The Counts and Results Centre (CRC) announced that conditional and mailed ballots will be counted in the course of today, said coordinator Burim Ahmetaj. He said that the Central Election Commission (CEC) has counted the votes from all polling stations but that not all the material has reached the Counts and Results Centre. “We are still waiting for material from Pristina and Gjakova”, Ahmetaj said.
Head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu said the situation between Serb political parties in the north of Kosovo is “fragile” and called on them to respect the right to vote. In a visit to the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) where he presented the Braille ballot, Braathu said the OSCE and the U.S. Embassy issued a joint statement calling for free and fair elections process but that “unfortunately, we are still seeing signs of intimidation”.
Estonian Foreign Minister, Sven Mikser, said in Pristina today that he didn’t know there would be early elections in Kosovo at the time he planned his visit but underlined the importance of the voting process being transparent and fair. Mikser said the people of Kosovo need to elect a government and a parliament they will be able to trust and that his country would continue supporting Kosovo and its efforts to join international organisations.
Vetevendosje’s Aida Derguti said today after the meeting of the outgoing Assembly presidency that her party will not join any pre-election coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) or the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). However, Derguti said Vetevendosje has no red lines towards a possible coalition with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA).
Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Zenun Pajaziti, said today at the Assembly that the party MPs would vote in line with the will of the people regarding the no-confidence motion against the government. Pajaziti said it was evident there is stagnation in Kosovo and that the PDK has made continuous efforts to coordinate with the coalition partner decision-making process. “We are here today but there is no coordination. We are united in our positions and therefore call on MPs to carry this will to term,” Pajaziti said.
European Parliament’s rapporteur for visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Tanja Fajon, said in an interview to Deutsche Welle that Kosovo needs to either ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro or find a different alternative but that the decision would have to be taken by Kosovo politicians. Fajon said she understood the sensitivity of the border demarcation as a condition for visa liberalisation but added that it was imposed by the European Commission and that the government of Kosovo led by Hashim Thaci at the time, agreed.
MP from the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Haxhi Shala, said the no-confidence motion against the government would be submitted to the Assembly of Kosovo when the opposition leaders deem the moment to be right. “If demarcation is not presented to MPs this week, the motion could then be submitted,” Shala said adding that if however the border demarcation agreement goes to the Assembly this week, “I strongly believe it will not pass and perhaps there won’t be a need for a motion at all as the government would most likely fall.”
The EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative has expressed concern over the intention of Kosovo authoritirs to amend the Criminal Code of Kosovo by introducing new measures against libel and defamation. “A number of EU members or potential members, including Kosovo, have done away with criminal defamation and insult, and several others have taken important steps in that direction. Decriminalisation of libel and defamation in Kosovo was reported as progress in European Commission's Report in 2013.
Mitrovica Mayor, Agim Bahtiri, has strongly condemned the recent incidents in both the southern and northern parts of the city saying they were happening at a time when the situation is generally calm and the interethnic relations are improving. He said the latest incidents targeting members of Serbian as well as Albanian communities were unacceptable and called on law enforcement authorities to bring authors of these acts to justice as soon as possible.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said in a debate today on the fourth anniversary of the first Pristina-Belgrade agreements that the dialogue has produced positive results and has enabled Kosovo institutions to exercise control over the north and integrate Serbs into Kosovo institutions. Furthermore, Mustafa said, agreements reached in Brussels through the EU facilitation have also provided Kosovo its own dialing code.