RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 39, Part II, 2 March 2006
KOSOVA'S PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS... In a move he described as an
effort to preserve Kosova's ruling coalition, Bajram Kosumi resigned
as prime minister on March 1, international news agencies reported.
Kosumi's decision followed criticism of his leadership as Kosova
engages in critical talks on its final status. "I find the correct
and ethical action is to resign from the post of prime minister,"
Reuters quoted Kosumi as saying. Kosumi had drawn criticism from
members of Kosova's ruling coalition, but the decision to resign came
when he lost the support of his own Alliance for the Future of Kosova
(AAK). He has also come under fire from international officials.
Soren Jessen-Petersen, the head of the UN Mission in Kosova (UNMIK),
said Kosumi's resignation came "in recognition of many calls reaching
the authorities here...that we want to support Kosovo, but at the
same time we want the leaders and the people to work very, very hard
to earn that which they want to see in Kosovo," Reuters reported. BW
..AND GUERILLA LEADER NOMINATED AS REPLACEMENT. The AAK on March 1
nominated Kosova Protection Corps (TMK) commander Agim Ceku as
Kosumi's replacement, international news agencies reported the same
day. Ceku is a former general in the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK).
Ceku "will lead Kosovo with dedication toward the achievement of our
common goal of an independent and sovereign state," the AAK said in a
statement quoted by Reuters. Ceku's nomination drew harsh criticism
from Belgrade. "The proposal that Ceku should take over such a big
and important political role is a sign that the ethnic Albanian side
is losing their composure and opting for radicalization," Sanda
Raskovic-Ivic, head of Serbia's Kosova Coordination Center, said,
Beta and dpa reported on March 1. BW
KOSOVA'S TOP GENERAL NAMED PRIME MINISTER
By Patrick Moore
Kosova (Kosovo) seems poised to acquire a new prime minister
and speaker of the parliament in what some media have described as a
political upheaval, albeit one that was long overdue. Perhaps the
most interesting aspect of the changes is the nomination of General
Agim Ceku as prime minister in a move that takes an already very
influential figure out of the wings and onto center stage.
Bajram Kosumi of the Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK)
announced his resignation from the post of prime minister in
Prishtina (Pristina) on March 1, saying that this was the only
"correct and ethical action" for him to take in order to preserve the
governing coalition's legislative majority and the confidence of the
international community. In what was seen as a parallel move aimed at
revitalizing the governing coalition, the larger Democratic League of
Kosova (LDK) of the late President Ibrahim Rugova announced its
decision to sack Nexhat Daci as speaker of the parliament and replace
him with Kole Berisha, who has been the de facto head of the LDK
since Rugova's death in January.
The two changes have some elements in common. The coalition
has been weakened by a prolonged dispute in 2005 over control of the
Justice Ministry and the Interior Ministry that reflected badly on
the leaderships of both parties. Both Kosumi and Daci have been
tainted by scandal and accused of arrogance, and not just by the
opposition. Kosumi in particular came under fire for accepting favors
from private businessmen fairly early in the one year since he
replaced Ramush Haradinaj as head of the government after Haradinaj,
who founded the AAK, voluntarily went to The Hague to face war crimes
charges. Kosumi eventually lost credibility within his own party and
has also been criticized by some members of the international
community, including Soren Jessen-Petersen, who heads the UN civilian
administration in Kosova (UNMIK).
Some commentators in Kosova have suggested that a further
reason for the ouster of the two men is a general dissatisfaction
with the progress of talks on Kosova's final status, which began
recently in Vienna and are slated to resume on March 17. This view is
not universally held, however, and Kosumi cited the progress made
towards independence so far as one of his accomplishments when he
delivered his resignation speech.
In any event, several Kosovar political leaders and Martti
Ahtisaari, who is the UN's chief negotiator for the status talks,
made it clear that the changes will have no adverse effect on the
negotiations. Ahtisaari said that the latest political developments
in Prishtina are a matter for the Kosovar leadership itself and that
he expects the talks to move ahead. President Fatmir Sejdiu, who
recently succeeded Rugova and also belongs to the LDK, called the
changes "part of a normal [political] process" and pledged to work
together with everyone concerned. Hashim Thaci, who leads the
opposition Democratic Party of Kosova (PDK), said that Kosova's
future does not depend on individuals but on institutions.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the changes is Ceku's
emergence from the sidelines of political life on to center stage.
Like Haradinaj and Thaci, he was a commander of the former Kosova
Liberation Army (UCK), but unlike them he still wears a uniform, this
time as head of the civilian Kosova Protection Corps (TMK). That body
consists mainly of ex-UCK guerrillas and is widely seen as the
nucleus of the army of a future independent Kosova. Ceku has
nonetheless said repeatedly that he does not rule out going into
politics and has sometimes spoken out on important issues of the day.
Unlike many in the former UCK leadership, Ceku, who is 45,
did not begin his military career as a guerrilla. He was an officer
in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) when the conflict began in
Croatia in 1991 and joined the Croatian army. Many Serbs have accused
him of war crimes against Serbian civilians there, and court in Nis
convicted him in absentia in 2002 of "genocide" against the Serbian
minority in Kosova.
It is thus not surprising that Serbian reaction to the news
of Ceku's nomination as prime minister was negative. Goran
Bogdanovic, who is a leader of the Serbian List for Kosovo and
Metohija party, told RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service that a man with Ceku's particular military past cannot be
expected to serve as a representative of all citizens. Bogdanovic
argued that Ceku's appointment "is not good, above all for Kosovo,
for all citizens of Kosovo, and especially for the Serbs. I can't
imagine...who of the Serbian [leaders] would take part in a
government headed by Ceku." In Belgrade, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, who
heads the Serbian government's coordinating team for the status
talks, said that "the proposal that Ceku should take over such a big
and important political role is a sign that the ethnic Albanian side
is losing their composure and opting for radicalization."
Faqja 6 - POLITIKE |
Mars 2, 2006 |
Beogradi reagon ashpėr. Kreun e TMK-sė e kemi akuzuar pėr krime lufte |
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AAK propozon Agim Ēekun pėr postin e kryeministrit |
PRISHTINE Njė ish-komandant i UĒK-sė nė krye tė qeverisė sė Kosovės.
Dorėheqja e Kosumit duket se i ka hapur rrugė ngjitjes sė shkallėve
tė pushtetit nga Agim Ēeku, kreu i Trupave Mbrojtėse tė Kosovės,
dikur komandant nė terren i Ushtrisė Ēlirimtare tė Kosovės. Aleanca
pėr Ardhmėrinė e Kosovės e mori kėtė vendim gjatė mbledhjes sė
djeshme tė kryesisė. Gjenerali Ēeku ende nuk ėshtė shprehur lidhur
me kėtė propozim, por zyra e tij ka deklaruar se ai do ta pranojė
ofertėn, nėse kjo ėshtė pėr tė mirėn e Kosovės. Propozimi i
AAK-sė ka shkaktuar reagimin e ashpėr tė Beogradit zyrtar, qė ka
deklaruar se Ēeku ėshtė akuzuar pėr krime lufte dhe se njė emėrim
i tillė nė krye tė qeverisė do tė shkaktojė probleme tė mėdha nė
marrėdhėniet mes palėve nė kėtė moment tė rėndėsishėm pėr
Kosovėn. Hashim Thaēi Martti Ahtisaari Soren Jessen Petersen |
Le Premier ministre du Kosovo
Bajram Kosumi a remis mercredi sa démission, suite ą des pressions
importantes de son parti, selon des informations parvenues ą Belgrade
depuis Pristina.
M. Kosumi a déclaré qu'il démissionnait parce qu'il n'était pas sūr du "soutien de la majorité parlementaire" pour son maintien en fonctions, a rapporté l'agence de presse officielle Tanjug. M. Kosumi, nommé Premier minsitre en mars dernier, a été accusé par son parti, l'Alliance pour l'avenir du Kosovo, d'źtre inefficace pour mettre en application les normes internationales dans la province. Selon des reportages, le nouveau Premier ministre devrait źtre Agim Ceku, commandant du corps de protection du Kosovo. La démission de M. Kosumi survient alors que l'envoyé des Nations unies aux pourparlers sur le statut du Kosovo, est arrivé ą Pristina pour assister aux négociations. Le Kosovo, qui est toujours officiellement une province de la Serbie, est administré par les Nations unies depuis la mi-1999. Le statut futur du Kosovo est depuis longtemps un sujet de tensions entre Belgrade et la majorité albanaise de la province, qui demande l'indépendance. Le premier round de négociations entre Belgrade et Pristina sur le statut futur du Kosovo a eu lieu ą Vienne le mois dernier. Le Groupe de contact, composé de six pays importants et influent sur la scčne internationale, espčre d'ici la fin de l'année un accord sur le statut futur de la province. |
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 38, Part II, 1 March 2006
SERBIAN PRESIDENT VOWS NEVER TO SIGN OFF ON KOSOVA INDEPENDENCE.
Serbian President Boris Tadic told lawmakers on 27 February that he
will not sign any document that grants Kosova independence, B92
reported the next day. "I will not even consider signing an agreement
for the independence of Kosovo and I am certain that no other
politician in Serbia will consider this either," Tadic said at a
session of Serbia's parliament (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27 February
2006). "Is that enough? Unfortunately, it is not, and that is why we
have arrived at a situation where not only the citizens of Serbia and
their institutions, but the international institutions as well must
make a decision on its future status," Tadic added. BW
UN ENVOY SETS AGENDA FOR NEXT ROUND OF KOSOVA TALKS. UN special envoy
Martti Ahtisaari said on 28 February that cultural heritage, minority
and human rights, and economic issues will be the subjects of the
next round of talks on Kosova's final status, dpa reported. The next
round of talks is scheduled for 17 March. "I have full confidence
that the Serbian delegation will take an active and constructive part
in the negotiations," Ahtisaari said during a visit to Belgrade.
Ahtisaari, who is scheduled to visit Prishtina next, said the purpose
of his trip is to assure cooperation from both sides. BW
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 36, Part II, 27 February 2006
UNMIK HEAD PREDICTS INDEPENDENCE FOR KOSOVA AND MONTENEGRO. Soren
Jessen-Petersen, head of the United Nations Mission in Kosova
(UNMIK), said in an interview published on 24 February that Kosova
and Montenegro will both most likely win independence from Serbia,
dpa reported the same day. "Serbia is under threefold pressure: it
will lose Kosovo, and Montenegro could go its own way,"
Jessen-Petersen told the Austrian newspaper "Der Standard." The third
area of pressure, Jessen-Petersen said, stems from international
demands that Belgrade arrest war crimes fugitives Radovan Karadzic
and Ratko Mladic. "If at least the third point can be tackled, it
could open an important prospect for Serbia's Euro-Atlantic
integration," he said. He added that when Serbs and Kosovar Albanians
have "realistic" prospects of joining the European Union then "the
borders will fall" and the current attachment to territories will
lose relevance. BW
Vazhdojnė debatet pėr vendimin e qeverisė pėr ndryshimin e ceremonialit
Ambasadorėt, Berisha: Skam konflikt me Moisiun
Ministri i Jashtėm: Nuk kemi shkelur Kushtetutėn e vendit
Procedura e emėrimit tė ambasadorėve ka ndezur sėrish debate mes pozitės
dhe opozitės, tė cilat ndajnė qėndrime tė ndryshme pėr kėtė ēėshtje.
Opozita e konsideron iniciativėn e qeverisė si ndėrhyrje nė kompetencat e
Presidentit tė Republikės, ndėrsa maxhoranca shprehet, se pasi agrementi qė
i kėrkohet vendit pritės dhe miratimi nga ky i fundit, e mė pas dekretimi
nga ana e presidentit ėshtė vetėm zbatim i Konventės sė Vjenės pėr marrėdhėniet
ndėrkombėtare. Kryeministri Berisha tha, se mes qeverisė dhe Presidencės
nuk ekziston asnjė kontradiktė dhe Presidenti i Republikės ėshtė nė
pozicionet qė ka qenė dhe mė parė. Konventa e Vjenės, e cila pėrbėn
ligjin ndėrkombėtar tė diplomacisė kėrkon qė tė sqarojė mė parė ēėshtjen
grata apo non-grata. Asgjė nuk ka ndryshuar nė procedurėn e emėrimit,
tha Berisha.
Nė tė njėjtėn linjė me kryeministrin ėshtė shfaqur dhe ministri i Jashtėm,
Besnik Mustafaj, kur thotė se miratimi i emrit nga vendi pritės, dhe nė
rast se Presidenti i Republikės refuzon ti dekretojė, nuk pėrbėn
incident diplomatik. Sipas tij, kėto ndryshime nuk kanė tė bėjnė me
refuzimin e presidentit pėr emėrimin e Edit Harxhit nė postin e ambasadores
sė Shqipėrisė nė Uashington. Por nuk ėshtė e kėtij mendimi opozita
shqiptare. Pėr kryetarin e LSI-sė, Ilir Meta, ky veprim i qeverisė bie nė
kundėrshtim me ligjin e shėrbimit tė jashtėm dhe ėshtė ndėrhyrje e
hapur nė kompetencat e Presidentit tė Republikės, gjė qė nuk ėshtė
normale, pasi kėrkon qė institucionin e Presidencės ta kthejė nė njė
firmosės tė detyruar tė tė gjitha akteve dhe vendimeve tė maxhorancės, e
cila ėshtė nė kundėrshtim edhe me vetė thelbin e ligjit pėr shėrbimin e
jashtėm qė ėshtė miratuar, pasi ambasadorėt nuk janė pėrfaqėsues tė
qeverisė, por janė pėrfaqėsues tė shtetit, tha Meta.
reagimi i moisiut
President i Republikės, Alfred Moisiu, menjėherė pas kthimit nga Italia, tha, se emėrimi apo shkarkimi i ambasadorėve ėshtė prerogativė kushtetuese e tij. Unė jam njohur nga media lidhur me kėtė problem dhe ende nuk e kam parė vendimin. Por mendoj se tė gjitha gjėrat janė pėrcaktuar nė Kushtetutė dhe kėtu nuk ka vend pėr diskutim, tha Moisiu.
Faqja 4 - POLITIKE |
Shkurt 26, 2006 |
Kryeministri hedh poshtė cėnimin e kompetencave tė kreut tė
shtetit |
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Berisha: Ambasadorėt, jo sherr me Moisiun |
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Mustafaj: Mė parė leja e shtetit pritės |
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Armando Meta Berisha deklaron se vendimi i ri pėr emėrimin e ambasadorėve nuk
krijon kontradikta me Presidentin Moisiu. Vendimi mė i fundit i
qeverisė (qė nė gjuhėn politike mori emėrtesėn Vendimi Harxhi),
pėr tė ndryshuar ceremonialin pėr emėrimin e ambasadorėve tė
Shqipėrisė, ėshtė komentuar si njė pėrpjekje e Kryeministrit
Sali Berisha pėr tė vendosur pėrpara faktit tė kryer Presidentin e
Republikės, Alfred Moisiu, i cili ka tė drejtėn kushtetuese pėr emėrimin
e ambasadorėve. Ky vendim u komentua se hapte njė kapitull tė ri nė
fėrkimet midis kreut tė ekzekutivit dhe atij tė shtetit, pasi ishte
njė pėrpjekje pėr tė zbehur rolin aktiv tė Presidentit nė kėtė
proces. Por Kryeministri Berisha ėshtė pėrpjekur tė hedhė poshtė
komentet politike, se vendimi nė fjalė krijon mundėsi pėr njė pėrplasje
tė re mes tij dhe Presidentit. Fakti qė Kryeministri nuk merr
mundimin tė vėrė nė dijeni Presidentin pėr kėtė vendim tė
cilin kreu i shtetit e ka mėsuar nėpėrmjet medias, le tė kuptohet
se nuk kemi tė bėjmė me ndonjė aferė shumė tė pastėr nga ana e
kreut tė qeverisė. Ēėshtja e emėrimit tė ambasadorėve nisur nga
qėndrimet, duket se pėrmban tė dyja anėt e medaljes. Si bėhet
Ministri i Jashtėm sqaroi dje se vendimi i qeverisė vetėm sa saktėson procedurat e emėrimeve Emėrimi i ambasadorėve sipas Konventės sė Vjenės
Anila Rama
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