Daily Media Monitoring Summary
Sunday, December 2, 2001

CONTENTS:
1.PDK AND ALLIANCE START NEGOTIATIONS, LDK WAITS FOR NEXT WEEK
2.EVERTS: KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE IS AN OPEN ISSUE
3.YMERI CLAIMS SABIT GECI KILLED AHMET KRASNIQI AND ENVER MALOKU

1. Under the sub-title "Though the international community has called upon the Kosovars to create co-government, which would be a model for success, the political parties haven't done anything in this direction", Koha Ditore reports on a meeting held Friday between the officials of the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). According to the paper, on Saturday PDK officials held another meeting, this time with representatives of the Kosovo Turk Democratic Party (KDTP). Soon, other meetings between Albanian and minority parties are expected, however, it is not known when the key player, the Democratic League of Kosovo, will enter the game.

Quoting its sources within the PDK, the paper added that they had called for a meeting between the leaders of the PDK and LDK, however Rugova's party opposed the idea.

Hashim Thaçi, leader of the Kosovo Democratic Party, told the paper that the meeting with the leader of the Kosovo Turk Democratic Party, Jahir Magxhilar, was a successful consultation for a close and sincere cooperation with the Turk community. Magxhilar, on the other hand, promised that his party would do all in its power for the good of Kosovo.

Adding to the matter, Thaçi was quoted as saying, "I am having continuous consultations with the entire Albanian and non-Albanian political spectrum, and I believe that in the future we will have more meetings". When asked by the paper of a possible meeting with LDK officials, Thaçi refused to give an answer.

On the other hand, PDK senior officials and the Haradinaj-led Alliance's top representatives held a meeting on Friday night. According to Thaçi, the purpose of the meeting was to reach an agreement prior to December 10. "We must come to an agreement before the first session of the Kosovo Parliament, so that we can be prepared and hold an inaugural session as desired by the citizens of Kosovo," he added.
 
2. The independence of Kosovo is one of the open issues of the future and it is no way forbidden, OSCE Head of Mission Daan Everts told RTV 21, Bota Sot reports.

Commenting on the independence of Kosovo, Everts told RTV 21 that the matter should be negotiated in consultations with the international community. "These consultations cannot be held tomorrow. We must first see the development of the self-government and the interethnic relations in the country. However, I believe that the consultations will be held. It will depend on both internal and external developments if they are to be held sooner or later."

Everts also said that the final status of Kosovo is an open issue and that the Kosovar citizens can expect a lot from the future government. He added: "the greatest challenge of the government will be to show that self-administration can function."

3. Bota Sot on page 12 carried an interview with Ymer Ymeri, who was arrested during the war by the Military Police of the former Kosovo Liberation Army. Ymeri claims that during his arrest Sabit Geci, a senior official of the former KLA, told him that he had killed Ahmeti Krasniqi, the Defense Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, and Enver Maloku, the head of the Kosovo Information Center.

During the interview for the daily paper, Ymeri also claimed that he and a lot of other Albanians were arrested during the war following orders by Hashim Thaçi, former leader of the KLA and now chairman of the Kosovo Democratic Party.