22 November 2002, Friday Edition

CONTENTS

Regional Update

KP to decide whether to return to the Assembly after meeting with Steiner, says Rada Trajkovic (RTS)

 The Coalition Povratak caucus whip at the Kosovo Assembly, Rada Trajkovic, said that Serb participation in the work of the Assembly would depend on the outcome of KP's meeting with UNMIK, KFOR and OSCE's representatives.

Upon the KP Presidency meeting in Kosovska Mitrovica, Oliver Ivanovic told journalists that KP expected that a meeting with UNMIK chief Michael Steiner, COMKFOR Fabio Mini and OMiK head Pascal Fieschi would be held early next week, before the next session of the Assembly scheduled for Thursday.

"We shall demand that they provide us instruments, which would protect us from discrimination in the Assembly and the institutions of interim self-government," Ivanovic announced.

Rada Trajkovic pointed out, "If Nexhat Daci wants to have a dialogue with the Serb community, he has to apologize publicly… and our participation in the work of the Assembly will depend on the outcome of our meeting with heads of UNMIK, KFOR and OSCE."

She said KP demanded that KFOR's escorts be reinstated for Serb pupils living in enclaves, along with protection for Serb churches in Kosovo, which was abolished on the assessment of the international mission that the security situation had improved.

"We are ready to participate in the work of the Assembly, but upon Nexhat Daci's brutal attack on the Serb deputies, we have destabilization and increased violence against Serbs," said Trajkovic, and she gave as examples the demolition of two churches, the bus attack in Obilic, and other incidents.

Oliver Ivanovic said that KP reviewed the situation at the Assembly and concluded that "the work in the Assembly is not possible." He said that the behavior of Nexhat Daci and others had caused a wave of violence against Serbs. However, he suggested that the best way of continuing the struggle for the better living conditions and for the rights of Kosovo Serbs is through the institutions and this "is the only way for us to go."

Nebojsa Covic also met the SNC president for northern Kosovo, Milan Ivanovic, and other political leaders of northern Kosovo Serbs.

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What is impending discussions on Kosovo's final status (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore carries a commentary by Bashkim Muça, a journalist with the Tirana-based newspaper, Shekulli, who elaborates on the reasons why discussions on Kosovo's final status are being delayed. Muça writes:

Keeping Kosovo under international protectorate was not expected to last long, until the opening of the discussions on Kosovo's final status. Three years have already passed and it seems that this problem will remain unresolved for quite a long time. But the important issue is not deadlines, but guarantees that this will happen at the end. As much as this fact makes Kosovo Albanians untrusting, the more it gives hope to Serbs for return of their administration in Kosovo. Recently chief administrator Steiner let to be understood that determination of fate of this part of Balkans would start in seven to ten years. This cannot be overlooked without reactions in Kosovo, whose independence from Serbia is questioned more and more.

According to internationals, Kosovo needs a lot of time to create stable institutions based on democratic standards. In fact, the least prepared on this issue are the internationals. They are even more unprepared under present circumstances when war against terrorism is the first priority. Kosovo status continues to be complicated and it cannot be resolved without the mediation of the Americans. Europeans were always suspicious about the processes of integration of the nations on this continent, which demonstrated their weakness during delicate moments in history.

But how prepared are Kosovars for the independence of their state? The experience of the 1974 autonomy shows that Kosovars are to some extent prepared for self-administration. Even though those weren't democratic institutions, it was an experience.

The most delicate point where internationals remain skeptical is the readiness of Albanians to respect national minorities, more precisely Serb minority. Despite all the achievements in this direction, Albanians proved that they have not always reached the required stage, which would guarantee integration of minorities in the near future. Sporadic violent events have very often accompanied the process of returning the Serbs to their homes. This doesn't by any means mean rehabilitation of war criminals but the procedures should be institutional. It is strange that Albanians would rather accuse each other than Serbian paramilitary forces. There should be dozens of trial processes against 'small' Milosevics who massacred thousands of Albanians. The speedy trials against ex-KLAs suit the Serbs more than anyone else.

On the other hand, the psychology created by the danger of a greater Albania continues to function as a pretext to delay discussions on Kosovo's final status.

The global situation has set many priorities. Not only Iraq and the war against terrorism but also delicate cases such as Chechnya and Taiwan, issues that involve states like Russia and China, have a strong impact on the Kosovo process. Under these circumstances, Albanians should continue to increase their guarantees and convince westerners, especially the US, that this is the right time to discuss Kosovo's status.

Reduction of the number of US troops in Kosovo is already obvious and is part of a process already announced, while this place still requires reduction of the civil mission and transfer of competencies to the legitimate elected organs.

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Shala: Without 'exit strategy' (Zëri)

Zëri carries an editorial by Blerim Shala on the NATO summit in Prague. He says there was no reason to mention Kosovo at this summit except, as a success case. According to Shala, long term NATO presence in Kosovo and the region is necessary, so there can be no talk about an 'exit strategy'.

In March 1999, the NATO Pact faced two major issues with its expansion and its response to the Kosovo issue. Three new states became NATO members at that time, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, while a small place like Kosovo, caused NATO, lead by the US, to intervene to save the population. Kosovo was even the main subject of the NATO Summit in Washington in April of 1999, when the 50-year anniversary of the greatest army power in human history was marked.

Another very important NATO meeting is being held these days in Prague. The challenge of terrorism, disarmament of Iraq and further expansion of NATO, now with seven new members, dominate [the agenda at] this summit.

There is no reason for Kosovo to be mentioned at this meeting, except for as a success case. Without NATO troops in Kosovo and Bosnia, the war wouldn't have ended, peace could not be kept, a hopeful political process to stabilize the region could not be developed. Kosovo, Bosnia and Macedonia, in this respect, are special countries. At present, they cannot imagine themselves in NATO, but NATO is more present here than anywhere else in the new countries that have joined or will join NATO.

Nevertheless, it is clear that long-term NATO presence in Kosovo and the region requires integration of these countries into NATO. Thus, in reality, there can be no talks of an NATO "exit strategy" from Kosovo and the region.

Internationals should transfer authority to local level (Bota Sot)

Bota Sot carries a commentary by its editorial office, which notes:

The ongoing establishment of local power in Kosovo has pointed to several positive phenomena. Officials who had the previous two-year mandate are being reelected as local authorities in most municipalities. This phenomenon can mainly be noticed especially in the municipalities won by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), a political force with good experience in these years in Kosovo. Therefore in the next four years, Kosovo will be governed by capable officials with authority, people who have the support of the electorate and the public. This is a guarantee for the success of the local authority in Kosovo during the next four years. For example, Lutfi Haziri, has governed the municipality of Gjilan in the last two years with tremendous talent and wisdom. With the same responsibility he has carried out the task of the chairman of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. His western democratic vision was completed with his visit to the US and other western countries.

After 26 October elections, when the electorate assessed his work and commitment, Lutfi Haziri was reelected. The international authorities in Prishtina and western delegations that visited Gjilan gave the highest assessments of the work in this municipality and the merits of its chairman. Such talented and successful leaders at the local level in Kosovo are the best argument that the internationals should start the full transfer of competencies to the local, or municipal, level of authority in Kosovo.

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Busek: Power and organized crime are the main challenges in Kosovo (Koha)

Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek, says that despite all the prosperity gained in the last eight months in Southeastern countries, corruption and organized crime continue to be the most worrying stumbling blocks in the process of EU integration in the region. At the permanent council of the OSCE in Vienna on Thursday, Busek presented his achievements since he took over the leadership, several free market agreements, signed among Southeastern Europe countries, improvement of infrastructure, reduction of the number of refugees, as well as assurance of cooperation among the countries in the region in the war against corruption and organized crime, reports Koha Ditore.

Busek said that Stability Pact is researching possibilities for an initiative on broader reconciliation in southeastern Europe, bearing in mind that the states that came out of the war that lead to Yugoslavia's disintegration have expressed hatred of each other. Stability Pact is working closely with the OSCE on regional cooperation in education, media, borders and other measures that would impact on building or reestablishing trust.

Busek added that EU engagement to stabilize and develop the southeastern region should be a continuous priority until the end of the process, which should end up with integration, or membership, of these countries in EU.

Asked by Koha Ditore to comment on concerns of Kosovo institutions of lack of access to international institutions and especially economic stagnation, Busek was quoted as saying "We are in permanent contact with UNMIK and its chief Michael Steiner. We are facing these problems: treaties and agreements (with international organizations) are impossible, because Kosovo is not an independent state. We, together with Mr. Steiner, have been some days ago in New York and received instructions to make general agreements or something similar," Busek was quoted.

"We have to concentrate on resolving the power supply problem and fighting organized crime," he said, adding that that he would meet with Steiner Sunday to discuss how to end these two problems.

As far as the remarks of Kosovar institutions who say that Resolution 1244 of UN security Council, thus UNMIK, are impeding Kosovo's economic development, not letting them have access to international financial organizations, Busek said that 'these are issues that concern Mr. Steiner, and you should ask him about this'.

Busek also said that organized crime and insecurity, not only in Kosovo but also in the other surrounding countries, was keeping away foreign investments. He said that
foreign investments were also prevented by the poor current economic situation.

Busek says he is working on two concrete projects for Kosovo: securing of electric power and building a highway that would connect Prishtina with the Skopje to Belgrade highway.

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Limani: Killing of Prishtina (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore carries a commentary by Mufail Limani, who writes:

Prishtina is a city that the majority of its citizens don't consider their own. Coming from all four parts of Kosovo, and considering it a campus of workers, students, or a huge market, the majority of Prishtina residents today have very little or no 'sentimental' connections with this city. On the contrary, a part of them are leaders of the general Kosovar culture, which is based in resistance and hatred toward what can be called typical urban/Prishtina.

This can be easily proven with the main political candidates in the recent local elections, when the political parties promoted those who they though could get the most votes in Prishtina. (None of them was a resident of Prishtina!). And what is even more terrible, this was not a political mistake. It was a completely logical step in this context.

However, this is nothing new. Prishtina suffered the same fate earlier in its history. Earlier, for well-known political reasons, they made Prishtina look like a Serb provincial town, like Vranje or Pozarevac. Now by all available means they are making it look like an open market in Llap and Drenica.

Why do they hate Prishtina?

The intensity of not taking into account the city of Prishtina by its local leaders is so powerful that they make you think that this city has no chance of surviving the beginning of the 21st century.

Elections are not everything. From the time when there were no elections such as these today, Prishtina should remember its mayor Nazmi Mustafa, who wasn't born in Prishtina, but stopped the movement of cattle into the city. Surely that man would never have won an election because the absolute majority was against it. However, the authority that has vision does things that might not be a hit in the local radio.

Prishtina is today circled with villages that bear its name. And such villages are being born on a daily basis. (It is good that in present-day Kosovo there is no interest in cattle and agriculture, because today lorries are be the most frequent connection between neighborhoods.)

In the current situation, Prishtina is a city that is being killed. And this isn't only bad for those who receive their birth certificates here.

Prishtina was always the most important story for Kosovo. It was once the locomotive of Kosovo. Everything that was both good and bad for Kosovo started and ended here. Today, Prishtina cries out for the bulldozers.

The day when the demolition of all illegal buildings starts, it will be a good day for Kosovo. The current demolitions, which are being done only for the sake of a two-minute TV ad, are a headache pill for a person in agony.

The killing of Prishtina is not only an act of the current LDK authorities. Is there anyone who knows that the opposition bears at least half of the responsibility for present-day Prishtina?

Prishtina, just like the rest of Kosovo, is nevertheless a small place. Everyone knows at least something about everything. Even about corruption and the agreements of the big bosses. Maybe it's good that we don't know everything.

What no one knows today is the fate of Prishtina.

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Regional Update

Seven new states become NATO members (all dailies)

All dailies report on NATO summit in Prague and its historical decision to expand. Dailies say that Slovenia will be the first ex-Yugoslav state to join NATO.

Albania, Croatia and Macedonia were promised that NATO would remain opened to them. Dailies also report on the meeting of the presidents of these three states held in Prague. Moisiu, Mesiq and Trajkovski decided to cooperate more closely in order to fulfill the conditions to become NATO members.

Macedonians establish BDI branch in Kocane (all dailies)

Dailies report that at yesterday's press conference in Tetovo, BDI's Agron Baxhaku announced establishment of a new branch in Kocane. The news was surprising to both Albanians and Macedonians since the city is mainly populated by Macedonians.

Venco Arsov, coordinator of the BDI branch, said at a press conference that there was a fear that with Ali Ahmeti in the government, the division of Macedonia would be unavoidable. Arsov said that at the meeting in Luzerne, BDI President Ali Ahmeti and the vice president, Agron Baxhaku, had made it clear that Macedonia is 'integral'. Arsov said that the branch has 21 members, all Macedonian, the BDI office in Kocane is expected to open next week.

Dailies say that the reason for the new branch is disappointment of citizens with the present Macedonian policy.


There are no armed forces in Skopje, Tanushë (Zëri)

Zëri reports that Macedonian HQ Army spokesperson, Zoran Sekulovski, said that at the joint conference with Ministry of Defense spokesperson that they don't possess any information about the 15 armed people in Tanusha, as some Macedonian papers have reported.

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Ademi: Some political structures want a new conflict in Macedonia (Zëri)

Zëri quotes BDI Tetovo deputy Abdylhaqim Ademi as saying that the Albanian opposition party PDSH and some Macedonian politicians want to incite a new conflict in Macedonia. "PDSH is trying to destabilize Macedonia because they think that in this way they will profit politically," he said.