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UNMIK-OSCE-EU-UNHCR Press Briefing, 9 August 2001 UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
SRSG Mr. Haekkerup returns to Kosovo at the end of this week. The Interim Administrative Council resumes meeting next week, while the KTC is off until 22 August. Pristina Hospital Pristina University Hospital acting chief executive Pleurat Sedjiu will announce a major overhaul of the hospital's operations and management at a press briefing at 1 p.m. today in the hospital's executive offices conference room -at the main administrative entrance to the hospital. Dr. Sedjiu was appointed the temporary chief executive of the hospital on 7 July following reported cases of corruption and mismanagement at the hospital. At that time he promised to put into place new reforms to deal with the allegations. He has put into place a new Executive Management Board to be directed by Dr. Safet Beqiri, who has been appointed Chief Executive and by Dr. Salih Ahmeti, the new medical director-both of whom take up theirs posts on Monday 13 August. Recruitment is ongoing for other key positions. There is a press release outside with more information on the reforms. Police Report Police on Monday located a large arms cache in Djelekare Village, Gjnilane. The items included 15 82-mm mortar rounds, 12 RPG7 grenade rockets, 12,3000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammo, and 200 rounds of heavy machine gun cartridges and 2 anti tank mines. In Gnjilane District Court, motions are continuing in the Zeqiri case, which opened before a panel of three international judges on 31 July. After attempts by the defense to have the international prosecutor taken off the case, the indictment against Mr. Zeqiri was re-filed. Today, the international panel of judges will hear the defense's motion to throw out the indictment. Next week, the Supreme Court will also hear a motion by the defense objecting to the judges' extension of Mr. Zeqiri's detention. If and when these various motions are resolved, we expect the full trial to commence in early September.
Attack in Gnjilan The head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Daan Everts, has condemned an attack on a woman outside a registration centre in Gjilan/Gnjilane as cowardly. The attack happened yesterday afternoon outside a temporary centre voter service centre. "This sort of attack cannot be condoned," said Ambassador Everts. "It is unacceptable. People should be allowed to exercise their democratic rights freely, without being harassed or intimidated by anyone. This sort of action is cowardly and shameful. It is a slur on all of Kosovo as its people get ready to take part in an historic election here." The statement is outside Voter Services/Registration So far we've had more than 3,000 people come to voter service centres and to the combined voter service and registration centres inside Kosovo. We would like to urge everyone not to leave visiting the centres until the last moment. It is essential that people who had problem voting last year - those who couldn't find their names - and those who have come back to Kosovo since the last election, come to a voter service centre to find out where they will vote in the coming election. There are just over four weeks left to do this - don't leave it until the last minute. In Serbia proper and Montenegro we have had well over 3000 people coming to register. Roadshow As an incentive we have the weekly Discovery Tour roadshow - which tonight goes to Skenderaj/Srbica. As well as offering people information about voter services and human rights there's street theatre and a very big disco. CEC Tomorrow the Central Election Commission meets. It will be discussing, among other things, the rule which governs candidates lists which will be submitted by political parties. The CEC will also be looking at some parties which are applying for certification. PPCF And Monday all the parties will be coming together for a political party consultative forum at the political party service centre here in Pristina.
Sunflower Oil Commercialised The "Sunflower Oil" company of Ferizaj has been successfully commercialized. It is the DTI's ninth successful commercialization. The ten year contract was signed yesterday between DSRSG Andy Bearpark, Head of the European Union Pillar and Alcon Ltd: a joint venture comprised of two Kosovo based companies. Alcon will invest 2.818 million DM in the company over a period of ten years and will be increasing employment in the plant by at least 10% per year for the first four years. There are currently 128 employees on the payroll with a wage of 100-200 DM per month, Alcon have pledged to bring the minimum wage to 500 DM. The company will also be carrying out renovations on the enterprise, importing new technology and exchanging know-how of the oil production industry to maximize the effects of this new investment. Energy Supply KEK will announce today that load shedding will continue throughout Kosovo during the month of August, continuing into September. The pattern is likely to be 3 hours with electricity and 3 hours without. The reasons for the interruptions in supply are due to the fact that
KEK will issue a notice to the media later today asking its customers to assist the energy situation by reducing consumption - turning off all unnecessary lights and appliances and by paying for their electricity. Collection of fees by utility enterprises The Public Utilities Department EU/UNMIK yesterday issued a reminder that, as of March last year, there exists an instruction that all public utility enterprises are authorised to collect revenue for utility services provided. The instruction authorises water utility enterprises, to collect, from all households, a flat fee of 12 DM per month for water supplied for domestic use. The fee for waste is a flat fee of 4 DM per household. These fees will remain in place until new tariff rates are established and agreed by PUD. All institutional, industrial or business users with water meters installed will be charged accordingly. Those commercial premises not having meters installed, will be charged a flat fee of, at least, 150 DM per month. In the event that any commercial water user fails to pay the water bill,
within 60 days of it being delivered, shall be deemed to be in arrears.
The public utility enterprise may then present the user with a notice
warning that water will be disconnected, after 15 days, if the outstanding
debt is not settled. Batllava Water Company are holding a press conference
in Batllava HQ Building tomorrow at 11.00, where they will announce the
policy and actions to be taken on disconnections. Astrid van Genderen Stort Figures Total Number of Arrivals Since the Beginning of the Conflict: 78,328
Estimated number of returnees approximately 24,374 Estimated Total remaining 53,954 Overall/refugees/returnees More people continued to return to fYRoM over the past three days, though yesterday showed a clear decrease in returning people as compared to the rest of the week. Obviously the developments on the ground, with the killings on Tuesday and Wednesday, have frightened people off. Many are thinking twice before returning and waiting for the better days. At the same time, following the incidents and unclarity with regard to the negotiations, so far no clear increase in new arrivals has been noticed. Some arrivals in Kosovo said they left Skopje for fear of violence after the incidents. On the other hand, many returnees interviewed at the Blace border said they no longer wish to stay in Kosovo. Families returning to Tetovo area said, they decided to return to their homes after more than two months of stay in Kosovo, even though they were not sure about the state of their houses. Security Situation of minorities With the ongoing unclear situation in fYRoM and refugee crisis, less
focus has been given from our side in the press briefings to the security
of the minority population inside Kosovo. UNHCR remains however extremely
concerned that even now, more than 2 years after the entry of the international
community into Kosovo, there is no freedom of movement for the majority
of the minority communities, there is no guarantee of security for any
non Albanian
Q: Did Michael Hartman have the right to lay the indictment against Mr.
Zeqiri when he wasn't the actual prosecutor? Q: In this case Hartman allegedly has charged Zeqiri with terrorism.
Has Zeqiri been charged with terrorism? Q: Is there strong evidence that Zeqiri committed this crime? Q: How many witnesses have been questioned so far? Q: If the panel releases Mr. Zeqiri after he spent one year in jail,
will you respect the decision of the judges? Q: Though only 3000 Serbs have registered to vote, you sound optimistic.
I don't see a reason for optimism because 3000 out of 180,000 is just
a drop in the bucket. Q: Do you believe the authorities in Belgrade could do more to encourage
registration? Q: Is UNHCR going to tell people to return to Macedonia because the conditions
are right or not? Q: How far has UNHCR gotten in talks with the Macedonians to allow refugees
to return without the proper documents? Q: How will the water company convince people to pay for their services
if KEK has not been able to? |