UNMIK/PR/603
PRESS RELEASE - 27 June 2001

SRSG Briefs KTC On his Participation in NAC Meeting

PRISTINA - SRSG Hans Haekkerup today briefed the Kosovo Transitional Council about the meeting that he and COMKFOR Lt. General Thorstein Skiaker had with the North Atlantic Council in Brussels yesterday on the subject of Mitrovica and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Mr. Haekkerup said he had told NAC that the solution to the Mitrovica problem lay in replacing the Kosovo Serb-controlled parallel security structures with "acceptable" security structures involving KFOR, UNMIK Police and Kosovo Police Service officers recruited from northern Kosovo.

The NAC had strongly supported the ideas of Mr. Haekkerup and Lt. General Skiaker on resolving the problems of Mitrovica and north Kosovo, he said, as well as proposals to involve Belgrade in this process. Mr. Haekkerup emphasised that he had told NAC that the solution must come from UNMIK, with support from Belgrade and not the other way around. Mr. Haekkerup said that an interlocutor appointed by Belgrade would greatly help take this process forward.

The SRSG said the security measures should be accompanied by certain Kosovo-wide and Mitrovica-specific confidence-building measures. These related to progress on issues such as the missing and detained, returns of internally displaced people, the sale of Kosovo Serb property, economic measures, Serb participation in elections and the institutions to be created afterward.

KTC members generally supported Mr. Haekkerup's proposals on the Mitrovica situation.

DSRSG Daan Everts and the director of the OSCE's Election Department, Peter Erben, gave a detailed presentation on the general elections to be held in November. Their presentation was followed by a long and intense discussion on issues of concern to KTC members, such as the closed candidates' lists, parties which could participate, the lack of campaign money for smaller parties, set-aside seats for minorities, exposure in the media for political parties, the number of seats reserved for women in the Assembly and the number of polling stations.

Mr. Everts also stressed that the election should be as inclusive as possible and all communities should be encouraged to participate. He said that except for the Kosovo Serb community, others were on board. He urged the Serbs not to make the "great mistake" of not participating in the elections. He said that Kosovo Serbs had shown interest in registering but had yet to decide on whether to take part in the elections or not. And this decision was linked to subjects of concern to the Kosovo Serb community such as their security, returns and tracing missing persons.                       
 
He also responded to apprehensions expressed by some members about parties from Serbia participating in the elections. He clarified that only those parties that are certified in Kosovo could take part, and to do so, they needed to meet certain criteria.