• Early elections in spring (Koha)
• Kosovo, ready for dialogue (Koha)
• AAK chairmanship gladly discusses coalition with PDK (Express)
• Cliff surprised that no official involved in corruption has resigned (dailies)
• Kosovo Police special units arrest Naser Kelmendi on Thursday (Koha)
• Krasniqi: Recognition by Egypt would bring new recognitions (dailies)
• Huruglica: Smuggling of goods from the north continues (Koha)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Early elections in spring (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that senior PDK officials and foreign diplomats in Kosovo are favoring the option of early elections versus the restructuring of the ruling coalition. Sources inside the PDK said that in the last days there has been serious discussion over the possibility of holding early presidential elections and general elections in spring next year. There is also a possibility that local elections, scheduled for autumn 2013, will be held at the same time as presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to an unidentified senior PDK official, such a scenario is expected to take place after Behxhet Pacolli is “forced” to resign from the post of Deputy Prime Minister. And if Pacolli, as he announced over a social network, refuses to resign, it is possible that he will be discharged.

“There has been such people and such media who have requested my “head”, but luckily they are only one small drop in the ocean and that citizens of Kosovo and my friends have much value for myself and about them now I am sacrificing everything”, has written Pacolli. But, according to the source, such action of Pacolli will not be right.

“For Pacolli it would be the best to leave, otherwise, there are chances that Thaçi will discharge him in the name of fighting corruption and in the name of legal state”, said the source.

Kosovo, ready for dialogue (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports on page three that Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi will meet EU High Representative Catherine Ashton next week. Unidentified sources told the paper that Thaçi will convey to Ashton, who will mediate upcoming political dialogue, that Kosovo is ready to start talks with Serbia at any time and at any level deemed appropriate by the US and the European Union.

Senior local and international officials, preferring to remain anonymous, confirmed to the paper that the Kosovar side has found the consensus formula for dialogue which is expected to be announced on the eve of dialogue. The formula will enable consultations between all political parties, with the exception of the Vetëvendosje Movement.

“It is not necessary for all to agree on dialogue, it is important to have a forum where discussions will be held and where the platform will be developed, Kosovo’s red lines will be set,” an international official told the paper.

AAK chairmanship gladly discusses coalition with PDK (Express)
Express reports on the front page that the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) is gladly commenting the idea for a coalition with the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK). The AAK chairmanship met on Thursday, but made no decision on the matter. AAK officials said they were waiting for the ICTY decision on their leader Ramush Haradinaj and they spared even the slightest criticism for the Thaçi Government.

The paper quotes AAK chairmanship member Besnik Tahiri as saying, “the AAK is ready to assume responsibilities for the country. We are ready to take on responsibilities for national issues. We are now waiting for chairman Haradinaj to return and we hope that the court will announce its verdict very soon.”

Cliff surprised that no official involved in corruption has resigned (dailies)
Several dailies quote British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff, as saying that the involvement of senior government officials in corruption affairs does not paint a good image for Kosovo. Cliff said he has yet to see a case in Kosovo when an official suspected of corruption resigns.

“To be honest I haven’t seen ministers or heads of important departments in the government claiming responsibility by resigning when something goes wrong. I honestly am not sure that there is enough accountability,” Cliff said. He said reasons behind the lack of accountability are mutual accusations between government officials about corruption as these create lack of clarity in identifying the real corrupt officials.

Kosovo Police special units arrest Naser Kelmendi on Thursday (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that special units of Kosovo Police arrested Naser Kelmendi on Thursday. Kelmendi is believed to be one the drug bosses in the Balkans and Europe. Accompanied by numerous police forces, Kelmendi was brought to the police station Center in Pristina around 19:30 hrs.

Sources from Kosovo Police told the paper that Kelmendi was arrested in Peja and was then transported to Pristina where he was interrogated for several hours. He told police that he is not Naser Kelmendi in an attempt to hide his identity.

“As soon as he was brought to the police station he denied that he is Naser Kelmendi, saying that they have arrested the wrong person. But police knew very well who they had arrested,” added the source.

The paper further notes that 55 year-old Kelmendi, who has Bosnian citizenship, several months ago was included in US President Barack Obama’s black list and is considered as the most dangerous person in Europe for American interests.

Krasniqi: Recognition by Egypt would bring new recognitions (dailies)
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi, on the second day of his visit to Egypt, has met representatives of political parties and with former candidates for president of Egypt in the latest presidential elections. He informed his hosts that Kosovo has been recognized from 91 different countries, members of United Nations. “We are expecting new recognitions”, emphasized Krasniqi, while concluding that recognition from Egypt, as the main country in the Arab and Muslim world, except that it open the path to deepen the cooperation between our two countries, will also bring recognitions from other countries.

Huruglica: Smuggling of goods from the north continues (Koha)
Koha Ditore on page nine quotes Kosovo Customs director Naim Huruglica as saying that the smuggling of goods through the northern part of the country has not stopped even after the 25th July 2011 operation by Kosovo Police in the north. The smuggling of oil and medicaments in the north continues, said Huruglica, adding that the north is a dark point for customs control.

“The north remains the biggest problem of Customs. Oil products and medicaments are still smuggled in that area,” Huruglica said. “There is smuggling outside Gates 1 and 31, but not in the proportions before 25th July 2011.”

He also said that according to some estimates, Kosovo loses at least €30-40 million annually from smuggling in the north.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Early elections in spring
• Kosovo, ready for dialogue with Serbia
• Cliff surprised that no official involved in corruption has resigned
• Smuggling in the north continues
• Police arrest Naser Kelmendi

Other headlines
• Krasniqi: Recognition by Egypt will bring new recognitions (2)
• Protesters: Privatization stinks of corruption (2)
• Pacolli: Small drops in the ocean are asking for my resignation (3)
• Census in the north cannot be joined with 2011 census (4)
• Nine years in prison for one of Veselinovic’s associates (5)
• Vetëvendosje: The state should invest in the energy sector (8)
• Abdixhiku: Lawless privatization (10)

Zëri

Front page
• PDK attracts opposition MPs
• Musliu: The trial was political
• Cenaj: Who are they with?
• Rasic makes Serb Church richer through Kosovo’s budget funds
• A century in prison, no reaction from Pristina
• They announced more radical protests
• AAK in a status quo
• Zogiani: Negotiations through “anti-crime war”

Other headlines
• Ashton meets Clinton, Thaçi and Nikolic on dialogue (2)
• Busek: Serbia must recognize Kosovo (2)
• Calmy-Rey, advisor to Jeremic! (4)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Resign!
• Editorial: Kosovar scandals
• Protocol was violated, budget is abused
• Two PDK MPs testify in Bllaca 2 case

Other headlines
• Calmy-Rey, advisor to Jeremic (2)
• Serbia asks for US assistance in dialogue with Kosovo (2)
• AAK chairmanship ignores coalition (2)
• Vetëvendosje calls on government to resign after Grand affair (3)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• LDK disproves itself
• Pacolli confesses about the case of “grand” hotel
• We are 1.738.348
• AAK discusses indirectly about the coalition
• Cliff surprised

Other headlines
• Ashton and Clinton meet for Kosovo (2)
• Krasniqi: Recognition from Egypt influences in other recognition (2)
• Recognition of Kosovo from USA has made angry Russia (2)
• Dacic hopes in American help about Kosovo (2)
• Pavicevic, head of Serb negotiation team (2)
• Law suit confirmed for former Prosecutor Mustafi (7)
• Immunity will not save Bukoshi (7)
• Protesters: Stop privatization (9)

Express

Front page
• Desire for coalition
• Very few in the protest
• Prosecutor with charges against him

Other headlines
• Promises from Egypt (4)
• Calmy Rey advisor of Jeremic (5)
• Pacolli does not leave (5)
• Kullashi: Non-resident Ambassador in Portugal (6)
• Serbia with head negotiator (6)
• Today the results about population census (7)
• Pantelic convicted with 9 years in jail (8)




Bota Sot

Front page
• Decission for the coalition PDK-AAK “is to be taken” in The Hague
• I am comfortable, I have reported the case in time
• Pacolli: I am working for Kosovo with my expenses

Other headlines
• LDK will not be part of talks with Serbia (2)
• Pantelic jailed with nine years for organized crime (2)
• Strange combination: Calmy-Ret, advisor of Jeremic (4)
• Muhamedin Kullashi, non-resident ambassador in Portugal (5)
• Vetëvendosje concerned for new compromises?! (11)
• LDK says that government continues to misuse public money (9)
• They protest in the rain against privatization of PTK, KEK and Trepça (11)