Ahtisaari package, legally invalid for the north

• Ahtisaari package, legally invalid for the north (Koha Ditore)
• Little expectation from Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo (Zëri)
• Ban calls for co-operation between Kosovo and Serbia (Kosova Sot/Bota Sot)
• Thaçi: Dick Marty insulted people of Kosovo (dailies)
• Pacolli promises new recognitions from Africa (dailies)
• Referendum only viable option for LDK (Zëri)
• Spahiu ambassador of Ankara, Sejdiu consul in New York (Koha Ditore)
• Grass and trees barricade Ibër Bridge (Koha)
• Surely towards retendering (Express)

Kosovo Media Highlights


Ahtisaari package, legally invalid for the north (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that members of the Kosovo Assembly will vote in September to end supervision of independence, for Ahtisaari’s package to be legally invalidated and no longer obligatory for addressing the situation in the north.

Under these circumstances, Ahtisaari’s package will have no interpretation as the closing of the ICO will imply that the only authority that was mandated to interpret the plan no longer exists.

Vjosa Osmani, member of the Assembly Commission on Constitutional Changes, told Koha Ditore that, as of September, no one will be able to refer to Ahtisaari’s package as the Constitution, the highest legal act. According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Hajredin Kuçi, however, the absence of an international interpreting mechanism for the package will not present a problem as the provisions from Ahtisaari’s proposal have already been incorporated in the internal legislation of Kosovo.

Little expectation from Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri features reports by Radio Free Europe on how neither Albanian nor Serb residents of Kosovo expect the visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to result in anything spectacular.

The political analyst from the Kosovo-based think tank KIPRED, Ardian Arifaj, said that he views Ban’s visit more as symbolic rather than a visit that could be useful for Kosovo. “Kosovo aims to become member of the UN but it still isn’t and doesn’t have formalised relations with the UN. Therefore, it doesn’t stand to gain much. UN still has its mission in Kosovo and UNMIK is the largest international mission in Kosovo but doesn’t play a role in Kosovo’s every-day affairs,” said Arifaj. He however noted that it will be important for the UN top official to see the situation in Kosovo up close.

At the same time, the leader of the Serbs in the north, Marko Jaksic, said the Serb community doesn’t expect anything special from the visit of the UN SG to Kosovo. However, he added that they do expect Ban to reconfirm that UNSCR 1244 is still the most valid document for Kosovo. “We hope Ban Ki-moon will act in line with this resolution and these views while allowing the continuation of UNMIK’s presence in Kosovo territory despite the fact that, through a very bad political decision, Belgrade has permitted EULEX to replace UNMIK,” Jaksic said.

Ban calls for co-operation between Kosovo and Serbia (Kosova Sot/Bota Sot)
In an interview with Serbian media, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that, during his trip to Kosovo and Serbia, he would call on leaders to fully co-operate. “I was concerned about the state of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and their failure to reconcile,” Ban said. “Both parties must fully cooperate for the sake of their prosperity and security in the region. This is what I will be talking to the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo about.”

Thaçi: Dick Marty insulted people of Kosovo (dailies)
Several dailies reported an interview given by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi to the Swiss television show, “Pardonnez-moi”. Thaçi expressed gratitude toward the Swiss people and their government, recalling that Switzerland supported the Albanian people in the most difficult times of its history by offering them refuge and shelter.

Thaçi preferred not to dwell on the negative cases of Albanians involved in crime in Switzerland and mentioned positive cases including how Albanians integrated in Swiss society.

Asked to comment on claims made by Swiss Senator Dick Marty regarding the organ trade, Thaçi said Marty’s claims were “a pamphlet project aimed at ruining the independence of Kosovo” and that “Marty is known for his positions against Kosovo.” “The report is an insult to my family and my people. This is why I call on EULEX to do its work and reveal the truth,” Thaçi added.

Pacolli promises new recognitions from Africa (dailies)
“Kosovo will soon be recognized by other African countries,” Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Behxhet Pacolli, who is visiting Kenya, told Radio Kosova yesterday. Pacolli said new recognitions will come on the eve of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, which will be held on the third week of September.

“I believe that before the start of the UN assembly we will have new recognitions and with this the process will move forward. Now we have the biggest part of Africa on our side, they are our friends,” Pacolli said.

“The biggest obstacles to Kosovo came from African countries, who were faithful to non-aligned countries. With every initiative we launched, we faced obstacles from these countries. This is why I saw that it is very reasonable to co-operate with these states.”

Referendum only viable option for LDK (Zëri)
In case international pressure for entering a broad-based coalition government ahead of political talks with Serbia is stepped up against the leading opposition party, LDK, the party is considering holding a referendum where citizens would declare whether they support entering political talks with Serbia. Depending on this outcome, the party would decide on joining the government or not.

A senior unnamed official from LDK told Zëri that though the option mentioned above has not yet been discussed by decision-making bodies within the party, the idea nevertheless has been mentioned as a viable option. Member of the party’s presidency, Eqrem Kryeziu, said that holding a referendum would be the most righteous thing to do but “knowing the internationals, a referendum is out of the question.”

Spahiu ambassador of Ankara, Sejdiu consul in New York (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports that Avni Spahiu is expected to be appointed Kosovo’s ambassador of Ankara, Turkey, while Bekim Sejdiu, the diplomat formely heading this embassy for four years, is in line to take the post as consul in New York.

Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Koha Ditore that Spahiu and Sejdiu’s new appointments are part of the rotation of diplomatic and consular staff between countries. Spahiu was ambassador of New York until April when Akan Ismaili was appointed to the post. Sejdiu meanwhile will take up the vacant post of consul once Arta Rama-Hajrizi is appointed as judge for the Constitutional Court.

The front-page story also indicates that former Economy Minister Ahmet Shala will assume the post of ambassador of Japan in a few days.

Grass and trees barricade Ibër Bridge (Koha)
The paper reports that grass and wood now cover the barricade on the main River Ibër bridge, which physically symbolizes the division of the city of Mitrovica. The barricade was set up in August by Serb parallel structures supported by the government in Belgrade.

Mitrovica municipal officials say the barricade is one of the main obstacles to freedom of movement. “The barricade on the Ibër Bridge, in addition to representing a bad image, also causes major problems for the free movement of residents from the north,” said Mitrovica deputy mayor Riza Haziri. He added that Albanian residents from the northern neighborhoods are forced to use alternate routes and that the same problem impacts the residents of Albanian villages in Leposavic municipality.

Surely towards retendering (Express)
Express reports on the front page that the Kosova B power plant will be removed from the tender package of the Kosova e Re project. The decision was made on Monday by the steering committee of the project. Unnamed sources told the paper that this was also requested by the prequalifying bidders.

The paper recalls the government had forcefully included the Kosova B power plant in the tender package and will now have to remove it through the Assembly. In the event that MPs vote against the decision, everything surrounding the project will have to start from scratch.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Ahtisaari package, legally invalid for the north
• Spahiu ambassador of Ankara, Sejdiu consul in New York
• Can there be ideological reasons behind Cyprus’ position against Kosovo?
• Surroi: The young communists
• Vetëvendosje: Çalik-Limak consortium should give up on KEK

Other headlines
• No European integration without economic development (2)
• Grass and trees barricade Ibër Bridge (3)
• Diaspora should be seen as ambassador of Kosovo (4)
• FDA: Hemofarm drugs have deadly bacteria (5)
• Krstimir Pantic, candidate for head of Kosovo Office in Serbia (5)
• Ban: Srebrenica is carved in the conscience of the UN (8)

Zëri

Front page
• Referendum only viable option for LDK
• Pacolli promises new recognitions from Africa
• Anti-corruption, key topic of EU
• Çollaku: The decisive September!
• Parties with logic of exclusion
• State intervention doesn’t end smuggling
• Zogiani: The MP turn

Other headlines
• €10 million for the heads of Dacic and Tadic (2)
• Belgrade to resume dialogue with Pristina (2)
• Handover of mortal remains to nine people (2)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Thaçi file, another abuse by Pristina municipal court
• Editorial: The state is on leave
• 63% of electricity gets lost in the north
• Prime Minister’s advisor profits thousands of Euros
• FDA: Hemofarm drugs are deadly

Other headlines
• Ban calls for co-operation between Kosovo and Serbia (2)
• Constitutional Court reviews case of the Penal Code (2)
• Thaçi: Dick Marty insulted people of Kosovo (4)
• Sweden expects political talks between Pristina and Belgrade (4)
• LDK accuses Government of betraying war veterans (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• PD will not move from the Government
• Thaçi: Marty wishes to destroy independence of Kosovo
• Autumn to bring about a powerful opposition?
• Kuçi: 25 July action sank ambitions for partition

Other headlines
• Dialogue to resume in August (2)
• Economy, challenge for European integration (8)
• Beqaj: Development of private sector, Government’s priority (8)
• Vetëvendosje: Stay away from KEK! (9)
• Free movement challenges the north (10)

Express

Front page
• Surely towards retendering
• The terror continues
• We are 64

Other headlines
• Idrizi: Are weapons in our culture? (2)
• Rexha: The new rector has work to do! (3)
• Sweden: Continue the dialogue (4)
• Appreciation for Switzerland (4)
• Rohan: Three preconditions for the north (5)
• Pacolli expects recognitions (5)
• Dan consul (6)
• Problem with illegal (7)
• Serbian medicaments, lethal (8)
• Against unilateral arrests and searches (9)

Bota Sot

Front page
• National unification, a courageous dream, an ideal for every Albanian
• James Berisha continues mission “Recognise independence of Kosovo”
• Serbs prevent free movement, Albanians demand removal of barricades
• For EU integration, Kosovo should have a sustainable economy
• This Government’s end is close, Keep away from KEK!

Other headlines
• Pacolli promises new recognitions from Africa (2)
• Sweden expects continuation of the dialogue (2)
• Rohan: Three preconditions for resolving the north’s issue (3)
• Diplomacy politicised, PDK’s Ramadan Avdiu appointed consul in Geneva (3)
• Ban concerned over Kosovo-Serbia relations (4)