Hasani: Constitutional Court under political pressure

• Hasani: Constitutional Court under political pressure (Koha Ditore – front page)
• Jacobson calls on AAK to help normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations (dailies)
• Limaj: No coalition can make decisions for Kosovo (Zëri – front page)
• Kuçi: No one is avoiding LDK (Epoka e Re - front page)
• Rexhepi criticizes KFOR commander (Kosova Sot – page 3)
• Vulin: Voice of Kosovo Serbs is being heard (Zëri – page 4)
• Nedeljkovic: KFOR and EULEX plan violent actions (Kosova Sot – page 2)
• Kosovo marks progress in decentralization, but without the north (dailies)
• Vetëvendosje “sells” Hashim Thaçi’s house for €26.300 (dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Hasani: Constitutional Court under political pressure (Koha Ditore) – front page
Enver Hasani, chairman of the Constitutional Court, said the assessment of the committee regarding constitutional amendments is political pressure as the ruling of the Constitutional Court on the mandate of the President was unprofessional.

Members of the committee criticized a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which in their eyes throws away more than half of their months work on the amendment of the Constitution.

“Criticism from political bodies that don’t have the legitimacy of a constitutional body is nothing but political pressure on the work of the Constitutional Court,” Hasani was quoted as saying. “We would be concerned if the criticism had been signed by 30 members of the Kosovo Assembly.”

Jacobson calls on AAK to help normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations (dailies)
Dailies report that the U.S. Ambassador in Kosovo, Tracey Ann Jacobson, appealed to the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo to contribute in the normalization of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. She has presented this request to the AAK officials during one of her introduction meetings with the representatives of the country on Tuesday.

“We discussed a range of different issues and I expressed my support for the AAK on many issues, that are being proceeded through the Assembly, including also all the issues that concern the conclusion of the supervised independence,” said the U.S. Ambassador. She said that after the conclusion of the supervised independence, the reform of the election system will be in the agenda of Kosovo institutions.

Limaj: No coalition can make decisions for Kosovo (Zëri) – front page
PDK deputy leader Fatmir Limaj said that before entering negotiations with Serbia, the Kosovo Government should hold internal dialogue with all institutions and political parties in the country in order to have a united position and not enter the process of talks without a plan and without conditions. Limaj told the paper that neither the PDK nor AAK can decide about the fate of Kosovo, as the only masters of the country are its people. “And if they think that they were in the KLA and that they can do whatever they want with Kosovo, they are seriously wrong,” he added.

Limaj said changing the ruling coalition was never discussed by the PDK chairmanship. He also said that talks with Serbian President Nikolic and Prime Minister Dacic can be held only after they apologize for crimes committed and dissolve parallel structures in northern Kosovo.

According to Limaj, the northern part will receive nothing more than the Ahtisaari Package, “because this was the most painful compromise for Kosovo.”

Kuçi: No one is avoiding LDK (Epoka e Re) – front page
The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hajredin Kuçi, appealed publicly to the Democratic League of Kosovo to be part of the significant processes for the state. This statement comes a day after LDK leadership member Lutfi Haziri told Epoka e Re that LDK cannot be avoided during the significant processes of the country.

Kuçi hailed Haziri’s statement adding that LDK will have sufficient and proportional space in the future processes of the country. “Lutfi Haziri is completely right because LDK is the second party in the country and it has a state building tradition,” said Kuçi, adding that giving space to this party is an obligation that LDK also uses as state and national responsibility.

Rexhepi criticizes KFOR commander (Kosova Sot) – page 3
Outgoing commander of KFOR General Erhard Drews said “resistance in the north is encouraged by certain radical political representatives who want to keep the situation under control as well as by criminal groups that want to safeguard their businesses which are based on smuggling and trafficking.”

Kosovo’s Interior Affairs Minister Bajram Rexhepi said Drews’ statement was unrealistic and rather late: “They never mentioned things that we said before or they were reserved, whereas now at the end of their mandate he says things how they really are.”

Vulin: Voice of Kosovo Serbs is being heard (Zëri) – page 4
Aleksandar Vulin, head of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, ended his visit in the northern part of Kosovo and assured Kosovo Serbs that their voice is being heard. “They won’t be able to divide us, regardless of which part of Serbia we live in,” Vulin said, adding that the voice of Kosovo Serbs will be heard at the upcoming talks between Pristina and Belgrade. “This government has promised that the voice of the people of Kosovo will be heard. We talked about problems, on how to move forward and how to provide a better life for our people.”

Nedeljkovic: KFOR and EULEX plan violent actions (Kosova Sot) – page 2
Radenko Nedeljkovic, head of the so-called Mitrovica District, said he has information that KFOR and EULEX plan to launch violent actions aimed at shutting down border crossing points and forcefully integrate Serbs in Kosovo institutions. Serbian media report that Nedeljkovic called on residents of the north not to fall for provocations from KFOR and EULEX. “According to our information, they will also try to remove the barricade on the main bridge over Ibër,” Nedeljkovic said.

Kosovo marks progress in decentralization, but without the north (dailies)
Kosovo is making progress in the process of municipality decentralization, except in the northern part of the country which remained out of this process. The Government plans to allocate a special budget for decentralization of the country.

These conclusions have been made during the inter-ministerial meeting on the conclusion of decentralization. Those who participated in this meeting include: Kosovo’s Minister for Local Administration, Slobodan Petrovic; PM Hashim Thaçi; U.S. Ambassador in Kosovo, Tracey Ann Jacobson; the chief of the International Civilian Office, Pieter Feith; part of the Governing cabinet; as well as representatives of the municipalities. “There will be a special unit of the budget until the creation of the municipality in the northern part of Mitrovica,” said Slobodan Petrovic.

Vetëvendosje “sells” Hashim Thaçi’s house for €26.300 (dailies)
On Tuesday, activists of the Vetëvendosje movement placed a sign in front of the house of the Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi in Pristina’s Veternik neighborhood that read: “The property is for sale, €26.300.” They claim that this is a reaction to “the Prime Minister rushing to sell Kosovo public properties for ridiculous prices, especially those in strategic sections.” Vetëvendosje’s message for the Prime Minister was “to sell his own properties if he is so eager to sell.”


Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Hasani: Constitutional Court under political pressure
• MFA was suspicious about “recognition” from Mali
• Vetëvendosje sells Hashim Thaçi’s house for €26.300
• Jacobson calls on AAK to contribute to dialogue with Serbia
• Olluri family wants punishment for those responsible for their child’s death
• Serbia moves to the north part of cultural heritage taken from Kosovo
• Switzerland proposes Del Ponte to investigate crimes in Syria

• Other headlines
• Assembly speaker says he shares the pain of families of missing persons (2)
• Slovakia offers assistance in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (2)
• Kosovo marks progress in decentralization, but without the north (4)

Zëri

Front page
• Limaj: No coalition can make decisions for Kosovo
• Jona Med asks for an additional €1.3 million
• “A” for decentralization
• Shefkiu: Atifete and Helen of Troy
• Shala: We cooperate for the interest of the state

Other headlines
• Relations with Turkey must be advanced (2)
• Nishani: A visit to my fellow countrymen (2)
• Vetëvendosje puts up Thaçi’s house for sale (4)
• Mali’s army withdrew the recognition (4)
• Vulin: Voice of Kosovo Serbs is being heard (4)
• Ruling by Constitutional Court was unprofessional (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• They blocked for many years punishment of judges and prosecutors
• Editorial: Decentralization in half
• Mustafi: They fear me, Kabashi exerted pressure on me

Other headlines
• Nedeljkovic: KFOR and EULEX plan violent actions (2)
• AAK doesn’t avoid the north and reforms (2)
• The challenge of decentralization (2)
• Rexhepi criticizes the KFOR commander (3)
• Vetëvendosje “sells” Thaçi’s house (3)
• Opposition calls for a platform for talks with Serbia (3)
• Committee says ruling of Constitutional Court was unprofessional (3)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Kuçi: LDK is not being avoided
• AAK does not escape responsibility
• Hoxhaj: Kosovo will always exist as a state
• The north remains a challenge

Other headlines
• Bajrami reiterates his position (3)
• Drews decorated with “Distinguished achievement” medal (4)
• President Jahjaga decreed 42 municipal judges (4)
• Nishani: The visit of Kosovo, recognition and honoring of its citizens (4)
• Krasniqi: The time for a memorial in Pristina (5)
• Vetëvendosje “announces” Thaçi’s house for sale (6)
• Pacolli: Regarding Mali and recognition process (9)

Express

Front page
• Stop hanky-panky
• The municipality of coffees
• Ministry of cars
• Over two thousand hectares burned

Other headlines
• Rexhepi: Braking of monotony (2)
• Pacolli: Regarding Mali and recognition process (3)
• Leaves for Turkey (4)
• AAK promises (5)
• Kosovo contributed to the peace of the region (5)
• The Council invites them (6)
• They hit the Court (6)
• They sell it for a small amount (6)
• Drunk, attack the police (8)
• KSF honors Commander Drews (9)

Bota Sot

Front page
• The Constitution, political agreement and the President that does not resign
• A group of drunk Serbs head to the north of Kosovo
• Dialogue and political disagreements
• LDK in Prizren: Ramadan Muja drowned in organized crime

Other headlines
• Nishani: Visit to Kosovo, gratitude to its citizens (2)
• Slovakia wants to mediate Kosovo-Serbian dialogue (2)
• Vetëvendosje: There is no Kosovo without Mitrovica (3)
• President Jahjaga meets Ambassador Avni Spahiu (3)
• Vetëvendosje announces sale of PM Hashim Thaçi’s house (4)
• Jacobson meets AAK leaders (4)
• Pacolli: Regarding Mali and recognition process (6)