Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, is leading the working groups in the dialogue with Serbia in Brussels. The talks, which are brokered by the European Union, are focused on the energy, telecommunications, the barricade on the Ibar Bridge and the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.
Outgoing president of the Constitutional Court Enver Hasani has rebutted media reports that he is about to be appointed ambassador to Turkey. Hasani told the media today that once his mandate at the Constitutional Court is over, he will resume his university teaching career.
Officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have received an alarm for possible attacks and kidnappings of police officials.
Adem Grabovci, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, told RTK that the members of the Kosovo Assembly have yet to see to final version of the draft law on the special court. Grabovci said MPs could vote next week on the constitutional amendments and the legal package for the establishment of the special court. “The PDK has no dilemma whether or not to vote in favour of the court. We are waiting for the final changes to the draft law so that we can proceed with the voting without wasting any more time,” Grabovci said.
The leaders and residents of the three Albanian municipalities in southern Serbia have reacted against the visit to the region by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic who was wearing a military uniform. The Albanian leaders told Preseva Jone news site that Nikolic’s appearance in a military uniform was a scandal, a provocation and a threat against the civilian population.
If the Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt the special court, which is expected to address war crimes allegations, then the United Nations Security Council will do so. Eri Kaneko, the Associate Spokesperson to the United Nations Secretary-General, told Radio Kosova via email that the UN General Assembly or the Security Council have the mandate to establish the special court and that the process would have to be initiated by Security Council member states.
The Kosovo government today has sent to the Assembly the constitutional amendments for the establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said at today’s government meeting that the Armed Forces are not being established on ethnic basis but for all Kosovo people. The two Serb ministers coming from the Serbian List, Branimir Stojanovic and Dalibor Jevtic, voted against the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Armed Forces.
An annual report on Kosovo from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security with the US State Department describes the overall crime situation in Kosovo and the threat of regional and international terrorism as being similar to that in other European countries. “Kosovo has seen a rise of Islamic extremism over the last years,” the report states noting that 60 persons have been arrested in 2014 under the suspicion of participating or supporting fighting in Syria and Iraq.
President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga has today sworn in 41 new judges that will begin work in different Kosovo courts. Jahjaga asked the new judges to be independent, professional and honest in their work. “The time has come to see a justice system that functions on the principle that no one is above the law. This is the only way to increase the citizens’ trust in our justice system,” said Jahjaga on the occasion.
The Kosovo government said today that it opposes what it called “an unreasonable strike” organized by the Education Union and called on the teachers to resume their classes. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said the government has gone beyond the budgetary limits to meet the demands of the teachers. “There is no reason to stop classes. Schools are there to provide education for the children, and not for someone to get paid without holding their classes. We all need to act responsibly. The teaching staff and the organizers of the strike need to act responsibly.