Mirsad Shkreta, member of Vetevendosje’s General Council, told a press conference today the government is using the Kosovo Police for political reasons. "Police interventions, especially in the last five months are purely political in order to protect the ruling-coalition and the agreements on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and border demarcation with Montenegro. Kosovo police are not fighting crime and corruption as they should, but instead, they are focusing in suppressing the opposition and arresting its MPs,” Shkreta said.

Halil Matoshi writes today that quarrels and aggressive discourse against the opposition cannot overcome the situation “of the small and clashed country” as referred to Kosovo in the western media. He considers that the solution stands in an offer for a political, unconditioned discussion, which would not exclude early elections.

The Vetevendosje Movement through a press release today said the integration of the so-called Civil Protection members into Kosovo Police, allows the Serbian List to take its share in Kosovo.  According to Vetevendosje, Kosovo government is integrating the former members of the Civil Protection without verifying whether they committed crimes in Kosovo.  “The dialogue in Brussels in not integrating Serbs in Kosovo, but is integrating Serbia and its structures in Kosovo state institutions.

The court in Pristina has refused the appeal of the defence for the Vetevendosje MPs - Albin Kurti, Albulena Haxhiu, Faton Topalli, – that called for their release from house arrest. The court decided to uphold its earlier decision and announced that the next court session against the MPs who are being charged with using dangerous weapon or instrument and preventing official persons from carrying out their duties will take place on 15 February. The MPs stressed they will refuse to answer questions from the prosecution or the trial chamber as they consider their case to be political.

In a meeting with youth, opposition leaders said called on the people of Kosovo to join the anti-government protest on 9 January adding that the violators of the constitution needs to step down. The leaders reiterated their demands for annulment of agreements with Serbia and Montenegro while Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said the new year will begin on 9 January. The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said they will not allow anything being taken away from Kosovo.

The house arrest for the former leader of the Vetevendosje Movement and Kosovo Assembly MP Albin Kurti, was extended today. According to his Court appointed lawyer, Hadije Ademi, Kurti will be in house arrest until 17 February of the next year. Kurti was arrested on 28 November in Pristina after participating and holding a speech at a gathering of the opposition parties.  He was indicted under suspicion of throwing teargas during the sessions at Assembly Hall.

The leader of the Vetevenodsje Movement, Visar Ymeri, spoke regarding the Brussels dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. He said that the relations between Kosovo and Serbia can be normalized only if there is a reciprocal recognition of statehood.

Deputy leader of the Vetevendosje movement, Driton Caushi, said during a press conference today, that Kosovo will not manage to complete the European Union’s set criteria for liberalization of visas, being that one of the basic criteria is fighting of corruption. “The government cannot fulfill these criteria, because this means that it would have to fight itself,” Caushi said.

Several news sites quote Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) MP Time Kadrijaj as saying that today the opposition was ready for debate and was not planning to throw teargas in the Assembly building. “The Assembly Presidency and the ruling coalition left the Assembly room without any prior notification and held a brief meeting. We wanted to debate today and we wanted to highlight the flaws of the government this year. The ruling coalition should have returned to the room,” Kadrijaj said.

Kosovo Assembly MP from Vetevendosje Movement, Ilir Deda, known for his different position from his parliamentary group, said for the media that neither throwing of the tear gas nor suspension of the MPs is legal. Deda said despite of the fact that he was not suspended by the Assembly Presidency, he would not participate at the Assembly session which will be held at an alternative hall.