“Independent” court and police for the north

• “Independent” court and police for the north (Koha Ditore)
• Kuçi: Resignation without any calculation (Koha Ditore)
• Assembly waits for the return of Code without articles 37 and 38 (dailies)
• Ashton takes the lead (Express)
• Hodzic, call for cooperation (Express)
• Serbs to boycott Kosovo office in the north (Express)
• Minister Hoxhaj met Macedonian President and Prime Minister (dailies)
• ICTY prosecutors request twenty years in prison for Haradinaj (dailies)
• Selimi: Why the FBI? (Express)

Kosovo Media Highlights

“Independent” court and police for the north (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the Kosovo Government and International Civilian Office (ICO) are planning to establish normality in the north through actions in nine different fields. An action plan which the paper claims to have had access to, is expected to help the International Steering Group in the beginning of the next month take the decision for finalizing monitored independence in September.

The group of states that have monitored independence of Kosovo since its declaration, have requested a specific plan and steps for integration of the north of Kosovo so that the decision for finalization of monitoring is made easier. The first specific step in this direction is expected to be the opening of Administrative Office for the North of Kosovo, while the rest of the plan also foresees a number of specific actions which will be undertaken in the future.

“One functional District Court with Serb judges is necessary”, the plan states which has been drafted based on several surveys conducted by ICO and other international mechanisms. “Police should be independent and fully-competent”, the plan further notes but does not give details whether the police force will be professionally independent or a special command chain of police in the north of Kosovo to that of the rest of the country.

The plant sets out from the principle that Kosovo Serbs will not accept independence of Kosovo. “Kosovo Serbs will not accept the reality in Kosovo, but they will adjust to it”, says the document.

Kuçi: Resignation without any calculation (Koha Ditore)
Three days after his resignation from the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi started his day on Monday by showing up at the University to hold a scheduled exam with his students. He claims that he is feeling good because with his action he joined moral and politics and that if he did not resign after the promise he made, his credibility would have been harmed.

Kuçi considers that his party did not betray him and that a part of the deputies voted against removal of the articles because they considered that this would stop the attacks of some media against them. Kuçi denied that he would move to the position of the chief negotiator in the discussions between Kosovo and Serbia or run for President of Kosovo or even Rector of the University of Pristina.

Assembly waits for the return of Code without articles 37 and 38 (dailies)
Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi said following the meeting of the presidency that the institution he chairs does not intend to limit the freedom of the media and is interested in having a penal code in accordance to international standards.

With regards to the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi, Krasniqi said that was a hasty move and added that it was the Government that brought the law with articles 37 and 38 to the Assembly in the first place. “At the end of the day, the law came from the Government although I believe this issue will be resolved in harmony with the interest and the process in which Kosovo is going through,” noted Krasniqi.

At the same time, head of PDK parliamentary group Adem Grabovci said that the party has withdrawn request to verify whether the Assembly breached its procedural code when articles 37 and 38 where voted. “There was a technical slip-up there that was not put to vote and as a result we have this situation,” said Grabovci. He said that he was one of the MPs that voted against the removal of disputed articles but justified his action by saying he is in favour of rewording the articles. “We expect the government to bring the Penal Code corrected,” he said.

Ashton takes the lead (Express)
The European Union is not yet certain regarding the direction that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade could take. However, if the discussions are raised to a senior level, then they could be mediated by the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. Based on sources in Brussels, Serbian media report that if the parties agree for another round of discussions represented by senior political levels, then Ashton will be replacing Robert Cooper. However, Ashton’s Spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic, stated that Brussels does not decide if the dialogue should take another format. What is certain, she said, is that the dialogue should continue and the reached agreements should be completely implemented. “Immediately after Serbia gets the new government, we will have consultations with the parties regarding the manner of the continuance of the dialogue,” said Kocijancic.

Hodzic, call for cooperation (Express)
Express reports that the Head of Administrative Office in North of Mitrovica Adriana Hodzic said that citizens in the north should cooperate with institutions of Kosovo Government. Hodzic told Danas newspaper that the office belongs to all citizens of the north and that they are the ones who are going to lead with it. She counts on cooperation of the non-governmental sector but also the cooperation of the citizens because, as she said, it is their duty to take part in the decision-making for the city where they live.

Serbs to boycott Kosovo office in the north (Express)
Serb representatives in the north told Radio Free Europe that the Serb population will massively boycott services that will be offered by the Kosovo Government administrative office in north Mitrovica. Serbian State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic said the opening of the office is politically motivated and aims at strengthening Kosovo institutions in the north. “I think this action can only destabilize the political and security situation in the north of Kosovo which is already fragile. I think it will not be good to insist on opening of this office,” Ivanovic said.

Minister Hoxhaj met Macedonian President and Prime Minister (dailies)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, met during his visit to Macedonia, with the President of Macedonia George Ivanov, the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski as well as with the Deputy Prime Minister, Musa Xhaferi. During these meetings, Hoxhaj stressed the determination of Kosovo institutions to deepen the cooperation between the two countries and citizens of both countries. Hoxhaj also spoke about the Euro-integrating perspectives and the need of coordination between the countries of the region in these processes. “Cooperation at central level is magnificent and the same level of cooperation should function at local, municipality level as well, that will reflect with fulfillment of joint projects,” said Hoxhaj.

ICTY prosecutors request twenty years in prison for Haradinaj (dailies)
Closing remarks are to be heard over the next days at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in the retrial of former Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj. The prosecution delivered its closing remarks and requested a sentence of twenty years in prison for the former KLA commander Haradinaj for war crimes. The same sentence was also requested for the other two indictees in the same case, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj.

Selimi: Why the FBI? (Express)
Former Kosovo Police director and currently PDK member of the Assembly, Behar Selimi, said the call for assistance to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation into the death of privatisation agency head Dino Asanaj was unnecessary. He said the forensic expertise conducted in Kosovo and the final conclusion that Asanaj committed suicide were enough to enable the prosecution and the police to carry on further investigations.

“FBI experts could be engaged in the framework of bilateral professional cooperation between two prosecutions of our countries. In the concrete case, we have enough expertise to get to the truth. Therefore, there is no need for expertise from abroad,” said Selimi.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• “Independent” judges and police officers for the north
• Fehmi Mujota “investigated” by his wife’s cousin
• Former buyers of Grand sue PAK
• Kusari doesn’t change her mind, maybe her decision
• Kuçi: Resignation, without any calculation

Other headlines
• Tribunal prosecutors want 20 years in prison for Haradinaj (2)
• Assembly expects Government to return Code without Articles 37 and 38 (3)
• Minister Hoxhaj met Macedonian President and Prime Minister (3)
• Bildt doesn’t want Montenegro to advance before Serbia (3)
• PTK privatization process resumed (7)
• Gjilan mayor Qemajl Mustafa investigated over tenders (11)

Zëri

Front page
• PDK withdraws from motion
• Macedonia, a strategic partner
• Defense: Serbia filed the indictment
• Asylum-seekers paralyze liberalization
• Xharra: Hasha’s code

Other headlines
• Hodzic: Northerners did not initiate the violence (4)
• Agreement between two police forces (5)
• Ready for civil aviation! (5)
• Berisha: Vukcevic wrote Marty’s accusations (8)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• 20 companies indicate they will file lawsuits against Sharr Cem
• Editorial: Not a European behavior
• Peci, Saliuka & Co left institutions without management
• Berisha: Serbian prosecutor wrote Dick Marty’s accusations
• Prosecution wants 20 years in prison for Haradinaj

Other headlines
• Krasniqi: Kuçi rushed his decision (3)
• Kocijancic: Dialogue must continue (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• A tough defense
• Krasniqi: Thaçi and Kuçi rushed their decisions
• Belgrade is behind anti-KLA accusations
• Fond of the four-year mandate
• KSF, like other armies

Other headlines
• Ashton to replace Cooper? (2)
• Kosovo and Macedonia don’t have any open issues (2)
• Vetëvendosje supports demands of strikers at Pristina Hospital (6)
• Topi to address Kosovo Assembly on Friday (7)

Express

Front page
• The Government’s acrobatics
• They want punishment
• Why the FBI?
• The PAK mess
• Buzhala: Letter to Mr. Zbogar
• Maliqi: Lack of transparency

Other headlines
• Hodzic calls for cooperation (4)
• Berisha: Serbs wrote Marty’s accusations (5)
• Ashton takes the wheel (5)
• They boycott the office (6)
• Partners with Macedonia (6)
• Mayor of Gjilan under investigation (8)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Will the Penal Code “game” end?
• Haradinaj case, closing session on Tuesday
• Morina: Sali Berisha and Hashim Thaçi
• Berisha: A Serbian prosecutor wrote Dick Marty’s accusations
• Ahtisaari Plan and Ohrid Agreement sealed the issue of borders
• Another PDK mayor investigated for corruption

Other headlines
• Reconstruction of houses in northern Mitrovica neighborhoods (2)
• Northern Serbs decide to boycott Administrative Office (3)
• Kocijancic: Dialogue must resume (3)