The Committee for Foreign Affairs, met today with Zahir Tanin, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General. After the meeting which lasted more than two hours, Tanin said to the media that UNMIK is a decision of the Security Council and that this is the reason why they are here. He also said that they will be in Kosovo as long as the Security Council wants them to be.
The head of the OSCE in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, said in a visit to the north of Kosovo that the OSCE is pleased with the way the Serbian presidential elections are going. “A lot of people have come out to vote and if it continues like this, we will be very happy. The OSCE staff are in charge of every phase of this process. I’ve spoken to my colleagues outside and they tell me that things are going smoothly,” Braathu told the media outside one of the polling stations in the north.
Officials from the Serbian Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) announced that the voter turnout for presidential elections until 10 o’clock was 10.56 percent. The turnout in central Serbia by this time was 9.73 per cent, in Vojvodina 12.06 percent and in Belgrade 9.79. As for Kosovo, the OSCE spokesperson Senad Sabovic told Serbian media that the voter turnout in 90 polling stations across Kosovo has been 5.23 percent by 10 o’clock. According to Sabovic, the voting is going well and no major irregularities have been reported.
Vetevendosje has condemned last night’s attack on one of its activists, Agron Kabashi, as “a cowardly act by the criminal regime”. In a press conference today, Vetevendosje’s Dardan Molliqaj said Kabashi was beaten with metal bars by unknown persons and sustained injuries to his head, face and rest of the body. Molliqaj said the attack on Kabashi was premeditated and occurred shortly after the publication of a poll results which showed Vetevendosje being the most supported party in Kosovo.
President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said he is confident the government will submit to Assembly draft law on Kosovo Security Force transformation and reiterated that the creation of a Kosovo armed force is in the right track. Thaci said that the discussion with members of the Serb community, the civil society and the political spectrum will continue as will the process for KSF transformation. “This is an unstoppable and irreversible process,” he said.
Minister of the Kosovo Security Force, Haki Demolli, said that the Serbian List refused 18 requests to meet with the cabinet of the KSF Minister. “From April to July 2016, our cabinet sent around 18 invitations, be them by e-mail, written and different invitations. We have sent the invitation to ministers as well as to the Kosovo Assembly MPs from the Serbian List, in order to discuss the possibility of an agreement for their vote on constitutional mandates. We have never received a positive reply.
Ministry of Finance and Ministry of European Integration have given their assessment of the Kosovo Security Transformation (KSF) bill saying the budget can cover expenses for its implementation and that it is in line with EU legislation. The government of Kosovo had requested three ministries – Ministry of Kosovo Security Force, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of European Integration – to review the draft law and give evaluations.
President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, met today the Secretary General of the World Muslim League, Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa and thanked him for the visit and the support Saudi Arabia has given to Kosovo. Thaci said that Kosovo is grateful for the continuous lobbying on behalf of Kosovo with Muslim countries while his interlocutor said Kosovo’s plight for independence was just and that it was “shameful” that not all Muslim countries have recognised it.
Agim Veliu, deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said that Kosovo does not need early elections. According to him, the government should be allowed to fulfill its projects. Veliu did not want to comment the statement of the LDK MP Lirie Kajtazi who said that the governing coalition does not have a long life. “I do not know what my colleague said, but I have heard this request from others as well. To be honest, this is being said due to the personal troubles of some,” Veliu said.
Andrei Lisovoj, head of the Russian diplomatic office in Kosovo, said today that cooperation between the municipalities of Kosovo must not be politicised. Addressing a conference on cooperation between municipalities, which is being held in Mitrovica, Lisovoj said that the city of Mitrovica is the entry gate into Kosovo and that Mitrovica’s success is Kosovo’s success too. Lisovoj also said that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities must be formed as soon as possible and in full understanding between the parties involved.