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Media Analysis 1 November
Four goals and six priorities
of the Kosovo Government (Koha Ditore)
PM Bajram Rexhepi
meets US Head of Office Reno Harnish (Zëri)
Hartman: UNMIK regulations
are in accordance with int. standards (Zëri)
Education Ministry calls
the police to guard schools (Koha Ditore)
Tragedy
that started with beating of a child and shook Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
Kosovapress: LDK and Bota
Sot induce civil war (24 Orë)
Macedonia Update
Bomb
explosion in front of Macedonian parliament, AKSH claims responsibility
(Koha Ditore)
Crvenkovski
says Macedonia isn't only a state of Macedonians (Koha Ditore)
Four goals and six priorities
of the Kosovo Government (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that UNMIK and the Kosovo Government have compiled
the list of mid-term priorities for economic development which will be
presented to a donors' meeting in Brussels on 5 November. According to
international officials, six priorities areas will be submitted to potential
donors: electric power supply, education, healthcare, transport, return
of IDPs and rule of law.
According to international sources, 640 million euros are planned for the six sectors. The same sources say the message sent to the donors will be that up to now they have done a great job in Kosovo, but that Kosovo aims to achieve international standards and integration and for this it needs funds and political support.
The sources added that the timing of the message is of utmost importance because Europe will next be engaged in EU expansion. "Many people in European capitols don't know Kosovo. They are concerned about Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and our goal is to reeducate them and show them how important Kosovo is," said a senior international official.
Koha Ditore claims that UNMIK and the Kosovo Government will try to achieve four goals in Brussels. First, find room for funds which donors have in their budget and haven't yet designated for other projects. "There are always funds that wander around and with their arrival donors want to find room for donations," said a senior international official.
Another goal is to convince the donors not to decrease the amount of donations, and also to recognize the right for Kosovo to take loans from international financial institutions. "We don't expect them to allow us to have a 500 million euro loan to rebuild a power plan such as Kosovo B, but [we want] support for taking loans," he said and added that this "possibility is not so remote as it seemed before."
Koha Ditore reports that another goal in Brussels is a direct meeting between donors and representatives of Kosovo Government. This will be the first time for PM Bajram Rexhepi and Minister of Finance and Economy Ali Sadria to talk to donors. "As much as we try, we cannot be better representatives of the people of Kosovo than they are. We are donors ourselves and we have always agreed with them," said the international official.
International sources claim that the Brussels meeting is a "game"
in comparison to the G8 meeting in September in Washington, when World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund supported Kosovo's right to take
loans from international financial institutions.
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PM Bajram Rexhepi meets US Head
of Office Reno Harnish (Zëri)
Zëri carries a report on the meeting between PM Rexhepi and the head
of the US Office, Reno Harnish. The meeting tackled Rexhepi's recent trip
to Canada and the US and issues related to Kosovo's overall development.
"We talked about economic issues, what should be done for a stable
economic development, for reducing the unemployment rate," said Rexhepi,
adding that he received very valuable advice from Harnish in the field
of economy.
They also discussed the local elections in Kosovo, which were positively evaluated; however, Rexhepi said he wasn't satisfied with Serb participation in the elections.
Claiming that development of relations with the Serbian community and tolerance and cooperation are the only way ahead for Kosovo, he also promised that "as an institution we will continue to maintain the new position, the new strategy, which we promoted a couple of months ago".
Harnish said he agreed with Rexhepi. He also pointed to talks he had
with Rexhepi on economic development and reducing the unemployment rate.
"In the beginning of the process, the Kosovo Trust Agency will bring
new investors which will help social development," he was quoted
as saying.
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Hartman: UNMIK regulations are
in accordance with int. standards (Zëri)
International Prosecutor Michael Hartman held a seminar on Penal Law yesterday
in Prishtina, reports Zëri.
UNMIK Chief Prosecutor Michael Hartmann arrived in Kosovo in February 2000 is known for prosecuting Afrim Zeqiri, who was later released "as innocent". He held a seminar for the Kosovo media on the current Penal Law and Procedure in Kosovo in which explained the basis of this law and the most important section. Applicable Law in Kosovo has its basis in local law from 1993 and the Legal Framework from March 1989, according to Hartmann, and the Law on Penal Procedure of the former FRY with all of its limitations, principles of sentencing, and from the special sections covering, for example, counterfeiting of money, narcotics, war crimes and such. From the Serbian Penal Code, we took out dispositions that aren't in the Kosovo Penal Code, for example, the article on abduction. Dispositions on murder were taken from Kosovo Penal Code. The Legal Framework is based on the UN Charter, Chapter VII that deals with breaching and endangering the peace, aggressive acts based on UN Security Resolution 1244, the SRSG's right to carry out civil presence, guard law and order and protect human rights.
"With UNMIK regulation 1999/1, all legislative and executive rights including the administering of justice are passed on to the SRSG, but this doesn't mean that Steiner or some senior UNMIK official can tell me what to do, I am fully independent in my work," said Hartmann. He added that UNMIK chief administrator can appoint any person to different functions in the civil administration, including justice; and Kosovo Laws from March 1989 are not applicable if they are in opposition to UNMIK regulations, and if they are in contradiction with international standards on human rights.
According to Hartmann, Regulation 1999/24 offers the accused more favorable terms than any previous law since 1989, as this regulation excludes the death sentence. Hartman says UNMIK regulations are very advanced on the issues of human rights and defense. He mentioned regulation 2001/28, which deals with the rights of the arrested, the right to an attorney, including an attorney appointed by the court, the right not speak without the presence of a lawyer, informing the arrested of what he is being accused, and informing family member or other persons that the individual has been arrested.
Hartman also mentioned procedural measures for fighting organized crime and terrorism in Kosovo. Regulation 1999/26 allows a person to be held in detention for up to one year while under investigation. Regulation 2000/17 allows investigative judges to use KFOR and UNMIK Police reports during their investigations if needed. Regulation 2001/20 allows anonymous eyewitnesses and protection of their identity, according to European Charter on Human Rights (ECHR). Regulation 2001/21 provides for the possibility of immunity or a reduced charge to eyewitnesses that cooperate. Regulation 2002/6 allows for secret investigative measures under the supervision of the judge and prosecutor in accordance to ECHR standards. Regulation 2002/7 allows the court to use the statements given by the eyewitness to the police in a trial. Regulation 2000/59 replaced thedeath sentence with a maximum jail sentence of from 20 to 40 years.
Hartman explained the circumstances for holding a suspect in detention in Kosovo. Hartman explains that the court needs to have "probable cause" for the suspect's guilt, if circumstances suggest that the suspect could flee, if there is cause to believe that he could tamper with investigation process or influence eyewitnesses or collaborators, if there is danger that the criminal act could be repeated or another criminal act be committed. Police can hold a person in detention for a maximum of 72 hours, investigative judge one month, District Panel Judges two months, Supreme Panel Judges three months, however this can be repeated, according to regulation 1999/26 a maximum of one year of detention.
During the seminar Hartman criticized Kosovo lawyers several times, without
mentioning any names, for their public media statements without any basis.
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Education Ministry calls the police to guard schools (Koha
Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
asked the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) on Thursday to guard schools in
Prishtina after a 17 year-old secondary school student in Prishtina was
stabbed to death. "The police should be closer to the schools and
show no mercy toward hooliganism and those who exert violence," noted
the press release issued by the Education Ministry.
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Tragedy that started with beating of a child and shook
Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re reports that its journalists visited the family of Jetullah
Kryeziu, who was arrested for Ukë Bytyçi's killing in Leshan.
According to the journalists the incident in Suhareka happened when LDK
supporters beat one of the children of this family and ripped off PDK
posters at their store, and insulted Jetullah Kryeziu.
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Kosovapress: LDK and Bota Sot
induce civil war (24 Orë)
24 Orë carries a commentary by Kosovapress, which talks about how
the entire peaceful election process was spoiled by the incident that
happened in Suharekë/Suvareka, 12 hours after the preliminary election
results were announced.
The commentary claims that the families that lost their beloved ones were misused by a certain media and entity for campaigning and different speculations.
While Ukë Bytyçi was buried with respect and grief by KPC members, politicians and fellow co inhabitants, and the investigation was left in the hands of the police, officials of the entity that Ukë Bytyçi belonged to, at first achieved to avoid the worst. They calmed down LDK supporters who asked for arms to start war in Leshan and take revenge.
But they didn't use the same vigilance to continue to control the situation. Speeches that were held the day when Ukë Bytyçi was buried gave the green light to the supporters of this entity and media controlled by them to induce people and climate to an extreme level. They went so far as to name "guilty for these murders" and those who "ordered and cooked" the plot.
The Bota Sot journalists, who have already proved that they entered journalism by mistake, started to play the tune and misuse the death of the late Ukë Bytyçi.
Its editor-in-chief Skënder Buçpapaj and other columnists and editors like Elida Buçpapaj, Sylejman Aliu, Bajrush Morina and others rushed with the most unscrupulous speculations on Bytyçi tragedy.
The couple Buçpapaj wrote as usual: He accuses "red criminals" and "communists, she also accused the international community in Kosovo - OSCE, KFOR and UNMIK.
This daily also accused KPC and Agim Çeku for ignoring the Suhareka incident, with the sole intention of politicizing even more the situation.
In the meantime, the KPC HQ explained this tendentious speculation while PDK and assembly group and presidency have continuously asked not to politicize the tragic death and let judges to come to a conclusion; however, Sulejman Aliu and Bajrush Morina continue with their nonsense, says this commentary.
Morina held a very senior position in the Yugoslav hierarchy as an activist of the socialist movement, and once dismissed the entire Bota e Re staff because of an article that supported the miners' protests. Today, the same ex-communist attacks KPC, PDK and the late Fadil Hoxha, thus putting in the surgery table for their political-propaganda Ukë Bytyçi's body.
The Kosovapress commentary says that this is a dangerous game that could
lead to concerning tensions among LDK supporters. The statements of LDK
officials and Bota Sot articles this week resemble calls for a civil war.
Both LDK and Bota Sot are misusing the tragedy that hit every single Kosovar
family.
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Macedonia Update
Bomb explosion in front of
Macedonian parliament, AKSH claims responsibility (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that a bomb was thrown from a vehicle close to one
of the side entrances of the Macedonian Parliament. Only material damages
were reported. AKSH [Albanian National Army] through a communiqué
claimed responsibility for the incident.
"We know that there are some Albanians in this parliament that think that they have solved or that they will solve the issue of our colonized country in parliamentary manner," says this communiqué.
AKSH reportedly said that next time they would throw bombs at "all illegitimate institutions of a false country such as Macedonia, built on the land, wealth, blood and life of the Albanians."
The explosion took place prior to the Parliament session for the approval
of the new government and Crvenkovski as prime minister.
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Crvenkovski says Macedonia isn't
only a state of Macedonians (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that at yesterday's session of the Macedonian Parliament,
Branko Crvenkovski announced that next four years would be very difficult
for Macedonia. "Optimists say that in these elections Macedonia has
seized the opportunity. Pessimists say that it is the last chance. But
despite all the problems we will have the chance," Crvenkovski was
quoted as saying. Crvenkovski reportedly said that the program of the
new government would be defined by the will of two million citizens of
Macedonia.
Crvenkovski said that the government priorities would be peace security, tolerant relations among ethnicities and fighting of corruption and criminality.
"Citizens should understand that Macedonia is not the country of only Macedonians, but it is equal to all. On the other hand Macedonia's Albanians should understand that loyalty to the state is of higher level that loyalty to same ethnicity from the other country" Crvenkovski was quoted as saying.
Talking about LSDM - BDI coalition he said, "Coalition was not made because of international pressure or because of governance. It was made because of the will of 140,000 Albanian citizens who voted for BDI and gave it a great legitimacy".
VMRO-DPMNE deputy, Lupce Georgievski accused Crvenkovski for coalition
with "terrorists", says Koha Ditore.
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