Daily Media Monitoring Summary: Sunday 9 December, 2001

**RUGOVA WANTS TO CO-GOVERN, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS CONDITIONS (1)**HOSTAGES CALL FOR COLLECTIVE RELEASE FROM PRISON (2)

(1) Talks among Albanians in Kosovo continue on the co-governance in the parliament, reports Koha Ditore. Sources inform that LDK Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Rugova has not left ground on the issue of the three posts for his party. With this Rugova is showing that he is ready to enter the Parliament and hopes for non-Albanian votes giving the fact that the voting procedure is conducted secretly.
  
Haradinaj, Thaçi and Rugova held meetings during the whole day on Saturday at the US Office in Prishtina. However, they did not reach any mutual agreement, even though all three said that the meeting was very constructive and friendly.

Saturday night Rugova told the journalists that they discussed all the possibilities for forming the institutions. From what Rugova said, it is to be understood that it will be up to the parliament to form the institutions, and not to a preliminary agreement between the three leaders. "There is good will among all of us for the commitments we have taken upon ourselves for the future of Kosovo. However, an agreement has not been reached yet. This does not mean it is bad, on the contrary, it is quite positive. We will all together go to the parliament and form the institutions", said Rugova.

Sources inform that PDK Chairman Hashim Thaçi said that someone has to let the ground and make a sacrifice for Kosovo. He told the journalists after the meeting  that all the three parties would waive their initial demands. "I believe that every party will waive their party positions in the interest of a joint compromise for co-governance. PDK is ready for a compromise that will lead towards co-governance which implies some sharing in the government", said Thaçi.

Sources told that AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj also opposed Rugova's position. Haradinaj told Rugova that without co-governance and sharing in the government by the three parties there could be no future for Kosovo. The source informs that Haradinaj told Rugova that he was on his side, when he said 'yes' to the Constitutional Framework, because he thought then it was the right thing to do. However now he does not agree with Rugova. Haradinaj told the journalists that he believes that until Monday the three leaders would agree on many issues, especially the ones related to the first parliamentary session.         

(2) Albanians imprisoned in Sremska Mitrovica requested from the international community the immediate release and return to Kosovo, reports Koha Ditore.

The 45 Albanians handed the request to their lawyer Teki Bokshi. They also passed a signed petition. According to our source, in the petition the Albanian prisoners call upon the international community to apply pressure upon Belgrade for their release and return to Kosovo. The petition signed by the 45 prisoners emphasizes that on 10 June (the day when the agreement was signed in Kumanovo) they were abducted from prisons and later were deported to Serbia.

"During our stay in Serb prisons we have been tortured. Our health is in very serious condition", says the petition signed by the Albanian prisoners. They also emphasized that they are held in prison against the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the Yugoslav laws. "Now, that Slobodan Milosevic had been publicly accused by The Hague tribunal for the massacre in Dubrava and Smerkovnica (prisons where 200 were killed and more than 350 were wounded), it is inhuman for us to remain in Serb prisons", concludes the petition signed by 45 Albanians prisoners held in Sremska Mitrovica prison.