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OSCE
PRISTINA, Disputes leading to violence and
personal tragedy are totally outside what the people of Kosovo expect from the
future and signify a blow to their hopes for democracy and human rights
protection. Kosovos society and its political leadership need to move away from
an environment of chaos and violence towards full protection of property rights
and respect for the rule of law, Modvig said. The deputy municipal president of
Shtime/timlje, Vezir Bajrami, and one other person were killed on the night of
22 April in a violent shoot-out related to a dispute over a parcel of land. On 1
May two people died in Podujevë/Podujevo in a similar incident. Earlier other
property related incidents in Pejë/Pec region
also caused other fatalities, including two municipal construction inspectors
who were attacked in Klinë/Klina in September 2005.
Respect for property rights and
the work of the police and the judiciary are at the core of any functioning
democratic society that respects the rule of law, Modvig added. However, these
institutions also require
the effective co-operation of all individuals. Property is one of the most
challenging standards which must be addressed by Kosovos Provisional
Institutions of Self-Government (PISG). To fulfill
this standard, property rights violations must be remedied through a functioning
property rights system where courts, police, municipalities and central
government implement property laws with full respect to international human
rights standards. As
part of its institution-building mandate, the OSCE Mission is helping
to build democratic
institutions and protect human rights. A functioning property rights system is
crucial to this goal. The protection of property rights
is necessary for economic development, sustainable returns, democratic local
government and the protection of cultural heritage, said Modvig, who is
the co-chair
of the Property Rights Standard Implementation Group together with the PISG
Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Ardian Gjini.
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