Kosovo Assembly approves Penal Code

• Kosovo Assembly approves Penal Code (dailies)
• Assembly passes law on Hoça e Madhe and Prizren historic zone (dailies)
• Civil society announces complaint and civil disobedience (Koha Ditore)
• Northern Serbs challenge Belgrade too (Zëri)
• Five EU states with different reasons for not recognizing Kosovo (dailies)
• Hoxhaj: We will dissolve parallel structures (Epoka e Re)
• Hasan Abazi released on bail from Vranje prison (dailies)
• Indictment raised against former culture ministers, Haraqia and Beqiri (dailies)
• Import with UNMIK/Kosovo documents to be stopped (Epoka e Re)


Kosovo Media Highlights

Kosovo Assembly approves Penal Code (dailies)
Assembly passed the penal code law under which journalists will be obliged to reveal their sources while editors and publishers will be held criminally responsible if they carry any news item that could be considered dangerous for the citizens. The papers strongly criticize the legislation in question. Koha Ditore writes that the Assembly is suffocating the freedom of the media while Zëri carries the caption, Prison for the media. The paper writes that the promise given by Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi of withdrawing two ‘problematic’ articles in the law was not kept and as a result the MPs voted in favour of articles that, according to Zëri, imprison the media.

Assembly passes law on Hoça e Madhe and Prizren historic zone (dailies)
Koha Ditore writes that Kosovo Assembly approved yesterday two pieces of legislation regarding Hoça e Madhe and Prizren under ‘instructions’ from the Government. MPs were handed directions on which amendments needed to be voted in favour and which against.

However, instructions from outside were not heeded by the members of the opposition and also certain MPs from ruling coalition. Nait Hasani from PDK threatened to send these laws to the Constitutional Court considering they breach the highest legal act. He noted that the laws in question make it possible for the Serb Orthodox Church to become a decision-making authority on organization of life in Hoça e Madhe and Prizren.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi admitted openly that instructions given to MPs on how to vote came from the Government but several unnamed MPs told Koha Ditore that voting directions in fact came from International Civilian Office. ICO Spokesperson Christian Palme said ICO is responsible for interpreting the Ahtisaari’s comprehensive status proposal but did not explain whether the organization also is involved in providing voting instructions.

Civil society announces complaint and civil disobedience (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that the approval of the law on Hoça e Madhe and Prizren’s historic zone by the Assembly has caused discontent with civil society organizations which consider the legislation to be anti-constitutional and discriminating.

“Law on Prizren was passed without taking into account remarks of the civil society or the parliamentary committee. Once again, the will of citizens documented through petition was violated,” said Hajrulla Çeku from the Prizren NGO coalition. Çeku announced that under the present circumstances, the only options remaining are the complaining to the Constitutional Court and civil disobedience.

Northern Serbs challenge Belgrade too (Zëri)
Representatives of Serbs in the north of Kosovo are ready to hold local elections on 6 May despite calls from international community and government in Belgrade not to hold elections as they are in conflict with UN SC Resolution 1244, writes the paper.

Parallel mayor of Mitrovica Krstimir Pantic said Serbian local elections will definitely take place in at least three municipalities, Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Shtërpce, while in other municipalities the international community may not allow elections.

At the same time, Serbian State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic told the paper that Belgrade will not prevent these elections from taking place but will not acknowledge their results.

Five EU states with different reasons for not recognizing Kosovo (dailies)
A study into the reasons why five EU countries have not recognized Kosovo revealed that Spain, Greece and Romania would be countries most easily convinced to change their mind towards independence of Kosovo while Slovakia and Cyprus have more staunchly views on recognizing Kosovo.

The study, supported by SOROS foundation, British Embassy, British Council, Kosovo Foreign Ministry and Foreign Policy Club found that Spain doesn’t recognize Kosovo because of Basque and Catalan nationalism, Slovakia is too much influenced by the Serb propaganda, Romania could change its position following elections there, Greece has not recognized Kosovo’s independence as it was very cautious towards the reaction of its public opinion whereas Cyprus remains the country that is most opposed to independence of Kosovo. This is mainly due to historic ties with Serbia.

Hoxhaj: We will dissolve parallel structures (Epoka e Re)
In an interview for the paper, Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said it is final time for influential international centres and EU member states to use their authority for providing freedom of movement, protection of peoples’ lives and property in the north of Kosovo.

Hoxhaj also said that 2012 will be the year when Serb parallel structures in Kosovo will be dissolved. “I am very certain that this year important decisions will be taken in Pristina which will lead to the disbanding of parallel structures and integration of the north,” Hoxhaj told the paper.

Hasan Abazi released on bail from Vranje prison (dailies)
Trade union leader Hasan Abazi arrested by Serbian police on 28 March was released on bail and returned to Kosovo, papers report. Abazi’s family had to pay 20,000 euro bail to the Vranje court. Hasan Abazi’s son Haki said that only Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti send a letter to Brussels asking for his father’s release while the Government did very little to press for the release. Hasan Abazi was arrested under the accusation of espionage while travelling through Serbia to attend a conference.

Indictment raised against former culture ministers, Haraqia and Beqiri (dailies)
Prosecutor Drita Hajdari has filed indictment at the Pristina District Court against former culture ministers, Astrit Haraqia and Valton Beqiri, under the suspicion that they misused official post by illegally allocating money for a film which was never made. The two ministers and two film producers are believed to have damaged the Kosovo budget by almost 200,000 euros.

Import with UNMIK/Kosovo documents to be stopped (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry has organized an informative meeting with business community on the problems caused by the UNMIK/Kosovo inscription in import of goods from neighbouring countries. Ruzhdi Shehu from the market inspectorate said they will soon begin to stop import of products which have the UNMIK/Kosovo inscription on the declaration of products.