RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 11, No. 215, Part II, 20 November 2007

EU URGES CAUTION ON KOSOVA... EU foreign ministers on November 19 urged Kosova's incoming government not to rush to declare independence unilaterally, warning that an "unmanaged" move to independence would spark problems in northern Kosova and Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to international reports. Speaking at a regular gathering of EU foreign ministers, Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn said the victor in the November 17 parliamentary elections, Hashim Thaci, "knows what the score is and that a unilateral declaration of independence would be a very bad thing" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," November 19, 2007). Thaci said after his unofficial election victory that he wants Kosova to declare independence "immediately" after international talks end in December. Asselborn added that EU ministers "are trying to do all we can to convince the Kosovars not to proceed with a unilateral declaration of independence." Instead, Britain's minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, said a declaration by Kosova should be "coordinated by the international community." "We need a soft landing rather than a big crash," Sweden's Carl Bildt said, adding that "the Balkans is a rather fragile place." Kosova may already enjoy "de facto" independence, Bildt said, but "I don't think Kosovo wants to be independent from the international community," noting at the same time that Kosova will rely on international help for many years. Bildt added that Thaci, who has said he intends to lead the new government, "has to understand there is a difference between being a politician in opposition and a responsible prime minister." The EU's concern about a unilateral bid for independence by Kosova is longstanding, but the issue has been given extra urgency by the elections in Kosova and by the imminent conclusion, on December 10, of scheduled talks on Kosova's status. The EU believes negotiations should end at that point, but Serbia and its chief supporter, Russia, maintain that talks should last until Prishtina agrees to a compromise satisfactory to Belgrade. AG

...BUT NEW KOSOVAR LEADER IS INSISTENT. Hashim Thaci, the unofficial victor in the November 17 parliamentary elections in Kosova, has reasserted his determination to lead Kosova to independence in an interview published by the German daily "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ) on November 19. Critically, though, AP reported that on November 19 he also reiterated his longstanding position that any future decisions should be coordinated with the United States and Europe, and Britain's "The Guardian" quoted a UN official in Kosova as saying that "he's listening to the Americans very carefully. [The Americans] are shooting for mid-January" as a date for a declaration of independence. In addition, in his interview with the "FAZ," Thaci stressed the importance of having "an international civilian mission in the country, as well as NATO," and described the role of the United States as "irreplaceable." While those reports and Thaci's comments may allay some of the EU's concerns about a unilateral move, Thaci also made clear to the "FAZ" that Kosova's political leaders would occupy the driving seat. Kosova "will take the decision about its own independence and I expect international support for this," he said. "We cannot wait until all states are ready to recognize us," he said, in a reference to the EU's efforts to achieve a unified position. He also rejected the notion that agreements reached over Hong Kong's status or between northern and southern Cyprus could provide models for achieving a deal with Serbia. "All these ideas have no substance," he said. EU leaders "know what Serbia also knows: that independence is the only solution." Like Thaci, all Kosovar Albanian leaders insist on early independence for Kosova. In opposition, Thaci consistently stressed the need for Kosova to have international backing in its push for independence. AG

EU INCREASINGLY RESIGNED TO LACK OF UNITY ON KOSOVA... Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado said on November 19 that the EU will continue to pursue "all the possibilities to have a common position" on Kosova, but the meeting of EU foreign ministers brought fresh indications that the bloc is resigned to not achieving unity. Britain's Europe minister Murphy said that "well over 20" of the bloc's 27 states "want to recognize Kosovo" as an independent state, "but we haven't got to 27 yet." Nonetheless, he argued that individual EU states, not the EU as a whole, ultimately bear responsible for recognizing an independent Kosova, and that the EU's foreign ministers have "made it clear that they will make their own assessment," Deutsche Welle reported. Murphy did not name those reluctant to recognize Kosova as a state. However, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania are openly opposed, and Slovakia and Spain are known at least to harbor major reservations. The growing sense of urgency in the EU was heightened by statements by the German and Austrian foreign ministers. Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Berlin is preparing for "possible alternatives" to "a negotiated and agreed solution" to Kosova's status, while Austria's Ursula Plassnik said EU ministers need to begin giving serious thought to "the possibility that there will be no agreement" between Belgrade and Prishtina. AG

...BUT WILL LEAVE 'NO STONE UNTURNED'... Despite the indications that individual EU countries are preparing for the failure of talks and a unilateral move by Kosova, EU foreign ministers made clear they are determined to continue trying to broker a diplomatic breakthrough between Belgrade and Prishtina. "We feel that no stone must go unturned," Reuters quoted France's Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet as saying. The value of continued efforts to break the impasse was stressed by Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, who said "I think we still have to wait until the very last minute" for any agreement. Reports suggest the EU is now resting its hopes chiefly on continuing to promote a "status-neutral" agreement between Prishtina and Belgrade that would leave the issue of Kosova's status unresolved but would effectively enable Kosova to operate as an independent state. Such a deal would be modeled on a series of agreements in the 1970s that paved the way for a normalization of ties between East and West Germany but did not preclude the possibility of a later reunification. However, in a report published on November 20 in Britain's "The Guardian," based on statements by unnamed UN officials in Kosova, EU diplomats also suggests that "the EU and the Americans will offer Kosovo's Albanian leaders prompt recognition of independence, sometime in January." The EU has repeatedly stressed that it sees Kosova's status as primarily an issue for Europe rather than Russia and the United States, a position reiterated on November 19 by British Europe Minister Murphy. "This is a European challenge -- it is not one we can ask the United States to solve for us," he said. In other comments on November 19, the EU's mediator in the talks on Kosova's future, Wolfgang Ischinger, put the EU's role in perspective. "The EU was never in the driver's seat," he said. "It was in the back seat," while Serbs and Kosovar Albanians drove. Nonetheless, he said, the efforts to secure a deal have "given the EU a new sense of ownership and responsibility for the future of Kosovo." AG

...AS TALKS ENTER FINAL WEEKS. In a briefing given to EU foreign ministers on November 19, the EU's Kosova mediator Ischinger signaled that the possibilities of a breakthrough have all but disappeared. "In 100 days, we have explored almost every humanly known option for squaring the circle of the Kosovo status issue," Ischinger said. In other comments underlining the efforts made by the "troika" of international mediators, Ischinger said that "the troika process, even if it were terminated today, has not been window dressing.... Regardless of how exactly this process will end...it is clear no one will be able to say that this was not a meaningful and intense and working negotiating process." Ischinger on November 20 will join his colleagues, Russia's Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko and the United States' Frank Wisner, in Brussels to lead the latest round of direct talks between Belgrade and Prishtina. Reuters quoted Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado as saying on November 19 that Ischinger will float a "status-neutral" proposal to regulate ties. Another report, by AP, suggested that Ischinger will also try to get the two sides to agree on practical cooperation in the areas of education and trade as part of a final deal, a focus that again suggests the core issue -- whether Kosova should be a state -- will be left to one side. Serbia's deputy prime minister, Bozidar Djelic, indicated on November 19 that Belgrade will again stress that Hong Kong could be the inspiration for a solution (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 25 and November 6, 2007). "Certain elements of the organization of Hong Kong could be taken as an example, not as a model, but as examples," AP quoted him as saying. The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said on November 19 that there will "still be two rounds" of talks after the November 20 meeting, one in Vienna and the last in Brussels. Solana will be among those who will meet Kosova's and Serbia's political leaders on November 20. AG

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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 11, No. 214, Part II, 19 November 2007

KOSOVAR OPPOSITION EMERGES VICTORIOUS... Unofficial results show that Kosova's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Kosova (PDK), won parliamentary elections held on November 17. The PDK's share of the vote rose from 28 percent in 2004 to 35 percent, while the leader of the governing coalition and the strongest party in each of the past two parliamentary elections, the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), saw its support slump from 45 percent to 22 percent. Current figures suggest that a new party, the New Kosova Alliance (AKR), came third with 12 percent, followed by an alliance of the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) and the Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo (PShDK) with 10 percent, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK) with 9 percent. The AAK is led by Ramush Haradinaj, a former prime minister currently awaiting trial in The Hague for war crimes (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 6, 2007). The official results are due to be published on November 20 and certified by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which oversees the province, on December 4. AG

...IN ELECTIONS MARRED BY SERBIAN BOYCOTT... As in the last elections, in 2004, Kosovar Serbs chose to boycott the vote, a decision that will mean that the 10 seats reserved under the constitution for ethnic-Serbian representatives in the 120-seat assembly will not be occupied. A November 17 report by the Serbian broadcaster B92 said that just five ethnic Serbs voted in the north of the region, their main base, and that in central Kosova turnout "was somewhat higher but still extremely low, with 3 percent of the 5,000 Serbs registered" going to the polls. Kosovar Serbs were split on the wisdom of a boycott, with some moderates arguing that the previous boycott did nothing to improve the everyday lot or the political position of Kosovar Serbs. But the extremely low Serb turnout indicates that ultimately almost all Serbs heeded the call for a boycott made by the Serbian government (see "RFE/RL Newsline," July 30, August 9 and 20, and September 4, 12, and 19, 2007). The boycott was criticized by Western powers, UNMIK, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which organized the vote. AG

...AND BY LOW OVERALL TURNOUT. There was also concern -- voiced most publicly in a statement by an "alarmed" Council of Europe -- that just 43 percent of the Kosovar electorate voted, 10 percentage points lower than in the 2004 elections and the lowest figure yet in elections in the region. Snow and cold temperatures may have dissuaded some voters, but analysts quoted in the local and international media attributed the drop chiefly to apathy, disappointment with living standards and politicians, and a protest vote against the LDK. Election monitors said there were some minor incidents but concluded that the elections met international standards. However, one Kosovar Albanian party, the AKR, has complained of "many irregularities," and a senior figure in Serbia's Ministry for Kosovo Affairs, Dusan Prorokovic, claimed on TV Pink on November 18 that "too many people were registered on voter lists," which, he asserted, was one of several explanations for the low turnout. Mobile voting stations were used in some Serb-populated areas as local officials refused to allow polling stations to be set up. The Serbian news agency FoNet reported that at two polling stations in Strpce, former policemen threatened would-be voters. AG

VICTOR SAYS KOSOVA TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE 'IMMEDIATELY.' The leader of the victorious PDK, Hashim Thaci, said on November 17 that Kosova will declare independence "immediately" after December 10, when international mediators seeking to broker an agreement on Kosova's final status are due to report to the UN's secretary general. Thaci, who has repeatedly said that a declaration of independence should be coordinated with the international community, did not indicate whether his putative government would take unilateral action and whether "immediately" means days, weeks, or months. Parliamentary support for independence is assured, but the uncertainty about the status talks, about international support for Kosova's independence, and about regional security is widely expected to result in the rapid formation of a new government. Since the PDK and the LDK have previously said they will not enter a coalition with the AKR or the LDD-PShDK alliance, a coalition between the two largest parties is highly probable. Unofficial comments by PDK officials quoted in the local and international media suggest the PDK is already planning to pursue a partnership with the LDK, which has been in the region's government since the end of the 1998-99 war. A deal could involve the seat of prime minister. Although Thaci on November 17 described himself as Kosova's new prime minister, the post of premier has traditionally not been occupied by a member of the largest party. The post-election rebalancing of power may also have an effect on the composition or strength of the five-member "Unity Team" representing Kosova in the talks on the region's status. The serving prime minister, Agim Ceku, did not contest the election; one of the Unity Team's members, Veton Surroi, heads a party that may not clear the 5 percent hurdle needed to enter parliament; and the new parliament will also choose a new speaker, a post that also brings with it membership in the Unity Team. Thaci was already a member of the team in his capacity as leader of the opposition. Thaci was a military commander during the Kosovar Albanians' war with Serbia in 1998-99, as were two of Kosova's previous prime ministers, Agim Ceku (premier since March 2006) and Ramush Haradinaj (December 2004-March 2005). AG

PDK e Thaçit fiton zgjedhjet

Përfundojnë me sukses dhe pa asnjë incident zgjedhjet parlamentare dhe ato lokale në Kosovë, pjesëmarrja më e ulët se votimet e mëparshme

Partia Demokratike e Kosovës e Hashim Thaçit, kryeson në rezultatet paraprake që kanë dalë pas mbylljes së kutive të votimit në Kosovë. Edhe të dhënat që janë publikuar nga Organizata Jo Qeveritare "Demokracia në veprim", por edhe shpallja që është bërë nga partia që deri tani ka qenë në opozitë tregojnë një avantazh të ndjeshëm të Partisë Demokratike të Kosovës. Sipas të dhënave paraprake vetëm të një pjesë të vendvotimeve PDK-ja kryeson me 37% të votave, ndërsa Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës ka marrë 22 përqind të votave. Në vend të tretë sipas "Demokracia në veprim" është "Aleanca e e Re për Kosovën e Behxhet Pacollit. Në vend të katërt është Aleanca për ardhmërinëe e Kosovës dhe pas saj Lidhja Demokratike e Derdanisë, e udhëhequra nga Nexhat Daci, të dyja me 7 përqind të votave.

Shpallja

Në fakt Partia Demokratike ka shpallur fitoren e saj menjëherë pas mbylljes së kutive të votimeve rreth orës 19.30. Në një konferencë për shtyp, drejtuesit e kësaj partie kanë deklaruar fitoren në rang vendi. PDK theksoi se në bazë të dhënave paraprake, ky subjekt politik është fitues i zgjedhjeve të 17 nëntorit, edhe pse ende nuk ishin mbyllur ende të gjitha qendrat e vendvotimeve. Zëdhënësja e Partisë Demokratike të Kosovës, theksoi se partia që ajo përfaqëson ka arritur rezultate të mira jo vetëm në bastionet e saj, por edhe në qytete edhe fshatra të tjera që kanë votuar në të kaluarën për Partinë Demokratike.

LDK

Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës, mënjëherë pas rezultateve paraprake është e treguar e kujdesshme, por ka kërkuar që këtë qëndrim ta mbajë edhe PDK-ja. Në një konferencë për shtyp, Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës nuk ka dhënë asnjë shifër lidhur me rezultatin e zgjedhjeve të djeshme, ndërkohë që pohimet e Partisë Demokratike të Kosovës për fitore bazuar në rezultatet preliminare, i ka quajtur joreale, duke pasur parasysh se ende nuk janë mbyllur vendvotimet. më shumë. Ndërkaq, LDK kërkoi shtyrjen e afatit të votimeve për tri orë. Sipas LDK kjo ka qenë dalja e qytetarëve në votime sipas përqindjes Prishtinë 42 përqind, Podujevë 44, Obiliq 50, Fushë Kosovë 45, Drenas 37, Gjilan 37, Novo Berdë 55, Kamenicë 45, Prizren 40, Malishevë 51, Pejë 41, Deçan 42, Istog 43. Këto janë shifra të publikuara nga Shtabi Qendror Zgjedhor i LDK-së rreth pjesëmarrjës së qytetarëve ne zgjedhje deri në ora 18:00. Shtabi zgjedhor i Lidhjes Demokratikë të Kosovës ka kërkuar nga OSBE dhe KQZ që te zgjatet orari i votimit për qytetarët edhe për tre orë të tjera. Sipas tyre deri më tani kanë votuar mbi 40 për qind në nivel qendror, ku gjithçka po ecën mirë. Gjatë ditës së sotme, pritet që të dhënat të marrin një panoramë edhe më të qartë, ku shofrat mund të rrumbullakohen edhe më. Ndërkaq Komisioni qendror i Zgjedhjeve ka deklaruar se rezultatet paraprake zyrtare do t‘i shpallë pas tre ditëve, pra të mërkurën në mesditë. Organizatorët e zgjedhjeve e vlerësuan të suksesshëm procesin zgjedhor si dhe pjesëmarrjen e votuesve, përveç në lokalitetet e banuara me serbë.


Kosova zgjedh Parlamentin e pavarësisë së saj



Kosova ka votuar dje për të zgjedhur Parlamentin e ri të vendit, i cili pas 10 dhjetorit do të shpallë pavarësinë e vendit. Parlamenti i dalë nga zgjedhjet e djeshme do të votëbesojë qeverinë e re, e cila do të marrë në dorë fatet e Kosovës së pavarur, duke zëvendësuar kështu organet e derisotme. Zgjedhjet për Parlamentin dhe qeverisjet vendore në Kosovë janë zhvilluar krejt të qeta dhe pa asnjë incident. Madje qetësia ka qenë si në çdo vend demokratik të botës, ku qytetarët e përdorën votën e tyre si një të drejtë normale, duke mos prishur planet e ditës. Këtë e vërteton edhe fluksi i qytetarëve, i cili u shtua kryesisht në orët e mbrëmjes, çka presupozoi një situatë tejet normale. Megjithatë, sipas rezultateve zyrtare në zgjedhjet e djeshme kanë votuar më pak se 40 për qind e 1 milionë e gjysmë kosovarëve të regjistruar në Komisionin Qendror të Zgjedhjeve.

Institucionet

Kryetari i qeverisë së Kosovës, Agim Çeku, deklaroi se institucionet e Kosovës, të cilat do të formohen në bazë të zgjedhjeve të sotme, duhet të konstituohen para 10 dhjetorit,kur ekipi i treshes duhet të dorëzojë raportin për sekretarin e përgjithshëm të OKB-së, Ban Ki Mun. Çeku, pasi ka votuar në Fushë Kosovë, tha se nuk ka pranuar që të kandidohet në zgjedhje, meqë "mes procesit demokratik të zgjedhjeve dhe procesit historik, është përcaktuar për proces historik të përcaktimit të statusit të Kosovës". Presidenti i Kosovës, Fatmir Sejdiu, deklaroi se Kosova shumë shpejt do të shpallë pavarësinë dhe votuesit me dalje në zgjedhje të sotme po japin votën për pavarësinë e Kosovës. "Me këto zgjedhje, Kosova po hyn në fazën e rëndësishme të zhvillimit demokratik dhe statusit të vendit. Prandaj është shumë me rëndësi që qytetarët masovikisht të dalin në zgjedhje dhe të votojnë për ata që i duan", tha Sejdiu, pasi votoi në Prishtinë. Kryetari i Partisë Demokratike të Kosovës, Hashim Thaçi, vlerësoi se sot është ditë historike për Kosovën, meqë zgjedhjet janë fitore e madhe e qytetarëve të Kosovës. Thaçi, pa si votoi në Prishtinë tha se qytetarët në zgjedhjet e sotme", kanë fituar për demokracinë, e sigurt dhe ardhmërinë evropiane dhe zhvillimin dhe mbrojtjen e raporteve me SHBA". Lideri i Partisë Reformiste "ORA", Veton Surroi, deklaroi se zgjedhjet në Kosovë janë shumë të rëndësishme dhe ftoi qytetarët që të dalin në zgjedhje në numër sa më të madh.

Bojkoti

Pakica serbe ka bojkotuar zgjedhjet e djeshme në thuajse të gjitha enklavat në Kosovë. Sipas rezultateve zyrtare kanë qenë shumë të pakët ata serbë të Kosovës, të cilët kanë shprehur të drejtën universale të zgjedhjes. Kryetari i Komisionit Qendror të Zgjedhjeve (KQZ), Mazllum Baraliu, tha se serbët në të gjitha zonat kanë bojkotuar sot votimin. Ambasadori i OSBE-së, Tim Guldman, kritikoi mospjesëmarrjen e serbëve dhe thirrjet për bojkot të zgjedhjeve.