By: Enver Robelli

The non-transparent Kosova e Re project is a bad investment for Kosovo’s citizens. Any serious government that may come to power should reverse this project.

The Journalistic Award for Human Rights presented three stories--on vaccinations, violence against women, and gender equality in Kosovo’s general elections--with journalism prizes.

Over 20 journalists submitted stories to be considered for awards for journalistic excellence, under the project “OmbudsWatch – Promoting Ombudsperson’s role in Kosovo.” Winners were announced on Friday for the three best pieces of reporting on human rights issues in Kosovo.

An interview with Nikola Kabasic, the president of the newly integrated Basic Court in Mitrovica, about the challenges of consolidating Kosovo’s justice system.

The Basic Court in Mitrovica — which integrates the north and the south of the town — started work on November 1, 2017. Nikola Kabasic, the president of this court, was among the Serb judges who were sworn in by the Kosovo President on October 24 as part of the Brussels-facilitated dialogue agreement to get rid of Serbia’s parallel institutions and unify the legal system throughout Kosovo.

By: Blerim Vela

The key factors for performance in Sunday’s mayoral runoff elections were candidate choice, local coalitions, campaign and media rhetoric, and rural-urban polarization.

Despite instances of aggressive campaigning, election day was overall calm and orderly, said EU election observers in the preliminary report on Kosovo’s mayoral runoffs.

“These were highly competitive elections,” said Alojz Peterle, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Kosovo, EUEOM, at the publication of the mission’s preliminary report on the second round of mayoral elections.

The campaigning atmosphere and voting process was, overall, calm and orderly, he said. Counting of the ballots was also mostly efficient and transparent.

Enver Sekiraqa, who is currently appealing a 37-year sentence for inciting the murder of a Kosovo Police officer, was sent back to prison on the order of the Kosovo Court of Appeals.

Enver Sekiraqa, sentenced by the Basic Court in Prishtina with 37 years of imprisonment for inciting the murder of Kosovo Police Officer Triumf Riza, was returned to prison after spending little more than a day on house arrest.

Only eight Kosovar women are representing about 50 per cent of the population in the local elections of 2017.

At only three per cent of all mayoral candidates in Kosovo’s upcoming local elections, eight Kosovar women are proposing measures that they promise to implement if they are trusted with the citizens’ votes on October 22.

The Law on Gender Equality foresees that candidate lists should represent both genders equally, and before the elections, the Kosovo Ombudsperson emphasized that the candidate lists should reflect that.

The 2017 Balkan Barometer public perception report for Southeast Europe shows that Kosovo ranks highest in the region for optimistic outlook and trust in the Ombudsperson.

Of the seven Southeastern European countries, Kosovo’s population continues to have the most optimistic economic outlook, despite an increasing pessimism regarding the possibility that EU accession is just over the horizon, according to the new Balkan Barometer report.

By: Shqipe Gjocaj

As the saying goes, when someone comes out, the whole family transitions. The support and love, followed by opposition and hate, are all part of this struggle.

On Tuesday, Kosovo organized its first pride parade. As expected, once it was announced in the media, panic ensued.

Among the first to express contempt was Gezim Kelmendi, head of his religious political party Fjala and former MP. He wrote a homophobic status against the parade, only to have it removed due to its violation of Facebook’s community standards.

A Drejtesia ne Kosove investigation results in an indictment against a Decan judge suspected of abuse of office and other criminal offenses.

The High Crimes Department at the Peja Basic Prosecution raised an indictment against suspect Safete Tolaj for multiple criminal offenses, including abuse of office, destroying and concealing evidence as well as forging official documents.