Dell: Serbian elections in Kosovo without effec

• Dell: Serbian elections in Kosovo without effect (dailies)
• Police forces to double in the north (Zëri)
• Rasmussen appeals for calm (dailies)
• Security situation in the north, deteriorating (Koha Ditore)
• Serbian Gendarmerie arrests eight Albanians in Preshevo Valley (dailies)
• Brussels silent over arrests of Albanians in Serbia (Koha Ditore)
• Obama guarantees Kosovo’s perspective (Zëri)
• UN to discuss Kosovo on 14 May (Kosova Sot)
• Thaçi discusses rewording articles of the Penal Code (dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Dell: Serbian elections in Kosovo without effect (dailies)
US Ambassador Christopher Dell said that Serbian local elections in Kosovo will have no effect. “The local elections that will be held in the north have no effect and they are not longer important just like the referendum held previously in the north which was ignored,” he said.

Dell also mentioned the stance of UNMIK whose chief said that he would not cooperate with elected Serb local leaders. “UNMIK, Belgrade and the international community have said that these elections will have no effect and will have no legitimacy,” stressed Dell.

Police forces to double in the north (Zëri)
The number of police forces is expected to double over the weekend in the north, reports the paper. In the Mitrovica region alone, there will be 900 police officers to make sure there no incidents during Serbian elections in Kosovo and to prevent the possible organisation of local elections in two municipalities in the north.

However, the opposition in Kosovo is of the opinion that police will not be able to prevent Serbian local elections on the territory of Kosovo considering that the voting will take place in areas where Kosovo Police have no access.
Rasmussen appeals for calm (dailies)
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called on leaders in Serbia and Kosovo to refrain from statements and unilateral actions which could increase tensions during this delicate situation. “I strongly encourage all leaders and communities to demonstrate restraint during the voting process. In this critical period, it is important to avoid any actions and unilateral statements that could increase tensions,” said Rassmusen in a statement.

Security situation in the north, deteriorating (Koha Ditore)
Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi told the Assembly’s commission on internal affairs that the situation in the north of the country is worsening. He said he has undertaken a number of actions to create security for citizens living in the north.

“Based on the situation created after the killing of the citizen Selver Haradinaj on 8 April, we have stepped up security measures in this region especially in the most sensitive areas and we have increased the number of patrols and visibility in the streets and we also have reinforced police stations in Mitrovica city with additional personnel,” said Rexhepi in a brief statement.

Rexhepi also said that the Kosovo Police has prepared an operational plan to prevent illegal Serbian elections in Kosovo.

Serbian Gendarmerie arrest eight Albanians in Preshevo Valley (dailies)
Papers report that Serbian Gendarmerie undertook search operations in three locations of Bujanovc municipality and arrested eight Albanians, five of whom are former members of the Liberation Army for Preshevo, Bujanovc and Medvegjë.

The five arrested men, according to Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, are accused of committing war crimes during the conflict in Preshevo Valley in 2001.

Zëri reports that the arrests comes at the time when election silence has started in Serbia and that Albanian leadership in the Preshevo Valley is now considering boycotting local and parliamentary elections.

Express reports that the Kosovo Government has condemned the arrests saying the move was anti-European and destabilizing for the peace in the region.

Brussels silent over arrests of Albanians in Serbia (Koha Ditore)
Officials of the EU and NATO have not reacted to the arrest of eight Albanians in the Preshevo Valley by Serbian police, five of whom are accused of war crimes. Though the paper says that unofficially, many diplomats from the EU and NATO share the view that Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic has damaged Serbia’s image through the arrests, none of them agreed to say anything on the issue on record. NATO and EU are interested, above all, to preserve peace and quiet during Serbia’s elections in Kosovo.

Obama guarantees Kosovo’s perspective (Zëri)
US President Barack Obama said that his country will remain committed to Kosovo’s independence and its territorial integrity and sovereignty and also pledged continued assistance for Kosovo’s full integration into regional and international institutions. Obama made the remarks during a reception for the new Kosovo Ambassador to the US, Akan Ismaili.

UN to discuss Kosovo on 14 May (Kosova Sot)
The paper reports that the UN Security Council will hold a session on Kosovo on 14 May. It will debate on the regular quarterly report of UNMIK on the situation in Kosovo. The paper recalls that in the last session, the UN ambassadors called on Pristina and Belgrade to continue the dialogue and to find a solution for Kosovo’s representation in regional forums, which was achieved in March.

Thaçi discusses rewording articles of the Penal Code (dailies)
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has called for the rewording of articles 37 and 38 of the Penal Code but, as Koha Ditore points out, he did not ask for their complete removal as has been requested by the media representatives and his deputy Hajredin Kuçi.

“The position presented by Deputy Prime Minister Kuçi regarding the Penal Code, namely articles 37 and 38, is also the position of the Kosovo Government. Of course there is a need for reassessment and rewording. We will have a Code and articles of the highest European and western standards,” said Thaçi.

Papers also report that the Penal Code has now been submitted to the office of the Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and that she will have eight days to decide whether to send the law back to the Assembly or endorse it.