08 October 2002

CONTENTS

Shala: A hundred percent match (Zëri)

Blerim Shala's editorial in Zëri argues that Covic and the Serbian government have opposed every single plan aimed at Kosovo's prosperity. According to Shala, the present Serbian government is hundred percent the same as the previous one, where Kosovo is concerned.

Covic has written to Steiner again. This time the reason was Steiner's seven-point plan for Mitrovica. Covic now proposes to add another eight-point plan to Steiner's Plan. Even the slightest reading of Covic's letter shows that his ideas and statements, and Serbian regime's, annul all of UNMIK's and the Kosovo government's achievements since the end of the war. Covic says these results equal zero and zero matches Kosovo Serb faith in Steiner and the Kosovo government. Furthermore, the situation in Kosovo is even worse than last year.

Covic's points are brutally clear: the Kosovo government should be organized completely differently; some kind of "national self-government" should be established, outvoting to be impossible, cities should be organized into more municipalities etc, etc. Finally, based on these principals, the government should be reorganized at all levels. And we should accept that Covic and the Serbian regime are sincere. But this plan shows that they don't intend to support the establishment of an authentic government in Kosovo, which would include all Kosovar citizens. On the contrary, they are working against this government, against UNMIK and against West.

There is zero difference in the proposals from this regime and those made by the Milosevic regime. In fact, there is one hundred percent alignment of this regime with the previous one where policies towards Kosovo is concerned.

Education Union announces new measures (Zëri/Koha Ditore)

All dailies covered the press briefing by Agim Hyseni, leader of the Union of Education and Science (SBASHK), in which he warned that all teachers and professors would hold street protests on Thursday if Kosovo institutions failed to do something toward fulfilling their demands.

The Ministry of Education has accused the government and assembly of only making political statements and doing nothing else to resolve the problem, Zëri reports. Union officials say that political leaders, with the exception of PDK officials, haven't supported the teachers' general strike. "No one, except for the chairman of the PDK, has said a single word about an acceptable solution for the problem of Kosovar teachers," said SBASHK leader Agim Hyseni.

Koha Ditore quoted Hyseni as saying that SRSG Michael Steiner has been informed about the strike. "The Kosovo chief administrator has obligations and responsibilities," said Hyseni, adding that Steiner should be engaged in finding funds that would enable higher salaries for teachers.

Koha Ditore, which alongside Zëri provided the most extensive coverage of the issue, noted that Minister Osmani preferred to give a speech on the 35th anniversary of the Faculty of Engineering rather than meet with union representatives. Meanwhile, Hyseni warned that teachers and professors would not go back to work unless salaries are raised by 50 percent.

Zëri quotes Hyseni as saying that he has information that Serb teachers receive two salaries. "Our Serb colleagues are financed from two sources," said Hyseni.

Quoting sources in northern Mitrovica, Zëri reports that the Serb staff in elementary and secondary schools and at university in Kosovo receive regular salaries from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia. Their monthly salaries are 10,000 Yugoslav Dinars (200 euros). "Serb teachers in northern Mitrovica yesterday admitted that they receive two salaries: one from the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and one from the budget of Serbia," added the daily paper.

SBASHK secretary Zenel Zeka told Koha Ditore that the working group, created at the request of the Kosovo Assembly to come up with a solution for the problem of low salaries, hadn't yet met, seven days into the general strike.

Koha Ditore quotes Musli Bajraktari, deputy dean for financial issues at Prishtina University, as saying, "We support the reasonable demands for higher salaries of teachers and professors, but we haven't made an official decision to join the strike. We talked with SBASHK leaders and gave them our moral support."

Bajraktari said that the government should deal more seriously with the issue and avoid a situation where Prishtina University would join the strike. "At this point, we don't think the university should join the strike until we receive a response from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on the participation. Participation would not solve the situation, but would help ease it," he added.

Meanwhile, SBASHK leader Agim Hyseni said professors and students at Prishtina University would join the strike on Thursday.

Zëri announced that US Head of Office Reno Harnish will visit the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology today to meet with Minister Osmani, Bota Sot questions whether this will put an end to the strike.

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Kelmendi: What will the minister offer: solution or resignation (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore carries a commentary by Adriatik Kelmendi, in which he tackles the current strike of elementary and secondary schools in Kosovo and the steps that Minister of Education, Science and Technology Rexhep Osmani will take after returning from a three-week visit to the US. Kelmendi wrote:

The strike of Kosovar teachers has entered its second week, with chances of further deterioration of the situation. At the same time, there is a new event in this respect. The Minister of Education has finally returned. Is this good news? If we think about the saying 'better late than never', this could be perceived as a ray of hope. But we cannot be optimistic if we analyze the flow of events that caused the strike of dozens of thousands teachers and professors which consequently paralyzed the system of elementary and secondary education.

In the end of August, Minister Rexhep Osmani managed to convince the Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) not to start a strike that was announced for 2 September. Rexhepi made humanitarian promises: increase in minimum salaries of 138 euros per month. Everyone was satisfied at the time. The minister managed the crisis and the union was given guarantees that their situation would improve. Then followed the clarification from the prime minister's office that pay raises would not happen soon, due to the Kosovo Consolidated Budget. Afterwards, Rexhepi sent a message to his minister saying that he shouldn't make unrealistic promises.

The discrepancy between the prime minister and the education minister left room for teachers and professors to think that they would gain more by radicalizing their actions, leading to the situation we are facing now. This shows that Minister Osmani didn't even think about solving the teachers' problem. He thought of delaying it in the manner of the irresponsible cleaner who sweeps dust under the carpet and flees the house. The minister went far away. To the US.

If we think back, we would also remember another mess created by Minister Osmani. Every citizen of Kosovo still remembers one of the biggest scandals that occurred before the conflict, during the time of parallel institutions, when the name of the current minister was mentioned together with the one million DMS that "disappeared" from the education budget. At the time, Osmani was chairman of the Naim Frashëri League of Albanian Teachers, which was charged with management of the funds. Osmani couldn't provide a convincing explanation of where the money ended up. Then came the war and the "one million" scandal was never clarified.

Immediately after being appointed Minister of Education, Science and Technology in the first democratic government in Kosovo, Osmani once again entered the spotlight by making controversial statements about shutting down private schools in Kosovo.

And now on the seventh day of the strike, Osmani has managed to return from a three-week seminar in the US. He didn't leave early, despite the fact that the education system is going through its most difficult days, something that didn't happen, even during the Belgrade regime.

Many have criticized Osmani for this strange relaxation of his duties, and only a few have justified his actions by saying that he has paid a very important visit to the country with the most democratic system in the world. Since no one can erase what has happened, we are left to hope that his visit to the US was truly significant.

Now it's time for the minister to assure us that he can handle the situation with the experience gained from the US. Otherwise, he will face the US experience that happens when things go wrong - he will have to resign.

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A document that caught the internationals by surprise (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the energy sector in the Balkans has thrown international officials and energy sector officials into a "briar patch". Koha suggests they were caught off guard by the contents of the MoU, which was compiled over a period of a year and completed on 15 September, with a quick turnaround expected.

Kosovar expert Gazmend Begolli, as well as other experts, believe that this isn't sufficient time. However, KTA representative Martin Osborne says that "every day of postponement is one day more in darkness". Professor Ruzhdi Sefa expressed his outrage, saying, "One letter is totally changing all of the strategy for dissolving KEK".

The MoU aims to harmonize electricity markets in Balkan countries. It calls for: devolution into small independent companies that would have reciprocal commercial ties; preparation for liberalization; and, later, privatization of regional markets. Countries that sign on are required to complete the devolution process of the energy system by the end of 2004. Setting the deadline was the main reason the Managing Council of Energy Policy for Kosovo met at KEK.

Based on EU Directive 96/92 and derived from the Stability Pact round table on energy, the MoU foresees the devolution of the corporation into four commercial units: a coal unit, production, distribution and dispatch, and transmission. All units excluding transmission will be opened to competition. Transmission will remain a government competency.

Council group recommends same treatment for RTK, RTV 21 and KTV (dailies)

Kosova Sot, Zëri and Koha Ditore report that a media consultancy group, specially convened by Temporary Media Commissioner Anna Di Lellio has presented its recommendations to SRSG Michael Steiner.

According to Zëri, in spring 2002, concerns were raised by the US Office and private television stations regarding the proposed regulation to create an Independent Media Commission (IMC) for Kosovo, which was intended to determine the governing authority over television transmission in Kosovo, as in any other European country. But "the regulation was blocked chief administrator Michael Steiner", says Zëri, who didn't sign the IMC regulation, despite the fact it was approved in the Temporary Administrative Council on 6 February.

Steiner asked the OSCE to nominate advisors to study the issue, especially the aspect of commercial marketing. The concerns had to do with competition among the television stations because of the impression that RTK had much commercial income and donor funding and was also being financed by Kosovo Consolidated Budget.

Zëri quotes Di Lellio, as saying, "I, as temporary media commissioner, established a team from all the main donors, the US Office, the British Office, Soros Foundation, other NGOs and the main TV broadcasters in Kosovo, RTK, RTV 21 and KTV." She explained that the team had been working for months and had chosen "three very good experts in this field". The experts had six weeks to compile a report, completed on 3 October, on television commercials in Kosovo.

Zëri says that the international experts have judged that RTK is not over financed, nor does it have too many employees. RTK's commercial income is considered modest, while the other two TV stations are not in good financial shape but hope to attract more commercials, especially from the Diaspora.

The report recommends compilation of a regulation, corresponding to the best European media norms, that would regulate the finances of public broadcasters and establish a special association to measure audience ratings and commercial income, according to Koha Ditore.

Kosova Sot reports that the media experts have given a clear message to Kosovo radio and television stations: Don't fight over minor advertising and start cooperating to develop commercial markets, increase transmission and strengthen the economy. All three dailies report that the report was presented to the SRSG on Monday.

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IOM is worried about human trafficking in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore carried an interview from the BBC Albanian desk with the head of the IOM program on human trafficking, Tamara Osorio.

What is the current situation regarding human trafficking in Kosovo?
For the moment…everyone is paying attention to this problem. Our program for returning victims of trafficking to their country of origin started in Kosovo in 2000 and by September of this year, we had helped 322 victims.

In a previous report, you said IOM had helped 200 women. Now you say the number is 322. Does this imply that the number of trafficked women in Kosovo is rising?
No, not necessarily. We are helping cases as they come to us after the special police task force fighting this phenomenon has questioned them. This doesn't mean the number of trafficked women has risen, because we are well aware of the problem. I believe this phenomenon continues. There were women who were beaten, raped and then sold and afterwards were trafficked to Kosovo. Women that came to us for help, we helped them return to their homes.

What part of Kosovo has the highest number of trafficked women?
In reality there are no special regions. The problem is evident all over Kosovo. You can find women that were trafficked and forced into slavery and prostitution in Ferizaj/Uroshevac, Mitrovica, Gjilanë/Gnjilane Pejë/Pec. There is no special part.

You said IOM cooperates with the Special Police Unit. What have you done to prevent this phenomenon from spreading?
I believe that we achieved a lot the moment that police decided to form such a special unit. We are in constant contact with several groups and institutions that are dealing with this problem, including the OSCE and several local and international NGO's. We are in close contact with the Prime Minister's office because we believe that institutions should take responsibility or find a solution for this problem.

What countries are these women trafficked from and how do they enter Kosovo?
Most of the women that we helped are from Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Byelorussia and Albania. They average from 18 to 24 years. The paths they are trafficked to Kosovo are through Serbia, Greece and other countries in the region. After they cross the border, their passports are taken. Traffickers use different paths. The women are sold several times before they arrive in Kosovo. In reality, they do not know where they have ended up until they find themselves in Kosovo.

Who are the traffickers? Their Kosovar neighbors or someone outside Kosovo?
I have to be sincere; the nationality of the traffickers is varied. We cannot say who they really are. You have to ask UNMIK Police. Cooperation between IOM and the SPU regarding the program of raising awareness of this phenomenon is constant. We are organizing many seminars and courses for institutions and journalists. We have done this in the past, telling the youth that they have to be careful because they can be victims of trafficking if they are not careful.

You said that women from Moldavia, Romania and other countries are trafficked to Kosovo, are there cases when Kosovar women were trafficked abroad?
I do not have information on this. If there were cases, the numbers must have been very small. However from our contacts we have not marked a single case of a Kosovar woman being trafficked outside Kosovo.
Kosovo Election Campaign Coverage

All dailies report that OSCE spokesperson Sven Lindholm says the election campaign is quiet and correct, but that citizens' interest in the campaign has dropped off. "Political entities should convince the citizens, voters, to participate in the elections and vote. These elections are important, we are talking about a four-year mandate," he was quoted as saying in Kosova Sot.

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Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)

Kosova Sot says that the LDK campaign in Gjakova/Djakovica has intensified. During meetings with the electorate, LDK and its leader, Aqif Shehu, identified problems and requirements of the population, says this daily.

Koha Ditore reported on LDK rallies in Rahovec/Orahovac villages. Avdullah Kryeziu, president of LDK election HQ, was quoted as saying, "These elections should be a wedding party for Kosovo. LDK is [campaigning] based on its work and the results achieved in local government." Regional candidate Xhemajl Zeqiri said, "Our four years work is a guarantee that we know to lead," reports Koha Ditore.

Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK)

Epoka e Re reports that at the PDK rally in Prizren, mayoral candidate Ramadan Muja said that the "citizens of this city understand that time for change has come". The same daily reports on the PDK election campaign in Gjilan/Gnjilane region. Candidate Ismajl Kurteshi stressed the PDK programme for the development of agriculture, improvement of infrastructure and the commitment to create new jobs.

24 Orë reports that PDK branch President said at the PDK rally in Ferizaj/Urosevac that "a citizen can be sovereign, but not a government".

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK)

Koha Ditore reports that at the AAK rally in Junik Ramush Haradinaj said, "By building municipal independence, the independence of the state is built." Epoka e Re reports from Podujevo that faith AAK is increasing.

Macedonia Update

Branko Crvenkovski to become Macedonian Prime Minister

Zëri reports that Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski has entrusted LSDM leader Branko Crvenkovski with the mandate to form the new government. "I hope we will be capable to form a good government and to fulfill the expectations of the citizens who have trusted us," Crvenkovski told the media yesterday. He also pointed to ongoing negotiations to form the new government with the members of the most successful Albanian party in Macedonia - the Democratic Union for Integration [BDI] led by ex-NLA leader Ali Ahmeti.

Koha Ditore said that Crvenkovski had earlier stated that there would be no room in his cabinet for people who were directly involved in last year's conflict.

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BDI senior official Sadulla Duraku released from detention

Macedonian police released from detention Sadulla Duraku, a senior BDI official, on Monday, Zëri and Bota Sot report. Macedonian Police arrested Duraku Saturday afternoon, claiming that he wasn't included in the amnesty law. Duraku was sentenced to 30 days detention on charges of 'treason', 'endangering Macedonia's territorial integrity', and 'war crimes against civilians'. Monday afternoon he was released at the request of President Trajkovski and after mediation from the international community.

The Hague tribunal must investigate war crimes in Macedonia

Koha Ditore reports that The Hague tribunal will investigate cases of suspected war crimes in Macedonia. Based on an ICTY decision, Macedonian authorities should transfer their competency to investigate five cases of suspected war crimes to the ICTY prosecutor's office. These are crimes that could have been committed either by former NLA combatants or Macedonian state forces.