Pristina’s expectations fulfilled, no Serbian elections

• Pristina’s expectations fulfilled, no Serbian elections (Koha Ditore)
• EU waits for investigations result from EULEX (Zëri)
• Fuele: Kosovo remains a condition for Serbia (Epoka e Re)
• Sparkes: You will see after the restructuring (Zëri, Bota Sot)
• Haradinaj: With force in the north (Express)
• Selimi: The government has renounced sovereignty in the north (Epoka e Re)
• AAK: Grabovci is lying (dailies)
• Kandic: Arrests of Albanians, according to Milosevic’s model (Kosova Sot)
• Jeremic: We should respect agreements (Express)
• Sali Berisha, business with energy “mafia” (Zëri)
• Solana: I have personally favored Kosovo’s recognition (Koha Ditore)


Pristina’s expectations fulfilled, no Serbian elections (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic stated on Sunday that Serbian state will not organize local elections in Kosovo. “We do not want to violate Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council in any condition and to expose to danger Serbs that live in the south of River Ibër,” said Bogdanovic, stressing UNMIK’s negative response on organizing the elections.

On the same day, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi, stated that Kosovo Government has had international promises that this would not be allowed to happen. “We have expected for Serbia to withdraw from organizing elections, by knowing the reality in Kosovo. On the other hand, we had continuous contacts with the international community, who promised us that this could not happen,” said Kuçi.

However, according to Bogdanovic, non-organizing of local elections in Kosovo does not mean that local governments in the north should seize working. According to Kuçi, such statements are made for public consumption.

EU waits for investigations result from EULEX (Zëri)
EULEX has informed Brussels it is conducting intensive investigations into recent incidents in the north of Kosovo which left one Albanian man dead, the paper quotes Spokesperson to the EU High Representative Maja Kocijancic as saying. “EULEX has informed us it is dealing with investigations together with Kosovo authorities and we hope they will achieve success very soon,” Kocijancic said. She also appealed to all communities to remain calm and leave the police do their work.

Fuele: Kosovo remains a condition for Serbia (Epoka e Re)
The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fuele, told Radio Free Europe that further normalizations of the relations of Belgrade with Pristina, remains the main political condition for Serbia, to continue the road of European integration. Asked by this radio on the chances for Serbia to receive the date of the negotiations for membership by the end of the year, Fuele stated that this process could last a month or even four years.

Fuele stated that the issue of whether Kosovo would have to carry the content of the footnote in front of its delegation during the regional forums, is not precise. “Now, during the election campaign in Serbia, maybe it is not the moment to make this precise, however, immediately after the elections, I will remind both parties on what have they precisely agreed, and for each of them interpret the agreement on their own manner,” said Fuele.

Sparkes: You will see after the restructuring (Zëri, Bota Sot)
EULEX deputy chief Andy Sparkes said the restructuring of EULEX will provide the mission more opportunities to focus on fight against organized crime and corruption. “We will focus our activities in the justice sector and we will focus more on organized crime, fight against corruption, war crimes and of course the north of Kosovo,” said Sparkes in an interview for Radio Kosova.

Haradinaj: With force in the north (Express)
Express runs as the front-page story an interview with AAK chairmanship member Daut Haradinaj quoting him as saying that force too must be used to resolve the issue of the northern part of Kosovo. Haradinaj, who is a member of the Kosovo Assembly, said the Constitution and international law are on the side of Kosovo institutions. Asked to comment on relations between AAK and the ruling PDK, Haradinaj said they would support the Government on national agendas and added that the two parties are not in animosity with each other.

Selimi: The government has renounced sovereignty in the north (Epoka e Re)
In a front-page interview for Epoka e Re, Vetëvendosje MP Rexhep Selimi said he was surprised by the fact that the PDK collected signatures for an extraordinary assembly on the north, “when it is known that its Prime Minister (Hashim Thaçi) is entitled by the Constitution to call such a session”.

Selimi further criticized the government, which according to him, has become part of Serbian plans for the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in northern Kosovo. Selimi also argued that the Government of Kosovo has renounced sovereignty and the rule of law in the north.

“The Government doesn’t even plan to solve this problem. We have called for the resignation of the government which has become part of scenarios for the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in the northern municipalities,” Selimi said.

AAK: Grabovci is lying (dailies)
Several dailies report that the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) called ordinary lies claims made by PDK parliamentary group chief Adem Grabovci that the two parties are getting close to one another. AAK officials however could not deny the fact that their MPs supported the PDK initiative to hold an extraordinary assembly session on the north. The AAK statement added that the Grabovci is using such statements in attempts to avoid the responsibility of his party and the government for the consequent and capital losses in the north.

Kandic: Arrests of Albanians, according to Milosevic’s model (Kosova Sot)
Human rights organizations in Belgrade have called on the international community to react after the series of arrests of Kosovo Albanians by Serbian authorities, adding that this should be a topic of discussion in dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, Kosova Sot reports.

Natasa Kandic, leader of the Human Rights Fund in Serbia, told Radio Free Europe that due to Pristina’s inability, the EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) should resolve the issue of Serbian arrest warrants against Kosovars. “I think EULEX should start handling this issue and call for it to be discussed in the next round of talks between Serbia and Kosovo. Discussions should be held on secret arrest warrants – to be clarified what happened to arrest warrants issued during the Milosevic era,” Kandic said.

Jeremic: We should respect agreements (Express)
Express reports that Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremic, sent a message to the leader of the opposition Tomislav Nikolic, that Belgrade should respect the agreements reached with Kosovo. His statement came after the comments of the leader of Serbia’s Progressive Party, Tomislav Nikolic, that he would not be obliged to implement the agreements reached with Kosovo if he gained the power. Jeremic said that non-implementation of these agreements would have been a very bad signal that Serbia would send to the international community, adding that this would have major consequences on the further process of negotiations and Serbia’s reputation.

Sali Berisha, business with energy “mafia” (Zëri)
The paper accuses Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha of blocking the tender for construction of an interconnection line between Kosovo and Albania, a move which favours Serb energy traders linked to the PM Berisha’s son.

The blocking of the project, goes on the paper, enables the state of Serbia to have a monopoly on the energy import to Kosovo. Sources told Zëri that Serb prominent businessman in the energy field Vuk Hamovic in cooperation with Damir Fazlic met in Vienna with Berisha’s son, Shkelzen. “Serb businessmen paid large amounts of money to Albanian highest state instances to block the construction of the line,” the source said.

Solana: I have personally favored Kosovo’s recognition (Koha Ditore)
Former EU High Representative, Javier Solana, stated in Washington that he has personally favored recognition of the independence of Kosovo. However, the Spanish diplomat added that he cannot push Spain to recognize it. “Of course, I cannot speak on behalf of Spain, I may have a little influence, but not power. You can imagine that I was in favor of Kosovo’s recognition, we made major efforts to reach this,” said Solana, during a lecture at Brookings Institute called “Eastern borders of Europe: a discussion with Javier Solana.”

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Pristina’s expectations are met – no Serbian elections
• Government to be held accountable for failing to protect Kosovo from Serbia
• Doctors are fleeing the country, the Ministry is not concerned
• New bill on construction stimulates corruption

Other headlines
• Indictment raised against three Serbs arrested at Dheu i Bardhë (2)
• Family members call for Koshnjeti’s release (2)
• Solana: I personally favored Kosovo’s recognition (2)
• Jahjaga and Thaçi send condolences to Macedonia (3)

Zëri

Front page
• Sali Berisha, with Serbian “mafia” against Kosovo
• You will see after restructuring
• PDK’s bluff
• Cufaj: Five Albanians for 15 Dacics!

Other headlines
• Serbia arrests, Kosovo does nothing (4)
• No Serbian local elections (4)
• No suspects about killings in Macedonia (4)
• EU awaits investigations results from EULEX (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Kosovo judicial system has yet to reach level of European standards
• Editorial: Inflation of laws
• Data manipulation sends away foreign donors
• Bigger military presence at the Three Towers
• Citizens don’t trust corrupt institutions

Other headlines
• Knauss: The north should be part of current dialogue (2)
• Kandic: Arrests of Albanians, according to Milosevic’s model (2)
• Footnote does not bring membership in regional organizations (3)
• Solana: I lobbied, but I couldn’t convince Spain to recognize Kosovo (4)
• Serbia gives up on local elections in Kosovo? (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Selimi surprised with signatures
• Kosovo remains condition for Serbia
• Belgrade ‘gives up’ from local elections in Kosovo
• Fierce ‘battle’ for Ferizaj

Other headlines
• Koshnjeti to appear before a judge today (2)
• Haxhinasto: Clear speaking about the north (2)
• Sparkes speaks about EULEX restructuring: Efficiency to increase in the north too (5)
• Election reform doesn’t end this month (6)

Express

Front page
• By force in the north
• Trepça’s value, unknown
• Prosecutors without defense

Other headlines
• Maliqi: Critical measures for what? (2)
• Shala: Warm words and cold matters (2)
• Thaçi sends condolences to Macedonia (4)
• AAK: Grabovci slandered (4)
• A list for Serbian elections in Kosovo, certified (5)
• Forget about this (5)
• The end of isolation (6)
• EULEX reorganizes (6)
• We should respect the agreements (6)

Bota Sot

Front page
• How did Azem Syla order usurpation of social properties
• Albanians continue to guard during the night
• Is Adem Grabovci slandering or speaking the truth?
• Albanians’ arrests in Serbia, Milosevic’s inheritance?

Other headlines
• Sparks: We are restructuring EULEX, we will be more efficient (2)
• DSK: Unemployment is pushing the youth to leave Kosovo (3)
• Thaçi sends condolences to Gruevski (3)
• Krasniqi: What can we do today for the fatherland? (5)
• Serbia gives up local elections in Kosovo (7)
• Deputy Minister Selimi participates at Global Security Forum in Bratislava (7)
(sg/shqiptarja.com)