A group of 54 civil society activists have signed a letter in support of tomorrow’s opposition protest. In the letter, the undersigned state that as citizens of Kosovo they are deeply concerned with the current political crisis and in an effort to contribute to the resolving of the situation, they have decided to support the opposition protest scheduled for 17 February.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa writes in an opinion piece today that 17 February – Kosovo Independence Day and 28 November, Albania Independence Day are days to be celebrated and not used for political interests and violent protests. “Kosovo was not easily liberated. Entire generations made sacrifices in the name of independence. Around 15,000 people were killed in the last war and 20,000 women were raped by Serbian military forces and to this day there are still 1600 missing persons.
The Basic Court in Pristina has issued an arrest warrant against four opposition MPs, three from Vetevendosje and one from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). The judge issued the order after it concluded that the defendants - Albin Kurti, Albulena Haxhiu, Faton Topalli and Donika Kadaj – failed to appear at their hearing session scheduled for today. However, the MPs, except for Kurti who the media reported did not show up at all at court, insist they waited for the judge at the set time for fifteen minutes and as he did not show up by then, they decided to leave.
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said today that if Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci is elected president in an alternative hall, there will be major consequences. He also said he wasn’t expecting to find any solution at the meeting with Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Hashim Thaci called by President Atifete Jahajga a few days ago. “I saw that Mustafa and Thaci had no intention on reflecting on the situation.
The former deputy UN Special Envoy for the final status negotiations for Kosovo, Albert Rohan, in an interview with Pristina-based news site Republika, said the violent actions of recent months have seriously damaged Kosovo's image in the international arena. "In a democracy, political confrontations are done peacefully, arguments and political debate should take place in Parliament," said Rohan. He suggested that the only way to get out of this situation is the return of the opposition in institutions.
The Norwegian Ambassador to Kosovo, Jan Braathu, said today that opposition parties in Kosovo must adhere to rules and regulations and not decide on the future on their own. “The opposition should follow the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. There is no European country where the minority opposition demands or sets elections. We are not against anyone but please respect the rules,” Braathu said after a meeting with Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli. “Kosovo needs to have a president, but it must be done in coordination with institutions.
Kosovo opposition parties are confident that the anti-government protest scheduled for 17 February will be the biggest yet. The opposition bloc is already meeting citizens from different municipalities to garner support for the upcoming protest. Adonis Tahiri from Vetevendosje said the united opposition continues to demand the annulment of the agreement with Serbia on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro.
Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga said today that the political parties in Kosovo must overcome the current crisis through dialogue alone. According the President, violence and vandalism are not solutions. "It is very important that the leaders of political parties start a dialogue as soon as possible in order to find solutions. I have been very active over the past two months and took two actions to contribute to solving the crisis.
Political analyst Imer Mushkolaj wrote in an opinion piece that people do not necessarily have to be part of the opposition to become part of the battle against the Mustafa-Thaci government. “The opposition cannot and should not monopolize the right to protest. The united front against evil should be expanded. Tens of thousands of people who gathered on 9 January in the streets of Pristina are a clear sign that the government led by Isa Mustafa is almost over.
Senior member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ardian Gjini, argues in an opinion piece that Kosovo has only three options to overcome the current crisis.“The first option is the continuation of this government until it fails to elect new President and thus Kosovo going to new elections. In the meantime there would be more protests. The second option is the continuation of this government and the election of new President from the current coalition. In this case, the presidency would become a sub-institution of the government.