Government with “municipal administration” for Mitrovica north

• Government with “municipal administration” for Mitrovica north (dailies)
• Zbogar: Problems in the north to be resolved through dialogue (Zëri)
• Police and Customs in the north locked in containers (Koha Ditore)
• Replies to Brussels (Express)
• Kosovars want the north to be treated equally as the rest of Kosovo (Koha)
• A Polish official to become head of EULEX (Koha Ditore)
• O’Brien: Kosovo on the right track (Zëri)
• Theories of the Commission (Express)
• Two houses of Serbs burned in Drenoc of Klina (dailies)
• Albania takes on CoE presidency (dailies)
• Police arrest 18 students protesting against a University decision (dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Government with “municipal administration” for Mitrovica north (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the Kosovo Government decided on Wednesday to create a “municipal administration” for north Mitrovica. The government has named it the “Administrative Office of North Mitrovica”.

Commenting on the decision, Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said the office would be no more and no less than other offices seen in Gracanica, Shtërpce, or in Ranillug, all municipalities inhabited mainly by the Serb community. Thaçi’s deputy, Minister Slobodan Petrovic, said the office coordinator would have the same competencies as all mayors of municipalities in Kosovo.

The paper further notes that the Government will select 80 persons to occupy post in seven departments. For years such an office has been functioning in the framework of the United Nations in Kosovo, UNMIK. The Government allocated a yearly budget for it although residents there don’t recognize Kosovo’s constitutional authority and are maintaining strong ties with Serbia. Early next year the Government will allocate that budget for the management of the newly established office.
The Administrative Office of north Mitrovica founded by the Government will replace the similar one which is functioning at the present under the authority of UNMIK. This office will manage the entire state budget for northern Mitrovica and will handle all administrative procedures. The local authorities were not able to say when this office will start functioning.

Minister Thaçi said the decision is a continuation of the activities to finalize the monitoring of independence. According to him, the decision was taken by the government which then informed the Head of ICO, Peter Feith, EULEX authorities, KFOR, European Commission, UNMIK, and the EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar.

Feith who has supreme authority in Kosovo, until supervised independence is terminated, was himself at the press conference where the decision of the Government was shared. He said that this decision is part of the final steps towards the full implementation of the Marti Ahtisaari Plan, on the basis of which independence of Kosovo was declared.

Zëri remarks on the front page that the northern part of Kosovo cannot be integrated by opening administrative offices. The paper quotes political analysts as saying that the latest move by the Kosovo Government is part of a series of many failures to integrate the north. “The Government of Kosovo has not changed its approach toward the north. That region needs law and order and you cannot buy law and order, you can only establish law and order by implementing laws. This is just another step to buy more time,” political analyst Avni Zogiani told the paper.

Zbogar: Problems in the north to be resolved through dialogue (Zëri)
EU Special Representative Samuel Zbogar is quoted as saying in Zëri that Brussels is interested in the situation in Mitrovica to be stabilized and for problems to be resolved through talks. Zbogar made these remarks after meeting Mitrovica mayor Avni Kastrati yesterday who told the EU official that the main problem in Mitrovica remains the lack of freedom of movement in the north as a result of actions by Serb parallel structures there. Kastrati also called on Zbogar to find ways to implement several projects that offer perspectives for all residents of the municipality regardless of their ethnic background.

Police and Customs in the north locked in containers (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Police and Customs were criticized by the members of the Assembly commission on internal affairs and security on their performance carrying out their tasks and responsibilities at northern border gates 1 and 31. Anton Çuni, member of the commission, said that the police and customs officers at these gates spend all their time locked in their containers and are unable to perform their duties. “It’s a public secret that a Kosovo customs officer and police officer remain locked in a container with no ability to control goods passing through the border,” said Çuni.

However, Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said the presence of the police and customs in the north is in accordance to obligations the Kosovo Government had assumed after reaching of the agreement on integrated border management. According to Rexhepi, Kosovo authorities have a supervisory role and that this situation will last until IBM is implemented. “EULEX has the operational role,” added Rexhepi.

Replies to Brussels (Express)
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi said on Wednesday that the Government will not start a new round of discussions with Serbia, without the implementation of the agreements reached so far, respectively the agreement for regional cooperation and integrated management of borders.

He said that the position of the Government is very clear, first the implementation of the reached agreements then continuance of the dialogue. He stated that Pristina has always been for neighborly cooperation and normalization of the relations with all states, as well as with Serbia.

Kosovars want the north to be treated equally as the rest of Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the majority of Kosovo citizen surveyed by USAID through the poll “public pulse” have agreed that the north of Mitrovica should be treated equally as other parts of Kosovo. The UN Coordinator and the Permanent Representative of UNDP in Kosovo, Osnat Lubrani, during the presentation of the survey on Wednesday, evaluated that the situation in the north of Kosovo as a very big concern. “The majority want to see this region addressed as other parts of Kosovo, about 62 percent of them, and 40 percent of the respondents support the full implementation of the constitution of Kosovo and the Ahtisaari Plan for that part”, said Lubrani. In the report of UNDP it also says that there are about 6 percent of the citizens that agree that the situation in the north should remain the same as it has been since 1999.

A Polish official to become head of EULEX (Koha Ditore)
The European Union is expected to nominate soon an official from Poland as the head of EULEX. The procedures to nominate the new chief of the mission, so far headed by two French generals, started a week ago, and in a short period of time, the EU is expected to make the nomination official. The final decision on this issue is expected to be made by the EU Committee for Policies and Security, after receiving a recommendation from the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton. Sources of the newspaper claimed that except for the new chief, the biggest EU mission will also have a new figure as deputy chief.

O’Brien: Kosovo on the right track (Zëri)
The paper notes that unlike many other international officials who visit Kosovo and then leave disappointed, the British Under-Secretary of State in the Department for International Development, Stephen O’Brien, said he was impressed with Kosovo’s development and the commitment of Kosovo institutions to meet international obligations. In an interview for the paper, O’Brien said Great Britain would continue to be a powerful partner of Kosovo in the future. “When you think about the past situation in Kosovo and look at the current situation, it is clear that there has been enormous progress and this gives faith for the future,” O’Brien said.

Theories of the Commission (Express)
Express reports that there was no word yesterday from Kosovo Intelligence Agency regarding the arrest of Bojan Bozovic, arrested some time ago in Serbia. This institution has neither denied nor confirmed the information that Bozovic, former correspondent of Klan Kosova in north Mitrovica, was a member of this agency. However, members of the Commission for supervision of this institution, Florin Krasniqi and Bekim Haxhiu, claim that they do not have precise information regarding the eventual actions of this individual, and according to some of them, this could be a fabrication of Serbia’s intelligence service. “The agency does not issue identity cards. This is an effort of BIA agency, and other agencies to blackmail and harm the image of KIA,” said Krasniqi.

Two houses of Serbs burned in Drenoc of Klina (dailies)
The papers report that two houses owned by Serbs in the Klina village of Drenoc were burned only days after the Serb residents were distributed leaflets threatening them if they stay in Kosovo there will be problems. The leaflets were said to have been issued by the Albanian National Army. Only material damage was reported from the arson while the police confirmed that they have no one in detention regarding the case.

Minister of Returns and Communities Radojica Tomic visited the site yesterday and said that such acts are not in anyone’s favour. “Days ago we signed the project for the return of 12 Serb families to this village, we have made huge efforts for the return of Serbs and won’t let anyone set us back from our commitment,” said Tomic. The act was also condemned by Klina Mayor Sokol Bashota.

Albania takes on CoE presidency (dailies)
In a special ceremony, Republic of Albania took over the presidency of the Council of Europe yesterday. On the occasion, Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto addressed the Council’s committee of ministers and spoke in favour of Kosovo’s membership to the organization because, as he said, this would be the only way Kosovo citizens would maximally benefit from the Council of Europe and would also have access to the European Court of Human Rights.

Police arrest 18 students protesting against a University decision (dailies)
Eighteen students from the University of Pristina, members of the student movement “Study, Criticism and Action”, were arrested yesterday by police. The students protested before the building of the University against the decision to condition participation of the movement in students’ elections. After they refused to disperse, police arrested 18 protesters whom they released after interview.


Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Government with “municipal administration” for Mitrovica north
• Parliamentary committee has no access to AKI expenditures
• Kosovars want the north to be treated like other parts of Kosovo
• A Polish official at helm of EULEX
• Police and customs officers in the north sealed in a container

Other headlines
• US calls on Nikolic to work with Kosovo (3)
• Kosovo against weapons of mass destruction (4)
• Police arrests 18 students of SKV movement (5)
• Two Serb houses in Drenoc near Klina burned (6)

Zëri

Front page
• The north cannot be integrated with offices
• Problems in the north to be solved through dialogue
• The millionaire mayors
• Growing dissatisfaction with the government’s work
• O’Brien: Kosovo on the right track
• SKV activists are beaten and arrested

Other headlines
• US encourages Nikolic to be constructive toward Kosovo (2)
• EU without a clear agenda on dialogue (2)
• US-Kosovo relations, ever so strong (5)
• No talks without implementation of agreements (8)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• CEC delays registration of AKSH as a political party
• Editorial: Drastic fall
• The €4-million office in the north
• Police arrests 18 students

Other headlines
• Committee adopts the plan (2)
• Assembly doesn’t know how AKI spends the budget (2)
• US calls on Nikolic to work with Kosovo (4)
• Thaçi: No talks without implementation of agreements (4)
• UNDP poll shows dropping levels of satisfaction with Government’s work (5)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Another step towards the north
• Thaçi: There is no dialogue without respecting the agreements
• With separate roads
• Trust shakes
• PDK supports business and economic development

Other headlines
• Cooperation on security and education increases (2)
• Nikolic should work with Kosovo (2)
• Albania takes on CoE presidency (2)
• Vetëvendosje competes with Luta, AKR with Berisha (3)
• Questionnaire will be submitted to EC on 8 June (5)
• Student elections start with problems (7)
• Kosovo promotes economic capacities (9)

Express

Front page
• Special approach
• Agreement of allies
• Why was Ramë Tafilaj killed

Other headlines
• Mushkolaj: The Government of garbage (2)
• Rexhepi: Drenica and Dukagjin in danger (3)
• Decentralization should be reconsidered (4)
• Nikolic to cooperate with Kosovo (5)
• Dissatisfied with the Government (6)
• At the Council for Kosovo (6)
• Replies to Brussels (6)
• Theories of the Commission (7)
• Two Serb houses set on fire (9)


Bota Sot

Front page
• Did members of SHIK also entered in AKI?
• The Government establishes a special Administrative Office in the north

Other headlines
• The presentation of Woman in every segment of life is a challenge (2)
• Dell and Hoxhaj: Relations Kosovo – USA are sacred (4)
• Also Prime Minister “To clean Kosovo” (6)
• Petrovic and Dell visit tomorrow Hoca e Madhe (3)
• Krasniqi welcomed one group of politicians from Albania (6)
• Former KLA fighter are committing suicides (7)
• Mustafa says that LDK is preparing to take over the Government (15)