CONTENTS

IBRAHIM RUGOVA OR KOSOVO'S TRIPLE CHAMPION
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT INDEPENDENCE
THAÇI: KLA'S VICTORY CREATED CONDITIONS FOR HOLDING OF ELECTIONS
IT WAS MARVELOUS ZERO INCIDENTS ZERO PROBLEMS
IF MONTENEGRO SECEDES NO POINT IN KOSOVO REMAINING IN FRY
PADDY ASHDOWN WILL NOT REPLACE KOUCHNER

IBRAHIM RUGOVA OR KOSOVO'S TRIPLE CHAMPION

Bota Sot reports on page seven about the leader who brought LDK the third victory.

The man with the shawl around his neck is how western papers describe Dr. Ibrahim Rugova who for the third time made himself the legitimate leader in Kosovo voting, even though his opponents did not hesitate to call him different names. However as a man of peace and wisdom and called by western media "Kosovo's Gandhi", Dr. Ibrahim Rugova never answered the accusations.

He was a "boxer" that was being pounded inside the ring but he waited and in the end he used the most valuable moment the silence and the victory against his political opponents in the local elections in Kosovo. Seventeen months after the end of the conflict Dr. Ibrahim Rugova again became champion of Kosovo, for the third time in a row, bringing another victory for the LDK against political leaders that sometimes even used slanderous stories to bring him down. The "boxer" received all the blows but in the end remained standing and waited for the referee "the people of Kosovo" to raise his hand as victorious upon his "adversaries".

The pacifist leader Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, during his ten years of political engagement since he formed Kosovo's Democratic League, which was in 1989 the first democratically, oriented party in Kosovo, never stopped mentioning that the best solution for the people of Kosovo is independence, a card which he has not changed once. The Balkan Gandhi, as some western media call him, is considered the most nationalistic leader in Kosovo, and one foreign agency calls him the quiet nationalistic leader who waits for his moment.

In 1991, after a referendum was organized for Kosovo's independence, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova was elected first president of Republic of Kosovo. He was re-elected in 1999.

During the electoral campaign his poster were torn up, his members were pelted with stones and eggs, most journalists were against Dr. Ibrahim Rugova and his party, nevertheless Dr. Ibrahim Rugova and his party won the first free and democratic elections in Kosovo.  A victory, which ensures at least 60% of the electorate, as preliminary results reports are made public.
 
Dr. Ibrahim Rugova marked another victory, which he called solid and requested that his members co-operate with others for the democratic good of Kosovo, for the good of Kosovo independence, words that he never removed from his vocabulary. He is like an endless burning fire.

THAÇI: “KLA’S VICTORY CREATED SITUATION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS”

Koha Ditore on page 2 carried a report on Thaçi acknowledging the results of the local elections. He and his co-workers confirmed that they would accept and acknowledge the results of the local elections announced by OSCE, responsible for organizing the first elections in Kosovo.

“PDK acknowledges the final results and requests to prevent all irregularities during the electoral process”, stated Thaçi. According to him, in the preliminary results, the percentage PDK won, is not inside its objectives, but he promises that PDK will participate in the municipal assemblies to debate on the problems and to give its alternatives on solving them.

In the presence of many journalists and diplomats, Thaçi said that his party is convinced of raising the electorate in the next election. “PDK’s guarantee is its glorious past and the devotion to the very day, both of which have been constantly attacked in a cynical and systematic way,” said Thaçi, adding that the party structure he leads will continue to cooperate with the national and international mechanisms.

The former chief of the KLA political directorate noted that the KLA’s victory made possible the conditions for the first free local elections, adding that it was their duty to assure free and democratic elections for the residents. Thaçi stated that he was pleased that the PDK objective, the wish of all fallen Albanians, was fulfilled.

“We are convinced that this is only the beginning of establishing institutions that will be in a central level, in order for Kosovo’s being without problems. We are and will be here to work for the realization of Kosovo’s independence”, promised Thaçi. He also assured the Kosovars that the PDK was going to be there to help them solve all the problems, just like in the old times, and that there will be no great changes.

Responding to the issue of Rugova meeting FRY president Kostunica, Thaçi said that he is not at all surprised and they can meet in Belgrade, but not here in Kosovo. PDK supervisors confirm of having evidence for many irregularities during the voting, like LDK members working for OSCE influencing the electorates to vote for LDK by putting pressure, threatening with weapons, arrogant attitudes, thievery of polls and other forms of manipulation. Even though OSCE promised everyone would vote, a selection of those who would vote for LDK was made.

The paper goes on with the complaints of PDK supervisors that even the secrecy of polling was not respected, and during the numbering many PDK, polls were annulled as invalid. The victory was taken from PDK with various manipulations. Many complaints are sent to Electoral Sub-Commission where irregularities were presented, and PDK Complaint Commission is working on them in order to send them to the Central Electoral Commission. Sherifi said that after the irregularities are eliminated; the percentage of PDK’s victory will be up to 40 %. Thaçi stated that the result was acceptable, but the polls thievery influenced the percentage PDK would win.

IT WAS MARVELOUS ZERO INCIDENTS, ZERO PROBLEMS

Koha Ditore carried on page two a report from NATO Command in Brussels regarding Kosovo local elections.

At NATO Command in Brussels, officials expressed their satisfaction with the process of local elections in Kosovo and the fact that there were no incidents.
 
"It was marvelous. Zero incidents, zero problems and the situation was surprisingly normal," said a NATO official on Monday, expressing the alliance's hopes that implementation of the results will also be passed in a quiet way.
 
He also said that some of the local structures will step down peacefully and allow those who won the elections to step in. "They have to prove that they are real democrats and make possible a peaceful transition," said the NATO official, adding that 2,500 NATO troops sent to Kosovo to ensure security before and during elections will remain in Kosovo to secure the implementation of the results.
 
Council of Europe officials expressed their admiration for the people of Kosovo, the way the voted was very impressing, the number of voters and their patience waiting for hours to vote.
 
A spokesperson for the Commission for Foreign Policy rebuked Belgrade's accusations that the elections were not free and democratic.  He commented on Vojislav Kostunica's statement that he does not recognize the elections in Kosovo, The EU official said, "I do not agree with Vojislav Kostunica". 
  
"Belgrade can say anything they want, however the truth is that elections were marvelous," said a EU diplomat in Brussels. He added that the commission will make an official statement after the results are made official.      

IF MONTENEGRO SECEDES NO POINT OF KOSOVO REMAINING IN FRY
  
Koha Ditore carried on page five a report by Belgrade's based BETA news agency on Predrag Simic's comment about a possible Montenegro's referendum.

Predrag Simic, a member of the International Institute for Politics and Economy, considers that after a referendum, which separates Montenegro from Serbia, "there will be hardly any point of Kosovo having any ties with Serbia," said Simic. According to him there are some "influential circles in the US" which see FRY as three-part confederacy, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, the only reason that Kosovo is still tied with Yugoslavia. "Thanking the Milosevic period, the mood in the US rose in favor of Kosovo's independence, however it is not expected to be presented to the UN Security Council very soon because of the Chinese and Russian veto on this issue," said Simic.
 
He also said "our position towards Kosovo has not changed," to be honest "Slobodan Milosevic's spirit is still alive" and added, "if something does not change in our attitudes, there can hardly be a good solution for us". One of the disfavors for Belgrade is Montenegro's official position regarding the FRY's future and added, "whenever there was talk about Kosovo during Milosevic's period of reign no one asked Montenegro for an opinion, and that has remained a common practice," said Simic.
 
Commenting the FRY's acceptance to the UN, Simic said that would bring down Montenegro aspirations for a separate seat for Montenegro at the UN.

PADDY ASHDOWN WILL NOT REPLACE KOUCHNER

Zëri carried on page two an interview that Paddy Ashdown gave to the news agency Reuters.

Ashdown who has visited the region several times has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Chief UN Administrator in Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner.
   
British deputy and Balkan's expert, Paddy Ashdown said that his nomination as UN Special Representative for Kosovo are speculation. Ashdown said that he has left the door open to this possibility, making a note that he would remain, as deputy in the British Parliament until the end of his term in May, and afterwards he would look for another job. He evaluated that the victory of moderate Albanian leader Dr. Ibrahim Rugova in the local elections shows that the people there are for peace. "This is a good thing, he is a pacifist," said Paddy Ashdown. 
 
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT INDEPENDENCE

Now the percentage of the Kosovar participation in the first free and democratic elections is known, as well as the results of these elections. The statistics of these elections refers to the legitimate democratic process of the local government. We say this because it would be a great mistake if the percentages of these elections would be manipulated, no matter when and where, to build new conclusions that inside Kosovars there are serious differences concerning their determination for democratic legitimacy of the self-determination process and independence of Kosovo. The victory and defeat, if we may mention them in the elections held in Kosovo, are not concepts that can be valued with percentage in Kosovo’s future status context. The victors and the defeated are one hundred percent sure. We all won with the independence of Kosovo, and we all lose if Kosovo does not become independent. Let us be even more direct: the major issues that we are yet to face in the future months and years, from the confirmation of Transitional Constitution, to organizing general elections, the establishing of a legislative and executive government until the opening of the process that must have an epilogue.