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15 December 2002, Sunday Edition
CONTENTS
· Rugova
for independence, Rexhepi for more competencies (Koha Ditore
and Bota Sot)
· UN priorities
in Kosovo: Standards before status, multiethnicity and integration: Amb.
Kolby (Koha Ditore and Bota Sot)
· Rugova: A
criminal act that resembles a terrorist act (Koha & Bota)
· UNMIK Police
hasn't made public the motive of explosion (Bota Sot)
· Can any person
identify the suspect that placed the explosive? (Bota Sot)
· A bomb for
the problematic eyewitness in the Remi case (Koha Ditore)
· Haziri: 30
legal municipalities in Kosovo no border changes (Bota Sot)
RTK News Headlines
· UN
SC Ambassadors visit Kosovo
· No car-bomb
blast suspects arrested yet
· Mitrovica
Municipality opposed to legalization of "Serb University" in
the north
· Kosovo
Municipality Association returns from the CoE conference
Kosovo Media Highlights
Rugova for independence, Rexhepi
for more competencies (Koha and Bota Sot)
Kosovo President Rugova has called for the recognition of Kosovo's independence,
Prime Minister Rexhepi has called for quicker transfer of competencies
from international to locals, while Kosovo Assembly President Daci said
that there was much more understanding of the demands made by leaders
of Kosovo institutions to the UN SC delegation than ever before, reported
Koha Ditore and Bota Sot.
These were comments by Kosovar leaders after they met with 15 members of the UN Security Council delegation that is on a three-day visit to Kosovo. The delegation first met with UNMIK chief administrator Michael Steiner and later with the three Albanian leaders and Oliver Ivanovic, followed by a meeting with a group of Kosovo Assembly deputies.
President Rugova said that this was a very fruitful meeting and that the delegation was informed about the progress made in Kosovo, its objectives on economic development, privatization and security. He personally submitted to the UN SC delegation his request for recognizing Kosovo's independence. "…as I have always insisted, with recognition of Kosovo's independence, people would calm down and so would the region, this part of Europe, the world and we would have faster economic and democratic development in Kosovo and elsewhere," said Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova.
Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi told the delegation that every time there is an important visit, someone attempts to show a poor picture of security in Kosovo. He also stressed that competencies from international to locals was going very slowly. "This should happen much quicker in economic and legislative areas," and added. "compiling laws does not endanger UNMIK mission and that Kosovo's unresolved status is an obstacle for economic development".
"It was a very good meeting. Compared with other meetings this was a meeting with results and very useful," said Kosovo Assembly President Nexhat Daci.
UN priorities in Kosovo: Standards
before status, multiethnicity and integration: Amb. Kolby (Koha Ditore
& Bota Sot)
"UN SC is focused on three main issues in Kosovo: standards before
status, multiethnicity and integration," said Ole Peter Kolby, Norwegian
Ambassador, head of the 15 member UN SC delegation during a reception
organized by UNMIK after the meeting with Kosovar leaders. "Verbal
support is not enough. Real efforts must be made on the ground to make
the standards reality. Kosovo is still a long way from having truly functioning
democratic institutions and a society where minorities can fully participate,"
said Ambassador Kolby.
"A Kosovo where members of the minority communities are oppressed will face a bleak future of self-isolation…Nothing would make a more powerful, positive impression on the international community than a significant and sustainable returns of displaced returns of displaced people," said Ambassador Kolby.
Bota Sot carried in full Ambassador Kolby's speech:
Rugova: A criminal act that resembles
a terrorist act (Koha & Bota)
Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova said that the car bomb explosion on Friday
night in Prishtina was a criminal act that endangered the lives of people
in a very busy Prishtina neighborhood. "We strongly condemn this
act and we demand that investigation be carried out and law and order
enforced so the perpetrators of this act face justice," said President
Rugova. He wished all the injured a speedy recovery, reported Koha Ditore
& Bota Sot.
UNMIK Police hasn't made public
the motive of explosion (Bota Sot)
UNMIK Police spokesperson Barry Fletcher told Bota Sot that the injured
were evacuated from the scene and the police has started investigation
to throw light on who was behind the car bomb explosion which could have
had very tragic consequences.
Asked by Bota Sot who was suspected, an individual or a criminal group, Fletcher said: "That for the time being the investigation is being conducted and that they cannot say who was be behind Friday night's bombing".
UNMIK Police forensic teams started their examination. First examination started on the vehicle Audi in which the explosive device was placed.
Can any person identify the suspect
who placed the explosive? (Bota Sot)
Regional UNMIK Police spokesperson Ali Garcia called on the citizens of
Prishtina to cooperate in finding the perpetrators of the car bomb that
exploded Friday night leaving 32 injured, reports Bota Sot.
"Even though the explosion was very powerful, there were no dead, there was extensive material damage to shops and cars. This amount hasn't been determined yet," said Garcia. UNMIK police issued a press release in which they called on all Prishtina citizens with any information to come forward or who could answer the following questions. "Can you identify in any way the suspected person who placed the explosive? Were there one or more suspects? Where were the owners of the vehicle? Were they near this spot? Do you believe that the explosion was connected to one of the shops or persons in the area? For the moment we are in the initial stage of the investigation and we cannot answer any of these questions," stressed Garcia.
Garcia asked forgiveness from the journalists because they had to wait for a long time for any additional information regarding the case; he called on the citizens again who have any information to help the police in apprehending those responsible for this criminal act.
A bomb for the problematic eyewitness
in the Remi case (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore carries a photo of Enver Sekiraça, for whom the bomb
was allegedly meant. According to some people, Sekiraça is an eyewitness
in the Remi case, while for others he is a person with a criminal past.
One of the four persons who are being guarded in Prishtina Hospital could be the targets of the Friday night explosion in Prishtina. Some of the eyewitnesses said that the explosion happened while Sekiraça was opening the car door. Initially his name did appear among the injured
Koha Ditore carries an account from a well-informed source on the past activities of Enver Sekiraça: Its source says that Sekiraça was connected to the killing of Hyzri Talla, a commander in the KLA, and Enver Maloku, LDK activist. He had allegedly been involved in rape and no one dared do anything or go to the police, because the Serb police would not do anything. The source explained that while the Serb police was searching all Albanians for, weapons Sekiraça would openly carry a weapon and threaten the people of Prishtina.
Sekiraça is currently in Prishtina hospital with injuries in the lower extremities.
Haziri: 30 legal municipalities
in Kosovo no border changes (Bota Sot)
After the delegation of Kosovo municipalities participated in the work
of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, it returned to Kosovo and held
a press conference and briefed them about the main issues discussed in
Strasbourg and the problems that Kosovo municipalities are facing, repots
Bota Sot.
"Kosovo municipalities are developing the way local governments have in Europe," said President of Gjilanë Municipal Assembly, Lutfi Haziri. He stressed that priorities for 2003 are decentralization, fighting organized crime, economic development and joint social policy. Haziri added that they also discussed the Mitrovica problem and some other issues related to the administration of that municipality. According to him, Kosovo has 30 legal municipalities and no changes in municipal borders would be acceptable at this point.
RTK News Headlines
UN SC Ambassadors visit Kosovo
Report focuses on the arrival of the UN SC ambassadors in Kosovo and the
meetings they had at UNMIK HQ with SRSG Steiner and representatives from
Kosovo Govt. and Assembly.
Soundbites were taken from Ole Peter Kolby, head of the SC delegation
who reiterated UN's commitment to Kosovo and its support to Standards
Before Status, multi-ethnicity, further democratization of the country
and integration.
Soundbites were also taken from PM Rexhepi and KA chairman Daci after
meeting SC ambassadors, stating that the meeting at UNMIK HQ was productive
and fruitful.
No car-bomb blast suspects arrested
yet
A follow-up report on the car-bomb incident on Friday evening in Prishtina
focused on the situation of the wounded and material damage caused in
the explosion.
The report noted that according to the KPS and UNMIK police sources, no suspects have been identified or arrested in connection with the incident, and that the motives of the explosion remain unknown.
The report also carried the statements by major Kosovo institutions representatives condemning the incident and branding it a "terrorist attack" against the people of Kosovo.
Mitrovica Municipality opposed
to legalization of "Serb University" in the north
The report focuses on the statement by the Municipality of Mitrovica,
which opposes the decree issued by UNMIK SRSG Steiner to legalize the
University in northern part of the city on Friday.
The Mitrovica municipality representatives were quoted as saying that such an act does not help the strategy of reintegration of the divided city and that it will continue to deepen the gap between the communities. Also, municipal representatives raised questions about the curriculum for this educational institution.
The Albanian representatives of the municipality said that they would protest against this decision during the visit by UN SC delegation to Mitrovica, scheduled for Sunday.
Kosovo Municipality Association
returns from the CoE conference
The report does a short wrap-up of statements from the representatives
of Kosovo municipalities who returned from a conference on local government
organized by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where this association
has an observer's status.
Lutfi Haziri, head of the association said that the Council of Europe will open an office in Gjilanë that would serve as an contact point for the local governments. According to Haziri, the office is scheduled to open in February 2003.
Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
· Rugova calls for independence from UN, Rexhepi for more competencies
· A bomb for the problematic eyewitness in the Remi case
· Surroi: Copenhagen challenges Kosovo
· Is decentralization an obstacle for Kosovo statehood
· Xhaferi: Do we have to debate why we are Albanians?
Other headlines
· Rugova: A criminal act that resembles a terrorist act (2)
· Rexhepi: I want that you will take care of citizens in the same
way (2)
· UN's three priorities in Kosovo: Standards before status, multiethnicity
and integration (3)
· Albanian and Macedonian Prime Ministers meet (3)
· Hospital grounds full of vehicles and mud (5)
· Shkodran Idrizi released even though Macedonian judiciary wanted
to send him to the Hague (5)
· NATO gives way to EU military mission in Macedonia (5)
· At IBGJ in Gjilanë there is no production, only settling
of scores (6)
· Need for stimulating and protecting local producers (6)
· Albania's priorities are roads (6)
· Pejë president insists in Strasbourg on Kosovo's statehood
(7)
· Mothers who throw their children on the streets are victims or
criminals (8)
· Police commander calls parents not to buy firecrackers for children
(8)
· NGO's in Gjakovë have to survive, say their leaders (9)
· How will Lipjan be governed (9)
· Cufaj: Who is a Roma refugee and who is an Albanian in Germany?
(10)
· On the issue of teachers, fish and final status (10)
Bota Sot
Front page
· Ambassadors of UN SC informed on developments in Kosovo
· UNMIK Police hasn't made public the motive of the explosion
· Harnish: This children's choir is a real o choir
· We accept Kosovo's advancements in forming overall democratic
institutions
· Three terrorist attacks before three important visits
· Cold heating from Thermokos in Prishtina
· When Zëri i Ditës and the author Zenun Çelaj
are used as purgatory for cleansing the sins of Karakushi
Other headlines
· The lives of those injured not in danger (2)
· Montenegro authorities arrest a senior KPC officer Shaban Dragaj
(2)
· Eastern Kosovo must be an equal part (2)
· Rugova: Perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice
(3)
· Can any person identify the suspect who placed the explosive?
(3)
· EU will soon lead the peace mission in Macedonia (4)
· KPS is a guarantee for law and order and public safety (4)
· Colin L. Powell awarded the American Academy of Diplomacy award
(5)
· Kosovo justice should be above everyone (6)
· Copenhagen Summit opens the doors for new EU members (6)
· Commercial Banks wait for their accounts (8)
· Lack of maintenance leaves Ferizaj 12 hours on 12 hours off (8)
· Haziri: There are 30 legal municipalities in Kosovo and there
can be no changes in municipal borders (9)
· Kosovo Serbs never loved Kosovo (9)
· Dubrava Prison: Prisoners demand better conditions (9)
· Border zones are deserted (10)
· How to stabilize Fiscal Customs Policy (10)
· Klinë: Promise of greater cooperation with journalists (12)