CONTENTS:
A NAME THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR A LONG TIME IN KOSOVO
WHY
ARE NOT CRIMINALS CAUGHT IN KOSOVO?
ANNAN: KOUCHNER DID SOME GREAT
THINGS IN KOSOVO
ARGUMENTS THAT DO NOT WORK
ICRC ORGANIZED A VISIT
TO SERB PRISONS
A NAME THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR A LONG TIME IN KOSOVO
Reactions by Kosovar political parties after the decision for Kouchner to leave and his replacement Haekkerup carried Bota Sot on pages one and seven.
Kofi Annan UN Secretary General has named Kosovo's new chief administrator, after serving for more than 18 months the Frenchman Bernard Kouchner will be replaced by the Dane Hans Haekkerup. Bernard Kouchner will enter the annals as Kosovo's first civil administrator after a terrible war after Kosovo was placed under international community's protectorate. Kouchner will be evaluated by Kosovar Albanians for the job he did for the past 18 months. There were many great challenges in a destroyed after war Kosovo that not only took under protection the Albanian population but it also decides to form institutions within Kosovo. During this time, Kosovo went through emergency phase then rebuilding. Local elections were organized which were evaluated by the free and democratic world as very successful and the framework for general elections in spring were built. There was very much accomplished during the time Kouchner was chief administrator even though he promised that Albanian prisoners would be released and finding of the missing there is still a great number of imprisoned being held in Serb jails and even greater number of Albanians are missing. However, Kosovar political parties are evaluating that Dr. Bernard Kouchner did as much as he could and as much as he was allowed.
LDK: Kouchner deserves the respect of the Kosovar Albanians
Agim Krasniqi member of the LDK Chairmanship said: We as party have shown transparence during our cooperation with Dr. Bernard Kouchner and the international community. We believe and your readers know that Dr. Bernard Kouchner has done a tremendous work in Kosovo when it is taken in consideration that he was the first international to administer Kosovo. He has done a great deal when we realize that Kosovo came out of the war destroyed, with many wounds, and dead among the Kosovar population. He managed to neutralize parallel institutions formed right after the war, which brought a great deal of hardship to Kosovo. We as a party welcomed the forming of IAC and KTC and different departments. We should not forget that Dr. Bernard Kouchner was one the first to initiate the holding of local elections which were successfully held on 28 October and he is the one that gave the push for holding of the general elections as soon as possible. The people of Kosovo will know how to thank Dr. Bernard Kouchner for all that he did at the hardest time.
Dr. Bernard Kouchner's mission cannot be evaluated today, the future will show for his work and his responsibility he had
Rexhep Abdullahu Chairman of the PNDSH: First, I have to note that our party watched closely Dr. Bernard Kouchner's work during his mission in Kosovo. We have also given our remarks. We think that today no one can evaluate Dr. Bernard Kouchner's work. The future will tell was Dr. Kouchner right or not. We gave our remarks on KTC disapproval to install PNDSH however we think only the obedient were admitted. We declare again that PNDSH will not be obedient until Kosovo's issue is solved.
Kouchner as Kosovo's international administrator did as much as he could
Tadej Rodiqi PSHDK vice Chairman evaluated Dr. Bernard Kouchner's work: Dr. Bernard Kouchner as Special Representative to the Secretary General had a very difficult mission from the beginning because Kosovo came out of a terrifying war. His mission did not only concern in forming Kosovo's institutions as IAC and KTC it also had to do with a great humanitarian problem that was pilled up during the war. We consider that he successfully managed these problems. He also represented Kosovo before the international forums, as the UN Security Council, the European Union and others. We have to remember that he promised to do every thing for the release of the imprisoned in Serb jails and shedding light for the missing, however every thing was not up to him to decide even though there was the will to. I believe that Dr. Bernard Kouchner as Kosovo's first civil administrator did as much as he could. Therefore, we as PSHDK acknowledge what he has done and hope that in the future he will have other successful missions.
The people of Kosovo and political subjects remain hopeful that the new
chief administrator Hans Haekkerup will continue Kouchner's job only in
accord with the will of the Kosovars towards full independence of Kosovo.
WHY ARE NOT CRIMINALS CAUGHT IN KOSOVO?
Is there an agreement between UNMIK and some political circles for arresting criminals reports Koha Ditore on page three?
An agreement made between UNMIK and some political circles has made possible that some criminals were not arrested said a KFOR source. According to this source, the agreement is not a signed one, however it is a mutual arrangement between the concerned sides.
"I think that there are agreements between politicians and UNMIK administration in several levels, we all know this to be true," said the source. According to the source, this happened in the beginning when the tensions were very high and there were dangerous of one side not cooperating with the international administration.
"This happened at the time when it was thought that was the only way to forwards. However this should not exist in the future too". The source did specify which parties or politician's were included.
"I believe this things are inseparable in the Kosovar society, when parts of organized crime meet with political parties," said the source. "You can give me names and I can give you names and tell you: he is involved in this crime. These things are inseparable".
He said that perpetrators are sometimes known, however they cannot be arrested because of political ties. UNMIK administration has refuted several times these allegations. Several violent acts during last month and the riots in northern Mitrovica have resulted to minimal arrests.
Another source which is very close to the these activities who also wants to remain anonyms said that such an agreement exists also with the so-called "bridge watchers" in Mitrovica.
KFOR and UNMIK know that they exist, they know the what kind of people are there and still they let them operate," said this source. "This is one way of keeping the situation calm for the TV cameras that have arrived in Kosovo thirsty to see incidents".
UNMIK administration has come to Kosovo in June 1999 and since then, it has been provisional government until Kosovar institutions are formed. With a fragile judicial system, law is coming very slowly in Kosovo. However, the idea that certain circles were allowed to be above the law and be protected by it does not give very big hopes to Kosovo. The KFOR military source said that this agreement would not be everlasting, no matter how unclear it is that what will happen to those that commit these crimes and remain unpunished.
"Maybe they will open judicial procedures against them," said the source. "Maybe they will not".
ANNAN: KOUCHNER DID SOME GREAT THINGS IN KOSOVO
Koha Ditore carried on page two a report on UN Secretary General's statement on Kouchner's departure as Kosovo's UN Chief Administrator.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Saturday that UN Chief Administrator Bernard Kouchner did "some great things" in Kosovo told Annan the French Press Agency returning from a three-day visit to Africa.
Annan also emphasized that "it was not easy, it was very hard however he (Kouchner) has a very strong personality". Kouchner ends his mission in Kosovo in January and Hans Kaekkerup will replace him. According to Annan's evaluations "as great deal has been achieved in Kosovo, however there is lot more to be done".
ARGUMENTS THAT DO NOT WORK
A comment by Blerim Shala Zëri's editor in chief regarding the Serb elections.
It looks like that on 24 December while in some part of Kosovo Serb elections will be conducted even though Albanians were against them and they oppose the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 UN Chief Administrator Bernard Kouchner or Hans Kaekkerup will not be in Kosovo that day. Kouchner publicly sated that he is against these elections and for Haekkerup's future it would be better if he was not here at all when elections take part to take on the blame for them. Kouchner and Haekkerup should rest for Christmas, while Albanians have to swallow a salty mash in the shape of Serb elections.
They have been laid and over laid all arguments against the holding of these elections. From the number of massive graves that were done by the Belgrade regime to the political argument that was used by Serb leaders concerning the local elections in Kosovo. At the time as you know according to Serb leaders there were no conditions or security for Serbs to participate in elections while before the FRY elections and now these in December when Serb leaders have to be chosen the conditions have changed. It looks like this argument did not do much good. This is surely bad news for Kosovars.
ICRC ORGANIZED A VISIT TO SERB PRISONS
Zëri reported on page four on ICRC's organized visit by Albanian family members to Serb prisons.
17 family members from Gjakova, Mitrovica, Prizren organized by ICRC visited their loved ones on Saturday at the Belgrade Central Prison. On Saturday morning for an hour family members met with their loved ones most of them for the first time after they were imprisoned.
"They spent an hour together and brought a 20 kg package full of food and present," said the written communiqué released by ICRC in Prishtina after the visit. This the twelfth visit organized by ICRC to Serb prisons. First of right had families that did not have the material funds to do so. Most of this visits were carried out without any problems. However, a mother from Gjakova reveals that last visit organized by ICRC was not successful because she could not see her son.
ICRC officials stated that they will continue to help the families of the imprisoned. ICRC is also carrying the letters from Kosovo to prisoners and vice-versa.