6 August
The new director
of UNMIK's Office on Returns and Communities, Ms Peggy Hicks (US) took
up her duties. She was most recently the Director of Programmes and
General Counsel for the International Human Rights Law Group in Washington
DC. She is an attorney with extensive experience in human rights law
and democratization. Previously she was the Deputy High Representative
for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was also a human rights
advisor for UNPROFOR based in Zagreb in the mid-1990s.
7 August
SRSG Michael Steiner
announced that mismanagement and improper housekeeping contributed to
the damage caused by a major fire sparked by a lightning strike to Kosovo's
main power plant on 19 July. The SRSG also announced at a press briefing
after the third meeting of the Energy Committee (formed in the wake
of the power plant fire) that he would appoint a top manager from the
German electrical industry as managing director of the Kosovo Electric
Company (KEK) until next spring. Mr Steiner said that the latest UNMIK
Police report on the incident confirmed lightning as the cause of the
fire and ruled out arson, sabotage and deliberate criminal action. The
plant's Block B2 could be operational by early December. The more severely
damaged B1 is not expected to be on line until June 2003. Estimates
on repairs to the plant run from 8 to 10 million euros, with an additional
750,000 euros required to replace the auxiliary transformer hit by lightning.
8 August
UNMIK announced
that an arrest warrant has been issued for Dr Milan Ivanovic on charges
of attempted murder. The arrest warrant was issued by an international
investigating judge at the request of an international prosecutor as
a consequence of events that took place during a violent demonstration
in Mitrovica on 8 April 2002. During this demonstration 22 UNMIK Police
officers were injured after being attacked with hand grenades and sniper
fire. The arrest warrant was issued on 30 July 2002.
After having received a communication from the President of the Assembly
that the Presidency was unable to reach a consensus on the Higher Education
Law, SRSG Michael Steiner has appointed Jim O'Brien to chair a three-member
Panel, in accordance with the Constitutional Framework. Mr O'Brien was
Special Presidential Envoy for the Balkans in the Clinton Administration
(a position previously held by Richard Holbrooke). The other two members
of the Panel are Mr Gojko Savic, representing the Assembly members objecting
to the law, and Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Rexhep
Osmani, representing the sponsors of the law. The three-member Panel
was set up under Section 9.1.41 of the Constitutional Framework (CF)
to consider the objections lodged by Coalition Povratak to the Higher
Education Law, which was approved by the Assembly of Kosovo on 25 July.
The law, as approved, omitted provisions proposed by the Government
on licensing of all
eligible institutions of higher learning in Kosovo.
9 August
Mr O'Brien wrote
to the President of the Assembly proposing that the Higher Education
Law include a provision that all providers of higher education that
were authorised to operate in the academic year 2000-2001 will be licensed
under the law and in conformity with international non-discrimination
principles. This provision would allow for the ongoing operations of
existing institutions.
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