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CONTENTS: 22 October 2001 ELECTION CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo held its first pre-election meeting in Kaçanik, reported Koha Ditore on page six. "The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo has prepared with the greatest seriousness for the pre-election campaign," said Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the party. "We are not happy by the acts of violence and we don't welcome the incidents, but we know that the people of Kosovo will overcome these difficulties and that reason will prevail." Bajram Kosumi, deputy leader of the Alliance, was cited as saying, "the election program of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo is not a menu of political wishes, but a program compiled by Kosovo's best experts and as such, it is applicable." Koha Ditore on page nine carried a report from the opening rally of the Democratic Turkish Party of Kosovo (PDTK) held Sunday in Prishtina. Mahir Jagxhilar, chairman of the PDTK, was quoted as saying, "we will be the voice of the future of Kosovo and the voice of the Turkish community in Kosovo and this voice will be in Turkish." Jagxhilar, the leader of the only Turkish party certified for the upcoming 17 November general elections, asked for the votes of Kosovo Turks in order to win a ministry in the future Parliament of Kosovo. "Kosovo Turks are both Turks and Kosovars. We want Kosovo to have its own identity, but every other community should also have the right to defend its identity," said Jagxhilar. Jagxhilar promised his electorate more engagement in education and the opening of Turkish cultural centers in all Kosovar towns inhabited by the Turkish community. He also promised increased cooperation between Kosovo and Turkey, including the removal of visas for Turkey. "PDTK will be a bridge of friendship between Kosovo and Turkey. Our party and deputies will contribute in the development of relations between Kosovo and Turkey," he added. On the same page, Koha Ditore carried a report from a roundtable meeting titled "Elections - yes or no", held between Serb leaders in Gracanica. The attendants of the roundtable emphasized that Kosovo Serbs are offering a chance to the international community and the Serb and Yugoslav state to create conditions for their participation in 17 November general elections. Referring to information broadcast by the Belgrade-based Beta news agency, the paper said that according to Momcilo Trajkovic, chairman of the Serb Movement of Resistance, the talks were constructive. He added that Kosovo Serbs expect the establishment of a balance between their interests and the interests of the state. "The Serbs are not boycotting the elections, but there are no minimal conditions for a normal life, let alone for the elections. Kosovo Serbs don't want to participate in the creation of an independent Kosovo and they will surely not take part in the elections without guarantees by the international community," it was said during the meeting. The Serb agency Beta also reported that Democratic Alternative, the Serbian Christian Democratic Party and the Serb Renewal Movement did not attend the meeting. "Such unwell-planned meetings create confusion and harden the work of state bodies in making the final decision," it was said in a press release issued by the Democratic Alternative.
In an interview with the Belgrade-based Radio B92, UNMIK spokeswoman Susan Manuel has announced that Hans Haekkerup, international chief administrator in Kosovo, would meet next week in Belgrade with the Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica. Haekkerup will reportedly present the program of what the international community has done for Kosovo Serbs in all aspects to Kostunica, reported Zëri on page two. According to Manuel, the radical changes, which Kostunica has demanded from US President Bush, are for the time being impossible. "The main improvement would be the participation in the political life and the administration of Kosovo," Manuel added. "Kosovo Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup will make the final effort next week to convince Belgrade authorities that Kosovo Serbs should take part in the elections. Haekkerup will travel to Belgrade and meet with senior officials, including President Kostunica and Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic," reported Rilindja on page four. The paper also quoted UNMIK officials as saying that Haekkerup has compiled a program on how to provide solutions for certain issues, including those that preoccupy of Serbs. Susan Manuel, spokeswoman for the international administration in Kosovo, said that the program would cover certain aspects, such as security, healthcare, education, the return of Serb refugees and shedding light upon the fate of missing.
All of today's daily papers carried a report on the joint action of KFOR, UNMIK and the KPS to demolish the four-story house, which was located in the neighborhood of Arbëria and belonged to the Novosella family. At midnight between Saturday and Sunday, the police blocked the road of Arbëria, which leads to Mitrovica. Trucks and bulldozers began demolishing the famous house. On Sunday morning, a group of KFOR soldiers kept the road blocked, whereas another group supervised the municipal employers gathering the remains of the house, reported Koha Ditore on page one. According to an official of the municipality, fourteen out of three thousand illegal constructions have been demolished. However, he did not provide any further information regarding the continuance of the demolition process and or which will be the next demolitions on the list, reported Zëri on page two. "We had been told that they would demolish our house, but that was a year ago. We have not been told anything lately. This is a political demolition," stressed Selatin Novosella, one of the four brothers who built the house. According to him, the house was all finished; the windows and doors were placed, electricity and water were installed. The only thing left undone was painting the house and placing the flooring. "The house was worth one million DM. Someone will have to answer for the demolition," stressed Novosella for Zëri. As far as the land is concerned, Novosella said that they have all the papers needed. He mentioned a decision of the court, according to which, "the property is not contestable". Novosella admitted that the house was illegally constructed. "There are another 3.000 illegal constructions," stressed Novosella UNMIK issued a communiqué, according to which this act was undertaken in accordance with the relevant UNMIK provisions to implement the Demolition Order. UNMIK is determined to enforce the law and regulate the construction activities in conjunction with the efforts of the local and international authorities of the Prishtina Municipality about solving the problem of illegal construction in Prishtina, reported Bota Sot on page nine. According to Kosova Sot on page seven, the Prishtina Municipality established a Legalization Commission. The purpose of the commission is to consider the requests for the legalization of buildings without permits. A great number of requests are being processed. Kosovars are encouraged to support the acts of the authorities, apply for regularization of the structures and respect the legal provisions.
The Serb government decided that the Serb University in Mitrovica should begin its work today. Under the condition that the university will not be parallel, UNMIK and Serbia's Ministry of Education reached an agreement regarding the establishment of a university in Mitrovica for Serbs and other Slavs. According to these institutions, UNMIK will administer it and Kosovo's consolidated budget will finance the university, reported Kosova Sot on page seven. As far as Kosovo Albanians are concerned, the establishment of the university is illegal and illegitimate. According to Dean of the Prishtina University Arsim Bajrami, the establishment of the so-called Serb University is a great provocation for the Prishtina University due to the fact that it legalizes divisions into ethnic bases, which is the policy of the Serb government. "I believe that UNMIK authorities are responsible for this establishment because apparently, they have been discussing this with the Serb authorities for some time now." According to him, responsible are also the Albanian political leaders, which govern Kosovo and the negligence of Prishtina University, regarding its unserious stance toward such tendencies. "The judicial basis for the establishment of this university is illegitimate. However, Prishtina University has always been open for the integration of the Serb minority. But, this community has never been interested in integrating into the structures of Prishtina University. This community did the opposite and has now proven that it supports the division into ethnic bases. We are scared that this may go on. Today they establish the university and tomorrow they might establish other parallel structures," stressed Bajrami. "This will undoubtedly damage the solution of Kosovo's final status. UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the Constitutional Framework and the status acknowledge and accept Prishtina University as a unique and legitimate university. Therefore, the establishment of any other university is considered illegal and illegitimate. In this contest, our stance has always been clear and we have always expressed our disagreement and will begin the integration of Serb minority within our university," stressed Bajrami. "Parallel systems damage a democratic society, which is the aim of us, Albanians and all other nations in the Balkans. Unfortunately, parallel universities divided into ethnic bases have political backgrounds and we can say that the establishment of the Serb University in Northern Mitrovica serves Belgrade's policy of the day," stressed Professor at the Prishtina University Jahja Drançolli, reported Kosova Sot on page seven.
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