Media Analysis 20 October 2003

• The Hague intensifies investigations in two cases in Kosovo (Zëri)
  
• Unblocking privatization, a political decision for Annan and Holkeri (Zëri)
  
• PM Bajram Rexhepi to meet British officials on Tuesday (Koha Ditore)
  
• Thaçi: Determined for independence and clear what we can do afterwards (Zëri)
  
• Shala: The story about one diplomat and four ministers (Zëri)
  
• Greek KFOR denies Velikinac died of hunger (Zëri)
  
• 104 Serb families to return to Istog municipality (Koha Ditore)
  
• People not leaving collectively from Binçë and Grapcë (Koha Ditore)
  
• Serbs admit they worked for the Serb 'Elektroekonomia' (Epoka e Re )
  
• KEK on 'its own' offers 4 on 2 off this winter (Zëri)
  
• UNMIK wants to change the history of Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

Belgrade Update

• The international community welcomes the Belgrade/Pristina talks
  
• Polemic around the death of an old Kosovo Serb
  
• Serb Returnees to Kosovo protest against lack of transportation

The Hague intensifies investigations in two cases in Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri quoted sources in The Hague tribunal as saying that the ICTY has intensified activities to finalize two cases from Kosovo.

ICTY spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told Zëri that the indictments would be filed according to the results of the ongoing investigations. 'It is difficult to predict, but we have to finish our investigations before the end of 2004,' she added.

Citing the same sources, Zëri claimed that an ICTY investigator who had come to Prishtina before the indictment against Fatmir Limaj was filed, had returned again to finalize the other two cases. In the meantime, KFOR representatives have held joint meetings with ICTY officials in Prishtina.

Hartmann also said that the ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte would visit Prishtina on Thursday and meet with representatives of KFOR and UNMIK. 'I would like to add that the chief prosecutor is going to visit Prishtina on Thursday, October 23rd, and after meeting with KFOR and UNMIK representatives she is going to give a short press briefing,' she added.

Zëri pointed out that Del Ponte recently confirmed that 13 indictments would be filed and two of them from Kosovo. In the last meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union, Del Ponte said she was investigating two cases from Kosovo and added that each case could involve more than one person.

'I have two ongoing investigations in Kosovo and I believe they are very important. Nonetheless, I cannot hide from you that gathering evidence and witnesses is very difficult, especially in such cases,' Del Ponte told EU ministers.

The paper quoted reliable sources as saying that the investigations involve senior level of the KLA hierarchy.

On the other hand, representatives of the former KLA have voiced their suspicion about the accusations made against them who fought against Milosevic's forces. They claim that these initiatives have been launched by Belgrade and are politically motivated.

Unblocking privatization, a political decision for Annan and Holkeri (Zëri)
Zëri claimed that the meeting of the board of the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA), scheduled for October 22nd, would most probably not result in the unblocking of the process of privatization.

Zëri points out that there were two reasons why the meetings of the KTA Board were postponed: the request of the international members of the KTA Board to have legal immunity and the request for SRSG Harri Holkeri to declare null and void three Serbian laws that were adopted in the 90's and through which Serbia usurped socially owned enterprises in Kosovo.

On the first matter, consultations between UNMIK's Legal Office and the UN Legal Office in New York didn't bring the needed results for the international members of the KTA board. The UN Legal Office in New York again voiced support for the process of privatization but it didn't guarantee legal immunity for international members.

Zëri however claimed that there is a possibility that the KTA board will get the immunity because it falls in the reserved competencies of the SRSG. It seems that this issue has now become a political rather than a legal problem and that the whole matter is going to depend on the coordination of actions between UNMIK chief Harri Holkeri and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, added the paper.

The same sources told Zëri that SRSG Holkeri shouldn't have problems in repealing the problematic laws adopted by Serbia because he has the strong support of international entities. 'However, decisions on these issues could take weeks. Holkeri is still preoccupied with the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade and the formation of working groups. On the other hand, the Kosovar side believes that unblocking of the process of privatization is the most urgent issue,' Zëri concluded.

PM Bajram Rexhepi to meet British officials on Tuesday (Koha Ditore)
Quoting the prime minister's office, Koha Ditore reported that Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi will travel to Great Britain today, where he will meet British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and British Secretary for Europe Dennis MacShane.

An unnamed Kosovar official told Koha Ditore that Prime Minister Rexhepi could also meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair; however, the meeting wasn't confirmed. In closing, Koha Ditore added that the visit to Great Britain will be PM Rexhepi's first visit to a EU country after he turned down SRSG Harri Holkeri's invitation to attend the meeting in Vienna.

Thaçi: Determined for independence and clear what we can do afterwards (Zëri)
Zëri carried a report on the visit by PDK leader Hashim Thaçi to Klina. 'We did not want the issue of the missing to be treated as a technical issue in Vienna,' Thaci said.

'We have come here to talk openly, to show our respect for you and for what you did in the past, and about the way ahead.' said Hashim Thaçi.

Explaining that he was talking more like a party official than a PM, Ibrahim Rexhepi said that the 'internal democracy' is one of the components that makes PDK different from other parties. Referring to the Vienna talks, he said 'we wanted to follow the institutional line', and that Daci was leading the Parliament in an 'autocratic way'.

Editorial: Has UNMIK failed? (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot carried a front-page editorial saying that the UN missions have not proved successful in any country of the world. The editorial also says that there are two main aspects to prove the failure of the UN mission in Kosovo - economy and local administration.

The economy is undeveloped. Even four years after the war, Kosovo is a country that has no production and lives solely on imported products and goods. Kosovo is a country where there are no serious investments and as a result there is a high rate of unemployment.

Privatization has been stopped and this is posing a serious danger to the economic situation. Kosovo has a poor economic future because it cannot access loans from international monetary institutions because of its unresolved status.

Donations are decreasing and now there is a special need to assess the economic situation. In the meantime, Kosovo remains the poorest country in Europe.

UNMIK keeps the local administration very limited. In fact there are contradictions between legitimate government and the UN administration. People have voted for elected politicians but the latter cannot carry out their authority because that is being controlled by the internationals.

Even after four years, Kosovo lacks a government with competencies that can carry out its executive powers. On the other hand, the legislative power has been handicapped by the power of the SRSG. A law that is disliked by the SRSG can never enter into force. The third element, the judicial structures are constantly criticized for corruption, partiality and lack of reforms.

Shala: The story about one diplomat and four ministers (Zëri)
In a front-page editorial in Zëri, Blerim Shala writes that a diplomat from one of the seven leading western countries in Prishtina had decided not to attend an international meeting outside Kosovo.

The diplomat said that the political situation in Kosovo was very tense and the disagreements between political leaders had emerged like never before.

At a time when this western diplomat found it more reasonable to stay in Kosovo rather than attend an international meeting, four ministers of the Kosovo Government will be traveling to the same meeting. Certainly, our ministers must have had a number of reasonable excuses why they decided to travel west.

Some of them could say that the meeting was more important than the issue of the failed talks with Belgrade. Another could add that even if the entire government were to go on hunger strike in the centre of Prishtina, it would not change the minds of those who assessed that Kosovars shouldn't go to Vienna. Together they would agree that no one asks the Kosovo Government about anything, therefore the question of whether or not they attended a certain meeting is of no relevance for developments in Kosovo. I guess all of these arguments are reasonable. But nonetheless we are trying to build a state. The western diplomat concluded that he is more concerned about the issue of the talks rather than almost half of the local government.

Greek KFOR denies Velikinac died of hunger (Zëri)
Zëri reported that the Greek KFOR command has refuted that Velikinac died of hunger, which had been reported by Serb media. 'The 65 year-old man Zhivorad Velikinac, like the other 17 Serbs living in Ferizaj was regularly provided food and medical help by Greek KFOR, therefore it is Serb media that speculated about his death' said Captain Mpideris. Serb neighbors claim that Velikinac was sick and died a natural death.

According to Captain Mpideris, 'Two days before Velikinac died, he was visited by a doctor and was proposed to use artificial food due to his serious situation but he had refused'. To clarify the truth about his death, we contacted some of his neighbors, Velimir and Dusanka Petkovic, who claim that Velikinac died because of 'God'. 'He was in no need for Albanian help, since KFOR care was continuous,' says Velimir.

Naim Azemi, head of the local humanitarian organization 'Mother Theresa' said that 'so far nobody has died of hunger in Ferizaj,' and that his association helps all needy regardless of ethnicity, religion or sex.

104 Serb families to return to Istog municipality (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quoted officials from the municipality of Istog as saying that there is a plan to bring back 98 Serb families this fall and another six Serb families in spring 2004.

The municipal officials told Koha Ditore that a special plan, which was given to the members of the returns committee, envisages return of 25 Serb families to the village of Bellopoje, 31 families to Blagojac, 23 families to Dragolevc and another 25 families to a neighborhood in Istog. 'Most of these families will return this fall, while another six families are expected to return next spring,' they added.

According to municipal officials, the Serbian Government was going to invest 2,447,000 euros in building the houses for Serb families.

People not leaving collectively from Binçë and Grapcë (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reported that Serb residents of the villages of Binçe and Grapcë near Klina have recently announced that they were going to leave because they lack security and freedom of movement. The paper however added that the situation in these villages on Sunday was very peaceful.

Koha Ditore quoted unofficial sources in the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) as saying that the issue was not about the lack of security and freedom of movement. The same sources said that the Serbs had voiced their dissatisfaction because their children had not been vaccinated during the campaign against rubella and measles. Fearing lack of security, Serbs had refused to send their children for vaccination to the village of Shtupel and had asked from internationals to send their children to Mitrovica. 'However, international officials didn't agree to this and this resulted in dissatisfaction among local Serbs,' added the paper.

Serbs admit they worked for the Serb 'Elektroekonomia' (Epoka e Re )
Epoka e Re ran an article claiming that the Serbian 'Elektroekonomia' is works in parallel with KEK in Kosovo. 'It is a responsibility of local and international bodies to suspend its functioning in Kosovo, since it is causing trouble and losses to the Kosovar economy' said Sokol Haziri from KEK.

After the parallel structures in education and health that Serbia established in Kosovo, now the economy is under threat. The Serbian 'Elektroekonomia' has been trying, through its workers in Kosovo, to influence Serbs not to pay for the electricity and are trying to convince them that they are able to provide them electricity in the name of humanitarian assistance that the Serbian state provides for Kosovo. Some Serb workers, supported by the Serbian 'Elektroekonomia' have worked against KEK in Gjilan during this year, the paper reports.

Who are the accused Serbs?

The KEK unit in Gjilan has given information to the Municipal Prosecutors' Office against some Serbs. Some of them have claimed to be 'technical directors' from KEK etc.

Though UNMIK is aware of these illegal activities, the paper reports, it has done nothing to suspend them. According to Sokol Haziri, it is the Coordination Center for Kosovo that stands behind this parallel structure.

KEK on 'its own' offers 4 on 2 off this winter (Zëri)
Zëri carried an article on electricity situation saying we can expect worsening of power supply during the coming winter since they did not get money from the budget of Kosovo to import electricity. 'We asked for € 20 million from the budget surplus to import electricity plus 5 million that the organizations paid from KCG owe to the company but despite promises, we never got this money,' says Betty Dawson, KEK's spokesperson, adding that 'because of the lack of money KEK has been pushed to take recourse to other means.'

Some days ago, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finances said they had given € 20 million to KEK from the budget surplus. 'I heard that too, but the Financial Directorate of KEK says they haven't received it,' says Dawson. The paper claims they have been trying in vain to get a comment from the Ministry of Economy and Finances, though questions have been sent to them in advance.

KEK cannot meet the consumers' needs because not all of them are paying the bills, the paper says, and that the consumer demand increases 30 per cent everyday. The four units are expected to produce around 700 MW but it is not enough to meet the consumer demand, which will be around 900 MW.

UNMIK wants to change the history of Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore claims that international officials do not like the way Kosovar historians have written the history of Kosovo. The paper also claims that international officials have insisted that disputed expressions and chapters on the 'war of Albanians for equality and national rights in Yugoslavia' and the 'war for the liberation of Kosovo' be removed from history texts.

According to EU and UNMIK experts, the paper says, these parts need to be rewritten, as they are considered detrimental to interethnic relations, and they want these books to be 'cleared' by 15 February, 2004. This has raised reactions among history teachers, education officials and publishers. 'An occupier is an occupier and you cannot find more generalized words', says Tafë Mazrekaj, a history teacher in "Sami Frasheri" High School, adding that it is only pejorative terms that should be removed 'if it is written 'Shkijet' it should be replaced with 'Serbs', the same if Serbs write 'Shiptari' it should be replaced with 'Albanians'."

Fehmi Rexhepi, one of the authors of the history books, complained why the same measures are not taken against the Serbs and the Macedonians. The internationals say harsh language is used with which Rexhepi does not agree 'There is hatred here only against the Milosevic regime, not the Serbs' he said.

Belgrade Update

The international community welcomes the Belgrade/Pristina talks
The UN Security Council has welcomed the beginning of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina "on practical issues of mutual interest" in Kosovo, the US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte said. He pointed out that members of the Council requested all political parties on both sides to participate openly in the technical dialogue to be held on the level of expert working groups. The working groups will concentrate only on practical issues such as energy, traffic, missing persons, refugees and displaced persons, it was confirmed at the UN headquarters. Similarly the Heads of States and Governments of the EU in Brussels welcomed the beginning of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, but expressed "disappointment that certain officials had not participated in the talks." They also requested that the talks between the expert groups continue unconditionally on a multiethnic basis. As it was stated in the conclusions of the EU summit, "the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue represents the key framework in the strategy of the international community - standards before status based on UNSCR 1244," for which the "importance of forming during November expert working groups" is underlined. The European leaders stressed they support the efforts made by UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri.

Polemic around the death of an old Kosovo Serb
Zivorad Velikinac (65), from the eastern Kosovo town of Urosevac, died in Mitrovica hospital where he had been brought by KFOR when found in an unconscious state in his apartment last week. Milan Ivanovic, deputy director of Mitrovica hospital and leader of the Serbian National Council (SNC) for northern Kosovo, declared that Velikinac "was totally exhausted from starvation and reminded a camp inmate from Auschwitz. He managed to utter that he didn't eat a thing for over a month. He couldn't go to the store because he was handicapped, while Albanian neighbors stopped taking him food and water because they had been threatened," and accused UNMIK and the international community for being responsible for his death. He further commented that KFOR and UNMIK have not yet ensured freedom of movement and safety for Kosovo Serbs and other non-Albanians. He warned that Velikinac said there were more people in Urosevac who were starving. The Director of the Mitrovica hospital Marko Jaksic said that "Velikinac told doctors that he hadn't eaten for 18 days" and the member of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency Oliver Ivanovic assessed that the local authorities in Urosevac were responsible for Velikinac's death, first of all UNMIK administration and the provisional institutions. As for the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK), basing itself on the statement of relatives of the victim, it announced that Velikinac died "due to the inability to consume food" because of his health condition, and not due to a lack of food. The CCK further underlined the constant attention paid by the Greek KFOR and its commander to the old man. According to unofficial information, the CCK has announced that the exhumation and autopsy of the body of Velikinac would be performed in order to figure out whether he had died of starvation, illness or, as it is unofficially mentioned, decided to commit suicide as a sign of protest by going on a hunger strike. Milan Ivanovic does not oppose the autopsy while he denounces the "suspicion by some individuals" in the diagnosis of Mitrovica doctors. UNMIK spokesman Gyorgy Kakuk has announced that UNMIK administration would seriously examine all the circumstances in connection with this case today. Velikinac was one of the 13 remaining Serbs out of about 10.000 living in Urosevac before the arrival of the peace mission in Kosovo in 1999.

Serb Returnees to Kosovo protest against lack of transportation
Sixty Serb returnees to the villages of Grabac and Bica, in the Klina municipality, have been protesting for the last three days because organized transportation to Mitrovica had been cancelled. Serbs in those villages have been without transportation with armed escort since Thursday, when soldiers who escorted them returned without explanation in the middle of the trip towards Mitrovica. In spite of an announced collective departure on Sunday the Serb repatriates scheduled a meeting with international community representatives today.

Main Stories 20 October
· PM Rexhepi accuses UNMIK of corruption and for tolerating prostitution
· The Hague intensifies investigations on two cases in Kosovo (Zëri)
· PDK wants the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosova Sot)
· Unblocking privatization, a political decision for Annan and Holkeri (Zëri)
· Shala: The story about four diplomats and four ministers (Zëri)
· Ivanovic: Labus' statement for Kosovo is irresponsible (Epoka e Re)
· Editorial: Has UNMIK failed? (Kosova Sot)
· UNMIK wants to change Kosovo's history (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

PM Rexhepi accuses UNMIK of corruption and for tolerating prostitution (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports that in an interview to the British newspaper 'The Observer', Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi accused UNMIK of impeding the development of Kosovo, of corruption and for tolerating prostitution.

'I've had enough. A year ago I requested a team of investigators to be sent from New York but I still haven't received a response,' Rexhepi said. [more in Media Analysis]

The Hague intensifies investigations in two cases in Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri quotes sources in The Hague tribunal as saying that the ICTY has intensified activities to finalize indictments in two cases from Kosovo. ICTY spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told Zëri that the indictments would be filed according to the results of the ongoing investigations. Hartmann also said that ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte would visit Prishtina on Thursday and meet with representatives of KFOR and UNMIK.

PDK wants the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot reports that on the issue of transferring more competencies to Kosovars, SRSG Harri Holkeri has promised the consolidation of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The paper also claims that there are indications from the office of the Prime Minister that the Thaçi-led Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) would like to get the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Unblocking privatization, a political decision for Annan and Holkeri (Zëri)
Zëri claims that the meeting of the board of the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA), scheduled for this Wednesday October 22nd, will most probably not result in the unblocking of the process of privatization.

Zëri also claims that the issue of unblocking privatization has now become a political rather than a legal problem and that the whole matter is going to depend on the coordination of actions between UNMIK chief Harri Holkeri and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Shala: The story about four diplomats and four ministers (Zëri)
In a front-page editorial in Zëri, Blerim Shala writes that a diplomat from one of the seven leading western countries in Prishtina had decided not to attend the start of talks between Prishtina and Belgrade because the political situation in Kosovo was very tense and the disagreements between political leaders had emerged like never before. 'Four ministers of the Kosovo Government will bly attend the same meeting… We are trying to build a state. The western diplomat concluded that he is more concerned about the issue of the talks rather than almost half of the local government,' added Shala. [full translation in afternoon Media Analysis]

Ivanovic: Labus' statement on Kosovo is irresponsible (Epoka e Re)
Quoting FoNet news agency, Epoka e Re reports that Milan Ivanovic said that the statement made by G17 Plus Miroljub Labus that Belgrade would never again rule over Kosovo was politically damaging and irresponsible.

Editorial: Has UNMIK failed? (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot carries a front-page opinion piece by the editorial office saying that the UN missions have not proved to be successful in any country of the world. The editorial office also claims that there are two main aspects to prove the failure of the UN mission in Kosovo - economy and local administration. [more in Media Analysis]

UNMIK wants to change Kosovo's recent history (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore claims that international officials do not prefer the way in which Kosovar historians have written the history of Kosovo. The paper also claims that international officials have insisted that disputed expressions and chapters on the 'war of Albanians for equality and national rights in Yugoslavia' and the 'war for the liberation of Kosovo' to be removed from history texts. [more in Media Analysis]

Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
· Pope beatifies Mother Theresa
· Ali Izetbegovic died
· Palokaj: Not just have pride in Mother Theresa, also learn from her
· 'Alfa Market' was unjustly kicked from Germia building
· Lessons on Kosovo's recent history asked to be replaced

Other headlines

· Dozens of activities to celebrate Mother Theresa's beatification (2)
· Mother Theresa is a mother to all, people say in Macedonia (2)
· PM Rexhepi accuses UNMIK of corruption and of tolerating prostitution (3)
· Meta supporters seek confidence vote (3)
· No displacements from Binxha and Grapca (3)
· 11 million liters of wine prepared for Germany and Albania (5)
· Al Qaeda (not) present in Kosovo (6)
· Accused of inciting religious hatred (6)
· KFOR remains empty handed, Prekazi people upset (7)
· 500 hand grenades found (7)

Zëri
Front page

· Hague intensifies investigation of two Kosovo cases; Ponte comes to Pristina Thursday
· Editorial: The story about a diplomat and four ministers
· Unblocking privatization mainly a decision of Annan and Holkeri
· Alia Izetbegovic dead
· Binxha Serbs threaten leaving en masse, KFOR say escorting them is not their job
· KEK remains the same; offers 4 on and 2 off for this winter

Other headlines

· Pope beatifies Mother Theresa (2)
· Peoples' Marathon takes place in Tirana (2)
· Mass in all catholic churches in Kosovo (2)
· Albright: It is important that there is no ethnic cleansing in Kosovo (3)
· On Thursday statutory conference on "Limaj and others (3)
· Greek KFOR denies Velikinac died of hunger (4)
· Paskal: Time of 'economic giants' over, small enterprises increase job opportunities (4)
· Out of 17 private schools, only five get licenses (5)
· In Hade there is noise, dust and anxiety, house can collapse any time (6)
· Pristina businessmen cannot get used to new working hours (6)

Bota Sot

Front page
· May God and the people condemn traitors who killed blessing and trust
· An Albanian example of love gathered 500,000 people
· An Albanian lady; the mother of the world honored

Other headlines

· Editorial: Kosovo to break loose from Serbian parallel system (2)
· In many catholic churches in Kosovo masses organized (2)
· 19 October the day of Bekim Kastrati's fall marks the freedom of press in Kosovo (4)
· Albanian nation has the face of Mother Theresa (5)
· Alia Izetbegovic, founder of today's Bosnia dead (5)
· Six oil tankers with suspicious documents stopped (6)
· Albanians living in Italy to serve in Italian military (6)
· UN Municipal administration in Pristina downsizes 7 staff members (6)
· Internationals give 'Silkapor' to second bidder without asking local board members (7)

Kosova Sot
Front page
· PDK wants the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
· Editorial: Has UNMIK failed?
· Serwer: Talks should have been prepared well
· Paul Acda: I know there are corrupt custom officials, I admit
· Who will lead PTK?
· Easier to talk as an independent
· Who controls the reins of Kosovar politics
· Velikinac did not die of hunger

Other headlines
· Mother Theresa - an Albanian saint (2)
· Me and my sister were friends with her (3)
· Ruzhdi Sefa: Yes, I was hit by the minister (3)
· Albright: Serbs and Albanians should somehow 'find common ground' (4)
· Lushtaku raided for the fifth time (4)
· Ivanovic: Labus declaration on Kosovo irresponsible (4)
· Forensic analysis of Albanian bodies start today (4)
· Turkish Health Minister to visit Kosovo (4)
· Demaçi: An entirely political devaluation (5)
· Moore: Vienna, buying time, media circus or…(5)

Epoka e Re
Front page
· Pope beatifies Mother Theresa
· Rexhep Mejdani can replace Fatos Nano
· "The Observer" Kosovars fed up with UNMIK
· Lushtakus' again under complete siege
· Alia Izetbegovic dies

Other headlines
· Mother Theresa, the only woman who was in Pope's car (3)
· Tony Blair hospitalized (3)
· Difficult days for Fatos Nano (4)
· Kosovar youth becoming religious (6)
· CEO denounces KLA associations to police (6)
· Kosovars are no longer saying 'amen' to KTA decisions (7)
· Victims' children not allowed in criminals' trials (7)
· Drenica teachers help Limaj's fund (8)
· Kelmendi thinking of filing a case against Minister Osmani (8)

Belgrade Media Highlights

· Holkeri on Vienna talks (Glas)
· CCK on the death of Zivorad Velikinac (Politika/Tanjug)
· UNMIK announces investigation (Vecernje Novosti)
· Milan Ivanovic has nothing against autopsy (Vecernje Novosti/Tanjug)
· Albright: There must be agreement (Blic)
· Protests by Serb returnees (Glas/Beta)
· Students wait for KFOR escort (Glas/Tanjug)

Monday, 20 October 2003

· The Observer on problems in Kosovo (Balkan)
· Doctors request an autopsy (Blic)
· Gojko Savic's interview for Glas (Glas)
· The Economist: Kosovo still problematic (Politika)

Sunday, 19 October 2003

Holkeri on Vienna talks (Glas)
UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri has underlined the symbolic importance of the direct meeting between representatives of Belgrade and Pristina in Vienna. Although the beginning of talks was difficult, direct meeting are the only way of determining Kosovo's future," Holkeri told journalists in the Finnish capital. Speaking about the meeting in Vienna, the UNMIK head assessed that "the result could have been worse."

CCK on the death of Zivorad Velikinac (Politika/Tanjug)
The CCK has announced that Zivorad Velikinac from Urosevac, who died on 15 October in the Mitrovica hospital, died "due to the inability to consume food," and not due to lack of food. The relatives of the deceased, as it is stated in CCK's announcement, categorically assert that Velikinac did not die due to lack of food, but due to inability to consume it because of his health condition. The statement says that, apart from the efforts by CCK representatives to visit the hospital, they were not given insight into the doctors' documentation of Velikinac. It is also stated that, apart from the relatives, Velikinac's funeral was also attended by the commander of KFOR's Greek contingent, who provided escort to the cemetery, as well as that Albanian neighbors said farewell to the deceased, according to the customs, by "standing in silence in front of their houses during the funeral procession." CCK representatives and relatives have especially pointed to the attention constantly paid by the Greek KFOR and its commander to the poor man.

UNMIK announces investigation (Vecernje Novosti)
UNMIK spokesman Georgy Kakuk has stated that Zivorad Velikinac's death is a very sad case and expressed sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. He, however, refused to specify as to who was responsible for the death, and announced that UNMIK administration would seriously examine on Monday all the circumstances in connection with this case. Member of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency and the CCK Oliver Ivanovic has assessed that the local authorities in Urosevac are responsible for Velikinac's death, first of all UNMIK administration and provisional institutions. "Velikinac told doctors that he hadn't eaten for 18 days," said the director of the Mitrovica healthcare center Marko Jaksic, and added Velikinac hardly talked due to exhaustion.

Milan Ivanovic has nothing against autopsy (Vecernje Novosti/Tanjug)
After the Serb from Urosevac died of starvation, and regarding the "suspicion by some individuals" in the diagnosis of Mitrovica doctors, the deputy director of the Mitrovica hospital Milan Ivanovic has stated he has nothing against an autopsy being performed. This 65-year-old man died of starvation because he couldn't leave his apartment in Urosevac. Ivanovic warned that Velikinac said there were more people in Urosevac who were starving.

Albright: There must be agreement (Blic)
Serbs and Albanians must agree, and most importantly not to have ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and for both nations' members to live there, although not yet together, said former US secretary of state Madeline Albright. She assessed there was a difference between the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and the attack on Iraq. "We entered this (against Yugoslavia) together with NATO. We had 19 countries with us," Albright said.

Protests by Serb returnees (Glas/Beta)
Several hundred Serb returnees to the villages of Grabac and Bica, in the Klina municipality, have been protesting for the last three days because organized transportation to Mitrovica had been cancelled, Beta quotes Serb sources in Kosovo. Serbs in those villages are without the transportation with armed escort since Thursday, when soldiers who escorted them returned without explanation in the middle of the trip towards Mitrovica.

Students wait for KFOR escort (Glas/Tanjug)
KFOR has been refusing for over three months to provide escort for Pristina University students to Serbian churches in Metohija, said the president of the student union of the Pristina University Negovan Stamenkovic. "Our last in a series of attempts to visit the Pec Patriarchy on 14 October, has failed apart from the fact that 50 students of the Pristina University, who are studying in Mitrovica, had waited for KFOR soldiers at 4 a.m. in Zvecan.

Monday, 20 October 2003

The Observer on problems in Kosovo (Balkan)
In a text entitled "Angry Kosovars call on colonial UN occupying forces to leave," The London Observer writes that the fall of the international forces in Kosovo into disfavor clearly warns what can happen to peace troops in Iraq. Recalling last week's demonstrations in Pristina, BBC in Serbian quotes The Observer as stating that Kosovo Albanians, who welcomed four years ago the international forces as liberators, are now against corruption, good deeds and depraved colonial behavior of their international tutors. "We are thankful to the Western forces for saving us from the Serbs, but now it is time for them to leave," said an inhabitant of Pristina. Unemployment in Kosovo is enormous. More than half of two million of the population of Kosovo lives below the poverty line, and an increasing number of people is under the impression that many foreigners in Kosovo are there only because of large salaries and CVs. Aid to Kosovo is being reduced every day, while lack of a financial stimulus is seen by many as the reason why only a small number of refugees had returned to Kosovo.

Doctors request an autopsy (Blic)
According to unofficial information, the CCK has announced that the exhumation and autopsy of the body of Zivorad Velikinac will be performed. Experts of forensic medicine will establish with an autopsy whether Velikinac, one of the remaining 13 Serbs in Urosevac, had died of starvation, illness or, as it is unofficially mentioned, decided to commit suicide as a sign of protest by going on a hunger strike. Doctors at the Mitrovica hospital said the death of Velikinac is a warning to everybody and an example of how Serbs in Kosovo live under difficult conditions.

Gojko Savic's interview for Glas (Glas)
It is often mentioned in the public that the international community doesn't want to finance some parallel education in Kosovo and Metohija, and that it sets the condition for the University to be privatized so it would then support it. Is that true?

"Such stories are completely untrue. We are legal successors of the University in Pristina and we are only continuing work in the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija, which the international community has accepted as a true fact. What is important for us is that the law, according to which lecturing in Serbian would cease to exist, as much favored by Albanians, had not been passed by the Kosovo Assembly. The University received credentials for work from the international community, while we haven't insisted in terms of finances."

Is it true that private houses and apartments in northern Mitrovica are being purchased for the University?

"In order to create some sort of conditions for those professors who wish to live and work in the region of Kosovo and Metohija, we have decided to purchase apartments and houses of those Albanians who left this region. At first, we purchased through the University as an internationally recognized institution, and now the Kosovo district has taken over this business. Professors, and especially assistants get these apartments to use them if they come here to live with families. They don't have the right to purchase these apartments."

How much does the international community helps you?

"We haven't received any help from the international community. The only thing we received were containers when they threw us from the adapted premises, with the explanation that there was a prison nearby," the Dean of the Pristina University, professor Gojko Savic, told Glas.

The Economist: Kosovo still problematic (Politika)
Kosovo cannot be an international protectorate forever. The UN has other things in mind; the province will be more populated once its future is resolved. But, how does one do this? Albanians, understandably, are refusing to be part of Serbia and wish to break away or at least to have autonomy within the country. Serbia will hardly allow this. Serbs glorify Kosovo because Serbia, a Christian country, lost the key battle against Turks in 1389 here, which led to the five-century-long Muslim domination. None of the sides wishes to give up its goals. The Serbian Parliament passed in August a declaration that states that Serbia has sovereignty over Kosovo. Albanians hope that the international sympathies over their sufferings under Milosevic will help their goal. Finally, the foreigners will be those who will mediate in the resolution of the situation. This week's talks show how difficult this is, writes London's The Economist, as quoted by Politika.