Kosovo Serbs Rush to be Judges in the North

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Following reports that no one in the Serb-run north of Kosovo had applied for the new posts created by a January Kosovo-Serbia agreement on justice in the area, candidates are now applying in significant numbers.

Following reports that no one had applied for newly vacant post in the justice system in the north of Kosovo, around 80 candidates have now applied for positions, including some previously employed in the Serbian-financed and operated so-called "parallel" court system.

Fifty-eight candidates have now applied to be judges while 12 have applied for positions in the prosecution, Enver Peci, head of the Judicial Council of Kosovo, said.

"We even have candidates who used to work in the parallel Serbian judicial system in Kosovo," Peci added.

Kosovo media reported last week that no one had applied for positions as judges and prosecutors in the north by the May 25 deadline € thereby endangering an agreement reached in January, which is also crucial to the formation of the planned Association of Serbian Municipalities.

The Association, part of the fruit of the EU-led dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, will grant the Serbian community in Kosovo wide powers while increasing their integration with the rest of the country.

The agreement signed by the Prime Ministers of Kosovo and Serbia in January aims to integrate Kosovo Serbs into the Kosovo judiciary € something that has been minimal so far.

Under the agreement, all judicial institutions in the North will now work according to Kosovo laws via a Basic Court and a Basic Prosecution Office.

"The agreements reached in Brussels are not ideal but the fact that both Belgrade and Pristina are willing to see the agreements implemented is important, which is why the justice agreement will succeed," Adrijana Hodzic, head of the Administrative Office for North Mitrovica, told Balkan Insight.

The Serbian Minister of Justice Nikola Selakovic has recently visited the North "and met with those involved in the field of justice, reinforcing Belgrade's commitment to the agreement, which is why I believe it will be implemented", Hodzic noted.

The Basic Court in Mitrovica will be composed mainly of Kosovo Serbs, with five Kosovo Serb judges including the president of the court and two Kosovo Albanian ones.

The Chief Prosecutor in the Basic Prosecution Office will be a Kosovo Albanian.

Kosovo Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci has said that fulfillment on the January agreement will ensure a unified justice system "throughout Kosovo".

Edita Tahiri, the Kosovo Minister for Dialogue and the head of the group in Brussels tasked with implementation of this agreement, has said that she expects the new justice system in the North to start work by October 1.

Tahiri also announced that the prosecutors and judges will take their oaths according to the "laws of the Republic of Kosovo."