The news site reports that a car belonging to the wife of Bajram Gecaj, Deputy Minister for Local Government, was burned today in Pristina. Gecaj called the incident “a shameful and terrorist act”. He also accused the Vetevendosje Movement of being behind the attack and added “they will not scare us with such acts”.
The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, reacted today against the attack on the family vehicle of Agriculture Minister Memli Krasniqi. “Concerned about reports that Memli Krasniqi’s vehicle was burned. All crimes should be investigated and prosecuted,” Delawie wrote on his Twitter account.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci reacted harshly to the burning of Minister for Agriculture, Memly Krasniqi's family vehicle. He wrote on his Facebook page that this attack has clear political motives which openly violate pluralism, freedom of expression and opinion. “With deep indignation, I harshly condemn the ugly act of burning Memli Krasniqi’s family vehicle last night. This ugly act aims at terrorizing Krasniqi's family and blackmailing Minister Krasniqi into withdrawing his political positions.
The Government of Kosovo issued a communiqué today condemning an incident on Tuesday night. Unknown persons set Minister for Agriculture, Memli Krasniqi's family car on fire.
Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuci, said during a round-table today on the fight against corruption that whenever there are cases of corruption they should be addressed by the relevant authorities. But, according to him, they must be addressed accurately to not jeopardize the good work that is being done. “Social environment, citizens and civil society are key to fighting corruption. But, the most important thing is strong political will to do so,” Kuci said. He also mentioned the media as a key factor in the fight against corruption.
The head of the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency, Hasan Preteni said today that corruption is one of the major concerns in Kosovo. According to Preteni, in the Anti-Corruption Agency report to be published in March, Kosovo scores 3.3 out of 10 in fighting corruption, same as the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia, and is one of the countries where corruption is not being efficiently tackled.
The Kosovo Women Network (KWN) published the "Sexual Harassment in Kosovo" report today, which states that cases of sexual harassment seem quite frequent in Kosovo. For the first time, this report examines the legal framework related to sexual harassment in Kosovo; perceptions and attitudes towards sexual harassment and institutional response. The report aims to address the lack of data on sexual harassment in Kosovo and to monitor the implementation of numerous legal frameworks of public institutions.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, is participating in the Investment Summit, sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in London.
This year's Summit is set to focus on the investment potential and business opportunities in the Western Balkan states. The development of new road corridors as well as renewable energy initiatives are also on the agenda.
The Justice Party, a partner in the ruling coalition, issued a media communiqué saying that the petition calling for the dismissal of U.S. Ambassador Greg Delawie is unacceptable and unreasonable. “Although they may seem democratic, no one should forget the tendency of such initiatives to provoke clashes with the international community, namely with the United States of America; this does not represent the will of the people of Kosovo. Therefore, such actions require a response.
Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), made another public call today for early parliamentary elections as a solution to the current crisis. “The government cannot pretend as if nothing happened and continue to improvise and to defend its positions, because this is no longer possible. There is only one way to emerge from the current crisis and that is elections … Those that love this country should not be late in responding to this challenge,” Haradinaj was quoted as saying.