UN RADIO IN KOSOVO

DUSAN JANJIC INTERVIEW

By Zoran CULAFIC

Hello and welcome, from the studios of UN Radio in Kosovo…

“It is not necessary to have great political stars, like Konrad Adenauer or Charles de Gaulle - that's impossible for us, but it’s obvious that we need a change in political thought and political action if we are to see a better future.”

…Dusan Janjic, head of the Belgrade-based Forum for Ethnic Relations.

Janjic is a prominent political analyst whose pro-Western views have often proved controversial to Belgrade’s political elite – he is co-editor of the 1997 book, Kosovo – Kosova: Confrontation or Coexistence, and has written extensively on minority rights in the former Yugoslavia. In a surprisingly candid interview, UN Radio talked with Janjic about the current situation in Kosovo and how he sees its future.

“We are witnessing now a total ruggedness exhibited by all politicians in the Balkans, including the international ones. And, I have to say that the wisest political approach in the region has come from Mr. Haradinaj. As Kosovo Prime Minister he said I have no real power or competences. [He has said,] if you recognize me as a real partner [in the political process] I’m ready to go along with you and maybe we can succeed in some [key political] areas. Although he cannot do much, Haradinaj has still managed to escape the back and forth between Belgrade and Pristina.”

According to Janjic, the UN administration in Kosovo has failed to come up with a proper exit strategy. Getting out of the fire with the least possible fingers burned, this is his description of the international community’s mandate in Kosovo.

“UNMIK would like to escape from certain facts in Kosovo - the fact that the economy is in terrible shape, that social conditions are unacceptable and that the privatisation process has been handled poorly. Also, Serbs are not integrated and cannot cooperate and that even dialogue with Belgrade has failed. In such a situation the international community believes the best solution is to take on the role of a facilitator and to say – it’s not up to us, Albanians are going to get competences, and if they burn houses then they should be responsible for such conditions.”

The well-being of Kosovo’s minority communities was of particular concern, and Janjic referred to a need for stepped-up monitoring of human rights. Janjic says he is sceptical of what will be said with regards to upcoming evaluations on standards implementation in the area of minority protection.

“When we talk about concrete areas of concern, say the key standards of minority protection and decentralization …there is no one who can honestly say that these standards have been fulfilled and even Jessen-Petersen is not keen to make such a statement. The Kosovo Government is trying to adopt laws in the areas of human rights, which is a mistake. Perhaps they’re doing this intentionally, BUT…it is political suicide. And both UNMIK and the Kosovo government make the mistake of not listening to the Ombudsperson in these areas.”

When asked about the Standards policy itself - Janjic said he expects change, but not before mid 2005. The International community will accelerate diplomatic efforts to solve the Kosovo issue, but it is going to be a long and painful process, Janjic said.

“So, in all, we can expect future statements saying many things are done, but most here will know that only 20 – 30 percent of the standards are fulfilled. Then officially a new policy will be proclaimed a variation, let’s say “standards with status.” Various conferences regarding Kosovo’s future status will result, conferences that in my opinion needed to happen a long time ago. Add to this, there are those who have lived with the illusion that the international community would announce Kosovo’s independence in 2005, those who think this way can forget about it, The process is going to last, I can quote Mr. Kofi Annan, the process is just beginning, a process that should lead us to Kosovo’s future status.”

According to UN Security Council 1244, Kosovo’s future status cannot be decided without Belgrade’s input. Kosovo is still technically a part of Serbia and Montenegro.

Still, Janjic suggests that Kosovo Serbs would have to adapt themselves to a new reality – one that relied more on their Kosovo representatives for political results.

“If I’m a Serb from Priluzje village, for example, I’d never let Belgrade emissaries come, as they did in December, come and urge me to withhold payment of electricity bills, and at the same time not give me an option of what to do if someone cuts me off from the electric network. Where am I going to get the money from to pay the electricity? I don’t have money, and to suggest to me that I should go out on the streets to protest, to get bitten or to have my house burned. If Kosovo Serb politicians do not win at the level of political autonomy, they will always be victims.”

And with this we end today’s program. For transcripts of this segment, refer to the UNMIK website – unmikonline.org.