Kosovo: unofficial results
indicate LDK victory in municipal elections
31 OCTOBER -- With an estimated voter turnout of 80 per cent and
some 90 per cent of the vote counted, partial results of Saturday's
municipal elections in Kosovo indicate a victory for the Democratic
League of Kosovo (LDK), a United Nations spokesman announced today
in New York.
Quoting figures from the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE), which is counting the ballots, the spokesman
said the LDK had won approximately 58 per cent of the vote. The
OSCE is a partner of the UN Interim Administrative Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK).
According to the OSCE, its Counting Centre in
Pristina is still processing
ballots cast by absentee and out-of-country
voters, as well as by those who participated in the Mission's
Special Needs Voting Programme.
OSCE is expected to release the next set of
"preliminary" results about 5-7 days following the elections.
The final certified election outcome and seat allocations will
be available 10-12 days after the voting, the OSCE said.
The unofficial results for all parties and municipalities
are available on the Internet at OSCE's elections homepage.
Elections a "landmark" in Kosovo's
democratic progress: Annan
30 OCTOBER -- Calling municipal elections on 28 October a "landmark"
in Kosovo's democratic development, Secretary-General Kofi Annan
today said he was gratified that the voting was carried out in
a peaceful manner.
"At a time of democratic transition throughout the Balkans,
the people of Kosovo have shown the maturity and responsibility
in carrying out their democratic duty," a spokesman for Mr.
Annan told a press briefing at United Nations Headquarters in
New York. "The Secretary-General looks forward to the announcement
of the results."
In Pristina, Bernard Kouchner, the head of the
UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), congratulated the people and political
leaders on a political campaign that was "almost violence-free."
"One year and a half ago, as you struggled
back to rebuild your lives, who would have known that in such
a short time the people of Kosovo would have prepared themselves
for this very big step toward democracy and toward self-government?"
Dr. Kouchner said in a special message at the end of the vote
on Saturday. "All of you should be proud and uplifted, as
I am."
At the same time, the UNMIK chief expressed
his regret over the absence of Kosovo Serbs from the election.
"It was their choice not to participate, but it was a choice
made under the pressure of the old regime, Milosevic's regime,"
Dr. Kouchner said. He stressed, however, that he would do everything
in his power to enable the Kosovo Serbs to take part in the new
Kosovo. He noted that he would be naming Serb members to all the
Municipal Assemblies in the areas where they lived, and pointed
out that the UN Mission may hold bi-elections next year in municipalities
where Serbs formed the vast majority of the population.
Annan calls for "spirit
of peace and tolerance" during Kosovo elections
27 OCTOBER -- On the eve of municipal elections in Kosovo, Secretary-General
Kofi Annan today urged the people and political leaders of the
territory to act in a "spirit of peace and tolerance"
during tomorrow's voting.
Calling the elections "one of the most significant steps"
in implementing the mandate entrusted to the United Nations, the
Secretary-General urged everyone in Kosovo to "accept and
respect" the results of the vote in the true spirit of democracy,
a spokesman for Mr. Annan said today in a statement released at
UN Headquarters in New York.
"Should the voting be free and fair, the
people of Kosovo will have shown the world that they are politically
mature and that they can express their will in a democratic manner,"
spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva said, adding that the international
community would be watching the vote "with great interest."
Once the results of the vote are certified by
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Mr. Annan and his staff will begin the gradual transfer of several
administrative responsibilities from UNMIK to the newly elected
municipal leaders of Kosovo, the spokesman said.
Kosovo's 901,000 registered voters will be going
to 1,464 polling stations casting their ballots for some 5,500
candidates for 920 seats in 30 municipal assemblies.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE), a partner in the UN Interim Administrative Mission
in Kosovo, will oversee the polling, counting and certification
of ballots. Some 4,000 observers are expected to take part in
the effort, with the UN Mission police and KFOR providing security.
UN mission in Kosovo appoints
new regional head in Mitrovica
26 OCTOBER -- The head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), Bernard Kouchner, has named Anthony Welch, a retired
British Army Brigadier, as the new Regional Administrator for
Mitrovica.
When Mr. Welch takes up his post with the Mission in November,
he will bring with him more than five years' experience in the
Balkans, an UNMIK statement released in Pristina said.
Mr. Welch replaces William L. Nash, the longest-serving
Regional Administrator for Mitrovica, who will return to his position
at the National Democratic Institute for Foreign Affairs in Washington,
D.C. Mr. Nash, a former Major General in the U.S. Army, had taken
up the post in April 2000.
Violence-marked elections
would harm all Kosovo, head of UN mission warns
25 OCTOBER -- The head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) has deplored the violent incident that took place earlier
this week at a political rally of the Kosovo Democratic League
(LDK) in Gjakova/Djakovica, when Dr. Ibrahim Rugova was forced
to leave the stage after the electricity had been cut off and
guns fired.
Speaking at yesterday's meeting of the Interim Administrative
Council, Bernard Kouchner reminded all IAC members that violence
during municipal elections would harm all of Kosovo. The UNMIK
chief also expressed shock at the rocket attack on Monday night
on a Serb-inhabited apartment block in the Ulpijana section of
Pristina.
Addressing the question of whether national
flags should be allowed at polling stations during the vote, Dr.
Kouchner re-affirmed the position of the UN Mission and the Organization
of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that only their flags
could be raised. This is necessary, he said, "if we want
to convince world opinion that these elections were fully impartial."
He also reminded the IAC that flying national flags would be a
violation of the administrative procedures to which the parties
had agreed.
"International observers would certainly
make note of national flags flying or any incidents they inspired,"
he said, urging the party leaders to use their influence to help
avoid violence, which he said would set back Kosovo's progress
towards self-government.
Meanwhile, the UN Mission said today that its
police force had arrested two men at a political rally yesterday
in Urosevac/Ferizaj. One man carried a loaded weapon without authorization,
while the other threatened the Kosovo Police officer making the
arrest. The two men are now being detained while UNMIK police
prepare charges.
International commission
recommends "conditional independence" for Kosovo
23 OCTOBER -- The Independent International Commission on Kosovo,
headed by Justice Richard Goldstone, has recommended "conditional
independence" for Kosovo in a report released today at the
UN headquarters in New York.
Justice Goldstone told journalists that the Commission had come
to the conclusion that it was "not realistic or justifiable"
to expect Kosovo Albanians to accept rule from Belgrade after
the ethnic cleansing by Serb forces and terrible human rights
violations that took place in Kosovo.
At the same, he said, Serbs and other minorities
have absolute rights to protection and to be able to live peacefully
as they have done in the past.
He said Kosovo should become independent subject
to the fulfillment of a number of conditions, which may take many
years to fulfil. He said there should be good faith in negotiations
with neighbours and the Balkans in general on Kosovo's political
independence and an acceptably democratic constitution.
In addition, there should be sufficient assurances
to ensure that Serbs, Roma and other minorities in Kosovo can
live in absolute safety and protection of their human rights and
that those forced to leave can return.
The Commission, comprised of members from11
countries, is independent of governments and international organizations.
Its report and conclusions are unanimous, Justice Goldstone said.
International judges have
"dramatically reduced" chance of bias in Kosovo courts:
UNMIK
20 OCTOBER -- The appointment of international judges and prosecutors
has dramatically reduced any chance of bias in the criminal justice
system in Kosovo, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today.
UNMIK's Department of Justice also said that when compared to
other developing democracies, the re-establishment of the criminal
justice system in Kosovo "has been carried out in an exceptionally
short period."
The department was responding to the report,
Kosovo: A Review of the Criminal System, published this week by
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The report said the Kosovo criminal justice systems fell short
of international standards and that there was "clear and
compelling evidence" of bias by the courts against Kosovo
Serbs.
In a statement issued in Pristina, the department
said that since the period covered by the OSCE report, 140 more
judges and prosecutors have been sworn in, bringing the total
number to 405. "Nine international judges and three international
prosecutors have been assigned to hear the most sensitive cases,
with ethnic backgrounds, which has already reduced dramatically
any chance of bias as charged in the SCE report. Within one month
there should be 12 international judges and five prosecutors.
"
The statement also said the OSCE failed to place
its observations and criticism in the context of post-conflict
Kosovo. "Taking into account the historical, human and economic
environment in which the Kosovo judiciary was set up is crucial
in understanding the challenges UNMIK and the judicial system
has faced throughout the past 14 months."
In June 1999, the statement said, UNMIK was
tasked with setting up an entire judiciary "where no precedents
existed, where the personnel had not worked in a decade and where
resources were completely insufficient."
Kosovo justice system
falls short of international standards
18 OCTOBER -- The Kosovo criminal justice system falls short of
international standards, despite recent improvements, the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has concluded after
a six-month review of the judicial system.
In a report published today, the OSCE Legal Systems Monitoring
Section states that there is "clear and compelling evidence"
of bias by the courts against Kosovo Serb defendants, in particular.
It also states that some provisions of applicable law may conflict
with human rights standards.
The report, Kosovo: A Review of the Criminal
Justice System, points out that persons have been detained in
violation of international standards as there exists no appropriate
legal framework to challenge illegal detentions. Courts and authorities
have also adopted inconsistent approaches to the applicable law.
The various sources of law used in Kosovo create
confusion as to which law to apply and how to apply them. In addition,
the continuing climate of ethnic conflict in Kosovo impacts on
the impartiality of courts, the report says.
The report, whose findings have been submitted
to the head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK), says that vulnerable groups, such as juveniles
and victims of sexual violence, require enhanced protection.
The report, however, notes the successes made
by UNMIK, including the establishment in less than one year a
functioning judicial system, the appointment of international
judges and prosecutors, and provision of guidance to courts on
applicable law, including international human rights standards,
translation and interpretation support services.
Annan envoy discusses
Kosovo, UN membership with new Yugoslav President
17 OCTOBER -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan's envoy to the Balkans
met yesterday in Belgrade with the newly elected President of
Yugoslavia to discuss a range of issues, including the situation
in Kosovo and Yugoslavia's participation in the United Nations.
On the subject of Kosovo, President Vojislav Kostunica and UN
Special Envoy Eduard Kukan covered Yugoslavia's cooperation with
the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the issue of Kosovo Albanian
prisoners detained in Serbia.
President Kostunica and the UN official also
discussed ways of enhancing Yugoslavia's participation in the
UN and other organizations.
Mr. Kukan, a national of Slovakia, was appointed
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Balkans in May 1999.
Kosovo's Interim Administrative
Council calls for hand-over of war criminals to Tribunal
13 OCTOBER -- Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council (IAC) has
called for the hand-over of all indicted war criminals to the
International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
In a statement issued today after holding a special session to
discuss political changes in Belgrade, the IAC said that many
challenges remain ahead for the people of Kosovo and for the international
community working in Kosovo, such as the fate of the detained
persons in Serbia and of the missing persons of all communities.
The IAC expressed hope that the changes that
are currently taking place in Belgrade will be the first step
of a democratization process that will contribute to the stabilization
of the entire region.
It also welcomed the statement by the head of
the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, that the Security Council resolution 1244
calling for the development of substantial autonomy for Kosovo
will continue to be fully implemented. In this respect, the IAC
said, the successful conduct of free and fair democratic municipal
elections on 28 October will mark a major step in building Kosovo
institutions.
The IAC said it was "dedicated to work
on creating the necessary conditions to hold Kosovo-wide elections
as soon as possible."
UN urges governments to
halt forced return of Kosovo refugees until spring
12 OCTOBER -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, has urged governments
hosting Kosovo Albanian refugees to halt returns until March 2001
because of lack of adequate accommodation in Kosovo.
In a statement issued today, UNMIK said lack of adequate accommodation
and the potential overcrowding of temporary shelters were critical
issues facing UNMIK and international donors as another winter
approaches.
Dr. Kouchner called for a moratorium on forced
and induced return following a meeting yesterday in which the
inter-agency Working Group on Returnees presented a policy paper
on the repatriation of Kosovar Albanians to representatives of
the various liaison offices in Pristina.
Some 82,000 Kosovars had returned by the end
of September, of whom nearly 9,000 had been forcibly repatriated.
UNMIK said even if the monthly return rate -- about 15,000 in
August -- moderates over the next few months, Kosovo may be faced
with absorbing more than 100,000 returnees this year alone.
Kosovo Transitional Council
urges cautious approach to new government in Belgrade
12 OCTOBER -- Members of Kosovo's highest consultative body, the
Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC), today strongly urged a cautious
approach to the new government in Belgrade, warning against any
hasty decisions.
The KTC members said a change in Belgrade does not mean an automatic
solution to the problems of Kosovo, the United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said in a statement.
The statement said Kosovo Albanian members expressed
reservations about the lifting of sanctions against the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, especially without linking it to the release
of all Kosovo Albanians in Serbian jails and information on the
missing persons.
However, Serb members opposed the linkage between
lifting of sanctions and release of prisoners, pointing out that
while Albanian prisoners must be released, something should also
be done about the Serbs missing or detained in Kosovo.
UNMIK said the members supported handing over
Serbian war criminals, including deposed President Slobodan Milosevic,
to the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.
Centre for detainees and
missing persons opened in Kosovo
12 OCTOBER-- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today opened
the Pristina Resource Centre on Detainees and Missing Persons
where people can get assistance on missing or detained persons.
The Centre is an effort led by UNMIK, with the participation of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
and the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC), UNMIK
said in a statement.
While missing persons include both Kosovo Albanians
and Serbs, those detained in Serbian jails are mostly Kosovo Albanians,
according to Dr. Kouchner. He said the Centre will support families
and "give all that is necessary in terms of economic, psychological
and human support".
The ICRC will take reports on missing persons
and provide information on prisoners' conditions and visits with
family members, as well as psychological referral for family members.
The UNMIK police will receive reports and information
on missing persons and provide results of ante-mortem investigations.
An OSCE representative will provide information and assistance
on the identification of bodies, as well as forensic expertise.
Answering a question, Dr. Kouchner said he had
offered to Belgrade to take back all the detained persons in Kosovo.
"I hope they'll offer to us a bouquet of flowers for democracy,
with the liberation of all prisoners."
UN envoy in Kosovo visits
FYR of Macedonia for talks with officials
11 OCTOBER -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today that the issues of economic cooperation
had been high on the agenda when the head of the Mission, Dr.
Bernard Kouchner, held talks yesterday with government officials
of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
During his visit to the country, Dr. Kouchner met with President
Trajkovski, Prime Minister Georgievski and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Dimitrov. Their discussions focused on railroads and air
communications, improvement of border crossing facilities, power
supply, the regional situation and status of the Mission Agreement
between the UN and the FYR of Macedonian, UNMIK said in a statement.
Dr. Kouchner also exchanged views with the country's
leaders on the recent developments in Belgrade, the UN Mission
said.
UN mission in Kosovo condemns
attack on minority recruiter
10 OCTOBER -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) today condemned the attack which took place
this morning against an official whose job was to help recruit
minorities into the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC).
In a joint statement, UNMIK's Department of Civil Security and
Emergency Preparedness, KPC and the international peacekeeping
force (KFOR), said they would not tolerate such incidents.
Ahmet Sijariq, a staff member of the Department
of Civil Security and Emergency Preparedness was badly beaten
by four unidentified men in Klina, west of Pristina, as he was
traveling to Pristina from Peja, where he had been arranging testing
for candidates from non-Albanian communities to join the KPC.
Mr. Sijariq, who has extensive links with the
non-Albanian communities around Kosovo, serves as the liaison
between the minority communities and the KPC, and facilitates
the application of those candidates who find it difficult to approach
the emergency response agency directly.
"The KPC, UNMIK and KFOR made a genuine
commitment that the KPC be a multi-ethnic organization, "
said the joint statement. "An attack on that effort is an
attack on the KPC and all of Kosovo. We continue to encourage
eligible members of all communities to apply to the KPC, and we
will do all we can to ensure their full acceptance, participation
and security."
The 5,000-member KPC includes 500 posts reserved
for members of minority communities. So far approximately 100
of those posts have been filled.
UN envoy urges continued
international engagement in Kosovo
9 OCTOBER -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today urged the
international community to continue its military presence and
economic assistance in Kosovo, regardless of the events in Belgrade.
"We have to maintain the same military commitment and the
same economic engagement for some time to come," Dr. Kouchner
told a meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European
Union in Luxembourg.
He told the 15 foreign ministers of the European
Union it would be wrong to assume that with the victory of the
opposition in Serbia, the inter-ethnic conflict in Kosovo would
come to an end and the situation in the province would improve
from one day to the next. "Much will depend on the attitude
of the new government in Belgrade," he said.
Dr. Kouchner said it was his intention to establish
direct contacts with the new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica,
who has invited Kouchner to meet him.
He cautioned that Kosovo remains a society in
crisis, with deep inter-ethnic hatred, driven in part by the fate
of thousands of missing persons and detainees. In his view, Dr.
Kouchner said the lifting of sanctions on Serbia should be linked
to concrete progress on this issue. "We need a gesture from
the new democratic government. We want dozens of illegally detained
prisoners to be released, and [human rights activist] Vlora Brovina
to be freed," he said.
Dr. Kouchner also said that it was no secret
that Albanians wanted independence. Therefore, he warned, to try
to solve the final status of Kosovo now could lead anew to open
conflict. "This is why I am convinced we… have to accelerate
the process of defining substantial autonomy for Kosovo and developing
institutions of self-government, with the Kosovars sharing more
and more responsibilities in the administration of Kosovo."
He said with this in mind, he had proposed a
"pact" to the people of Kosovo, starting with the municipal
elections on 28 October, followed by the start of a discussion
on developing central institutions of self-government.
UN in Kosovo initiates
contacts with new government in Belgrade
6 OCTOBER -- Welcoming the news of changes in the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia (FRY), the head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, said today said
he had already established contact with the new government in
Belgrade.
Dr. Kouchner said he intended to start a meaningful dialogue with
the new government to begin work on resolving crucial issues facing
Kosovo, including detainees in Serbia and the thousands of missing
people.
Echoing the statement issued earlier in the
day by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Dr. Kouchner said FRY could
now take its place in Europe as a democracy and "the years
of terrible conflict can end, and healing can begin." However,
he cautioned that many challenges remained ahead for the people
of Kosovo and for the international community working in Kosovo.
"UNMIK will continue to implement our mandate
under Security Council resolution 1244, to prepare Kosovo for
substantial autonomy," he said.
He said the people of Kosovo had suffered greatly
in the past from the former regime in Belgrade. They have not
yet recovered and the attention of the international community
must not be diverted from the tasks at hand in Kosovo, he said.
In another development, two British police officers
working as part of UNMIK, who had been arrested in Montenegro
by the FRY armed forces more than two months ago, were released
today.
The move was welcomed by Secretary-General Kofi
Annan as "encouraging." A spokesman for Mr. Annan said
the Secretary-General called for an early release of the remaining
Canadian and Dutch nationals still under detention in the FRY.
Head of UN mission in
Kosovo says Milosevic must be brought to justice
5 OCTOBER -- The United Nations envoy in Kosovo, Dr. Bernard Kouchner,
today strongly distanced himself from the remarks made by Jiri
Dienstbier, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights in the Balkans, concerning war crimes indictment against
President Slobodan Milosevic.
Mr. Dienstbier is reported to have stated yesterday that "the
only possible deal, and the most important thing for Mr. Milosevic
is to have guarantees that if he leaves power he will not be prosecuted
and will not spend the rest of his life in prison."
Dr. Kouchner said there could be no peace and
reconciliation in Kosovo until those indicted with human rights
violations are brought to justice.
Dr. Kouchner expressed his concern that such
comments could severely damage the confidence of the people of
Kosovo in the commitment of the United Nations to human rights
principles and the punishment of persons responsible for the atrocities.
He said the indictment by the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicates that
President Milosevic bears criminal responsibility for the atrocities
committed in Kosovo during the armed conflict in 1998-99.
"The families of these victims are still
suffering today as are the families of thousands of missing persons
from Kosovo. Furthermore, the Milosevic regime continues to hold
hundreds of prisoners from Kosovo in Serbia proper for political
reasons," he said.
Dr. Kouchner said it was his duty as the highest
ranking UN official in Kosovo to directly reassure the people
of Kosovo of the UN's commitment to bring to justice all suspected
perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law.
Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
that the Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights
acted in their personal capacity and did not represent the views
of the Secretary-General or any intergovernmental organ. Meanwhile,
a spokesman for the ICTY stated that there was no intention to
withdraw the indictment against President Milosevic.
UN envoy tells Kosovars
they must prove ready for democracy to receive aid
5 OCTOBER -- The United Nations envoy in Kosovo has reiterated
that in order for the international community to support Kosovo
and release funds for the social welfare system that the UN is
establishing, the people of Kosovo must prove that they are ready
for democracy by fair and free elections.
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), was speaking yesterday at a town hall
meeting in Podujevo, north of Pristina. "Offer me democratic
elections without violence and discrimination, and I'll help you
find money to rebuild Kosovo," he said. "UNMIK will
help you to get self-governance. This is the pact I offer you."
He urged the people of Kosovo not to ruin their
future with ethnic hatred or violence in the community, between
parties or between people. He also told them of the opening on
12 October of a Detained and Missing Persons Bureau, announced
earlier.
The town hall meeting was preceded by a visit
to a housing project funded by a Kuwaiti non-governmental organization,
the Islamic World Committee, which provided houses for more than
800 people including 145 families of widows and orphans.
UN mission in Kosovo to set up a Detained
and Missing Persons Bureau
4 OCTOBER -- The United Nations mission in Kosovo will on 12 October
set up a Detained and Missing Persons Bureau, with a section dealing
with detainees held in Serbia and another for missing persons.
Briefing the Interim Administrative Council (IAC) yesterday, the
head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, said the bureau will be closely
linked with the IAC and the Kosovo Transitional Council, according
to UNMIK spokeswoman Susan Manuel.
Ms. Manuel said in a press briefing in Pristina
today that the bureau would be staffed initially by UNMIK, with
participation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe, UNMIK police and the International Committee for the
Red Cross.
"However, local experts will be appointed
to the bureau, and members of the local community will eventually
take over full responsibility for its work," she said.
The bureau will have its main office in Pristina
and resource centres around Kosovo, she added.
Despite many difficulties,
about 400,000 Kosovar children attend school
4 OCTOBER -- About 400,000 students in Kosovo started regular
school from September this year despite many difficulties, the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
said today.
Briefing members of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC), the
co-head of the Department of Education and Science, Michael Daxner,
said that teachers training will be reorganized with help from
experts from around the world and a large donation from Canada.
His department was trying to raise the pre-primary
school attendance from 2.8 per cent to 5.5 per cent this year.
The technical schools were trying to introduce new subjects like
business administration, which would be useful for students in
a modern economy.
Mr. Daxner was responding to some of the issues
raised at the KTC meeting by the Working Group on Education. The
head of the Working Group, Januz Salihaj, expressed his opposition
to reducing the number of years in primary school from nine to
five. He expressed concern that in many schools there were 45
or more students in every class, which affected the quality of
education.
Mr. Salihaj had also rainsed concern about the
lack of proper teacher training and the fact that in technical
schools fewer and fewer students were turning to subjects such
as mining, geology and chemistry.
Another member of the Working Group, Dragan
Velic, lamented the fact that the Serb schools did not have enough
teachers and students.
Voters list for the municipal
elections in Kosovo completed
4 OCTOBER -- The final voters list for the municipal elections
in Kosovo on 28 October has been completed. In total, 863,000
people living inside the territory and a further 38,000 outside
Kosovo are eligible to vote, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said today.
OSCE spokesman Roland Bless told journalists in Pristina that
3-4 per cent of the electorate are not correctly represented on
the final voters' list. This conforms to international standards,
he said. "A voters' list can never be 100 per cent perfect.
People die, people move; there are human errors in data entry."
He reiterated that people who are not correctly
represented on the list will still be able to vote by casting
a "conditional ballot".
Mr. Bless said the candidates list for all the
30 municipal assemblies has also been finalized, with 24.5 per
cent of the 5,546 candidates being women.
Kosovo voters mostly concerned
with social amenities, says report
3 OCTOBER -- Kosovo voters are mostly concerned with the issues
of health care, education, economic development, water and social
services, according to a new report just published.
The report, Voters' Voices: Community Concerns, was compiled by
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
office in Kosovo in preparation for the 28 October municipal elections.
OSCE is one of the pillars of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
OSCE Ambassador Daan Everts said it is the concerns,
hopes and problems of the voters that should drive politicians
and dictate the course of political campaigns. More broadly, the
purpose of the Voters' Voices is to encourage people to hold politicians
accountable to their will and challenge politicians to address
the most pressing concerns of the community with clear and concrete
proposals, he said.
The Voters' Voices presents the concerns and
priorities expressed by over 1,000 people in 72 community meetings
held across Kosovo. The OSCE Democratization Department asked
the people to prioritize the 15 issues falling under the responsibility
of municipalities.
UN restoring power to
Kosovo town after arson destroys Trepca transformers
2 OCTOBER -- The United Nations mission in Kosovo has set up an
emergency task force to restore electricity to the Serb community
of Zvecan in northern Mitrovica, following a fire Saturday night
which destroyed electrical transformers in the nearby Trepca lead
smelter complex that supplied power to the town.
The task force has brought several generators to essential facilities
in Zvecan and more are on the way, the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today.
UNMIK officials said the fire was caused by
arson and a full investigation is under way. The fire, which covered
200 square metres of the Trepca complex, was put out around midnight
on Saturday by local fire fighters, UNMIK and the international
peacekeeping force (KFOR). They had to contend with an unruly
crowd who threw stones at UNMIK fire officials and burned the
car of one UNMIK staff member who was also assaulted. The situation
in Zvecan was reported as tense, UNMIK said.
"Extremists have worked hard to damage
the community and livelihoods of Zvecan," said UNMIK senior
adviser Eric Chevallier. "However, we are determined to protect
the community in this emergency phase, as well as over the long
term."
The task force is led by acting UNMIK Regional
Administrator Jim Fitt and consists of UNMIK officials, staff
managing the Trepca complex, KFOR and UNMIK police.
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