DPI

CONTENT

KOSOVO'S FUTURE
YEARS NEEDED FOR A JUDICIAL LAW IN KOSOVO
DO NOT PANIC, WEST DOES NOT HAVE KOSOVO'S STATUS ON AGENDA
LET US NOT LOSE PEACE IN KOSOVO

Koha Ditore carried on page one a column by Veton Surroi about current events that will lead to Kosovo's final status.

One clear thing that can be said for Kosovo's future in the next five years is: that Kosovo will not be a democratic and economically sound country which can be taken as an example for others. The reason for this is that it was never such a state, for the time being it’s a territory under UN administration and it is going through a transitional stage of parting from 50 years of communism and 10 years of apartheid of Serb domination and wars. Kosovo is (tense) under a UN protectorate but formally still under disintegrated "Yugoslav" sovereignty which is composed of Serbia and Montenegro whose status is undefined.

UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the supreme law in Kosovo, does not allow for Kosovo to become a sovereign state until a decision is made as a result of negotiations, but it does not stop it from becoming a functional state. After October elections, the first free elections in Kosovo, there will pressure applied by the Kosovars for a transitional constitution and a general solution.

It is true that Kosovo's final status will be judged by the way Kosovars transform politically and economically, and two other issues remain. The capacity to become a tolerant society and the capability to form good relations with neighboring countries. Kosovars have to create a tolerant society where tolerance is limited by the incapability of the international community to fulfill the absence of law, a thing that has weakened Kosovo for the last 18 months. The issue with neighboring states is not very complicated, apart from one neighbor, which represents the most complicated problem in the world. Relations between Kosovo and Serbia now after Milosevic was ousted are rising with hopes of evolution in Serbia, but on the other hand, there is skepticism. This skepticism comes from the fact that conflict between Kosovo and Serbia was structural, not only based on the leadership but the fact that Serb politics during last decade was based on nationalism in which the Serb opposition fully took part. A very important question has to be answered: can Serbia ever become a truly democratic country without denazification. Serb neighbors still identify Serbia by its crimes committed during the last ten years.

The period ahead of us will bring rise to destabilization in Kosovo, with the chances higher than ever. This destabilization will happen under a KFOR umbrella and efforts made by UNMIK and OSCE to create a democratic society. In addition, efforts by the international community should be intensified. Kosovars, Montenegrins and Serbs should develop their final status-- as independent and equal subjects, which could bring decisions for a separate future. What is important is that Kosovo and its two neighbors which have the same problem concerning status, should first strengthen their own states.

In the last few days I have heard some diplomats saying that events in Belgrade were of a historic dimension, so big that everything else should be under its shadow. They are stating that "FRY" the state, which its own president does not recognize as real, should be admitted to UN, OSCE and other economic and financial institutions. This I believe is wrong, and it devalues possibilities for negotiation for the people that came out of the violent death of "Yugoslavia".

In a kidding tone, maybe not that amusing, I wrote that the last phase of disintegration of "Yugoslavia", with Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia is a "Three Taiwan Scenario" which would lead to the fact that these three states would go towards inner consolidation and would concentrate on fictionalizing their own states then their international recognition. Maybe this scenario could be applied to Kosovo and two other states. What I know for sure is that there is no relevant force in Kosovo that would accept or support any solution that would bring down the possibility of Albanians to decide for themselves.

YEARS NEEDED FOR JUDICIAL LAW IN KOSOVO

Koha Ditore carried a report on page three on OSCE's report on the judicial system in Kosovo.

Years will be needed, maybe a generation for Kosovo's penal judicial system to reach a state as in Europe, said Sylvie Pantz co head of Kosovo's Judicial Department. She was responding to the OSCE report on the state of the judicial system in Kosovo, which found it far below European standards. She said she agreed with the report, but that it was also cruel, ambitious and unrealistic. "I think that a great deal has to be done but also a great deal was done in the past year. We should not be ashamed of the good results we achieved", said Pantz.

She spoke about the hard conditions that Kosovar judges and prosecutors have to face and added, "It is easy to work with human rights when you are comfortable." She criticized the international police who in some cases failed to respect applicable laws in Kosovo. "We are ambitious and impatient," she said. "My country (France) needed several centuries to create good criminal courts, and it took me seven years to become a judge".

DON'T PANIC, WEST DOES NOT HAVE KOSOVO'S STATUS ON THE AGENDA

Zëri carried on page one a report from an EU meeting on Kosovo's status.

EU officials said that Kosovars should not be concerned with the issue of Kosovo's final status because right now the issue is not on the agendas of western counties. According to several EU officials, neither the EU nor US is preoccupied with this issue.

According to EU officials involved in Balkan issues and with close ties to the Contact Group, neither the EU nor US authorities, since the 6 October changes in Belgrade, have in any way discussed Kosovo's status. These sources confirmed, "UN Security Council Resolution 1244 confirms Kosovo's status and will last for a very long time. We did not come to Kosovo an leave right after Milosevic's downfall" said this source and added that many things have to be done in Kosovo before it is even contemplated to start talks between all parties concerned about Kosovo's final status.

EU officials could not confirm if general elections can be held in spring or fall next year in Kosovo. However, these sources said for Zëri that after 28 October elections in Kosovo considerable time has to pass until implementation of elections results start. "All these cannot become realistic in only a few months", said this source. "UNMIK is the decision maker in then issue of general elections but we as EU play a role in suggesting the date of these elections", said the source from Brussels.

LET US NOT LOSE PEACE IN KOSOVO

A proposed project which calls for a long term peace and stability in Kosovo which was presented by congressman Ben Gilliam on march 2000 was approves on 10 October by the US Congress.

This proposal has three requests: First, that international community includes more Kosovars in the process of rebuilding and reconstruction of Kosovo. Second, it warns the international community about their silence in the issue of thousands of Albanians in Serb jails, and UN Security Council should demand the immediate release of all those imprisoned. And third, makes an appeal to the UN to end the issue of a dived Mitrovica and allow all Albanians to return to their homes on the northern part of Mitrovica, and declare its full authority over the Trepça complex.