Kosovo Urges Calm in Macedonia

Kosovo’s government has urged ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia to put aside their hostilities and work for stability, Balkan Insight reports.

“We urge the Albanian community in Macedonia to be rational, show maturity and contribute to the stability of their country,” the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hajredin Kuci said.
The government of Kosovo said it was concerned to hear about the ‘attempted murder’ of Ali Ahmeti, the leader of Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, whose party is in opposition to Menduh Thaci’s Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, in Macedonia.

The start of Macedonia’s election campaign this weekend was marred by a spate of violent incidents between rival members of both parties. One person was killed, while several buildings including a party office was torched.

Macedonia’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that the police had arrested two men while the key suspect had turned himself in as they continued to probe the apparent attempt on Ahmeti’s life. Read more: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/10187/

“The Government of Kosovo considers any dispute between the political parties there must be solved through institutional ways,” Kuci said.
“Pristina is interested to have stability not only in Kosovo but also in other neighbouring countries,” he added.

Source: Balkan Insight

Serbs voted for the first time since the independence of Kosovo

Millions of Serbians went to the polling centers for the very first time after the independence of Kosovo. Elections were held on May 11th. Although Serbia had a government in last March, after the independence of Kosovo, on February 17th, discussions about how the respond this declaration brought the end of that coalition government.

Some of the internatinal commentators were expecting Serbian Radical party to won the election as the independence of Kosovo raised nationalism in Serbia, but this was not the case.

Surprisingly, pro-European Union parties in Serbia have won a victory.

President Boris Tadic's pro-EU alliance had 35.1 percent while Serbian Radical Party of Tomislav Nikolic, with 7 percent of the votes according to the central election commission in Belgrade.

Ilija Vujacic, a professor of political science at Belgrade University said "It's a very, very big surprise" to Bloomberg news agency. "This is a sign that Serbian voters made a decision in favor of European integration" she continued.

HRW reports on Human Rights issues in Kosovo

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that there are some human right vioalations in Kosovo and Albania, after the war in Kosovo.

Senior emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch, Fred Abrahams said that serious and credible allegations have emerged about horrible abuses in Kosovo and Albania after the war. He was investigating human rights issues in Kosovo and Albania for the organization from 1993 to 2000.

“The Pristina and Tirana governments can show their commitment to justice and the rule of law by conducting proper investigations,” he continued.

Additional information has emerged that bolsters allegations of abductions and cross-border transfers from Kosovo to Albania after the 1998-1999 Kosovo war, HRW states.

Rice: "We will not let Kosovo to be divided"

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said they will not let Kosovo to be divided. Rice said Kosovo is now a free and a soverign country and recognised by several states.

Rice, in a speech in London, said they talked about possible aid plans to Kosovo with UK, Germany, France and Italy. Although Russia, which strongly support Serbia's stance against Kosovo's independence, was not invited, Moskow said they don't feel themselves isolated in Kosovo issue...

United Nations invastigates Mitrovica

United Nations investiators has arrived to Mitrovica to investigate the March 17 unrest. Mitrovica is a city which is divided between ethnic Serbians and Albanians.

It's been reported that the team has four members. They will talk Serbian leaders in the city as well as UN officials.

The March 17 riots, which ended in one UNMIK police fatality and over 150 injured on both sides, started when UNMIK and KFOR troops raided a court building in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, to arrest 53 Serb judicial workers protesting there

Source: B92

ICTY prosecution appeals Haradinaj's acquittal

UN prosecutors appealed Friday (May 2nd) parts of the acquittal of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and two other former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) reports Southeast European Times.

A month after the trial, they urged judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to reopen the case on six of the 37 counts of war crimes they faced. Prosecutors, who had sought 25-year jail sentences for each of the accused -- Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj -- cited witness intimidation as a factor in the trial.

"Within the next 75 days, a more extensive document will follow; it will speak in detail about all the arguments the prosecution will use," Belgrade-based B92 quoted chief UN war crimes prosecutor Serge Brammertz's spokeswoman, Olga Kavran, as saying Friday.

source: B92, setimes