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2 April 2002
CONTENTS
1. Ajeti:
Bajram Rexhepi diminishes Thaçi's political standing in PDK
(Bota)
2. RTK director earns
twice the salary of Kosovo President (Koha Ditore)
3. Morina: We want Serb
Church removed from university property (Epoka)
4. KEK: No reductions
next winter (Kosova Sot)
5. 250 girls have stopped
going to school (Koha Ditore)
6. The Hague to bring
indictments against five Albanians in two months (Epoka)
7. Trajkovic: Let the
patriots from northern Mitrovica comment on this (24 Orë)
8. Jaksic: UNMIK is trying
to create an Albanian state in Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
1. Ajeti: Bajram Rexhepi diminishes Thaçi's political standing in PDK (Bota)
Bota Sot carried a commentary by Bardhyl Ajeti, entitled "Bajram Rexhepi diminishes Thaçi's political standing in PDK". Ajeti wrote:
The agreement between the main political parties in Kosovo, LDK, PDK and AAK, for the establishment of joint state institutions resulted in Bajram Rexhepi's appointment as head of the Kosovo Government. Internationals considered Rexhepi to be the most acceptable person within PDK. Rexhepi became prime minister, thanks to huge gaffs by individuals within the LDK chairmanship at the very beginning of "inter-Albanian" talks between the three main parties. LDK could easily have won the post of president and prime minister by giving the post of assembly president to the PDK. However, the stubbornness of some LDK chairmanship members led to the situation where Rexhepi was appointed prime minister.
Ever since Rexhepi's appointment, Hashim Thaçi's political standing has diminished within the PDK, and in Kosovo, in general. It has been known for a very long time that the PDK chairmanship insisted that Thaçi be appointed prime minister. However, internationals considered Thaçi unsuitable [in the light of] political developments in Kosovo.
A man with "clean hands" in the PDK was the main slogan of internationals for the prime minister of Kosovo. Only Bajram Rexhepi had clean hands. Let's remember that, in addition to Hashim Thaçi, Fatmir Limaj and Jakup Krasniqi had also been proposed for the post of prime minister. However, all three were considered by internationals to have "dirty hands". When we say dirty hands, we imply the "untidiness" of political-economic crime in postwar Kosovo. And Rexhepi will be even more suitable for Kosovar Albanians, if he starts denouncing the political and economic crime that comes from the extreme left.
First of all, Rexhepi must ask Hashim Thaçi to make public the names of those that killed Xhemajl Mustafa, advisor to President Rugova, and Ismet Rraci, chairman of Klina Municipal Assembly, both killed by a black criminal hand of the leftist Communist wing in Kosovo.
We say this, because Thaçi himself has stressed several times that he knows the names of those who murdered Mustafa and Rraci. Rexhepi must ask Xhavit Haliti to offer explanations about the suspicious and corrupt fund called "Homeland Calling". Where are these funds, because it is well known that Albanians living in western countries poured large amounts of money into the fund in order to support the freedom fighters? But, in fact, these funds were used by Xhavit Haliti and his pioneers in the bars and infamous hotels of Tirana, and now in a free, democratic and independent Kosovo.
Rexhepi should also launch an initiative to arrest all SHIK members in Kosovo, most of whom have close ties with the political extreme left, that is to say, with PDK. It would also be good for Rexhepi if he would start distancing himself from the everyday policy of Hashim Thaçi, Xhavit Haliti, Fatos Nano, Arbër Xhaferri, and some other Albanian political personalities who don't have the support of the majority of Kosovars.
What is to be highly praised at the moment is that Bajram Rexhepi has managed to diminish Hashim Thaçi's political stature. People like Thaçi should be removed from the political scene in Kosovo. We will have to wait and see whether Rexhepi will be able to rid the PDK of political-economic crime. One thing Rexhepi must keep in mind, though, is that Thaçi is a close friend of Fatos Nano, who is known for changing prime ministers quite often in Albania. Rexhepi's withdrawal could very easily be demanded by the extreme left in the near future, because Thaçi has recently been forgotten by Albanian and international media. Thaçi is "nervous" because he has been completely forgotten. Then…!!!
2. RTK director earns twice the salary of Kosovo President (Koha Ditore)
RTK is one of the Kosovo institutions where the wages are several times higher than in other public institutions, such as health, education, KEK or Higjienoteknika, reports Koha Ditore.
Koha Ditore sources say that RTK is not the only public institution that is privileged. Wages at PTK and Prishtina Airport are greater, several times over, than those at other public services. The paper's source claims that the highest salary, that of RTK General Director Agim Zatriqi, is 4,500 DM. His salary is determined by the RTK Board, which decides how and where the RTK budget is spent. The RTK director has twice the salary of President Rugova.
Zatriqi says he is not competent to talk about how high his salary is, because it's not in his job description, but he added, "Salaries at RTK are not as high as has been said."
"The highest salary at RTK is no higher than at any other private media [organization]. Do you know the salary of your director, when you ask me about salaries at RTK?" was Zatriqi's question and answer. "There are some who want our salaries to be like education or healthcare workers, but this would automatically result in loss of creative staff, loss of quality; and ratings would fall, which, in time, would bring the fall of RTK," he said.
The total RTK budget is unknown. Zatriqi did not give any numbers because he said this was within the competency of the RTK Board. He says the RTK budget will come from three sources, the Kosovo Consolidated Budget, donor funds and self-generated income. Central Fiscal Authority Director Petraq Milo says that 2.6 million euros have been allocated for RTK this year. "We did not give the money for employee salaries; we do not know the size of the salaries at RTK; we only support the budget of this public TV station".
The European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) has allocated 1.5 million euros for RTK, says Thierry Bernard-Guel, adding, "RTK is the only TV station that has programs in three languages, Albanian, Serbian and Turkish. RTK is a public service organisation that is taking care of all of the communities in Kosovo. We want to remain an independent TV station and funds are needed for this". He added that just because RTK gets money from the KCB and generates its own profits, this does not imply that donations should stop. "Everywhere in Europe public TV stations rely on two incomes, from the public and from marketing," Bernard-Guele emphasized.
3. Morina: We want the Serb Church removed from university property (Epoka)
Epoka e Re carried an interview with Gani Morina, president of the Independent Student Union at Prishtina University.
Mr. Morina, what are your priorities as President of the Independent
Student Union?
We want to try to raise the level of conditions for the students at the
University of Prishtina (UP). I will be committed to protecting student
rights and advancing UP as a state university, so it is not only called
an independent university but becomes one in reality.
What do you think, as student leader, about the reforms that have started
at UP?
They should not be taken as a single act, but as a process that would
protect current values and eliminate wrong ideas from the past.
You have said that the Student Center must belong only to students, and
that the Serbian Orthodox Church built on the grounds of the National
Library should be moved from there…
Certain groups and individuals who cultivate and preach religion should
not use university space. University space belongs to the students and,
in this context, we will call for removal of the Orthodox Church, which
is built in the grounds of the National Library, because this is a symbol
of pain for Albanians of all three religions and is not a religious object.
The space does not belong to the church; it belongs to Prishtina University.
4. KEK: No reductions next winter (Kosova Sot)
Unless it's an April fool's joke, the heads of the Kosovo Electric Company (KEK) promise that there will be no reductions in electrical power next winter, reports Kosova Sot. Repairs that will start soon on several blocks of the [Obiliq] power plant, including Kosovo B, guarantee a better future, the paper says. The European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) has allocated 55 million euro for the rehab, of which 12.8 million has been earmarked for the coalmines.
EAR officials announced that representatives from various public energy companies will come to Kosovo to aid KEK in becoming an economically solvent enterprise.
5. 250 girls have stopped going to school (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Elhamja, a 16-year-old girl from Krushicë village in Suharekë municipality, was a very good student but she was not able to go on to high school. One of the main reasons was the low income of her parents. "My family could not afford to send me to school anymore. Everyone is unemployed and this is the reason I have to remain at home," said Elhamja.
Many girls leave school early, says Lindita Kabashi, head of the non-governmental organisation, Vajzat Sot. In nearby villages, there are about ten and in Suharekë municipality, over 250 girls have dropped out of school.
Local education official Agim Rraqi says there are three reasons why girls in Suharekë leave school early. The first is economic; second, the aggressive manners of some hooligans toward the girls; and third, the conservative beliefs among some of the families.
The DKA has developed a program that will enable girls that have dropped out of school to start up again this September, a step toward lowering the number of female drop outs in Suharekë municipality. Rraqi admits that very little has been done by educational institutions to lessen the number of girls dropping out, and according to DKA data, there are 20% fewer girls going to school at present.
6. The Hague to bring indictments against five Albanians in two months (Epoka)
Epoka e Re reports that Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic has said he believes that within the next two months, The Hague tribunal will raise indictments against at least five Albanians suspected of committing war crimes against Serbs in Kosovo. However, Covic didn't name any names.
"The documentation handed over to The Hague tribunal is very good and it also explains the problems with the evidence, so that now the proper conditions [exist] for The Hague tribunal to do its job in Kosovo," Covic told journalists in Belgrade.
Commenting on Albanians living in southern Serbia who have boycotted the census, Covic said they should register and added, "I don't know why they are panicking."
7. Trajkovic: Let the patriots from northern Mitrovica comment on this (24 Orë)
The case of the fours Serbs from Serbia should be commented on by Serb patriots in northern Kosovo, says the president of the Serb Coalition Povratak parliamentary group, Rada Trajkovic, according to a report in 24 Orë.
Secretary General of Serb Socialist Party Zoran Andjelkovic said that the Serbian government should give a full account of the case in question. Serb Ministry of Interior officials said that the four are criminals that fled Serbia Police to find refuge in Kosovo. Zivotije Glisic, Zivorad Matic, Miroslav Petrovic and Gradimir Perncivic are political activists belonging to the New Serbia movement. All of them lived in Jagodina village.
The four crossed the Serbia-Kosovo boundary on Friday. They claim that the police commander in Rejkovc, Dragan Lazarevic, threatened with their lives.
8. Jaksic: UNMIK is trying to create an Albanian state in Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
During a press briefing in Belgrade, representatives of the Kosovo Doctors Association and the Serb Doctors Association said that since UNMIK's deployment in Kosovo, medical treatment for Serb patients has become noticeably more difficult, Epoka e Re reports.
Milan Ivanovic, director of one of the wards at Mitrovica Hospital, was quoted as saying, "The behavior of UNMIK and humanitarian organizations toward Serb doctors and patients is not good. The representatives of the international community came to Kosovo to help Albanians and not Serbs, and this still hasn't changed." Ivanovic, also a member of the Serb Doctors Association, added: "Every day we have power reductions, which causes problems in diagnostic diseases, because we can't use the medical equipment. The hospital, the only one offering general services for Serbs in Kosovo, also has problems with the water supply system. The hospital lacks medicines and sanitary equipment. Furthermore, patients from distant enclaves, who don't have freedom of movement, arrive at the hospital at a point when their health condition has deteriorated."
Marko Jaksic, who represented himself as the new director of Mitrovica Hospital, was cited as saying, "The problems of Serbs are used for political interests, and UNMIK is trying to create an Albanian state in Kosovo."