakova/Djakovica.
by Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi/
The American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) urges the Kosovo government to come out with an official clarification whether the General Collective Agreement is legally binding to all enterprises in Kosovo, and what course action should be taken by those companies which have not given their consent. Representatives from the ACC in Kosovo believe that this collective agreement would add further pressure on the private sector, thus slowing its growth.
Kosova Sot front page editorial writes that the major parties of the current coalition, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK,) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK,) agreed in 2011 on the changes of the election law and changes of the Constitution of Kosovo, including the election of the President. However, these pledges remained only in paper and they were never fulfilled. This daily holds the two major parties responsible for the failure and adds that this time, they should reflect in cooperation with the opposition.
Daniel Serwer, a conflict management expert, writes in an opinion piece for Kosova Sot, that the year 2014 was not a very good year for Kosovo. Serwer writes that the implementation of Pristina – Belgrade agreements have stalled. The international recognitions for Kosovo have been slowed down. June elections resulted in a six months crisis. And, "we saw many familiar faces in the new government that was created finally".
British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff in an interview for Kosova Sot said that Kosovo government should reduce the number of ministries in the near future, and that this should be a mid-term goal of the government. “However, as we are in a such situation when we have a large number of people who receive salaries, then, they must work hard and be given concrete tasks," said Cliff.
Cliff also said that the economy should be the priority of new government, since, according to him, this is why many people are fleeing every day from Kosovo.
Isa Mustafa, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, attended today the meeting of the Kosovo government’s committee for missing persons. “I am here today to express my full commitment to do my best to resolve the fate of your missing loved ones. This issue will be treated as a priority by the government of the Republic of Kosovo. It will also be treated as a priority in meetings and relations with international officials, so that pressure can be applied on Serbia to find our loved ones. We will also address this issue within the process of dialogue in Brussels,” Mustafa said.
Kosovo Liberation Army veterans vowed to protest if their war pensions don’t start in January, but the authorities said that a verified headcount of ex-guerrillas still needs to be finished.
The head of the Council for the Protection of the Rights of KLA Fighters, Xhevdet Qeriqi, warned on Tuesday that veterans would take to the streets in protest if the authorities don’t start paying the ex-guerrillas’ pensions at the beginning of 2015.
The front page editorial of Kosova Sot writes that the Kosovo government, through Kosovo Minister of European Integration, Bekim Collaku, announced yesterday the establishment of a Task Force to prevent mass migrations of Kosovo citizens towards the European Union.
Kosovo continues to address the growing and complex challenges of terrorism emanating from Islamic and other forms of extremism, and continues to seek assistance from US and European partners to carry out the fight, experts said.