Serbia’s elections, without legal basis

Serbia’s elections, without legal basis (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that the OSCE mission in Kosovo has decided to assist in organising Serbia’s parliamentary and presidential elections following an agreement between the Kosovo and Serbian governments and the international community. This decision comes despite no legal basis permitting such an undertaking. As standard practice, OSCE would have to receive a request for assistance from the country where elections will take place. Kosovo authorities have not asked the OSCE to facilitate the election process as they expected Serbia would file such a request. Though no request was received, closed political consultations resulted in everyone’s agreement to hold elections without specifying the legal basis behind the decision, writes the paper.
OSCE Spokesperson Nikola Gaon said the decision has the support of all relevant stakeholders. “OSCE has offered its assistance to facilitate voting as a result of calls and stances of different actors in the region, local and international,” said Gaon.

Belgrade punished over its stubbornness (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the snub of OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier by Serbian President Tadic and Foreign Minister Jeremic had implications for Belgrade. Serbian state leaders believed that by ignoring the Italian diplomat and by continuing to insist that only UNMIK can organize Serbian parliamentary and presidential elections in Kosovo, they could convince the international community to favor their position. The paper recalls that Zannier was completely ignored by Serbian leaders during a visit to Belgrade several weeks ago. Meanwhile, last week UN senior official Peter Schmitz gave the bad news to Serbian authorities that UNMIK could not organize Serbian elections for Kosovo Serbs.

“The fact that neither Boris Tadic nor Vuk Jeremic met with Zannier was one of the key elements behind this decision. Europeans were irritated by the fact that Zannier was ignored in Belgrade and then senior UN official Peter Schmitz visited Belgrade to announce the final international decision that the OSCE will handle the voting of Kosovo Serbs on May 6th,” a senior member of the Kosovo Government told Zëri.

The information was confirmed by a Western diplomat in Kosovo who said that Schmitz’s visit ended Belgrade’s hope that UNMIK could organize elections for Kosovo Serbs.

EU: Elections with no violence (dailies)
The EU has hailed the agreement on Serbian parliamentary and presidential elections organization by the OSCE on the territory of Kosovo. The EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton also welcomed the decision and expressed appreciation and full support for the OSCE to facilitate the process. She called on both Pristina and Belgrade to continue cooperation with the OSCE “in good will so that voting is done in an ordinary and peaceful situation”.

Opposition in Kosovo against OSCE-Belgrade agreement (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re reports in one of the front-page stories that opposition parties, LDK and AAK, have strongly reacted against the agreement between the OSCE and Belgrade authorities whereby the first would facilitate the voting of Kosovo Serbs in Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections in Kosovo on May 6th. Opposition representatives argue that the holding of such elections, even under OSCE’s umbrella, violates Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Government without a note of protest for KFOR (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports that Kosovo’s Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi sent a letter to KFOR expressing concern over the unimpeded entrance of trucks with goods through illegal crossing points at the border between Serbia and Kosovo. Rexhepi’s letter however is not a note of protest, as was initially expected.

“We wrote to them yesterday. This is a note of protest, but a letter where we expressed our concern over crossings through illegal points. We have asked for such trucks to be stopped, as was the case with the Russian aid truck which was allegedly carrying medicine. We have to receive a reply,” Rexhepi told the paper

The paper notes that a truck from Russia, which was reportedly carrying medicine for Mitrovica hospital, crossed on Monday morning through alternative routes from Serbia into Kosovo. Rexhepi reacted immediately saying he was disappointed with KFOR for allowing the truck to pass, which according to him, could have very easily been transporting arms.

President Jahjaga has not received Penal Code (Express)
The paper reports that the Penal Code passed recently by the Kosovo Assembly containing articles criticised for breaching media freedoms has not yet been submitted to the office of President Atifete Jahjaga. “Whenever it does arrive, it will be carefully reviewed and analysed. The two disputed articles will be particularly considered and this will be done in cooperation with all parties,” said Jahjaga’s Spokesperson Arbër Vllahiu.

Krasniqi optimistic that the Assembly can investigate SHIK activities (Koha)
Vetëvendosje MP Florin Krasniqi told KTV he was optimistic that the Kosovo Assembly can investigate the activities of the former Kosovo Intelligence Service (SHIK) by establishing a parliamentary committee that would look into the matter. Krasniqi so far has collected 20 signatures from MPs out of the total of 40 signatures required for such a procedure. Meanwhile, the other two opposition parties, LDK and AAK, which Krasniqi feels disappointed with, do not intend to change their position arguing that SHIK should be investigated by the prosecution and not the assembly.

Freedom House ranks Kosovo two points higher than last year (dailies)
The non-governmental international organisation which assesses each country’s degree of political freedoms and civil liberties has listed Kosovo in a more favourable position this year than last regarding media freedom. Kosovo however continues to remain in the group of countries with partially free media but now it has the score of 49 out of 51. Freedom House officials said the progress has to do with a greater transparency of the media ownership and there has also been a decline in the number of attacks against Kosovo journalists.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Serbian elections, without legal basis
• EU wants Serbian elections in Kosovo to take place without problems
• Government without a note of protest for KFOR
• Tahiri to face MPs over missing persons
• Sekiraça was hiding in Zvonko’s apartment

Other headlines
• After Thaçi, Rasmussen talked with Sutanovac too (2)
• Nikolic: We’ll do anything for the EU, except recognize Kosovo (2)
• PDK confident in victory, LDK complains SHIK is helping it out (4)
• Freedom House ranks Kosovo two points higher than last year (7)
• Krasniqi, optimistic that Assembly can investigate SHIK activities (7)

Zëri

Front page
• Belgrade punished over its stubbornness
• Retrial against Limaj begins today
• Thailand toward recognizing Kosovo
• Statutory conference for Haradinaj
• Calculations for run-off elections in Ferizaj
• Rexhepi ignores MPs

Other headlines
• NATO supports Kosovo (2)
• Halimi: For us, neither Tadic and Nikolic (2)
• ICO supports OSCE for Serbian elections (4)
• Ashton welcomes OSCE’s decision on elections (4)
• Media will boycott institutions on May 3rd (4)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Pacolli spent around €140,000 from state budget
• Freedom House ranks Kosovo in same group with Sierra Leone
• Serbian elections in Kosovo violate international law

Other headlines
• Jahjaga’s election improved women’s position (2)
• President has yet to receive the Penal Code (3)
• ICO and Ashton welcome agreement on elections (4)
• Dacic provokes violence on eve of May 6th (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Decision on Limaj today
• Ashton hails Serbia-OSCE agreement
• Opposition against the agreement
• Aliu aims for convincing victory in run-offs

Other headlines
• Slight progress of Kosovo media freedom (2)
• Nikolic ready to meet Jahjaga (2)
• ICO supports OSCE’s facilitation in Serbia’s elections (3)
• Haradinaj case drawing to an end (4)
Express

Front page
• Sunday will tell

Other headlines
• Nikolic: I would meet Jahjaga (4)
• Krasniqi: SHIK to be investigated (5)
• Elections without violence (5)
• Agreements to be ratified in the Assembly? (6)
• They move quickly (6)
• President hasn’t got the code (6)
• Decision on Kleçka (8)
• One month detention for 4 Serbs (8)
• Statutory conference on Haradinaj (8)
• Little improvement (9)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Are SHIK members those who killed Xhemajl Mustafa?
• Yesterday they issued an arrest warrant for Sali Çeku, today they attend memorial ceremony of Koshare!
• FH: Media in Kosovo partially free

Other headlines
• Government of Kosovo organizes Serbian elections in Kosovo (2)
• Media to boycott institutions on 3 May (2)
• Ashton and ICO hail OSCE’s decision on elections (3)
• Jahjaga’s election improved position of women in politics (7)
• Preteni’s private lawsuit against Çohu turned down (7)