 |
 |
 |
UNMIK-UNMIK Police-KFOR-OSCE-EU Press Briefing, 17 September 2002
UNMIK DPI Director Simon Haselock
KFOR Spokesperson Squadron Leader Tony Adams
UNMIK Police Spokesperson Derek Chappell
OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sven Lindholm
EU Spokesperson Monique De Groot
UNMIK DPI Director Simon Haselock
Gracanica Health House
Protests have been going on outside the Gracanica health house since September 5. UNMIK officials have been physically and verbally abused by the protestors over the next few days. This is unacceptable. People have been protesting on the basis of rumours about doctors being brought from outside. This is absolutely wrong.
The health house is under the authority of the Pristina municipal administration. The municipal administration intends to advertise the posts of director and doctors. We will have a detailed press release on this issue later.
Orahovac Cemetery
The Office on Missing Persons and Forensics (OMPF) has undertaken a series
of assessments to determine the validity of allegations concerning new
and unrecorded graves made in Orahovac Orthodox Cemetery.
The allegations focus on two types of suspicious graves: the addition of mortal remains to already existing graves and new, unmarked graves dug alongside existing graves. Three assessments have already taken place, including test excavations of the suspected areas.
The results of the assessments carried out so far were negative. No additional human remains allegedly added to existing family graves have been found, and no new unmarked graves have been found in the cemetery. A Serbian delegation will be visiting the site today.
As soon as the assessments are finished, OMPF will make the results public.
KEK Visit
SRSG Michael Steoiner accompanied by the Interim Head of the Kosovo Electric Company (KEK) Josef Rieder will visit Kosovo B from 1345 onwards today.
Journalists should reach the Administrative Building compound of the power plant at 1330 hrs to cover the visit. Press officer Mechthild Henneke will be on hand to help you.
KFOR Spokesperson Squadron Leader Tony Adams
Exercise Dynamic Response 2002
Over the past few days KFOR have received several questions from the media about Exercise Dynamic Response 2002. KFOR will now take this opportunity to answer them.
Why are you deploying extra troops in Kosovo when NATO wants to cut its forces in the area?
We are not. The purpose of Dynamic Response is to exercise bringing trained troops into the Balkans very quickly to reinforce the reduced numbers in SFOR and KFOR in the event that they are needed. This reinforces NATO’s and the International Communities on going commitment to Kosovo and the Balkans.
What threat are these troops training against?
The Strategic Reserve Forces that are being exercised in DYNAMIC RESPONSE 2002 have to be fully prepared for any eventuality. This training could include all the tasks normally carried out by KFOR including manning of check points, mobile patrols, border patrols and search and cordon operations.
Are non-NATO countries involved in the exercise?
Yes, two of NATO’s partner nations namely Romania and Argentina are taking an active part in the exercise itself. This reinforces the truly international commitment to security in the Balkans.
In summary, Exercise Dynamic Response keeps those Strategic Reserve Forces that are dedicated to the continued security and stability of Kosovo and the Balkans in the peak of training and ready to deploy in the event that they are ever needed.
UNMIK Police Spokesperson Derek Chappell
Murders
Two homicides were recorded during this past week:
On 12/09/02 at about 22:00h, in Pec Region, police responded to a report of gunfire in a rural area near Istok. Two K-Albanian men were found dead inside a vehicle and another man was wounded during the event. No arrests have been made, but Investigators believe the incident involved a conflict between two groups who were both in the area for an illegitimate purpose.
Rape Arrest
Police have arrested a man for the rape of a 16 year-old girl. On Monday, in Pec Region, the victim was walking home from school when the suspect dragged her into a field and raped her. The victim was also physically injured during the attack. Afterwards, she went home and advised her parents of the crime. The police were called and an investigation was conducted. The 18 year-old suspect has been arrested.
Prostitution Slavery Arrest
On 07/09/02, in Prizren Region, the family of a 19 year-old woman reported her as being missing. The police investigation located the woman in a restaurant in Prizren Region and established that she had been kidnapped and then “sold” to the owner of the restaurant for prostitution. Police have arrested the kidnapper and are searching for the owner of the restaurant.
Please contact the appropriate Regional Press Officer for additional information concerning this incident
Pec: 038-504-604-3448
Prizren: 038-504-604-8306
OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sven Lindholm
During the campaign period, the personal income and asset statement for each candidate will be available for public scrutiny. Statements detail: current income for the past 12 months; total annual income from property and business; all financial assets; businesses owned; and all debts owed. This is the first time Kosovo electoral candidates have been required to file such statements and marks an important step forward in the development of the electoral process as a new level of transparency is being reached. These new rules bring high standards to Kosovo’s democracy by preventing conflicts of interest between politicians’ personal business and their public decision-making. Starting this week and running until 24 October, anyone can read the reports of the candidates of a municipality by going to the Municipal Election Commission office in that municipality. Additionally, the reports of all of the more than 5,000 candidates are available to the public at OSCE Headquarters in the offices of Political Party Services.
The Confirmation and Challenges Period (CaC) continues this week. It is the period which allows the public to scrutinise the Provisional Voters List (PVL) and further ensure its accuracy. The PVL currently stands at 1.31 million voters. Political Entities may view the PVL for the municipalities in which they are fielding candidates, and eligible voters for their assigned polling centres. Where appropriate, a request may be made, either by a political entity or by an eligible voter, to remove a person from the voters’ list who may not be entitled to vote on Election Day. All such challenges are forwarded to the Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission (ECAC) for adjudication.
EU Spokeswoman Monique De Groot
Energy
The electricity situation has stabilised this week and the load shedding schedule of 4 hours on, 2 hours off has remained constant. This state of affairs has been achieved because of the import contract and the restart of A3 (110MW).
The daily energy update report can now be found on the UNMIK web page:
http://www. unmikonline.org.
We continue to urge the citizens of Kosovo to save energy as much as possible and not to leave electric appliances switched on when not in use.
Customs Service
Last Wednesday, September 11th , UNMIK Customs Service signed an MOU with British American Tobacco. The MOU requires BAT to cooperate with UNMIK Customs in the suppression of cigarette smuggling in the region, and to assist UNMIK CS in identifying and seizing consignments of counterfeit cigarettes. This is the first MOU with a major supplier and UNMIK Customs will be signing similar agreements with other major international cigarette manufacturers.
During the week ending the 14 September UNMIK Customs Service, Mobile Support Units discovered and seized a road tanker with an concealment built in it for the purpose of smuggling gasoline and diesel. It required the use of US KFOR X Ray equipment to confirm the presence of the sophisticated concealment which would have hidden about 5000 litres of road fuel. The same units detected over 100.000 cigarettes over a number of days being smuggled in cars into Kosovo from Macedonia via Globocica border crossing point.
Visit of EU Commissioner Chris Patten
The Hon. Chris Patten, the Commissioner for External Relations of the European Commission, will be in Kosovo on the 18th and 19th. He will have a series of meetings with representatives of UNMIK and the provisional government. A press conference will be held before his departure on Thursday. A media alert with further details about the visit will be sent out tomorrow.