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22 April 2002
CONTENTS
1. For
Serbs, the same rights that Albanians have in Presevo (Epoka
e Re)
2. Belgrade calls for
release of Serb prisoners in exchange for calm Mitrovica (Koha
Ditore)
3. Shala: The politics
of current obstacles (Zëri)
4. UNMIK/Macedonia start
fulfilling Steiner-Trajkovski agreement (Zëri)
5. Macedonia seeks Gora!
(Epoka e Re)
6. Around 150 students
and 20 teachers study in private homes (Koha Ditore)
7. 230,000 liters of wine
exported to Croatia (Koha Ditore)
8. Macedonian Press
1. For Serbs, the same rights that Albanians have in Presevo (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re carries a commentary by Ibrahim Shala on the topic of Albanians and integration of the Serb minority.
There is a belief amongst members of the international community that the Kosovo political class is not sufficiently engaged in integrating the minorities, especially the population that was worst hit by the war. If we are talking about sincere and truthful integration, as mentioned above, then there is no Albanian who would oppose this.
I say this with full conviction, because this is in our national interest, as democratization will determine the time needed for deciding Kosovo's final status. We are aware of the reality and know from the circumstances existing in the region that Kosovo's independence will come through achieving democratization in every field of administration and society. Belgrade is aware of this; therefore, it has taken prohibitive stance toward integration of Serbs into Kosovar society. To unblock this situation (and fulfill a right and obligation), Kosovar leadership should be engaged in bringing to life the reciprocity of recognizing the rights of the Serb minority in Kosovo along with the rights of the Albanian minority in "eastern Kosovo" (Presevo, Bujanoc and Medvegja).
The international community has asked Albanians, without the right of so doing, to forgive what it suffered from the Serbian state and people, that is, to take this historic step for the sake of a democratic society, the theory of multiethnicity and the universal morality of humanity. This stance is very strange, because there could never be forgiveness without first asking for pardon, or expressing grave remorse for the crimes committed. This is has nothing to do with civilized norms or our traditions. Therefore, if the international community wants to succeed in its mission, it must be very clear and say: yes to Kosovo's independence, but on condition of integrating minorities, especially Serbs. Then Albanian tolerance toward Serbs would only be another sacrifice for their independence. This condition would give moral authority to the Kosovar political class to work with the Kosovo population on cultivating ethnic tolerance. This tolerant stance is a sacrifice because we have to live next to each other, executioner and victim, but the sacrifice must be made because of the political perspective and our future.
However, this sacrifice does not imply that we should collectively erase the history of one nation and forget the tragedy that befell them. Albanians should stick to the saying: yes to amnesty, no to amnesia.
Under current circumstances, there can be no genuine integration; there can be no true engagement, however unfulfilling for the moment. True conditions for integration will be formed after Kosovo's independence. There can be no bearing of responsibilities without rights; only with the fulfillment of our rights can we take up our responsibilities.
Albanians can achieve ethnic tolerance because never in their history have they committed crimes against any nation, even the Serbs. They would be more tolerant today because they have created their own institutions and in the future (after the state of Kosovo is formed), they will be even more so. Albanians have to try with conviction to move from the level of ethnic co-existence to "bashkjetes" and true integration of the Serb community into Kosovar society. In this direction the Serb minority has made the first step willingly, given the fact that they participated in the general election, they entered Kosovo Assembly and they participate in the Kosovo Government.
At the beginning of the integration [process], both sides need good will, and at the later stages, it can be imposed as an objective process, which takes the path of no return towards development and emancipation of the society.
Albanians should not, and dare not, commit themselves to installing a democracy with double standards. Freedom cannot be two-dimensional; it is either freedom or its opposite.
2. Belgrade calls for release of Serb prisoners in exchange for calm Mitrovica (Koha Ditore)
International community in Kosovo is facing further blackmail from Belgrade and also from Serb representatives in Kosovo, which have placed another condition on an agreement with UNMIK for peace and quiet in northern Mitrovica, reports Koha Ditore.
On Saturday DOS held a meeting with Serb Coalition Povratak deputies in which they demanded immediate release of all Serb detainees. "If UNMIK wants calm to return to northern Mitrovica, the detainees should be released on guarantees laid down by the UNMIK-CCK agreement for them to be released on bail," according to Serbian media on Sunday. UNMIK spokesperson in Mitrovica Gyorgy Kakuk denied UNMIK had taken any stance regarding this "offer", and Kakuk's colleague from regional police denied they had information on how many Serbs were currently being held in Kosovo jails.
The latest request or demand from Serb authorities comes after their request for the release of Slavolub Jovic arrested on 8 April for attacking UNMIK Police. According to Serb media, the party representatives of the DS (the Democratic Party), the DHSS (the Democratic Christian Party of Serbia), the ND (the New Democracy) and the NS (the New Serbia) branches in Kosovo held a meeting in Leposaviç.
"We call on all the other parties from the DOS coalition to initiate their activities in Kosovo in order to support the realization of our priorities with regards to Kosovo, recently defined by the DOS Presidency. The main priority is the return of Serbian IDPs to their homes in Kosovo, which is also a precondition for stability in Kosovo," said the DOS representatives.
A member of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency, Oliver Ivanovic, condemned the meeting held in Leposaviç. " The meeting was ill-intentioned. I believe that this meeting was inspired and organized by the international community. We simply do not need this, as it can only cause additional disorder among Kosovo Serbs," he said.
3. Shala: The politics of current obstacles (Zëri)
Zëri carried an editorial by Blerim Shala, entitled "Politics of current obstacles", in which he wrote:
Full integration of minorities in the government, which is forming in Kosovo, at all levels is in the interest of the Kosovar majority (Albanians), the minorities and the west.
This integration, which in fact has the intention of incorporating all Kosovo citizens into the Kosovo Government, would create the preconditions for beginning the process for Kosovo's final status. Kosovo must become a democratic society, all the elements of a democracy have to be achieved that will lay down the conditions for the final status. This viewpoint is very clear to all of us. Or I should rephrase, it should be clear to all of us.
For this reason Kosovo's democratization cannot be held hostage to the politics of the Serb regime which always uses the integration of the Serb minority into the Kosovo Government for its own political needs. There cannot be any preconditions for this integration. Vice-versa, the fulfilling of integration enables radical changes in living conditions, better security, and for the situation to become normal.
If in the morning a Serb Belgrade official talks about integration of Serbs into the Kosovo Government and in the afternoon he talks about the disintegration of Mitrovica and northern Kosovo, it is very difficult not to trace politics of obstruction towards UNMIK and the Kosovo Government.
Another Serb official said that true integration of the Serbs could not really happen until Kosovo's final status is made known. This is another example that confirms Serbia's politics toward Kosovo. With this kind of approach, we can expect new problems in Kosovo.
4. UNMIK/Macedonia start fulfilling Steiner-Trajkovski agreement (Zëri)
The joint committee on the border issue met last week for the first time and starting this week, it will intensify work to find solution for the current problems and a way to implement Steiner-Trajkovski agreement in which property owners can have access to their lands, this being a temporary solution, reports Zëri.
Deputy SRSG Jean-Christian Cady is leading the committee that met for
the firs time last week and will continue to work with greater intensity
until a solution for the problems is found. According to some UNMIK officials,
the administration does not have sufficient competencies to find a solution,
as was achieved in Skopje regarding the border between Kosovo and Macedonia.
They say this issue belongs to UN Security Council.
A Kosovar representative at the committee will participate in all talks
between UNMIK and Macedonia.
5. Macedonia seeks Gora! (Epoka e Re)
The entire Kosovo's border with Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, down to the southern part of Kosovo has problems with "pretenses for depredation" on all sides. After the serious problems with 17% of the northern part of Kosovo (the Mitrovica problem and two northern municipalities in which Albanians are not allowed to live) and artificial problems created with the creation of Serbian enclaves, no one believed that with such international presence in Kosovo, the obvious territory of Kosovo would have problems with pretenses from its neighbors, reports Epoka e Re.
After the loss of 2,500 hectares with the agreement Belgrade-Skopje, Macedonian pretenses toward the Gora reappear: Emissaries from Skopje offer Macedonian citizenship to Gorans!
Around 13,000 Gorans live in Sharri municipality (according to pro-Serb administration of so-called Gora municipality in May 1999). Gorans are known by their sweetshops and by the fact that they have their shops in many countries in Balkans. During different periods of time, for their private benefit, many Gorans have changed their identity claiming they are Turks, Serbs, etc, while recently four new waves appeared! One of them is that they declare themselves as Bosnians (this group consist of few intellectuals that joined PAD). Another wave declares themselves to be Gorans (which includes the majority of the population); and recently we have two new waves, one of which is that they want to be called Macedonians and the others declare themselves as Albanians.
The last group has great support from the village Restelica, where starting from last year, a classroom in Albanian language was inaugurated! There is another informal group, which still dreams about the return of Serbia to this land and they see their future only through Serbia. They even sent a letter to the UNMIK municipal administrator demanding that their children study in Serbian as the language of their forefathers. They are still in contact with Belgrade and they try to convince the population about the quick return of Serbia to this land.
Another very active wave is the one that wants to unite the Gora area with Macedonia. Todor Petrov, who heads the Worldwide Macedonian Congress, leads this group. These united emissaries went so far that they demanded that the Gora issue be a part of Serbia-Macedonia agreement, saying that Macedonians of Muslim religion live in this part of Kosovo.
The visit of the Macedonian Ambassador to Albania to the Gora inhabitants in order to convince the population that their future is with Macedonia is another fact that supports this idea. Last week these emissaries, led by Nexhmedin P. from this village, brought some forms to the village in order to offer Macedonian citizenship to the residents.
Some residents of Brod village told Epoka e Re that a considerable number of youngsters had already filled out these forms. The older dwellers see this trend as a very dangerous thing but they still blame UNMIK for not providing them with passports in order for them to travel to the ex-Yugoslav republics where they have their shops.
The first signs of a possible conflict became visible in spring 2000, when the Macedonian police removed the border stones for few kilometers and the KPC was forced to intervene in order to put the stones back in their previous positions. Similar incidents have occurred many times, but the majority of population claims clearly, "This was never Macedonian land. This is Kosovo and we are Kosovars."
However, we have to react before it becomes too late and before the international community endorses these acts. Silence means approval!
6. Around 150 students and 20 teachers study in private homes (Koha Ditore)
Students and teachers of the Gremnik School are facing the problem of where to hold their classes. "Close to 150 students and 20 teachers are holding classes in a two- story house; and even though conditions are very bad, no municipal officials from Klinë have come to visit them and learn first hand of the hardships they have," said school director Dodë Grabanica, reports Koha Ditore.
"You cannot breathe in these classes; we are working non-stop to keep up with other schools," said one of the teachers, Rexhepi Gashi.
Kline Municipal Assembly vice-president Prenk Gjetaj seemed very surprised as he listened to the director of the school about the hardships that students face every day. "I am surprised that I was not informed earlier about this problem. This cannot be tolerated any more; something has to be done very quickly," said Gjetaj.
I have made my appeal about the grave situation but no one has listened, and now I do not know whom to talk to anymore. "Last year on 12 August, the foundations of a new school were laid down and the work had to be finished by 15 November," says Grabanica, adding that the work was not finished and the school wasn't ready to accept students.
Grabanica said that the Saudi Arabian Association had donated 300,000 euros and Inxhinieringu, a building contractor from Gjakovë had done the work. "I warned the heads of the NGO several times that the work was not being done properly and I received the answer that they do not have a contract with me. On the other hand, Gjetaj said that the municipality has nothing to do with this project," he said.
7. 230,000 liters of wine exported to Croatia (Koha Ditore)
It looks like the Rahoveci agricultural complex is coming to life after three years of delays. "We have made initial contacts with the Croatian company Segistika to export 230,000 liters of red wine," said the director of NBI, Rahoveci Hysen Canziba, reports Koha Ditore.
"The first quantity went last week and we expect that the rest will be exported by the end of the month," says Canziba, adding that negotiations are going on for a contract for export of one million liters of red wine. "The wines that we offered for sale to the ABU Bank staff found a market for an additional three million liters," said Canziba. He added that grapes growers would be compensated for last year's harvest of 4,576 tons the moment the first payment arrives from the exported wine.
Bitola-based Association "Not One Macedonian To Den Hague"
Macedonia Won't Give Boskovski To Del Ponte
The Bitola-based Association on protecting Macedonians from the Hague
Tribunal at a press conference Saturday, stated that if necessary, Macedonia
will rise in protection of Ljube Boskovski and any other Macedonian, not
surrendering them to Carla Del Ponte.
"If Macedonia is a sovereign, independent and unitarian state, then why has it been denied the right to defend itself. The pressure against legitimate representatives of security structures, led by Boskovski, can only be understood as a pressure against the sovereignty of fYROM and a discrimination against all citizens in the country and abroad, as we have an impression that someone wants to replace the Macedonian sovereignty with a protectorate…."
The Association "Not One Macedonian To Den Hague" is already
collecting signatures in favor of Boskovski and as a warning for Del Ponte
to give up the idea of pressing charges against any of the Macedonian
defenders. If not, Macedonians will move to town squares to protest against
the injustices by the international community.
FAKTI
Skopje Offers Macedonian Citizenship To Dragash
Goranis
Skopje officials have offered Macedonian citizenship to Gorani citizens of Kosovo. Ismail Aslani, Gorani councilor of 'Vatan' coalition in Dragash Municipality says the citizenship was offered by the Macedonian Ministry of Interior in the last 10-15 days. The offer stresses that all ethnic Macedonians are entitled to Macedonian citizenship. Aslani says this is a dangerous course that is being used in the context of the unresolved border dispute between Kosovo and Macedonia. He says there is a dangerous background to this initiative by the Macedonians, who had already attempted once to declare the Goranis as Macedonians.
According to villagers from Debelde
Macedonians Strengthening Their Positions Along The Borderline
The Macedonian Army is strengthening own forces along the border with
Kosovo near Vitina, confirm the villagers of Debelde. "We see strong
forces deployed along the border, especially in Tanushevce village,"
says Isa Hasanaj.
Chairman of Vitina Assebly Samet Dalipi confirms he has information on
fresh Macedonian forces being deployed along the border. "These reinforcements
indicate that maybe something unwanted for the villagers is being prepared."
(Kosovalive)