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Daily Media Monitoring Summary: Saturday 1 December 2001 DAILY REPORT:**IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT KOSOVO'S PARLIAMENT START GOVERNING IMMEDIATELY (1)**QABËR DID WHAT SKENDERBEU COULD NOT (2)**SHALA: THE CIRCLE OF WAITING (3)
The elections for Kosovo's Assembly, heralded around the world as a landmark achievement for the people of Kosovo, have kicked off big changes -both political and physical. My staff and myself have vacated the Government to move back to the "Headquarters" building where UNMIK's core civil servants worked soon after their arrival two and a half years ago. My old office is soon to be occupied by the new Presidency of the Assembly. Moving always prompts some kind of reflection: the Government building has accommodated several dramatic chapters in Kosovo's recent history. UNMIK's two-year residence there was spent constructing much of the political framework that is taking physical shape now. We also governed from that building: that meant overseeing the school system, the local administration, public services and so forth. For the past several weeks, workers have been readying the building for its new incarnation: the seat of the Kosovo Assembly and Provisional Self-Government. In one week, 120 democratically elected men and women will take their seats in Assembly Hall, now under renovation for their use. We have hired dozens of support staff; prepared committee rooms; organized security; wired the Assembly for live TV broadcasts; readied offices for the Assembly President, Prime Minister and-on a temporary basis-the President of Kosovo. This will continue to be, literally, the Government Building, from which decisions on economic development, health care, education, transportation, etcetera will emanate. On 10 December, I will open the Inaugural session of the Assembly, and call for the nominations of the seven members of the Assembly Presidency, one of whom will be the Assembly President. The Assembly will then vote to endorse the Presidency by a simple majority. This procedure is outlined in the Constitutional Framework, which was promulgated last May and which remains the guidebook for the new Provisional Self-government. Once the President of the Assembly is endorsed, I will join the visitors' gallery in the Assembly Hall, and he or she will begin to set the agenda for the work of the Assembly. This simple procedure, and other technical steps are described in an Executive Decision I will issue on Provisional Rules of Procedure for the Assembly. Any organization such as an Assembly must have rules in order to work, no matter how rudimentary or temporary. Once the Assembly is in session, I expect its members will form a committee to come up with their own, permanent Rules of Procedure. I have submitted these provisional Rules of Procedure to members of the IAC, along with a draft directive setting up the support services and structures of the Assembly. I had to make these technical decisions in order for the Assembly to be able to function from its first day. It is crucial that the Assembly of Kosovo begins to govern immediately: that means taking responsibility for the concrete issues that affect peoples' every day lives. I will not be intervening in this process, nor in the discussions ongoing regarding the formations of political coalitions or links that may be needed to elect the next stage of provisional self-government. The technical directives I discussed Tuesday with the Interim Administrative Council were simply those-technical instruments needed so that the Assembly can get to work immediately on matters of substance, not symbols. Symbols are significant. But to run Kosovo for the benefit of the people, as well as to convince Kosovo's many supporters among the international community of their abilities, the leaders of Kosovo must for now separate their attachment to symbols from their responsibilities to govern. This way, the Assembly and provisional self-government can more quickly help the people of Kosovo to enjoy the fruits of democracy and to move together toward a brighter future. (2) Sitting side by side in the frontyard of the primary school "Osman Rama" in Qabër, Kosovar Albanian political leaders LDK Chairman Ibrahim Rugova and AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj and Bujar Bukoshi, former Republic of Kosovo Prime Minister in exile and now the President of UFORK--participated in the inauguration of 150 houses built in the only Albanian village in Zubin Potok (destroyed during the war), reports Koha Ditore. "The biggest joy of life is a new house: therefore I congratulate you in your new homes. It has always been a dream for Albanians to have a home and a state. God bless Qabër, Kosovo and all of you, said Dr. Rugova. "You have shown fortitude by returning here to a village that was totally destroyed and thought of as never to be lived again," continued Rugova who also called on villagers to build a memorial for local teacher Osman Ramën. Bukoshi thanked whose who helped this project, saying "We are here to recollect once more the bitter past of this village that resembles all of Kosovo. The Serb criminal regime destroyed this village, using bulldozers so no trace of Albanians living here would remain, and this was to continue all over Kosovo. We would not have this Phoenix in Kosovo without the determination of the villagers who remained in tents and did not leave their village." The villagers welcomed with applause AAK Chairman Haradinaj. Sources near the organizing council of the meeting in Qabër informed PDK officials, however there was no member of this political party even from the local level. (2) The countdown for the last ten days for the first meeting of Kosovo's Parliament has started. However, with this countdown grows a greater enigma over how will the ten posts be divided, i.e. the post of the President, the Prime Minister and seven Minister, comments Editor in Chief Blerim Shala in a front page column for Zëri. "As things look right now the scores can be hardly settled in the next few days between the three main Kosovar political parties the LDK, PDK and AAK. The PDK and AAK are waiting for LDK's initiative; LDK is waiting for Rugova's word and it looks like everyone is waiting to see what the five representatives of the main western countries in Pristina are going to do. These are in fact waiting to see whether the Kosovar political parties and UNMIK Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup will initiate a process for an agreement. A paradoxical circle has been formed which tells that the real and nominal government are still not at the same address. UNMIK's influence is declining while it awaits the prospering of the three Kosovar political leaders. Also the influence of the five main western representatives in Pristina has grown. If some unexpected miracle does not happen, we all will be eyewitnesses
to the vain speculations, gossip and comments in the coming days over the
division of the government between the three main Kosovar Albanian
political parties that should join in the government with a big coalition.
Then in the last two-three days before the first session of the
Assembly, we could expect help from the main representatives of the
five western countries in Pristina who have already understood the
importance of their role and influence in achieving the agreement between
Kosovar political parties.
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