24 December 2002

CONTENTS

Assembly dissatisfied with competencies, demands a change in 2003 budget (Dailies)
Kosovo Consolidated Budget for 2003 will be 489.1 million euros, and 95% will be from Kosovo income and only 5% will be from donors. The total budget for 2003 is 19% higher than 2002. However, the deputies approved a resolution asking local institutions to demand changes in the budget that was prepared by the Economic and Fiscal Council (EFC), reported all dailies.

Minister for Finance and Economy Ali Sadriu presented the budget to the Kosovo Assembly. He told the deputies that he would present the comments made by the government and his ministry to UNMIK and EFC, which is headed by UNMIK chief administrator Michael Steiner.

"The Assembly should have the central role in compiling the project proposal bill for the 2003 budget. The proposed bill was complied without including the Assembly and this isn't in accordance with the Constitutional Framework," said President of the Parliamentary Commission for Budget, Haki Shatri. The commission has presented five remarks that were approved as a package by the assembly deputies. "The document should have been handed as a bill and not as a proposed bill. The Assembly doesn't agree with the division of the reserved budget for temporary self-governing institutions," said Shatri.

"UNMIK Legal Office has prompted the preparation of the proposed bill. The Bill for budget management should have been approved earlier," said legal officer within Prime Minister's office, Ejup Kamberi. "If we don't reach an understanding with UNMIK Office we will complain to New York Legal Office for wrong interpretation of the Constitutional Framework. We hope that this would be the last step because we hope to reach an agreement with UNMIK's legal office," said Kamberi.

"I have the pleasure to finally present the assembly with the proposed bill. The finance ministry and the respective parliamentary commissions compiled the material for the deputies. The material of the reserved part was compiled by the CFA. The ministry, the government and the commission have some remarks on this part of the budget," said Minister of Finance and Economy Ali Sadriu. "SRSG's reserved budget for 2003 is 137 million euros, that IS 13.2 increase from last year's. This is incomprehensible for us, became we have competencies are being transferred to locals, as the CFA to Ministry of Finance or firefighters to municipalities," added Sadriu. "From 24 million euros allocated for the Kosovo Trust Agency, 12.5 million euros are for Trepça. We don't know why is going to be invested or where," said Sadriu.

PDK deputy Fatmir Limaj asked the Ministry of Economy and Finance if the deputies, with their suggestions and debates, can intervene in the proposed bill on Kosovo's budget. "If we cannot intervene then we should stop all communications just for the sake of talking. I fully support recommendations made by the commission on budget and I call upon the Ministry to show transparence and to tell from the beginning how the budget was complied," said Limaj. "I call the Assembly to form a commission that will clarify competencies so the Kosovo Assembly isn't challenged every time," said Limaj.

"I will not vote for a budget that doesn't recognize the Kosovo Assembly. The essence lies on the political sense. The politics that are being discussed just for the sake of holding the sessions will not continue anymore. Our influence in this will be very little. We cannot influence it in any way," said AAK deputy Bujar Dugolli.

"I recommend to vote for these proposals, so this document can reach the main offices," said LDK deputy Sabri Hamiti.

"Why should Steiner administer one third of the budget when 95% of it comes from Kosovo taxes," was one of the main questions asked by the deputies.

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700 million euros in search of light (Kosova Sot)

There is no single person that can say for sure as to how many millions have gone in and out of KEK, and no one knows how much more money will it be spent at this place where no one gives any account, said Milaim an old KEK employee, he doesn't hesitate to give further details of the work being done in the power plant in Obiliç, reports Kosova Sot.

According to him the companies who took the responsibility to fulfill the needed tasks according to the tenders to repair the power plant never took full responsibility for the work they did. "There have been companies from Poland, Germany, France, England, Croatia, Bosnia and many others and you can see how things are today. We spent most of the time in dark, "and they continue to receive their big salaries," said Milaim.

He added that someone must supervise companies that have won the tenders to repair the old block in the power plant. He mentions German companies involved in furnishing materials for different repairs. "Several electric meters, automatic fuses are form the renowned German company Actaris AEG. Other parts are form General Electric alos form Germany and Eti form Slovenia, said our source leaving the possibility that same company was involved. However no one has made a precise procedure regarding the strict rules for the fulfilling a tender at KEK, no additional biography on the companies that did work in Kosovo power plants.

On the other hand UNMIK officials did not give out any coordination preventing the deficiencies (if there are any) in KEK. "Anything that deals with energy aspect has to be directed to the Energy Committee that was formed several months ago by UNMIK chief administrator Michael Steiner. I do not have anything else to add," said UNMIK spokesperson Christian Lindmeier.

UNMIK Pillar IV official Betty Dawson repeated that the investigation at KEK had never stopped, and that she doesn't have anything concrete in this direction. "OLAF will deal only with funds that were donated by EU," said she. While Marko Kosir a senior official on Kosovo energy did not go into details as to who is going deal with procurement of tenders.

"Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) doesn't own Kosovo public enterprises. We only protect them," said KTA managing deputy director Lars Jensen. He added that KTA doesn't take responsibility for corruption or misuse in different socially wend companies in Kosovo, in the issue of investigating tenders, the companies that did work at KEK it seems there is no one to inspect this.

Meanwhile high KEK officials Visar Kelmendi and Fëllanza Hoxha were all day long on Monday busy in different meetings, at least that is what the receptionist at KEK told our journalists. ""I don't have any information on tenders. If you ask me about consumers paying electricity bills, I can tell that it is still very low," said Agim Miftari, director the financial sector at Prishtina distribution.

"I know that most of the tenders are financed by EAR and I don't believe that there can be anything suspicious," said Betty Dawson. She didn't explain if something is being done to fight eventual misuses in the 'dark' KEK. According to her every tender that is issued in KEK needs to have the necessary criteria that are controlled by respective commissions. "It is true that the situation is very difficult and all possibilities should be investigated to defeat the current situation. For the moment there are no continuing problems in the repaired blocks, however there are some evident defects that are putting one of the blocks out of the system. So the only possibility remains with import, and for import you need money," said Dawson.

It is indicative that in the last three years repairs at Kosovo-B were done and are being done by the same companies that won the tenders. To illustrate this, the companies that always won the tenders to repair Kosovo-B are the so-called companies Inogy from England, Alstom from France, Bacock Borsig Power and Lurgi Letjes both from Germany.

According to analysts the chaos at KEK should be urgently discussed at Kosovo Assembly. "I have asked the president of the assembly to call the deputies for a public debate at the Assembly on the critical situation at KEK," said Xhavit Haliti, member of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency.

On the other hand the Prime Minister's advisor on economy issues has criticized the manner the Energy Committee functions. "Unfortunately, the formed committee according to my personal beliefs did not do the necessary things that are needed at the current situation," said Safet Merovci, former member of the Energy Committee. He added that the Energy Committee was formed to pull out Kosovo from the chaos and darkness, "because when you don't have electricity it is futile to discuss things".

On Monday, the electricity situation was much better than it was during the last few days, especially this past weekend when reductions were 4 off and 2 on.

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Big differences on valuing (Zëri)

Zëri carries an editorial by Blerim Shala who says that based on different valuations of Kosovo's situation by relevant politicians, a difficult political year is still to come. Shala says:

Big differences on evaluing the situation in Kosovo this year. Almost every relevant political factor in Kosovo has hisown evaluation on the situation in Kosovo, for achievements and failures.

Until only a few days ago, official stances of UNMIK were that there were positive movements in Kosovo this year, almost in all aspects. UN SC has also supported this UNMIK evaluation. Guides for further movement, Steiner's standards, should later strengthen the tendency of full stabilization of the situation in Kosovo, in order for Kosovar society to be ready for opening of the process of final solution. General Mini, KFOR commander, on his appearance in front of local media, came out with a statement, which distinguishes more the failures than the achievements in Kosovo during this year. Mini has clearly articulated his concerns.

Albanian politicians, in general don't hide their frustrations on an unsatisfying dynamics of passing the competencies from UNMIK to Kosovar government and this precisely where they see the source of stagnations in economy, finances, education and almost everywhere. This was expressed at the last Kosovo Assembly meeting, where 2003 Kosovo budget was debated.

Finally, Kosovo Serb politicians say that the position of Serbs in Kosovo was never as bad as since the establishment of the UNMIK administration.

This description announces a complicated and difficult political year.


What is non-negotiable for Albanians (Epoka e Re)

by Jakup Krasniqi, Minster of Public Services, writes for Epoka e Re:

After June '99 we have very often heard from Kosovo's chief administrators that this or that issue is nonnegotiable. The same was told to us continuously before the war from Belgrade's communist regime, which never listened to the voice of the Albanians. We remember very well the long meetings of Yugoslav Communist Party, plans for return, colonization and many privileges for Kosovo Serbs. What has remained from those projects? The entire engagement of Albanian politicians then and today is oriented to comfort those who want Kosovo in war, fire, robbery, violence and terror. Thus, a little time remains for them to deal with vital issues of their country. Also most of the media, written and electronic, follow the same footsteps.

What should be clear to Kosovo leaders?
Belgrade regime before the war used to say: "If you want independence, fight". Kosovo political entities, held their weekly press conferences, only LDK held them regularly, the others as required. The most repeated request at those conferences was: Independence. In the real life the handcuffs were tightening more and more. The range of the displaced to the west was unbreakable. The demographic mirror of Kosovo was changing on a daily bases. We were obliged to listen to Seseljs.

Albanians didn't have nonnegotiable issues; they used to often meet with Serbian regime high officials, in Prishtina and Belgrade. The higher class of Kosovo Albanian politicians didn't even hesitate to meet Milosevic. Finally, in February 1999, a delegation of Albanians, composed by political representatives, KLA and two representatives from civil society (independent), participated at Rambouillet for Kosovo. Not only that Albanians participated in negotiations, but they were quite communicative. They seriously worked for consistent peace. Serbs boycotted the talks for a political solution before, during and after the war.

Albanians until then didn't say that this or that issue is non negotiable. But after the Rambouillet Conference, terrible and un-rehabilitating things happened in Kosovo. As a result of that period thousands of its citizens remain missing. They are the biggest for us today. Entire families, cannot feel happiness even after three years, their souls keep being poisoned.

After what happened after the nineties, especially during 1997, 1998 and 1999, after the violent uprooting of 800,000 Albanians from their homes, which shook the civilized world; after the murders, arsons, destroying en masse of everything that was Albanian in Kosovo, all the bridges for coexistence with the official Belgrade were ruined. After that waste humanitarian crisis which imposed NATO interference, intervention of the international community, Albanians can and have to negotiate for everything else - only the issue of Kosovo's independence, for which were made all the sacrifices human, material and moral, is nonnegotiable. Therefore the elected leaders of Kosovo institutions should formulate the political platform of the institutions that they represent, to harmonize the political strategy and to make it transparent for Kosovar and international public. They have to understand once and for all that the demagogic announcements of the good-natured of the youngest "nation" in the world, are not enough. I repeat it, Kosovo leaders, first of all, should make it clear for themselves that the issue of independence is nonnegotiable, no discussions can be made on it.

This is the role of the two-sided minorities
All the other issues are negotiable, but to start talks with Belgrade, this last should fulfill some conditions that should be compiled by a group of experts authorized by Kosovo Assembly. With Belgrade can and should be negotiated on building new neighboring, cooperation and understanding relations, but after recognition of Kosovo's independence. The Albanian minority on the other side of the border and Serb minority on this side of the border should serve us to create reciprocal cooperation and understanding rapports. But this should also occur after the recognition of Kosovo's independence by SC, US and EU.
On independence was negotiated with the blood of the liberating soldier, with the blood of the child, woman and old man, therefore the negotiation on independence is closed. Only Kosovo's citizens can express their will on this issue - through the referendum. Kosovo institutions should seriously engage to fulfill all the standards that the new democratic reality requires, and Kosovo has surpassed the region on many segments. With Kosovo Serbs should be talked and new possibilities for integration on the new Kosovar reality should be established.

WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE NEGOTIATED?
During the entire period of after the Second World War Albanians as absolute majority of Kosovo citizens, in all possible ways expressed their disagreement on their political status that was imposed in violent manner by Belgrade communist regime. The dissatisfaction was expressed through:

Liberating war;
Secret (illegal) organizing;
Demonstrations
Through institutional ways and
Again by liberating war
After the Second World War, in Kosovo was fought for liberation and unification with Albania. This was promised to them during the war, and was also decided at Bujan Conference. After the oppression of the Drenica War in 1945, the National Democratic Albanian Movement [LNDSH] was organized and held the Lipovica (Blinaja) Congress. The aim of this organization was liberation of Albanian occupied territories and their unification with Albania. The organization was discovered on its consolidating phase and it was extinguished by iron and gunpowder.

The action of Political Fatherland Movement for liberation and national unification doesn't stop with the diffusion of LNDSH. It would take new forms of political organizing, as LRBSH lead by Adem Demaçi. Later, other organizations were created and their aim was the same: liberation and unification with Albania. This was all until 1981, when the demand reduces from liberation and national unification to the demand for an Albanians' Republic in Yugoslavia and Kosovo Republic within its administrative borders.

We have to say that from 1968, except for illegal organizing, demonstrations in the streets, Kosovo institutions also asked for Kosovo Republic. Municipal Assembly of Gjakova and Drenas (then Glogovc), intellectual circles and some Albanian senior official of that time, undertook this initiative. These were very weak voices. These demands that came out from the institutions of that time were supported by student demonstrations and even though they didn't achieve their aim, Kosovo's political status improved. Albanian's demand on liberation and national unification would continue after the improvement of Kosovo's political status by Constitution of 1974.

After 1974, Serbia's political leadership led by Cosic and others and always supported by ASHS [Serbia's Science Academy], was engaged to eliminate Kosovo's autonomy. They have enunciated their demands on the "Blue Book", while in Kosovo the secret political movement continued to have liberation and national unification on its program. This happened until 1981 when the key demand becomes the request for Kosovo Republic and demand of Albanian Republic in Yugoslavia. In the phase of the political war between the Albanians and Serbs, 1981-1990, the Serb nationalism would triumph and on 28 March 1989 they announce annulment of Kosovo's Autonomy. This was made in the presence of international diplomatic representatives. In 1990, not only that any for of autonomy was eliminated, but also Serbian occupation of Kosovo becomes official de facto and de jure. This occupation was committed in 1945 but this time the positive side was that everyone was seeing it, but unfortunately it didn't last long. At this time we had the attempt of the "institutionalists" who were expelled from institutions, to do something institutionally. They would proclaim Kosovo's Assembly Declaration of Independence on the staircase of the Assembly, In September in Kaçanik, they proclaim The Kaçanik Constitution, but they didn't create any protecting mechanism for the Republic or independence, as one of our leaders is saying. There were some attempts, but they were discovered on the embryo phase.

When violence was penetrating into every single pore of life, when robbery, chasing, maltreatments of all forms and expelling from Kosovo were becoming part of our daily life, on the horizon of freedom would appear KLA. KLA in its program would have: "Liberation and unification of Albania's occupied territories". This was also part of the military oath in KLA. The liberation war created a new reality. The war spared on the entire administrative area. Being also under the pressure of American-euro diplomacy, the KLA diplomatic leadership reduces its requirement to serve Kosovo's independence.

From what is said, it appears that Albanianss demand for independence is the minimum requirement below which no one has the mandate to decide. Any requirement to reduce the trade of independence is the requirement for any new political and military organization for liberation and unification of Albanians. Therefore Kosovo's independence is nonnegotiable.

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Çeku: I have received confirmation that this isn't American policy (Dailies)

KPC Commander Gen. Agim Çeku said that he doesn't have any information that US Government has taken in consideration a plan from transforming the KPC according to the US Institute for Peace (USIP) that was requested by US National Security Council (NSC), reported all dailies.

"I don't have information that the US Government is looking into the proposal by USIP to implement the KPC transformation. I have received a confirmation from the US Office in Prishtina that this wasn't an American policy, but only a proposal," said Monday Gen. Çeku.

According to the news agency Sense, the US Government is looking into the USIP proposal regarding the KPC, stressing that these troops are in accordance with UN Security Resolution 1244. NSC has received a report after several months of consultations by a group of experts, informs Sense.

The plan for the aimed fundamental transformation of the KPC is, reduction of the overall number of members, involving of the transformed KPC in the structure of a new structure Kosovo Council for Peace and Public Security which would also be under the civil and military control of the UN.

"The fact alone that the NSC has engaged the USIP to compile a project proposal for transforming the KPC proves that the US Government has concluded that the KPC mustgo toward being a security force and not be treated anymore as civil one," said Çeku in a previous interview for Koha Ditore. According to Çeku the positive side of this proposal is that this opens a debate for KPC's future that until now we have lacked. "While the biggest part of this project proposal doesn't coincide with the reality theta has been created in KPC and Kosovo and it doesn't open a clear perceptive for our future," said Çeku. "Initially the KPC is treated as the part of the problem and not as the solution to the problem, which is unacceptable. In this context the KPC is unjustly evaluated as the main obstacle for implementing UN Security Resolution 1244," stressed Çeku.

Among others, the USIP project proposal has made two recommendations. First, the SRSG to form a multiethnic and multiparty Protective and Security Council of Kosovo, which would be consulted on security issues, mostly minorities and organized crime. KPC, Coordination Office for Reserve and KPS under SRSG's reserved power. The second recommendation says that the KPC should remove all criminal and extremists elements and be kept on the level of public services of Kosovo. Kosovo Council for Peace and Public Security would be managed the process. Current number of 3,300 members would be reduced to 2,000.

"We support the changing of the name, but this isn't for thede reasons that they want it. For them this is an issue of symbolism, for us this an essential issue," said Gen. Çeku on the proposed options for changing KPC's name. "The project doesn't evaluate properly our engagement and our three year work in rebuilding Kosovo and the contribution we have given for a stabile Kosovo and the region," said Çeku.

"We believe that this project proposal is also unacceptable for the US Administration, which now has to entrust another institute to compile an acceptable project or to accept our project for transforming the KPC which also has been handed to the US administration, which in fact is more favorable for us but also for the international community," said KPC Commander Gen. Agim Çeku.

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