Government to allow Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo

• Government to allow Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo (dailies)
• Ballots for local elections arrive in Zveçan (Koha Ditore)
• Visa liberalization roadmap, hostage to French elections (Zëri)
• Stefanovic requests special status for the north (Koha Ditore)
• MUP members move out of Three Towers complex (Koha Ditore)
• Today, special session for the north (dailies)
• NGOs to stage protest in Pristina (dailies)
• Bllaca writes to Thaçi (Epoka e Re)


Kosovo Media Highlights


Government to allow Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo (dailies)
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi felt it his constitutional duty to facilitate citizens of Kosovo in voting for Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections, writes Koha Ditore. In this respect, he met OSCE General Secretary Lamberto Zannier whom he asked to help in organizing Serbian parliamentary elections in the territory of Kosovo. “This is our constitutional and legal duty,” said Thaçi.

According to him, citizens of Kosovo will be assisted in voting for Serbian parliament and president while the ballot boxes will then be transported to Serbia by an international organization. Thaçi ruled out the possibility of polling centres opening in Kosovo though. He said there would be two OSCE mobile centres to enable citizens to vote.

Zannier on his part said that OSCE is seriously considering the request of the Kosovo Government and a final decision on this issue is expected by the end of the week.

Ballots for local elections arrive in Zveçan (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore sources from the north of Kosovo, said that ballots for Serbia’s local elections arrived in Zveçan in the night between Monday and Tuesday. According to the sources, ballots were brought by a van and they were placed at a house behind the House of Culture in Zveçan.

The same source also informed on the electoral gathering of the leader of Serbia’s Democratic Party, Vojislav Kostunica, in the north of Mitrovica, who stated that there are to ways to reach the European Union, one means by pressure and humiliations from anyone in Brussels, while the other one is with Serbia being a free and sovereign country, as it always was in history.

Visa liberalization roadmap, hostage to French elections (Zëri)
The paper quotes sources as saying that the presentation of a final version of the visa liberalization roadmap for Kosovo will not happen until the end of elections in France. According to the paper, Benelux countries but mainly France are the countries that caused the most troubles regarding conditions that should be put forth to Kosovo as these countries are extremely tired of the large number of asylum seekers.

No official in Paris wants to give the green light for the finalization of the roadmap without knowing who will be in the next government, adds the paper. Presidential elections in France are set to take place on 22 April but another round is expected on 6 May. This means that Kosovo will not receive the document at least in the next two months.

Stefanovic requests special status for the north (Koha Ditore)
Head of Serbian delegation in the discussions with Kosovo, Borislav Stefanovic, said that his country is ready to continue the dialogue with Kosovo. “It will be difficult, but we are working on the direction of receiving the date for negotiations on EU membership by December,” said Stefanovic to RFE, adding that a special status should be given to the north of Kosovo. “There are examples for this, such as the one in Southern Tyrol or that of the two Germanies,” said Stefanovic.

MUP members move out of Three Towers complex (Koha Ditore)
Six members of the Serbian MUP have moved out of their flats in the Three Towers complex of north Mitrovica, the paper reports. The move is said to have come as a result of an order the six MUP members received after the killing of Selver Haradinaj. The reinforcements of Kosovo Police special forces in south Mitrovica caused concern with Serbian structures in the north which then ordered the MUP members to relocate.

At the same time, the paper reports that the Serb ultra-nationalist group known as “Obraz” has announced it will come to the north of Kosovo. The same announcement has been made also by other radical groups which, according to Koha Ditore, include family members of Serb northern leaders.

Today, special session for the north (dailies)
Kosova Sot reports that the Presidency of Assembly has supported on Tuesday the request of PDK parliamentary group to hold a special session on the north of Kosovo. The PDK request which gathered 46 signatures comes after the failure of Vetëvendosje’s similar initiative which did not receive support of the two other opposition parties.

NGOs to stage protest in Pristina (dailies)
The council of Kosovo NGOs has announced it will organize a peaceful protest in Pristina’s Mother Teresa square on 24 April against the terrorist attack on the family of Selver Haradinaj in north Mitrovica. The protest will have only one motto: Stop terrorism. The protesters will bear no flags and no one will hold any speeches, the NGOs said.

Bllaca writes to Thaçi (Epoka e Re)
Dailies report that the self-professed agent of Kosovo Informative Service (SHIK) Nazim Bllaca, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. “Mr. Prime Minister, as a KLA soldier, I was injured in two parts of my body and I have evidence issued by the Military Hospital in village Krojmir, therefore I am requesting from you to allow me, Nazim Bllaca, to through the Office of war invalids, of the Office of the Prime Minister, grant me the status of war disabled,” says the letter.

“Mr. Prime Minister, I was not injured after the war in some assassination of LDK senior officials,” says Bllaca adding that he has evidence that he was wounded during the war, as he has evidence that he was part of SHIK killing squad, “an agency created by your signature.”

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Thaçi for holding of Serbian elections in Kosovo
• The north attempted to be put under control through statements
• MPs criticize RTK for expenses in 2011
• MUP members move, “Obraz” announces arrival in the north


Other headlines
• EULEX still with no investigations results (2)
• Stefanovic asks for special status for the north (2)
• Ballots for local elections arrive in Zveçan (2)
• Protest against terrorism (2)
• Croatia reconfirms support for Kosovo’s independence and sovereignty (2)
• Haxhinasto and Selimi meet over recent events in Mitrovica and Macedonia (3)
• Haradinaj: This Government cannot solve the north issue (3)
• Kostunica in Mitrovica appeals for ‘protection of Kosovo’ (4)
• CEC calls on parties to respect timeframe for start of campaign (5)
• Thaçi calls to help Lipjan and Shtime to win in Ferizaj (5)
• Bllaca, letter to Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi (6)

Zëri

Front page
• Roadmap, hostage to French elections
• Director from prison too!
• Thaçi asks for details from Berisha
• Session on the north today: Opposition doesn’t want fake unity
• Nazim Bllaca, letter to Thaçi

Other headlines
• Belgrade ‘ready’ to continue dialogue (4)
• Croatia, help to Kosovo in integrations (5)
• Stick against voters (5)
• NGO’s to protest in Pristina about Mitrovica (6)
• Police’s tender for cars suspended (7)
• Kosovo in the hands of Fazlic and Hamovic (supplement)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Scary in Serbia
• Kosovo Government facilitates voting of Serbs
• Editorial: Waiting for the envelope
• Coalition did not fulfill its promises

Other headlines
• Today, a special session for the north (2)
• Prosecution Council sends the list of prosecutors to Presidency (3)
• Croatia reconfirms support for integrity of the Republic of Kosovo (4)
• Thaçi appeals for maturity in Macedonia (4)
• EU hails Serbia’s decision on local elections (4)
• Bllaca writes to Thaçi: I want the status of war disabled (4)
• Plan for PTK privatization presented (7)
• Salustro is not replaced by Charles Hardway prosecutor (11)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Government, guilty for the north
• They speak about the north today
• Thaçi: Only OSCE mobile polls
• PTK has to be privatized within the year

Other headlines
• Josipovic thanks Albanians (2)
• Tadic: Practical elections for Kosovo (2)
• Stefanovic: A special status for the north (2)
• KSF commander visits Turkey (2)
• OSCE to decide on organizing elections by the end of the week (3)
• CEC calls parties to respect the legal deadline for campaign (5)
• In 2013, Kosovo with a new airport (8)
• Skopje requests help from neighboring countries (13

Express

Front page
• Special aims for the north

Other headlines
• Thaçi appeals to the citizens of Macedonia (4)
• Croatian support (5)
• They discuss today (5)
• Divisions about the elections in Kosovo (6)
• Facilitate elections (6)
• Bllaca, letter to Prime Minister (7)
• In May to be investigated about mass grave (9)
• They request strategy for employment (11)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Your co-party members taught me how to kill I am requesting war disability status!
• On Wednesday Assembly discusses “specially” for the north

Other headlines
• The Head of EU supports economic development and integration for Kosovo (2)
• Kosovo: With all legal means against Serb elections (3)
• Croatia can train KSF (3)
• The new “Pro-Serb” mission of Zannier in Republic of Kosovo (4)
• Seremb Gjergji with a strategy for the north (6)
• You are working good, says Prime Minister to the investors in the Adem Jashari Airport (7)
• PTK will be privatized this way (11)