European Forum

News update on Kosovo elections, 5 - 11 December

In the run up to the elections in Kosovo on the 12th of December, next to the newsflash, we will provide you with news from the country more frequently. This edition covers the period between 5 – 11 December.

PDK ahead of LDK
On 7 December a poll conducted by the Foreign Policy Club shows PDK as most preferred, but with only 2 % more support than LDK. In the poll, with 1050 respondents and a range of all the municipalities inhabited by Albanians, PDK comes first with 30 %, LDK second with 28 %, Vetëvendosje third with 16 %, AAK fourth with 12 %, AKR fifth with 7 % and FAIR sixth with 6 %. The most preferred leader is no longer the outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, but is the new Head of LDK, Isa Mustafa. Another poll, conducted by the private college Fama indicates that PDK will come in first with 34 %, followed by LDK with 17 %, AAK with 13 %, Vetëvendosje 10, AKR with 9 percent, FAIR with 4 and LDD with 1 %. The poll also showed the inclination of the respondents to take part in elections, on 49 %. This poll interviewed 1,200 respondents from all cities in Kosovo. Source: Epoka e Re and Koha Ditore

1) U.S. 'concerned' about Serb threats ahead of Kosovo elections
On 9 December a top U.S. diplomat said Washington is "concerned" about statements made by Serbian officials in northern Kosovo regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections. Local leaders have warned that the establishment of polling stations in four Serb-majority municipalities in the north would constitute a provocation. Dragisa Milovic, the head of the Zvecan municipality, said the opening of voting stations in predominantly Serb areas would be "unacceptable." At a hearing of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Tom Countryman said the threats "have had their desired effect." The full article can be red here. Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

2) Former nationalist firebrand urges Kosovo Serbs to vote
On 8 December Vuk Draskovic, former foreign minister, said Serbs must vote in the Kosovo elections if they want to improve their rights. Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, said it was in the interest of the Kosovo Serbs to vote in the general election on 12 December because that will allow them to pursue their struggle within Kosovo’s institutions for their national, property and cultural rights. The full article can be red here. Source: BIRN

3) Ivanovic: “No pressure on voting Kosovo Serbs”
On 8 December Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanović stated that Serbs who wish to vote in Kosovo are not pressured or threatened. The government in Belgrade said that "conditions were not present" for it to advise Serbs to take part. In his statement, Ivanović recalled that the Serbian government did not call on Serbs to take part in the elections in the province, because there are no conditions for their participation. “Claims that Serbs who wish to participate in the elections are threatened are pure fabrications,” Ivanović said, appealing to all sides to abstain from every form of provocation. Source: B92

4) EC unhappy with anti-corruption efforts of the government
On 8 December it has been announced that the new law of public procurement, according to the European Commission, does not present sufficient efforts for improvement of the problems in the progress report, as it rejects the efforts for accountability and fighting corruption. This law, which entered into force on 1 December this year, contains a considerable number of articles which are inconsistent with the European criteria of public procurement. Source: Koha Ditore

5) KFOR commander Buhler vows to protect "global treasures"
On 8 December KFOR General Erhard Buhler described the overall security situation as "calm and stable" despite occasional "challenging" incidents in the north, adding that Kosovo’s upcoming snap elections pose no threat. The complete interview can be red here. Source: SETimes

6) EC criticises anti-corruption efforts in Kosovo
On 8 December the European Commission (EC) sent a letter to the government expressing dissatisfaction with efforts by Kosovo institutions to fight corruption. The new public procurement law, for example, lacks sufficient mechanisms to deal with problems. The law, which took effect at the beginning of December, contains a considerable number of provisions deemed inconsistent with the European criteria for public procurement. In its letter, the EC criticises authorities in Pristina for failing to consider its recommendations when drafting the bill. Source: SETimes

7) EP urges Kosovo not to repeat Albania's election mistakes
On 8 December the European Parliament (EP) members are urged Kosovo leaders to avoid the mistakes Albania made in the aftermath of disputed June 2009 general elections. The two main political parties there are still wrangling over the process, which has stalled legislative activities, especially those related to crucial EU reforms. Doris Pack and Ulrike Lunacek, leaders of the EP delegation that will monitor Sunday’s snap vote, have called for a massive voter turnout. Source: SETimes

8) Hundreds of international observers to monitor Kosovo election
On 7 December it has been announced that a team of 120 groups, consisting of officials from embassies in Kosovo co-ordinated by the head of the International Civilian Office (ICO) Pieter Feith, will monitor December 12th snap elections process. "The EU, as Kosovo’s main partner, has made significant efforts to bring together diplomatic observers from the EU Member States and from other countries to encourage the upcoming elections in Kosovo are up to international standards," the ICO said in a statement Monday. Source: SETimes

9) First coalitions established ahead of Kosovo elections
On 7 December the Alliance of New Kosovo, led by Kosovo tycoon Behgjet Pacolli, signed a pre-election coalition agreement with the Social-Democratic Party, on the heels of signing one with another small party, the Justice Party, last week. Source: SETimes

10) Central Election Commission member killed in northern Kosovo
On 8 December gunmen fired on a car carrying a member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in Leposavic, northern Kosovo, killing him and injuring another person. The victim -- Sefko Salkovic -- was an employee of the CEC and the leader of ethnic Bosniaks in five villages in the north. Media reported the incident as an attack against representatives of Kosovo institutions by Serbian parallel structures active in the area. The CEC condemned the shooting, calling it a direct attack on the elections process since Salkovic was killed while on duty. In Belgrade Serbian police announced that the victim was wanted on charges that he committed murder in the southern Serbian town of Novi Pazar. The full article can be red here. Source: BIRN

11) Serbia 'can't have' both Kosovo and the EU- US Cables
On 7 December a French diplomat told his American counterparts in a leaked US embassy cable from February 2010 that Serbia’s belief that it "can win on Kosovo and win EU entry" is "not true". Belgrade must hold talks with Pristina on key issues such as justice, police, customs, as well as names and terminology, which can be facilitated by the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo. "At the end of the day, though," top French Foreign Ministry official Roland Galharague reiterated, "Serbia must recognize Kosovo if it wants to join the EU." The full article can be red here. Source: BIRN

12) Kosovo PM brushes off IMF budget concerns
On 7 December outgoing Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has brushed off the International Monetary Fund’s budgetary concerns about his round of pre-election pay rise promises. Thaci said that Kosovo, as a sovereign country, sets its own economic policy and that he would press on with the pledges. The comments came in response to revelations of the IMF’s bleak assessment of Thaci’s commitment to provide the country’s 24,000 teachers with a 50 % pay rise, and hand a 30 % pay rise to 70,000 civil servants from January 2011. The full article can be red here. Source: BIRN

13) EU: Pristina – Belgrade discussions after elections
On 7 December it has been announced that the discussions between Pristina and Belgrade on technical issues of joint interest cannot start before the creation of the new Kosovo institutions, deriving from the extraordinary elections of 12 December. According to EU officials, discussions are not expected to start before the end of this year, despite the announcements of Belgrade media of the possibility of a high level meeting on 18 December. Source: Zeri

14) Thaçi: We decide on Kosovo by ourselves
On 6 December Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said he does not wish to comment the appointment of the UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier as focal person for the UN in the Pristina-Belgrade talks. “Kosovo is an independent and sovereign country. We will cooperate with all neighbours as part of the respect for inter-neighbourly and inter-state relations but I also stress that we decide about our country, we have our agenda, of course in close cooperation with Brussels and the US.” Furthermore, Thaçi has ruled out the possibility of UN representatives mediating in the talks with Belgrade. Source: Zeri

15) PDK with most expenses for advertising in the media
On 6 December it was announced that PDK has spent most money on advertising in the daily newspapers and electronic portals, compared to others. According to research of the coalition of NGO’s who are monitoring the election process, Democracy in Action, in the first four days of the election campaign, only for advertising in the newspapers, political parties have spent 59,398 Euros. PDK spent 35,398 Euros, AKR 4,264 Euros, FAIR 3,007 Euros, AAK 1,531 Euros, LDD 974 Euros and Vetëvendosje did not spend anything on newspapers ads. Source: Koha Ditore

16) Bogdanovic: greater participation of Serbs in elections
On 6 December it has been announced that the Serb Minister for Kosovo in the Serb government, Goran Bogdanovic, has evaluated that in parliamentary elections in Kosovo a larger number of Serbs will participate then in the elections of the past. But, according to him, this does not mean that it presents a defeat of the policy that the Serb Government is leading. Bogdanovic repeated the stance of Belgrade officials that the conditions don’t exist to call on Kosovo Serbs to participate in the elections. Source: Epoka e Re