UNMIK-KFOR-OSCE Press Briefing: 1 November 2000
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
KFOR Spokesman Major Steven
Shappell
OSCE Spokesman Roland Bless
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
Following this briefing we have the Serb National Council briefing today by Dr. Rada Trajkovic, as well as a special OSCE briefing on the Press Code and on media licensing.
The Kosovo Transitional Council today is discussing the follow-up to the elections.
Today Dr. Kouchner is visiting Mitrovica where he will meet Oliver Ivanovic. This is one of a series of meetings with Kosovo Serb leaders regarding their participation in the Municipal Assemblies. He met Bishop Artemije last week and will meet with Momcilo Trajkovic this evening….We are compiling lists of candidates to be co-opted, or appointed, to assemblies in those municipalities where Serbs are a majority. We are also naming people for co-option from all ethnic communities to Municipal assemblies around Kosovo, according to the regulation on self-governance on municipalities.
The regulation states that the SRSG may co-opt additional members to Municipal Assemblies if he considers it necessary to do so in order to ensure representation of all communities, pursuant to SC resolution 1244.
We hope to have all those people named and agreed upon by 11 November which is the date planned for the swearing in ceremonies of all Municipal Assemblies.
This date is of course contingent on the certification of results of the elections, which we anticipate will occur early next week, maybe on Monday.
EU Pillar
The EU Pillar, which is responsible for economic development, is maintaining its dialogue with regional partners on issues such as electricity and the Trepca complex. In that vein, Mr. Andy Bearpark, head of Pillar IV, will visit Belgrade for the first time tomorrow. He will continue discussions begun at the Stability Pact talks in Bucharest last week. The co-head of the Dept. of Public Utilities, Joan Pearce, held technical talks with Serb utilities officials last week in Belgrade also on the subject of electricity.
Police
UNMIK police have determined that according to their investigations conducted so far, the murder of Mr. Hazir Raci yesterday in Klina was not politically motivated. In addition, Mr. Raci was not a candidate. Police are seeking two gunmen who fled in a red Audi car. They have the license plate number of the car.
Police also reported an incident which occurred yesterday afternoon in Maleshevo, when a woman reported that three unknown males threatened her. Three days earlier (28 Nov.), according to UNMIK Police, PDK members assaulted her husband, who was a local LDK leader.
KFOR Spokesman Major Steven Shappell
COMKFOR Statement on the Elections
This morning, KFOR Commander Lt. Gen. Carlo Cabigiosu made the following statement on the elections: “I congratulate the people of Kosovo on the completion of their first free elections. This is a significant accomplishment that all Kosovars should be proud of. As your elected representatives take their seats on the municipal councils, I call upon all of the people of Kosovo to accept the results of the municipal elections. The municipal councils are the first step in developing substantial self-government for Kosovo. During this transition, as always, KFOR remains committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment throughout Kosovo”.
Search Operation in Caglavica
Early this morning, KFOR Multinational Brigade Centre troops launched a search operation in Cagllavice / Caglavica. About 250 troops are involved including British troops from the 1st Battalion. The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, the 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry, 45 Commando Group Royal Marines and Swedish Battalion. The area was cordoned off and the main road through the community was briefly closed.
This routine search operation is targeted against a number of
properties in the area to discover illegally held weapons. Such
operations take place continually throughout the KFOR area of
responsibility in properties owned by people of all ethnicities.
KFOR
is determined to remove illegal weapons from all communities and to
reinforce the message that violence has no place in the democratic future
of Kosovo. Security in a democratic Kosovo comes only with the
assistance of UNMIK Police, the Kosovo Police Service, and KFOR working
together with Kosovar communities, and not by individual people with
illegal weapons.
Mortar Rounds Found
Early yesterday afternoon, a KFOR French Reconnaissance Company patrol found an unexploded mortar shell stuck in the ground southeast of the village of Polac / Poljance. A few hours later, a KFOR French Motorized Battalion patrol found a mortar shell northeast of Stariterg / Stari Trg. KFOR Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts responded to both mortar finds and safely removed the unexploded ordnance.
Controlled Explosions
Yesterday, KFOR Finnish Battalion Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts conducted controlled explosions at two sites in Multinational Brigade Centre to destroy explosive devices. In the first operation, yesterday afternoon, the soldiers destroyed a landmine three kilometers west of Godanci i Eperm / Gornje Godance. In the second operation, early yesterday evening, soldiers destroyed two hand grenades in Lipjan / Lipljan.
Road Traffic Accident
Late last night, a KFOR British vehicle was involved in a road traffic accident with a civilian vehicle in southwest Prishtina / Pristina. There were no reports of injuries in connection with the collision. KFOR British Royal Military Police and UNMIK Police are investigating.
Tractor Stopped; Weapon Found
Yesterday afternoon, a KFOR Multinational Brigade West patrol stopped and searched two men riding on a tractor in the village of Babaj i Bokes / Babaj Baks. During the search, the patrol discovered a Simonov rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition. The soldiers confiscated the weapon and ammunition, and handed the men over to UNMIK Police.
Illegal Border Crossing
Yesterday, in two separate incidents, KFOR Task Force Zur and German Military Police arrested two Kosovar Albanian men who were attempting to illegally cross the border into Kosovo southwest of Vrbnica.
Mine Found
Yesterday afternoon, a KFOR Task Force Prizren guard found an anti-tank mine in the parking area of the Holy Archangels Monastery, three kilometres Southeast of Prizren. KFOR Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts were sent to the monastery and after careful examination safely removed the mine from the parking area.
Houses Searched; Ammunition Found
Early yesterday morning, KFOR Task Force 1-36 Infantry conducted a cordon and search operation of two houses owned by Kosovar Albanians in Malisheve / Malisevo. The house search operation was in response to reports of celebratory fire from the area in which the houses were located. During the search operation, three 20-mm rounds were found in one of the houses. KFOR Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts removed the rounds from the house. There were no arrests made in conjunction with the search operation.
Weapon Found
Just before noon yesterday, a KFOR 501st (Greek) Mechanized patrol searched an abandoned hut in the village of Jezerce. During the search, the soldiers found an AK-47 with 30 rounds of ammunition. The weapon and ammunition were confiscated.
Media Opportunities
COMKFOR Visit to Mineseeker Airship
Tomorrow, Nov. 2, 2000, at 2 p.m. KFOR commander Lt. Gen. Carlo Cabigiosu will visit the Mineseeker airship at Gjakove / Djakovica. Members of the media are invited to attend the event. Transportation from Prishtina for members of the media will be provided. During the visit to Mineseeker, Gen. Cabigiosu will be available to answer questions about mine clearing activities. For more information, see Lt. Col. Dmitri Shkurko in Media Operations.
COMKFOR Press Conference Scheduled
On Monday, Nov. 6, 2000, at 10 a.m., Lt. Gen. Carlo Cabigiosu will hold a press conference at the UNMIK Government Building. This will be his first regular press conference since his assumption of command of KFOR on October 16, 2000. This press conference will take the place of the routine KFOR press conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Monday.
OSCE Spokesman Roland Bless
Three minor points. First of all the OSCE welcomes the assessment of the Council of Europe’s international monitoring mission which assessed the elections as being free and fair. We take some valid suggestions from them as to organizational improvements, of course.
Second one: it is an important step that the leaders of all the major parties have accepted the results of the election.
My third point is to caution you a little bit on the using of cumulated Kosovo-wide election results. These are only politically meaningful. They are not used for seat allocation. Seat allocation is done municipality by municipality. So when we read in the papers today that all the smaller parties wouldn’t get anything out of these elections, that is simply not true. In several municipalities smaller parties will get seats, although they might only have gained 1, 2 or 3 or whatever per cent on a Kosovo-wide level.
Questions:
Q: Susan, can you tell us who is being nominated or appointed as Deputy or Assistant of Mr. Ian Bergstron , the person in charge of Trepca now?
SM: You are talking about the management team? I’ll have to get for you.
Q: The Independence Commission on Kosovo is in Pristina today. Mr. Goldstone is also here. Do you have anything on their agenda?
SM: I’ll have to check if Mr Goldstone is meeting with Dr. Kouchner.
Q: But don’t think that the assessment of Dr. Kouchner could be somewhat important for that commission?
SM: He has not publicly given his assessment but the Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that the report recommendations are not feasible within the Security Council 1244. We are very familiar with the report but there is not that much we can do with the report recommendations.
Q: Yugoslavia has been accepted unanimously by the Security Council as Member of the United Nations. Does UNMIK have any comments about that?
SM: No. We don’t have any particular comments at this point. I understand it still has to take a vote of the General Assembly. It doesn’t really affect our mandate. I doubt that there would be a comment coming from UNMIK on that now.
Q: A question for Mr. Shappell. Are ant concrete results out from the weapon search?
SS: On Caglavica, you mean? So far we’ve found 6 automatic rifles, 3 shotguns, 11 hand guns, 789 rounds of ammunition and two sticks of plastic explosive. We should have the final results from the operation.
Q: A follow up question. Is anyone arrested on this case?
SS: I’ve got no information on that, unless Police have any information.
SM: No arrests for now.