GOVERNMENT AND UNMIK DO NOT HAVE MONEY RETURN OF REFUGEES
(Most Kosovo dailies)
Zeri reads that the Government and UNMIK Administration do not have
financial means for realizing a successful return of displaced persons. On
the other hand, communities representatives in the Committee for Ethnic
Communities consider that conditions have not been created for this process.
The UNMIK office for Returns and Ethnic Communities assessed yesterday that
the lack of funds has made the returns process difficult.
Kilian Kleinschmidt, the chief of this office, stated that they need 22
million Euro for implementing the projects for return of the IDPS, mainly
Serbs, but other minorities as well.
However, regardless of delays, he thinks that the returns process has moved
well. If you go out and visit Kosovo, you would see that many families have
returned to their reconstructed homes, Kleinschmidt said.
The Government has allocated 10 million Euro for this process for this year
and the other financial means are expected to be provided by donors.
In addition, Koha Ditore quotes Fatmir Sheholli, the spokesperson of the
Ministry for Returns as saying, We have about 70. 000 applications, 70%
coming from the Serb community and the rest from other ethnic groups, which
present the will of a huge number of people that want to return to Kosovo.
While the Ministry possesses these figures, UNMIK office which deals with
the same issue said that they do not have figures, which would reflect an
accurate or average number of the refugees.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE FOR RETURNS AND COMMUNITIES DIVIDED AND IGNORED
(Most Kosovo dailies)
Koha Ditore reads that the fact that this Committee is never consulted when
important decisions about communities are made tells that its members feel
ignored.
Besides being ignored by Kosovo institutions and UNMIK, this committee is
also facing with internal splits of the representatives who come from the
political parties in the governing coalition and those who are not
represented in the decision making structures.
Randjel Nojkic, the head of the CRC, stated in the press conference, The
fact that the members of the CRC are divided shows that there are problems
in there.
According to him, due to this division, they cannot discuss important
issues, such as decentralization and Assemblys Rules of Procedure.
In addition, Numan Balic, the representative of Bosnian community, stated
that five or six ethnic groups are not satisfied with their representation
in Kosovo Assembly and other institutions.
On the other hand, Rrustem Ibishi, a Gorani representative, stated, The
SRSG and PM could have talked about the Gorani or Bosnian communities, but
they could not discuss the return of these communities because they were not
present there.
GOVERNMENT IS DISAPPOINTING WITH ITS INDECISIVENESS ON DECENTRALIZATION
(Koha Ditore)
On front page, Koha Ditore writes that Kosovo Government did not fulfil its
promises on decentralisation towards the international community saying that
it was ready to start with the process 24 hours after SRSG Soren
Jessen-Petersen signs the Administrative Direction.
Representatives of liaison offices in Pristina, who preferred to remain
anonymous, told Koha Ditore that the UN Administration and the Quint offices
are extremely disappointed with the fact that the Kosovo Government is
failing to meet its obligations.
According to these diplomats, the fear that existed at Government before the
Administrative Direction was signed, that the document will remain in the
Governments drawers has become a reality.
Governments non-implementation and delay of pilot-projects, which is very
evident, could cause a negative assessment of standards fulfilment in the
Kai Eides report, said these diplomats.
On the other hand, the Administrative Direction brought to light another
Governments failure, which has to do with non-fulfilment of its promises
that the new municipal pilot-units will not include more than one cadastral
zone.
On the other hand, the International Administration said that the
responsibility is on the local authorities and that they should carry out
their part of job: preparation of the lists of the next municipal advisors,
and definition of cadastral borders of the pilot units.
Kosovo Government has declared that they are working in this direction,
while sources within the Government told Koha Ditore that definition of
borders is a process that is being delayed.
Serb side is blaming Minister Lutfi Haziri for delay of decentralisation
process. Leader of Serb List for Kosovo & Metohija told the paper that
Haziri is coquetting both with Serbs and Albanians. He said that Serbs asked
the decentralization to be implemented with inclusion of Cagllavica, Preoc
and Kisnica in the Gracanic pilot.
On the other hand, even though UNMIK did not define the deadline in the
Administrative Direction, it calls for urging the process.
It is a urgent need for substantial improvement, said UNMIK spokesperson
Neeraj Singh.
EIDE CAN GIVE NEGATIVE ASSESSMENT WHAT COULD POSTPONE SOLUTION IF KOSOVO
STATUS
(Zëri, front page)
Zëri writes that until few days ago, the critical assessment of Ambassador
Kai Eide for the situation in Kosovo have been taken only as pressure, as
another motivation for Kosovans to make more efforts in order to get a
positive assessment.
According to papers sources, the critical voice of Kai Eide could bring the
situation that Eides report will stress out the insufficient fulfilment of
standards.
However, even though Kai Aide consulted members of the Contact Groups, at
the end he will compile his report by himself. He will decide what he will
recommend.
Paper writes that in the West nobody wants to speculate on what could happen
with Kosovo if Eides report will read that Kosovo has not passed the exam.
On the other hand, western diplomats have not seen that Eides criticism is
resulting with reaction and concrete measures from the Governments side.
A western diplomat who is preoccupied with Kosovo, told Zëri that Kosovo
leaders should know that the insert of Kosovo is the only path they have to
follow.
According to that diplomat the most possible variant for Kosovo and West is
that Kosovo authorities try to improve the impression of Kai Eide, so Eides
positive assessment opens the path to negotiation on status.
SECRETARIAT CALLS INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS TO COME TO SUPPORT KOSOVO FOR STATUS
DISCUSSION
(Zëri)
Zëri writes that four biggest political parties and representative of
President who compose the secretariat of the Kosovo Forum did not give the
accurate proposals with the names of the working groups heads and members,
which are going to be established for talks on Kosovo status. Following the
meeting, members of the Secretariat said that they have talked for the
internal organisation so the process will be transferred to the Forum.
Ora Member Ylber Hysa said that in this meeting they discussed the
possibilities of finding solution on some dilemmas.
In principle, we thought to compensate the lost time by proposing names of
our international friends in Rambouille, said Hysa.
The LDK spokesperson Lulzim Zeneli said that in the meeting they discussed
the internal organisation, in order to sent the process to the end.
The PDK representative Hajredin Kuci said that in the future, the Forum will
also discuss on issues that preoccupy our society.
The AAK representative, Ernest Luma said that the security continues to be a
temporary issue of the Forum.
Members of the secretariat will have to propose names of the five working
groups and define who will lead these groups. Currently, there are two
options, one option is that the groups will be lead by parties in Forum, and
second option is that working groups will be lead by non-party experts.
KURTI: REVOLUTION WOULD PREVENT WAR IN KOSOVO
(Zeri)
According to Albin Kurti, the head of Movement Vetevendosja, Kosovo is
going towards negotiations about the status, which is unacceptable because
that means compromise and giving up independence.
In his opinion, Kosovos position should be that no negotiation should be
made with Serbia, but there should be self-determination for Kosovo people.
The people are those who should make the decision, not 3-4 politicians,
locked up in a restaurant, as it happened with Mr. Steiner, or Rambouillet
conference. European countries organize referendums even for small issues.
He considers that Kosovo Forum is the next negotiating team about the
status. The negotiating team that was in Rambouille has been restored.
Another Rambouille is being prepared for us, he stated
Kurti said that an illusion that Kosovo politicians make decisions has been
created in Kosovo institutions, but they get realized only when UNMIK allows
that.
He goes on saying that the movement Vetevendosja tries to mobilize as many
people as possible in order to change the course of the current political
process.
According to Kurti, the concept of standards before the status has been made
to buy time and that is not a vision. It has replaced the word independence
with status. It has forbidden status as an issue and it has made it
negotiable.
Kurti has said even before that Kosovo is missing the path and maybe it is
going towards a bigger conflict than the one of 1999. According to him, the
only way to avoid this conflict is a pan-national revolution for ousting the
governing, local-dictatorial, and international-neocolonial systems.
But what is causing the conflict in Kosovo. The following two issues are
causing the conflict decentralization which would create internal borders
in Kosovo. Serbia wants territorial autonomy for Kosovo Serbs and it uses
its parallel structures. The second issue is that Kosovo politicians are
being forced, but there is no need to push them very hard since they are
servile, to negotiate with Serbia about Kosovo, Kurti said.
Kurti said that creation of internal borders in Kosovo would produce
conflicts between Kosovo and Serbia not only in the political and
institutional level, but amongst the farmers as well.
According to Kurti, this is the reason that the current political process,
which denies peoples will, is taking Kosovo towards a new conflict.
________________________________
EDITORIALS & COLUMNS
<http://intranet/media/pristina_media/monitor/final_28_07.htm#top>
TOW THE LINE
(Zëri by Blerim Shala)
Everybody knows that everything in Kosovo has become completely politicised.
Every Kosovo citizen has personally faced the politicization of all
phenomenon. In one or another way, the citizen is privileged or victimised
because of his political preferences. The political front between the
Government and the opposition, which was created in the last year for the
first time after the Novembers elections, is entering through every Kosovo
street, institution, in every area of this society. Counting of the
political supporters is made on daily basis, so it could be seen which is
the relation of the powers.
However, almost everything about the relation between our political parties,
came to the surface. When taking into consideration all these
characteristics of the Kosovo political scene which have been consensually
assessed as critical for Kosovo in the period of status definition (which is
in the interest of all political parties, or to say it better it should be
in the interest of all political parties) it is not surprising that after
the Governments decision to dismiss rector Arsim Bjarami and organise new
elections in the University of Prishtina, we have a plenty of reactions and
statements which tow in the two lines, clearly being pro or against the
decision of Kosovo executive.
We are sure that we do not make mistake, when saying that that, if being
asked in details what is all about, or if asked what is the contest and
context, ninety percent of those who took sides regarding this case, would
not know the answer. Simply, the principles have been forgotten long time
ago. Everything is measured by the box and political interest. So, it is
going to be very difficult for us to change in the months when the diction
on Kosovo will be made.
________________________________
INTERVIEWS back to top
<http://intranet/media/pristina_media/monitor/final_28_07.htm#top>
KRASNIQI: SHIK SHOULD BE INSTITUTIONALIZED
(Epoka e Re)
In an interview with Epoka e Re, PDK SG Jakup Krasniqi spoke for the first
time about SHIK (Kosovo Intelligence Service). Kosovo should have an
institutionalized SHIK in order to protect war fruits and Kosovo from
ill-aiming interferences, he said.
The newspaper reads that although he knows the operation of this service
better than any other politician, Krasniqi refused to be one of the SHIK
chiefs or that it belongs to the PDK. Kosovos liberation connects the PDK
and SHIK. After the war, the PDK has started its activity and SHIK has gone
on with intelligence services, he said.
The following are some excerpts of the interview.
ER: Mr. Krasniqi, you are the first politician who said that SHIK exists
and you have requested its institutionalization.
Krasniqi: Yes, I have said that SHIK exists, it is legal, it has its
office, cooperates with strong intelligence services operating in,
therefore, this is why I have requested that it should be
institutionalized.
ER: Why?
Krasniqi: Kosovo should have an institutionalized SHIK in order to protect
war fruits and Kosovo from ill-aiming interferences. This and the fact that
SHIK has done a great job before, during, and after the war in Kosovo, of
course, always in cooperation with powerful services that had a friendly
position towards Kosovo, make institutionalization of SHIK an
indispensability. SHIK and its leader were declared during the Kosovo
Provisional Government, when the recognition of Kosovo Government based on
the Rambouillet deal between Albanian delegation was made public. After the
war, while the Provisional Government was functioning, SHIK was a segment of
Kosovo institutions and continued its activity in new circumstances.
ER: However, the Government has come out with a position which rules down
SHIK institutionalization.
Krasniqi: I think this Government is irresponsible, unprofessional, and
involved in crime and contraband. I do not expect from such a government to
take necessary and wise steps that Kosovo needs. We have to deal with a huge
paradox here, this government is making projects on enclavisation, which
they call decentralization, the goal of which is to involve Serbian parallel
and paramilitary structures, which are closely connected to negative and
criminal structures in Belgrade, in Kosovo institutions. On the other hand,
it does not have power to accept a vital segment, which contributed to the
creation of the reality we have now.
ER: It seems that SHIK has contributed to the drafting of the file about
involvement of Governments staff in criminality?
Krasniqi: I have to say a big truth now, which I have raised in the
Assembly and in many articles based on the information I have received from
Kosovo citizens, and SHIK as well in the latest days. Why did it come out at
this time? We have made the decision to submit the file to UNMIK about the
incrimination of a part of Governments staff following the assassination
attempt against the Kosovo President. We have considered that Mafioso
structures, connected to the President and the LDK, are in fact connected
with certain circles that have a hostility attitude towards Kosovo. They
have tried to carry out the assassination attempt against Rugova and use it
for political confrontations and bloodshed between the Albanians in Kosovo.
We have seen the level of danger for a civil war, therefore, we submitted
the file in order to prevent this and tell that someone in Kosovo is
connected to secret services in Serbia
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
