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CONTENTS: 12 Oct. 2001 ELECTION CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP
"The chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova has resigned from his post and he is withdrawing from politics," is the information released by an alleged LDK office in Rome and then broadcast by world news agencies, reported Koha Ditore on page one. The AFP news agency noted Thursday afternoon that Rugova, leader of the LDK, had decided to withdraw from politics and return to family matters. The French agency compiled the report based on a fax message which it received early Thursday from the "LDK office in Rome" (quotes provided by the paper, our remark). According to the paper, this is the third time that someone claiming to be the LDK's representative in Rome has sent such letters, despite the fact that Rugova and other LDK leading officials have clearly stated that they don't have an office in the Italian capital. The AFP report titled "Ibrahim Rugova resigns from the Democratic League of Kosovo", reported that the moderate Kosovar leader, through a press release addressed to the AFP in Rome, announced his withdrawal from the leadership of his party and politics. Later on, an AFP official confirmed that the agency had broadcast the report. The same official referred to a press release of the LDK bearing Rugova's signature. "The fax that I have in front of me has the seal of the LDK and the signature of Ibrahim Rugova. We received it from the office from which we always get the news, from the LDK office in Rome," said the AFP official, at the same time expressing amazement saying, "I am surprised by the fact that you don't know about the existence of such an office." On the other hand, LDK officials in Prishtina refuted the entire story. Skënder Hyseni, a senior party official, refuted the news and reportedly showed no sign of consideration toward the issue. "Until now I had about 50 phone calls… the last was from CNN," added Hyseni. He also expressed disbelief on how a big news agency could take into consideration unconfirmed reports. "LDK: Kosovo's political stability can be achieved only if all Kosovars vote for us," was the title of the Koha Ditore report on the opening rally of the LDK campaign in the town of Peja. The paper noted that senior officials from Pristina opened the electoral rally in front of the membership of the party and its sympathizers. Nimon Alimusaj, an LDK parliamentary candidate from Peja, presented the plans and programs of the party for the upcoming general elections. Alimusaj was quoted as saying, "we hope that Kosovo will have its parliament with a majority from the LDK and the president will surely be Ibrahim Rugova." Alush Gashi, an LDK senior official, told the audience: "Kosovo needs political stability and it can be achieved only if all Kosovars participate in the elections and cast their votes for the Democratic League of Kosovo." On the same page, the paper, referring to an interview that the OSCE Head of Mission in Kosovo gave to the Belgrade-based Beta news agency, carried a report titled "Daan Everts criticizes the statement of Ibrahim Rugova," "OSCE Head of Mission in Kosovo, Daan Everts called on the Serbs to participate in Kosovo elections and criticized the statement of LDK leader Ibrahim Rugova for the independence of Kosovo," reported Beta. During an interview for the agency, Everts said he was satisfied with the registration for general elections, as well as with the inclusion of Serb political parties, a move he considered to be of utmost importance. Commenting on the statements of Ibrahim Rugova that he is engaged in the process for the independence of Kosovo, Everts said that such statements are not useful. "He did not clarify when Kosovo will be independent. It is not good to be persistent on something that is not within the field of activity. UN SC Resolution 1244 does not enable independence and I think that the establishment of democratic power is a priority for now," Everts stated. On page five, the paper carried a report from the opening campaign rally of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo in Gjilan. "We are trying to built the foundation of our state, our aspiration, to build our future, and this is our mission which we will bring to life, because the greatest merit for this day goes out to those who fell on the altar of freedom," was the opening speech of the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj. Haradinaj promised the audience that his coalition would be involved with the rule of law, lawful governance, the establishment of democratic and efficient institutions, and for the democratization of Kosovo. "The independence of Kosovo depends on us, whereas the Kosovarization of Kosovo will start on the 17th November," Haradinaj added. Mahmut Bakalli, a former Kosovar political leader and now a candidate of the party for the future Kosovo Parliament, received a warm welcome from the numerous audience in Gjilan. "First of all, Kosovo must be victorious and this is achieved through fair and correct elections, without inter-party and interethnic problems," said Bakalli. "In Kosovo we must create space for all ethnicities to show their support for Kosovo and democracy. A problem, for the time being, is the Serb minority, which under Belgrade's manipulation is trying to sabotage and deny the elections, thus trying to create a parallel government in Kosovo and presenting us in front of the world as incapable of governing Kosovo as a democratic state. Nonetheless, we will create our state even if the Serbs don't take part in the elections, and we will do so outside of the frameworks of Serbia and the so-called Yugoslavia." "First national unification, and then…," was the motto of the National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo (LKÇK), on the launch of their campaign rally held Thursday in Prizren, reported Koha Ditore on page seven. Fatmir Humolli, LKÇK General Council chairman, was cited as saying, "the aspirations of the LKÇK is to implement all of its programmes. The LKÇK is a party which dislikes two-facedness. UNMIK has managed to "work on" the three biggest Kosovar political parties that are included in the Interim Administrative Council. Until now, these parties have made up all kinds of stories thus cheating the population only in order to get their votes." The paper also reported that Shukri Klinaku, a leading official of the party, accused UNMIK and its leader Hans Haekkerup "of trying to see Kosovo as a part of Serbia".
The Albanian political leaders are not the only ones active in their electoral campaigns. Serb activist Nebojsa Covic started visiting various Serb places in Kosovo with a much greater intensity than LDK Chairman Ibrahim Rugova, PDK Chairman Hashim Thaçi or AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj. This fact resembles an electoral campaign more than the anti-electoral campaign people say he is launching. In only two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, Covic has visited Leposavic, Zvecan, Mitrovica, Great Hoca, Shterrpce, including Gracanica and Prishtina, reported Koha Ditore on page three According to Koha Ditore, during his "campaign" throughout the Serb residencies, Covic criticized Albanians for demanding independence and the international officials for not preventing the campaign of Albanians for independence, which according to him clashes with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 in all forms. Covic is convinced that Kosovo Serbs will not participate in the general elections due to their fear to come out in the open. "It is the electoral campaign in Kosovo that scares Serbs. The priority of all Albanian political parties during their electoral campaign is the independence of Kosovo. The worst thing is that no one from the international community is doing anything to prevent this," Koha Ditore cited Covic's statement given to the Serb news agency Beta. Koha Ditore cited Covic criticizing the internationals in Kosovo for saying that Kosovo Serbs are putting conditions for their participation in the general elections. "Only wrongdoers or very naïve people can come out with such stories," stated Covic, adding that the environment in Kosovo is not at all democratic or stable. These facts made him come to the conclusion that there are no conditions for Serbs to participate in the elections. Zëri carried a report on the new COMKFOR,Valenten, meeting Covic at the KFOR headquarters in Prishtina. "COMKFOR Valenten requested that the general elections take place in a calm and stable atmosphere, in which all of Kosovo's communities will vote without being scared or threatened," stated KFOR Spokesman Daz Slaven. Koha Ditore quoted UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel saying, "during his campaign throughout Kosovo, Covic is not appealing for Serb participation in the elections. He is requesting the Serb community to respect the UNMIK Administration. He is telling them that UNMIK is the reality and Kosovo will have a new government and will become multiethnic after the elections." According to Manuel, Covic constantly keeps criticizing the international administration for not making it possible for the Serbs to return. During his campaign, Covic is trying to convince the international officials that the "Coordinating Center is not a parallel structure, but as the highest state body, it is a sign of our respect for the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Those who say that the status of the center is not clear, we remind them that this way they try to hide many Serb problems and pretend they do not exist," Koha Ditore quoted Covic's statement for Beta. According to Manuel, Covic requested a building in Pristina for the management of the center he leads, but the international authorities suggested a place in Fushë Kosovë due to the possibilities of guarding it.
Members of the Mining Union in Kosovo, UNMIK representatives and many local and international experts, including PDK Chairman Hashim Thaçi participated in a meeting in Grand Hotel, Pristina, to endorse a resolution, which would expedite decisions that deal with this complex. But the participants failed to endorse the resolution due to disagreements among the internationals. One of the points, upon which no agreement could be reached, was the issue of Trepça's property and wealth. The experts decided to review the points of disagreement and then give it to the Union, reported Koha Ditore on page eleven. Although the endorsement of the resolution was postponed, a majority of the participants considered the meeting important and with constructive debates on the future of Trepça. "We believe that much more could have been done in Trepça. We are not saying that nothing has been done. We are just pointing out that the approach to solve the issue of the Trepça complex could have been more serious. Trepça is not and cannot be anyone's hostage," stated Head of the Mining Union Bahri Shabani for Koha Ditore. "77% of the employers used to be Albanians and the other 23% were minorities. But once UNMIK started to administer this complex, 2000 people were employed, out of which 1000 are Albanians and the other half are Serbs. This decision was made without our approval and UNMIK representatives told us that UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup made this decision, but it will soon be invalided," stressed Shabani for Koha Ditore. "UNMIK is only administering Trepça. Therefore it has no right to make strategic decisions. No one knows what kind of a company Trepça is, whether it is a private company or something entirely different," stated Former President of Trepça Safet Merovci for Zëri in attempts to criticize UNMIK. According to Koha Ditore, Shabani criticized UNMIK as well. "The issue of the property is contested in every UNMIK document and the debts made during the last decade are a topic of discussion. Our stance is that Trepça is within Kosovo, therefore it is Kosovo's property and no one else's." International Manager Pat Gorman introduced several perspectives regarding Trepça's future. He mentioned the amount of money invested in Trepça since UNMIK's arrival and the amount that will be invested in the future. "The registration and training of the employers, the offer of an attractive Legal Framework and political and social stability are the conditions that should be fulfilled in order to assure international investments," stated Gorman for Koha Ditore. According to Albanian expert Nazmi Mikullovci, the other experts should be aware of the fact that Mitrovica and Trepça are political problems. "The only solution for the complex of Trepça is its privatization," stressed Mikullovci for Koha Ditore. Based on the discussions of a majority of the participants, Koha Ditore came to the conclusion that the idea of commercialism is out of the question and the only option for Trepça remains the idea of privatization.
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