Kosovo holds Day Against Violence

In a first major event of its kind, Kosovo on 9 September held a Day Against Violence, which involved massive rallies denouncing violence, organized by Kosovo political leaders in Pristina and other towns as a follow-up to the Airlie House Conference of July 2000.
   
Addressing a huge crowd in front of the National Theatre in Albanian, the Head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, appealed to Kosovars to break the vicious cycle of vengeance and violence, and to build democracy. "Violence in Kosovo continues," he said. "Serbs cannot walk safely down Mother Teresa Street. Not even children are safe. Many of your Kosovo neighbours live in fear. Ethnic violence must stop. Don't kill the future of Kosovo," the SRSG pleaded.
   
In calling upon the people of Kosovo to build a new society, "a Kosovo for all our children", Dr. Kouchner also urged them to have successful local elections on 28 October, which "will be the beginning of democracy". He said Kosovo needed to build justice and say "no" to Milosevic.
   
"Dear friends, the destiny of Kosovo is in your hands," the SRSG said. "Kosovo without violence-our future!"
   
The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) reiterated its own strong position against any kind of violence. Its statement, issued on the occasion of the Day Against Violence, called upon all citizens to refrain from violence and intimidation of fellow residents. They should not only demonstrate their determination in this regard by participating in the Day's events, but also throughout a peaceful campaign period. The IAC particularly underlined the responsibility of the media. Deploring press articles, such as those recently published in Bota Sot and  Dita, that incited violence, the Council called on all media to refrain from unfounded allegations against political opponents, allegations like "masterminding political violence", for example.

FRY elections dominate KTC meeting

The members of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC), both Albanians and Serbs, this week supported the UNMIK policy statement on the 24 September elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).
   
Several Kosovo Albanian members said that the Yugoslav Government should be told that it couldn't hold the 24 September elections in Kosovo, as Kosovo is now administered by UNMIK under Security Council Resolution 1244. Some others found the statement "contradictory and "not decisive enough".
   
The Serb representatives agreed with UNMIK's stance while calling for more speedy trials and reminded the Council that it should make a distinction between Milosevic and Serbia.
   
SRSG Bernard Kouchner called the FRY elections issue "one of the most important challenges" that UNMIK has to face. Under resolution 1244, UNMIK could not prevent anyone from voting in the FRY election. He added, however, that such elections could not be held in Kosovo under the present circumstances.
   
"You asked me to say no. I said no," Dr. Kouchner declared. He emphasized the difficulties of finding a way through resolution 1244-and of finding "political reasons acceptable to the international community." He urged the KTC members not to give in to the provocation of Milosevic by demonstrating "disagreement among ourselves".
   
In other matters, Deputy UNMIK Police Commissioner Stefan Feller described the escape of 13 prisoners from the Mitrovica Detention Centre, which he called shameful and, regrettably, not the first incident of that kind. Along with Dr. Kouchner, he expressed "sadness, shock, regret, disgust and humiliation" over the incident. "I am offering no excuses, he said, warning that he would not be able to offer details pending a comprehensive internal and criminal investigation.
   
KTC members made it clear that they considered the incident a serious matter, "undermining what we have achieved so far". The SRSG expressed understanding at their dismay and acknowledged the continuing shortage of trained prison personnel stemming from the lack of funds. The setback was all the more regrettable, he said, as some progress had been under way in the judiciary system. A few days earlier, he had just inaugurated a new prison block at the Dubrava/Dubrave prison in Istog/Istok which, he pointed out, was run by local and international professionals.
   
Dr. Kouchner also introduced Andy Bearpark, new Deputy SRSG for Economic Development. He also told the Council members that the KTC's working group on gender would meet for the first time on 21 September. Measures against illegal construction were welcomed, with a report on the subject to be presented soon by Deputy SRSG Tom Koenigs.

Excerpts from UNMIK statement on FRY elections

There is only one electoral process organized by UNMIK/OSCE in Kosovo, and that would be the Municipal Elections for Kosovo scheduled to take place on 28 October. That was is the only election which would be properly monitored by international observers, and which met international democratic standards.
   
The FRY elections on 24 September will not meet any reasonable international standards. In fact, the attempt to stage the 24 September elections within Kosovo-without any formal discussion with UNMIK, disregarding the most elementary democratic rules, without adopted electoral lists, without international supervision, and in which a leading candidate has been indicted by the ICTY-amounts to nothing more than a farce, a crude attempt to disrupt the properly organized election process of 28 October.
   
Therefore, UNMIK will not participate in, support, organize, or in any other way condone or legitimize the so-called election organized by Belgrade. ...
   
UNMIK and KFOR will consider, on a case by case basis, how to respond to any specific activities associated with the so-called elections of 24 September, and a joint coordination committee has already been specifically established for this purpose. Our policies will be guided by security criteria alone, since our highest priority must be to ensure safety, a secure environment, and to protect life