Nationalist Wins Serbian Elections - Former KLA Trains Syrian Rebels?

The Nationalist candidate, Tomislav Nikolic,  for Serbian President won the second round of elections on Sunday, beating out pro-European Boris Tadic.  While Nikolic has re-invented himself as being more pro-European lately, he has stated that Serbia would not join the European Union if recognition of Kosovo was made a condition of membership.

In other news, Serbia and Russia have greatly criticized recent reports that Syrian rebels have been receiving training and assistance from former Kosovo Liberation Army officials in Kosovo.  Kosovo's Foreign Minister has denied that any training had been planned and that only diplomatic contacts had been established with the Syrian resistance.

Local News from Kosovo

A quick summary of some of the hot topics in local Kosovo news for the past week...

Serbia Holds General Elections in Kosovo
Probably the biggest story in the local news has been the upcoming Serbian general elections that OSCE has agreed to help facilitate.  The US Ambassador, Christopher Dell, has stated that the elections are a good example of how neighboring countries can cooperate but warned that any local Serbian elections would be illegitimate.  Tensions remain high over the elections and the Minister of Serbian Secret Services has warned of the potential for violence against Serbs.

Kosovo Press Boycotts Government on Law on Press Freedom
Many of the local newspapers left the spot normally reserved for government politics blank in protest on a law passed by the Kosovo parliament that is heavily criticized as restricting the freedom of the press.  

Citizens urged to conserve water
People are being urged to begin conserving water as the weather begins to heat up.   The water authority warns that if people do not begin conserving water that the shortage will become more pronounced and there will be more cuts during the hot summer months.

NATO Deploys More Troops Ahead of Serbian Elections

Last week, NATO deployed an additional 700 soldiers to KFOR ahead of Serbian parliamentary elections.  In addition to the increase in the number of soldiers, NATO has expressed concern over the operational capabilities of EULEX due to logistical problems in the North which has required NATO to take on duties not normally assigned to the peacekeeping force.  Tensions remain high in the North of Kosovo after the bombing by alleged Serbian extremists and the beating of an elderly Serbian man

OSCE has announced that it will assist with the disputed Serbian general and parliamentary elections scheduled for 6 May.  Recently Kosovo authorities have been seizing election materials and arresting those in possession of the materials.  OSCE will now escort the materials along with EULEX and help facilitate the elections with mobile voting stations.

Trial Panel Acquits Defendants in Klecka Case

The four remaining defendants in the Klecka trial, including former Transport Minister Fatmir Limaj, were acquitted this morning by a trial panel in the Pristina District Court.  It is expected that the EULEX prosecutor, Salustro, will file an appeal to the acquittal.

In other news, the Hague is holding a status conference today on the retrial of former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.  Last week the prosecution completed their portion of the trial and it was not expected that the defense would call any witnesses.  Haradinaj and two other defendants were called back to the first retrial in the history of the Hague tribunals on 6 of 37 counts of war crimes due to the difficulty of the prosecution to secure witness statements in the first trial. 

Tensions High in Kosovo

Tensions continue to escalate in Kosovo following the explosion that killed an Albanian man, the beating of a Serbian man, and then the shooting of a Serbian in the North. 

Albanians reportedly began arming themselves for protection while the Kosovo government and international organizations called for calm.  Deputy PM Hajredin Kuci called for an intervention in the North similar to that of July 2011 which led to blockades of EULEX and KFOR in the North but Serbia criticized the statement as inflammatory and warned that it would just further tensions.  KFOR is said to be monitoring the Kosovo Police's special riot unit (ROSU) in anticipation that there would be a police action Thursday or Friday.

Explosion Kills One in North Mitrovica

An explosion outside an apartment in North Mitrovica's mixed neighborhood of Three Towers killed one Albanian man, Selver Haradinaj, and injured four of his children and wife on Sunday.  Called a terrorist act and condemned by the Kosovo government, the explosion has heightened the tension that has already been high in the disputed North of Kosovo.  In an alleged "response" to the killing of Hardinaj, three Albanians are said to have beaten a Serbian man who was returning home to the mixed village of Suvidoll.

Tensions have already been high between Albanians and Serbs since the announcement of Serbian elections in the North and the stoning of a Serbian convoy carrying members of the negotiating team in Pristina earlier in the week.  No one was injured in the stoning but material damage was done to two of the vehicles in the convoy.

Local News from Kosovo

Crime seems to be a big topic in the local news these days from the arrest of the anti-corruption prosecutor to the Klecka trial to an investigation being opened into former President Pacolli.

Prosecution will not present new evidence or revise indictment in Klecka Trial
A letter from EULEX prosecutor, Charles Hardaway, to the court has stated that the prosecution will not present any new evidence and will not revise the indictment as requested by the panel after its dismissal of the Witness X evidence.  The letter also requests the panel to reverse the decision on the admissibility of the evidence of Agim Zogaj.  In addition to the letter, a few days ago, EULEX prosecution requested that Limaj and the other remaining defendants be placed under house arrest citing flight risk and witness intimidation.


EULEX Conducting 90 Investigations into Organized Crime
EULEX Spokesperson Nicholas Hawthorne has stated that EULEX is currently conducting more than 90 investigations into corruption and organized crime.  So far, EULEX has concluded a total of 46 cases but details of the results are not mentioned.  While Hawthorne said that he would not provide any information on specific cases, perhaps the most widely known investigation is the MTPT, Ministry of Transport, Post and Telecomms, involving former Minister Fatmir Limaj, to which EULEX has until 23 April to issue an indictment before their time runs out.  Another case that recently emerged is that of the head of the anti-corruption task force who was arrested a few days ago under suspicion of accepting bribes to drop charges.

Anti-Corruption Agency Launches Investigation into Behgjet Pacolli
A law exists on Kosovo books to prevent a conflict of interest between business and politics.  Called the "Law on Preventing Conflict of Interest in Exercising Public Function" (Nr.04/L-051), the law essentially prevents politicians from being involved in business.  It has long been rumored that along with the various recognitions that Pacolli has gotten for Kosovo's independence, he also has been making business deals with companies in those countries.  One of the latest, Nigeria, is the alleged reason for the start of the investigation where Pacolli signed a business deal for a company called SEAGAS.  No details of the case will be made until the proceedings are finalized.