The European Commission is reported to have postponed the publishing of the report on implementation of the visa liberalization roadmap by Kosovo institutions. Sources inside the EU Office in Kosovo had said that the report would be published on 17 December but according to fresh information Telegrafi claims to have secured, the new date is now either 24 December or even January. The report meanwhile could go back for discussion at the technical and political levels of the European Union.

The Kosovo Minister for Returns and Communities Dalibor Jevtic met the US Ambassador Greg Delawie yesterday in Pristina to discuss the current political situation as well as the return and the rights of communities in Kosovo. In the meeting, Ambassador Delawie expressed the US support for the return of the members of communities to Kosovo.

The Kosovo opposition parties – Vetevendosje, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – announced they will organise a mass protest on 9 January in Pristina demanding retracting of agreements with Serbia and Montenegro. The decision to call a protest was reached today in a meeting between opposition leaders. AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj also called on the police and judiciary not to follow political orders.

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the USAID Property Rights Programme launched a media campaign on public awareness for women’s property rights.The United States Ambassador, Greg Delawie, said that less than 19% of women in Kosovo own property, while an even smaller percentage has access to heritage. He added that exclusion of women from the right to heritage is an economic loss for Kosovo.

Kosovo-based think tank FOL presented today results of a recent poll on the political preferences of the citizens of Kosovo asking them how they would vote in case of fresh elections. According to the results, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) would come first with 29 percent of the votes, followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 26 percent and Vetevendosje with 14 percent. The poll was carried out in all Kosovo cities and includes respondents from all communities.

Ahmet Isufi, senior member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), told TV Dukagjini the government of Kosovo is using violence against opposition and “this is the best indicator that the government is falling.” “We will use all democratic methods to prevent the Assembly sessions. We have teargas until the annulment of recent agreements with Serbia and Montenegro. Preventing the MPs to vote these two agreements that undermine the state of Kosovo, I consider it a patriotic act,” Isufi added.

Following the protest against the agreement on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro in Gjakova/Djakovica on Saturday, the opposition is set to organise another rally this week in the city of Gjilan/Gnjilane. A source from the opposition parties said preparations are already underway for the upcoming protest on Saturday.

Kosovo Minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, told the news site that the airspace over Kosovo is under the sovereignty of Kosovo. She said that in this period the airspace issues are in full coordination between Kosovo and NATO, while in terms of issues related to regional stability, Tahiri stressed that NATO is competent and makes decisions for the airspace stabilization program in the Balkans and Kosovo is part of this process as well.

In an interview for Klan Kosova, former commander of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Kadri Kastrati said that the KSF is ready to transform into an armed force but added that it has a weak internal intelligence sector. He said that even if the KSF transformed into Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF), KFOR would still have to maintain its presence in Kosovo. “To be part of NATO, we have to be an army with all parameters. At present, the KSF has no capacity to fight terrorism,” said Kastrati.

The proposal presented on Friday by MPs Ilir Deda and Vjosa Osmani on unblocking the political situation in Kosovo has neither been refused nor accepted by the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. Nevertheless, Deda said the fact that no one has yet refused the proposal is a good sign. He said there is no set timeframe within which the political leaders have to give their views on the proposal.