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CONTENTS: 3 Oct. 2001 A UNIQUE CHAPTER IN KOSOVO'S NEW HISTORY
The television is showing numerous clips of scenes, the purpose of which is to encourage the Kosovars to participate in the November elections, which according to the men who are organizing them, will be a decisive step to a better future for Kosovo and its citizens. "Think, ask and decide," was the message of the clips that were disseminated in Albanian, Serbian and Turkish, reported Zëri on page one and three. UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup and Head of OSCE Daan Everts entered the hall, where the ceremony of the official opening of the electoral campaign was taking place. The walls of the hall were covered with posters that contained the same message as the clips. Haekkerup evaluated the opening of the electoral campaign as a unique chapter in Kosovo's new history. "Democracy is a specific chance for all nations, therefore they are all responsible for Kosovo's future," stressed Haekkerup and pointed out that on 17 November, more than one million voters will have the chance to vote. According to Haekkerup, the most successful aspect of these elections is the participation of Kosovo's communities. "All of Kosovo's communities will be represented in the assembly and I am satisfied with the number of registered voters." The SRSG stressed that once the elections end, Kosovo will face many challenges, one of which would be to overcome the obstacles that prevent it from turning into a democratic society. He appealed to the candidates of all political entities, to conduct a peaceful electoral campaign, adding that the international administration will ensure proper conditions for the elections to proceed smoothly. Haekkerup said that the UNMIK Police and KFOR "will do everything in their power to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for the elections because democracy and violence do not go together." "I have participated in several elections as a voter and member of the Danish Parliament and elsewhere. I can easily say that I am satisfied that Kosovo has the chance to hold elections in accordance with international standards," he stated. Everts considered the mass participation of the people in the ceremony as reasonable. "We have a good reason to be here because we are marking the opening of the electoral campaign in Kosovo. In the name of the OSCE, I can assure you that we are well prepared technically and logistically," stressed Everts and pointed out that 1,800 polling stations will be ready for 17 November. "Many international and local officials will be here to monitor the elections in to ensure that the process proceeds smoothly. The number of voters will be more than it was last year and we will also have voters from other communities." According to Everts, the success of the elections will depend entirely on the political entities and the voters. The Central Election Commission, which is part of the OSCE, had certified 26 political entities from all communities in Kosovo. Everts also touched the issue of the Regulation for the Media. "There is a tiger with very sharp teeth", stated the SRSG referring to the Sub-commission for Claims and Appeals. He explained that the violators will be punished. All those over the age of 18 years, have lived in Kosovo since 1998 and have registered here, have the right to participate in the November elections. EU SENDS OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT THE ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO There might be many of us who have forgotten the last time the two European Union officials for Foreign Policy, Javier Solana and Christopher Patten, visited Kosovo, reported Koha Ditore on page two. We are aware of the fact that it was too much to expect them to come and visit our country due to the situation in Kosovo being truly peaceful in the last few months, the crisis in Macedonia, in the Middle East and the terrorist acts in the USA. The process of the NLA dissolution, the coordination of the war against global terrorism, which Washington is leading, are good reasons for these two officials to pay us a visit. Solana and Patten will visit Skopje, Pristina and Tirana and they have enough to discuss on their agenda. A European Union official in Brussels informed that their message in Skopje would be very clear. According to the official, "Solana and Patten will encourage the Macedonian Parliament to hasten the process of implementing the constitutional changes." They will also offer EU's help to supervise the implementation of the changes, new donations for reconstruction and rejuvenation of the economy in Macedonia. But this can only take place if Skopje fulfills its obligation. As far as their visit in Kosovo is concerned, the officials will point out the importance EU gives to the general elections in Kosovo. "Regardless of the many obstacles, great progress has been made in Kosovo. Due to this, we believe that time has come for the Kosovars to take over more competencies and responsibility, which will be possible for them after the general elections," stressed the official, saying this will be the message for the Kosovars. They will not elaborate on the way voters' registration took place. They will stress that the participation of all communities in Kosovo in the general elections is crucial.
Zëri on page one carried a report on UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup meeting with Serb representative Nebojsa Covic. Haekkerup met Covic once more and rumor has it that they discussed various issues for four hours. If Haekkerup did not want anyone to find out about the topics of discussion, then he was successful. According to UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel, the meeting that took place was only a continuation of earlier meetings. This time UNMIK did not provide the media with any stereotyped statements regarding the topics of discussion. The scandalous non-transparence "We do not want to make any statements because we would only repeat ourselves and say that the issue of the missing, imprisoned and the Serb return in Osojane and other Serb villages in Kosovo, were the topics of discussion," stressed Manuel at the end of the meeting. Based on this, the next time a meeting takes place between Haekkerup and Covic, UNMIK will not see it necessary to inform us. The press officers will most probably multiply the press releases and every time a meeting takes place, they will only change the date and hand them to the journalists. This move makes the job of the press officers' a lot easier and all they have to do now is inform the public that they do not know anything else but the fact that a meeting did take place and Haekkerup and Covic were present at it. As we know, the access to these meetings was denied to the media. What is even worse, the journalists are not even allowed to go near the building in which the meeting is taking place. This scandalous non-transparence of UNMIK regarding the meetings (seven have taken place in the suburbs of Pristina) has been in place since the beginning, when talks began in Merdare. Haekkerup, let alone Covic, have never told the media on the details of the meetings. Apparently, UNMIK is working based on a paragraph of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which foresees total informative darkness for the Kosovars. Kosovo's politicians and the citizens have no idea about what Haekkerup and Covic are "cooking". "The only thing I know about these meetings is that they are taking place, and without the presence of the Albanian side. I also know the fact that the Albanian side has never met Haekkerup without the Serbs', not even in IAC," stated a Kosovar while listening to the radio, which announced the "meeting". The only way for the Albanian political spectrum to learn about the Haekkerup-Covic meetings is through the media, IAC and KTC. Discussing the "Kosovar issues" issues without the presence of a Kosovar "We do not know anything else about the meetings, therefore we have to believe that what the officials and the sources are saying is true," stated LDK member Kolë Berisha. Officials of various political parties say that they have absolutely no influence on the time and location of the meetings. "We have only superficial information on what is taking place in these meetings," stressed PDK member Hajredin Kuçi and expressed doubts about Haekkerup representing the will of Kosovo people in these meetings, although he is the administrator of Kosovo. AAK member Muhamet Kelmendi is unhappy that the AAK was sometimes informed about these meetings after 4 or 5 days. He expressed his dissatisfaction at the way the meetings were being organized and called them "violation of elementary rights". "First of all, the topics discussed with Covic should have been discussed at IAC because Covic comes from another state. The local Serbs should raise their doubts and because Kosovo is discussed at these meetings, Albanians should also participate," stressed Kelmendi, whose remarks the SRSG did not even notice. Nevertheless, this time the Albanian political parties will remain uninformed even longer. IAC, where the Albanians get information about the meetings, took place yesterday. KTC, which did the same thing, has been dissolved. This time Haekkerup is probably very "relieved" now that he does not have to answer the Albanian leaders regarding the meetings.
On Tuesday UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup reported that he refused to accept any of the conditions put by the Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic for the Serbs to participate in the general elections, reported Kosova Sot on page three. Haekkerup and Covic met in Pristina with the purpose of discussing several issues that deal with the Serb minority in Kosovo. At a ceremony at the OSCE building, Haekkerup told a small number of journalists that he and Covic had discussed numerous issues, including the issue of the Albanian prisoners in Serb prisons, the missing persons and the possibility of the Serbs participating in the elections. "I told him that we will not accept his conditions in order for him to encourage the Serb community to participate in the elections," stressed Haekkerup while explaining Covic's point of view regarding the Serbs having fulfilled their part of the agreement by certifying the "Povratak" coalition, and therefore leaving it is up to the international community to fulfill the conditions of the Kosovo Serbs. Haekkerup stressed that the UN Security Council supports the Serb participation in the elections. "I do not know anything about this decision but I hope that they participate in the elections," responded Haekkerup when asked to comment on the statements of Yugoslav President Kostunica and Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic that they did them not support the "Povratak" coalition.
SPOT Chairman (Serb Resistance Movement for Kosovo) Momcilo Trajkovic said at a press briefing that the international community had not fulfilled the conditions for the Serb community to participate in the November elections in Kosovo, reported Zëri on page three. "The political and security situation in Kosovo is getting worse every day and the people here are frightened and hopeless," stressed Trajkovic. According to him, not even minimal conditions have been fulfilled for the Serb participation. He stressed that his party will continue supporting the international community in Kosovo, even though it "has created an Albanian society and is now calling on the Serbs to participate in the elections in order to decorate this society and thus make it multiethnic." According to Trajkovic, Serb representative Nebojsa Covic was the first to mention the "Povratak" coalition and therefore it seemed that he supports it. He added that the Serb National Council and deputy Chairwoman of the Serb Democratic Christian Party Rada Trajkovic was most probably behind "Povratak" as well. Trajkovic also urged the international community that to postpone the
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