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CONTENTS: 6 NOV. 2001 SHALA: AND NOW?
Zëri carried on page one a column by its editor-in-chief Blerim Shala, who wrote: What will the three Kosovar Albanian leaders do now? This is the main question that follows up all other question that derive from the publication of the Common Document between UNMIK Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic. The three Kosovar leaders and all Kosovars may suffer nervous breakdowns and an outburst of emotion. There can be irrational acts and premature statements, which will seek a guilty party elsewhere, or even worse the statement will be misused for the finale of the campaign, to collect additional votes in the last days before the 17 November elections. Mutual accusations now could have fatal consequences for all of us. This document is the biggest question mark for the process of forming a Kosovar government, which in no way is tied with the one in Belgrade. This is the main message and all other issues are of no importance. If our three leaders Dr. Rugova, Thaçi and Haradinaj do not understand this, then we shall not be able to face the biggest political challenge of a post-war Kosovo. If Rugova, Thaçi and Haradinaj are truly such patriots, as they are
trying to convince us every day, then they should sit down on Tuesday 6
November and will compile a political statement in which they will
proclaim that they do not recognize the Belgrade Document. That is it.
Zëri reported on pages one and three the significance of the Haekkerup-Covic document for the participation of Serbs in the 17 November elections and the future role of Serbia and FRY in Kosovo. UNMIK Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup was last night 100 per cent sure that he has achieved success in negotiations with Belgrade and that he had fully respected UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the Constitutional Framework. After his return from Belgrade he met with the diplomatic core in Kosovo to convey the achieving of the document with Belgrade that will enable the participation of Kosovo Serbs in the November elections. Afterward he met with the three IAC members. Four days after the positive declarations by the Belgrade government in favour of Serb participation in the elections, UNMIK Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup managed to meet with Kosovar media and inform the public, Zeri reported. He felt last night victorious that he achieved the aim of Serbs voting in the elections. "The democratic aspirations of the Yugoslav authorities should be welcomed, this has a great deal of importance for all communities in Kosovo. Kosovo is decisively going toward democratic elections. All of the communities have taken responsible positions and have declared their intention to participate in general elections, aspiring towards a better future for Kosovo," said Haekkerup. Haekkerup and Covic signed a six-page document, which according to Haekkerup "repeats the primary principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and Constitutional Framework". "This document puts into perspective the reasons why Kosovo Serbs remain part of the Kosovo institutions and fulfill our aspirations. The document has full backing of the international community, the UN and the Secretary-General. Thus the future dialogue will not only involve UNMIK and Yugoslavia but also the Kosovo institutions," said Haekkerup, reported Zeri. UNMIK Chief Administrator is convinced that most of the Serbs will
answer Kostunica's call to participate in elections but he excludes some
'extremists', who might refuse to do
so. Haekkerup does not admit that this will be an extension of the IAC renamed "Joint Group". "No the IAC was a council that played a different role in Kosovo. This is a group in which we will try to identify fields of cooperation together with Yugoslavia and both sides need to agree in these fields. As mentioned in the document, other issues can be added with the consent of all sides". "We will identify fields where we can find common ground and treat problems that cannot be solved solely in Kosovo, but there is need for dialogue with Yugoslav authorities. Another case is the Albanian prisoners in Serbia. We are powerless to tell them to release those prisoners. However, now we have a document that obliges them to investigate these cases on the basis of international standards so they are returned to UNMIK prisons". According to Zeri, the UNMIK Chief Administrator did not even consider last night the possibility that Albanians might refuse to participate in the work of this group. He did not want to comment the absence of some members from the IAC last night. Haekkerup invited journalists themselves to ask Albanian leaders for their stance regarding the document. The UNMIK Chief Administrator said that Covic's statements that the agreement returns FRY to Kosovo. "I have to say that I do not agree with this statement. There are no changes in UNMIK's authority and it was clearly said that full authority belongs to UNMIK. Naturally that administrative authority cannot be changed by this document. This is emphasized in the document". Haekkerup also said that Covic's statement does not stand, that "the document ensures that Kosovo will not become independent" "The document clearly states that provisional self-governing institutions have no right to proclaim independence. However, as you know the document and UN Security Council Resolution 1244 are neutral regarding the final status and it has not included any possibilities". The UNMIK Chief Administrator said that the "Joint Group" could not consider anything dealing with the final status. This issue will not be dealt with either by the new Kosovo Parliament. Haekkerup does not believe that this Parliament will try to announce a referendum and proclaim independence", Zeri reported. `"I do not believe that this will happen and it will not be one of the
issue of the Kosovo Parliament. However, if it happens it will be
worthless and no one will accept it". The document signed between UNMIK and Belgrade does not include a deadline for the fulfilling of any of the issues Zeri reported.
Zëri carried on page three communiques issued by AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj and PDK Chairman Hashim Thaçi regarding the signed statement of UNMIK and Belgrade. "The agreement signed between UNMIK Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup and representatives of the Belgrade government is damaging and carries certain dangers for Kosovo's future and the region itself. We do not accept it, respect it nor are we obliged by it," said the AAK communiqué signed by Ramush Haradinaj. "Characters of this agreement must understand that Kosovo is determined to be integrated in the global democratic processes and not the regressive process of a return of Kosovo to Serbia. This is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and this is the start of implementation of the shameful Constitutional Framework approved on 15 May 2001. Everyone must understand that Kosovo is Kosovo and that it will remain Kosovo and not Kosovo and Metohija," said the PDK communiqué signed by Hashim Thaçi.
Zëri carried on page six a report on the "freezing" of Prishtina Municipal Assembly. The newspaper reported that Prishtina Municipal Administrator Siegfried Brenke was dissatisfied with the transcript by assembly press officer Bajram Mjeku of Mr Brenke's statement to the parliamentary groups on 2 November. "The transcript distributed by Prishtina Municipal Assembly spokesperson Bajram Mjeku does not clearly reflect my statements with the parliamentary groups. I demand that my text is included in the transcript," said Brenke in a communiqué to the media. Municipal Administrator said that the procedings at the ninth session of the Prishtina Municipal Assembly was in conflict with basic human rights, reported Zeri. Brenke said that if evidence of Slavkovic's involvement in criminal acts was available to an assembly member, the accusations should not have been publicly in front of TV cameras. He added that the allegations had placed a member of the Prishtina Municipal Assembly in grave physical danger. Zeri reported that Brenke noted that allegations against Slavkovic were made about four weeks after he was sworn in as a Prishtina Municipal Assembly delegate. Therefore the events in the assembly could be interpreted as an effort to discourage the Serb community from taking part in the municipal assembly. This aim would clearly be against the main principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the UN Mission in Kosovo, said Brenke. He added that carrying on with the Municipal Assembly without the Serbs would send the wrong message to the public and internationals. Municipal Assembly Vice-President Nebih Zariqi said that the Assembly could not be blocked because of one person. Zariqi said that the work would continue and that all of the political party councilors stand by their previous viewpoints. "Until our demands are fulfilled we will not accept to get back inside the Assembly with the disputed Serb delegate," said Zariqi.
For the first time, UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup and Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic signed an official document, which made Kosovo Albanian leaders very angry, reported Koha Ditore on page one. "One hundred percent" sure that the document is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Haekkerup rebuked Belgrade's statement regarding the document being "the beginning of Yugoslavia's return in Kosovo." Haekkerup repeated that he and UNMIK are the only authority in Kosovo. "The interim self-governing institutions in Kosovo do not have the right to announce Kosovo's independence. However, the document and resolution 1244 are neutral toward Kosovo's status and do not expel any possibilities in the future. We repeat what has been already said and that is that the self-governing period does not have the power to proclaim independence. This was known all along," said Haekkerup. The document, whose purpose is to improve the living conditions of Kosovo Serbs and assure Serb participation in the elections, was expected with great anger in Kosovo. Following the meeting in Belgrade, Haekkerup decided to immediately travel to Prishtina in order to discuss the document with the Albanian leaders before talking to the journalists. Apparently, Haekkerup's meeting with LDK Chairman Ibrahim Rugova and AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj, who were excluded from the process of compiling the document, did not go in a very nice atmosphere. "The document's idea is to assure Belgrade's support for Kosovo Serb participation in Kosovo's institutions. Kosovo cannot proceed forward without the participation of all communities. I believe that we have made a great step with the document and the support for participation in the elections. This step will make a solution one day possible," stressed Haekkerup during the press briefing and praised the Yugoslav authorities for "their cooperative approach to positively involve all of Kosovo's communities." "Kosovo is confidently proceeding toward the first democratic elections. All of Kosovo's communities held a very responsible stance and decided to participate in the elections in order to create a better future for Kosovo," stressed Haekkerup. According to him, the elections and the institutions, which result from them will be acknowledged and respected due to the participation of all communities in Kosovo. "The document articulates the reasons why Kosovo Serbs should remain in Kosovo, the fleeing Serbs should return and participate in Kosovo's new structures," stressed Haekkerup. "This will be a group, with which we will try to identify the fields of cooperation with Yugoslavia," stressed Haekkerup and pointed out that the group will not have the role of the IAC. "Kosovo's status is not the job of the group. Now we can say that we have assured Serb participation in the elections and Kosovo's future institutions. The only way to overcome the hostility of the past is to make these people sit on a round table and discuss the problems of Kosovo's population," stressed Haekkerup.
Zëri on page three carried an editorial on the Common Document. "UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup and Nebojsa Covic, who is FRY President Kostunica's Special Representative signed a Common Document, which is the most problematic and contradictory document in post-war Kosovo. The absolute contradictory interpretations of Haekkerup and Covic prove that we are dealing with a contradictory document. According to Covic, the document will make it possible for Serbia and Yugoslavia to return to Kosovo and that the international community guaranteed Belgrade that Kosovo's independence will not take place. What is even worse, Covic advised Kosovo Albanian politicians to tell Kosovars that independence will not take place. It is another thing with Haekkerup, who denies that the document addresses the issue of Kosovo's final status. Haekkerup ignored LDK Chairman Ibrahim Rugova, PDK Chairman Hashim Thaçi and AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj, who are Kosovo's main three politicians, to the point of humiliation. Along with them, he humiliated another two million Albanians. It is not clear why this had to take place during the most sensitive period of the electoral campaign. It is the same story with the Kosovar public. Surprised, uninformed and with the feeling that UNMIK is betraying them, Kosovo's politicians and citizens are trying to understand what is happening in Belgrade. Now that they can read UNMIK and FRY's common document, they will come to the conclusion that the document is full of political formulations, which, due to lack of clarity, make various interpretations possible. The document also consists of positions, which can contest and damage the process of establishing Kosovo's central government. It is easy for UNMIK representatives to say that the establishment of the joint group does not contest Kosovo's central structures. But, the truth has another side. The document makes it possible for FRY and Serbia to have a part in Kosovo's interim government by supposedly representing the interests of Kosovo Serbs, which clashes 100 per cent with Kosovo's Constitutional Framework. There is no place for the Common Document and the Constitutional Framework here. Although the same person, UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup, signed them both, one must go. We have been talking about the legislative and political potential of Kosovo's Assembly regarding its right to address the issue of Kosovo's final status. Now, Haekkerup's new document makes the future interim stage of establishing Kosovo's democratic government problematic. We would advise Kosovo's Assembly to pronounce the document invalid in order to prevent problems in the above mentioned stage."
Bota Sot carried a report on page three that LDK Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Rugova will participate in today's LDK rally. Bota Sot also carried on page five a report on the LDK rally in Ferizaj. Where it was said that the mass presence of LDK sympathizers show that LDK would be victorious in 17 November elections. Koha Ditore carried a report on page seven about the AAK rally in Dardanë. AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj addressed the citizens of Dardanë: "Our future depends on what we ourselves do. The time has passed when Kosovo's independence would be asked only by words, now time has come to implement it," said AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj.
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