At today’s Kosovo Assembly session in Pristina, an incident occurred when the chair of the session Xhavit Haliti tried by deception to include the votes of Srpska Lista MPs as a support to the law on notaries, that Srpska Lista criticized on several occasions since it does not take into account interests of the Serbian people, Radio kontakt plus reported.
Kosovo Assembly session dedicated to Belgrade-Pristina dialogue started with half an hour delay, and according to the RTV KIM translation in the Serbian language is not provided.
Serbian journalists covering the session were told there is no translation because Serb MPs are not present.
The so-called Kosovo army is an army being created to threaten Serbia and the Serbs, Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin said, in reaction to Kosovo Assembly passing the draft laws on Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) transformation, RTS reports today.
Vulin underlined he would talk today with the representatives of KFOR in Kosovo and that the conversation would regard Pristina's adoption of the laws on the Kosovo army.
Belgrade based daily Blic reports on the current attempt of opposition MPs in the Kosovo Assembly to ''ban'' Thaci with the resolution, with support of a part of the ruling coalition, to negotiate with Belgrade on the "correction of the borders".
Kosovo Assembly adopted today a resolution for unification of customs points between Kosovo and Albania. 67 MPs voted in favour of the resolution proposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD). The party leader Spend Ahmeti hailed the resolution and called on the government of Kosovo to implement its provisions as soon as possible in order to facilitate movement of goods between Kosovo and Albania and encourage economic development of the two.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, has not shown up at the Assembly session today to face a motion called by opposition parties Vetevendosje and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) on the situation at the Kosovo Telecom and the allegations against Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Nenad Rikalo, over allocation of grants. Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ahmet Isufi, announced Haradinajs’ absence saying the prime minister is not in Kosovo and that he will instead report to MPs on Friday.
Although, according to the Constitution of Kosovo, Serbian and Albanian are official languages, and on Thursday in the Kosovo Parliament, there was no translation into Serbian, just right after the Serbian MPs have left the session.
Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and Society of Journalists of Kosovo and Metohija (DNKiM) strongly condemn this act and demand to cease the discrimination of all citizens of Kosovo, as well as journalists, whose mother tongue is Serbian.
Kosovo Assembly’s legislation committee has approved in principle today the new draft of Kosovo’s criminal code presented by Justice Minister, Abelard Tahiri. Tahiri said the draft law is in harmony to EU standards and legislation and that it will provide Kosovo with a new boost to fight crime and corruption. He urged MPs to vote the bill as quickly as possible as apart from meeting EU requirements, the law is also a visa liberalisation condition.
Srpska Lista voiced today criticism over frequent translation mistakes in draft laws sent to the Kosovo Assembly for adoption, which violates the rights of Serbs, and the latest case is related to draft amendments to the Criminal Code, Tanjug news agency reported.
Radio Free Europe in Albanian reports that a committee for investigating the arrest and deportation of six Turkish nationals has not yet been established despite the Assembly of Kosovo’s recommendations dated 17 April. Meanwhile the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which proposed the committee’s establishment, has blamed the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) for the delays. LDK MP, Driton Selmanaj, there is a “fear” on the part of PDK and tendency to prevent the committee’s establishment.