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CONTENTS: 09 October 2001 TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN - A GROWING PROBLEM IN KOSOVO
A UNIFEM delegation led by human rights expert Elizabeth Rehn and Victoria Brittain of the UK newspaper The Guardian are in Kosovo as part of a tour of post-conflict countries. The purpose of the visit is to see the effect of conflicts on women and the role of women in building peace. The delegation has visited Cambodia, East Timor, Congo, Somalia, Rwanda and Kosovo, reported Koha Ditore on page four. All post-conflict countries, including Kosovo, have many things in common, such as a shortage of women in government, lack of education, common rapes, trafficking into prostitution and domestic violence. During a press briefing in Pristina, Rehn and Brittain gave their impression of the state of women in Kosovo. "We have seen various problems in Kosovo, but the most common problem is trafficking of women. Unfortunately, it is easier to get to the women than it is to the source of their traffic," stressed Rehn. She noted that the Justice Department and the Kosovar political leaders are working to bring an end to trafficking and determined to change the situation. "As far as the position of women is concerned, we have found great similarities among the cultures and traditions." While in Kosovo, the delegation met Kosovar political leaders and women from the minorities in Kosovo. They asked political leaders to include more women more in their programmes. "Kosovar's women are very able to participate in political life but the problem is that men are not ready to accept this," stressed Brittain. The delegation also asked political leaders to include women from minorities groups in their programs, "because women from minorities are even more of a minority." The purpose of these visits, consultations and investigations is to understand the reality and experience of women in post-conflict countries, identify the advances and barriers in the process to support women and increase the level of their participation in the peace process.
Kosovo's Ombudsperson Marek Nowicki travelled to Mitrovica and met citizens in the municipal building, reported Zëri on page nine. According to Nowicki, it was appropriate to meet residents of this divided city in order to learn about the problems they face in a municipality in which ethnic tensions and separations are still evident. Most complaints concerned French KFOR soldiers allegedly violating human rights and unequal treatment of Albanians and Serbs. Mursel Sadiku asked the Ombudsperson to shed light upon the case of his missing brother, who he said was kidnapped by Serbs and never returned. Nowicki was told of many other problems, created by a lack of institutions to monitor human rights and liberties and the absence of central and administrative institutions. The newspaper reported Nowicki as noting that Serb lawyers were visiting Albanian enclaves while Albanian lawyers were visiting Serb enclaves. Zeri reported that Nowicki expressed concern about the difficult conditions of Serbs living in enclaves and added that the Albanian media is hardly reporting this. Nowicki also visited 15 Serbs, who are detained in northern Mitrovica.
Koha Ditore on page three carried a column by its editor-in-chief Veton Surroi. After having summarized developments that led to the war in Afghanistan, Surroi continued: "What can we Kosovars do for the war? First, we will have to eliminate the fundamentalism within our society. I am talking about a minority of Islamic fundamentalists, who appeared up after the war and have tried to place Islam's roots in our society. Their very annoying activities are isolated within the greater movement by a section of the more nationalist Albanians. We are dealing with a fundamentalism associated with nationalism. The terrorist attacks on minorities, for example the bomb on the bus in Merdare, proves this fundamentalism. Although it does not have the means to join the world alliance in its war against terrorism, Kosovo can contribute in its own way. The war will result in a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The KPC members, as a body financed by the UN in Kosovo, can support any kind of humanitarian operation in the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Once the Taliban regime lets go of Afghanistan, the KPC members can help in reconstructing the country."
The head of the Co-ordination Centre for Kosovo, Nebojsa Covic, has said that for now, Kosovo's Serbs will not vote in the November elections, reported Koha Ditore on page four. "We do not want to put any conditions on our final decision. We are just being realistic, therefore we came to the conclusion that the Serb community in Kosovo is really scared of the violence that might take place if they do participate in the elections," stressed Covic during a press briefing in Bujanovac. He said that the policy of FRY and Serbia are in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. According to Covic, the registration of Kosovo's Serbs for the elections proved that 15% of the Kosovar population are Serbs. "If all Serbs would have registered, then the figures would reach 18.6%."
UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup, Head of the OSCE Daan Everts and the leaders of the political parties that will run in the general elections officially opened the electoral campaign a few days ago, reported Bota Sot on page ten. The media has frequently reported that the names of people listed in the European Union and (US president George) Bush's black list will not have be allowed to stand in the general elections. But despite this, several political party leaders ignored the decision of the SRSG and presented all the names of the candidates. These persons should know that the SRSG will prevent them from running in the elections. On the other hand, the OSCE and the Central Electoral Committee (CEC) did not provide any information about sanctions against these candidates and their parties. OSCE officials blame the CEC and say that the CEC should make this decision. The CEC says that it does not have the competence to make such decisions. Have not yet seen lists of the candidates, therefore, this institution cannot say which candidates will be allowed to participate. She added that the SRSG said that these people should not even think about joining the elections before the CEC receives the list. Trevena said that the list is not only for the two political parties whose candidates are on black lists, but was valid for all parties and candidates that will run for election. The CEC will review the list of the candidates now that the election campaign has started, because it would not be right to tell a candidate that he cannot take part in the elections, just before these begin. According to Trevena, the CEC compiles and implements the regulations because it is the institution that deals with elections and electoral law. Therefore, CEC officials are responsible for both the regulations and the entire electoral process. But as far as CEC member Daut Dauti is concerned, the CEC cannot do
anything about this issue because this is a decision made under
Haekkerup's executive order and even if it was not, the CEC does not know
the names on the black list. "The CEC has not seen the list of the
candidates and it is not our duty to see them," stated Dauti, Bota Sot
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