The opposition parties said they were prepared to use "all the necessary means" to stop the vote on the establishment of special court, which is expected to address war crimes allegations. They say that they are against the special court, because they believe that the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters were heroic saviors who should not be prosecuted, and vowed on Monday to try to block a vote expected in Parliament.
• Opposition to use protests and political actions against special court (Koha)
• Zbogar: Economic development, crucial for Kosovo (dailies)
• Nishani: Albanians are existential factor in Macedonia (Koha)
• Selimi calls for support for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership (Zeri)
• Special war in Presevo Valley (Zeri)
Around 200 people have gathered in front of the Assembly of Kosovo in Pristina, protesting against the establishment of the special court.
Some members of the Vetevendosje movement have joined them. Among them is the son of the Skenderaj/Srbica municipality, Sami Lushtaku.
The protesters hold the pictures of the former KLA commander Sylejman Selimi with inscription “With you commander,” reports Klan Kosova.
The war veterans’ organizations are objecting establishment of the special court.
A delegation of the Vetevendosje Movement has visited the residents of Kumanovo on Monday. The delegation was represented by Driton Caushi, Glauk Konjufca, Aida Derguti and Salih Salihu. They met with residents of whose houses were damaged during the armed incident two weeks ago.
The Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly today did not include on the agenda of 21 May the constitutional amendments required for the establishment of the special court that will address war crimes allegations. Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli told reporters after the meeting that additional consultations were needed to reach a consensus among the parliamentary parties. “The most important thing is to have international partnership and a national consensus,” Veseli said. “Allow me to reiterate that Kosovo’s economic development should be our priority.
Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti writes in an opinion piece that similar to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and to the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, the Special Court will not answer to the people of Kosovo either. “The question is: why should we legitimize something that will not answer to us? This time, they want us as an independent state, to agree to have a judiciary that will be independent from us? It doesn’t get any more absurd than this”.
Two Vetevendosje activists, detained by the police last night, have been released. Kosovo Police spokesperson, Baki Kelani, said the activists were detained under an order issued by the Pristina Basic Court.
Supporters of Kosovo’s three main opposition parties marched through Pristina on Saturday in a largely peaceful protest of the policies of the government of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa.
Several thousand people gathered in Pristina on Saturday at an anti-government protest organised by three main Kosovo opposition parties - Vetevendosje Movement, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and the Initiative for Kosovo, NISMA.
Dozens of activists of the three opposition parties, the Vetevendosje Movement, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and Initiative for Kosovo, on Friday developed an action in front of the government building, placing a picture of Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci holding a hammer with a picture of Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci. The activists said that as long as Kuci remains Justice Minister, there will be no law and order in Kosovo.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) led by Hashim Thaci believes the April 18 protest announced by the opposition parties – the Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), is unreasonable. Adem Grabovci, the head of the PDK parliamentary group, told Zeri that the ruling coalition is not afraid of the protest. “There is no reason to be afraid because we represent the will of the people.