Opinion: Let’s do it, Kosova – for the long term May 25 - June 7, 2012 Issue No. 89 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 NEWS The Football Wins amid Mysterious Political Row over Kosovo Murder of > page 2-3 Salih Dukati NEWS Kosovo’s western city of Kosovo: Serbia Peja has been rocked by Should Apologise murders, ransoms, for its Crimes allegations of rape and > page 4 police corruption, and the arrests of high NEWS profile figures from the Klecka Outcome business community. Embitters Both See Page 6-7 Serbs and Albanians Central Bank Board: > page 5 FEATURE New Secrets of A Licence to Print Money? Ancient Times The chairman of Kosovo’s Central Bank, Gazmend Luboteni, earns eight times the country’s average monthly salary for Emerge in Butrint each board meeting he attends, some of which involve just one decision, Prishtina Insight has discovered. > page 15 the board may no longer be illegi- board held 18 meetings that year, the number of meetings they multi- By Florina Hajdini ble to hold the post because of a well above the minimum of ten ply their compensation.” INSIDE PRISHTINA ten-year term limit placed on the required by law, which would have Some of the board meetings fea- n investigation by Putting the Pristine position. made him 16,000 euro after tax. In ture just one or two decisions, Prishtina Insight has 2011, the figure fell to just under according to the minutes provided Arevealed that board mem- back into Prishtina bers of the Central Bank of Minting Money 25,000 euro after tax. online by the bank. At a meeting in Kosovo receive up to eight times Luboteni also receives salaries February 2008, for example, the the country’s average monthly Prishtina Insight has discovered for his teaching commitments at the board made just one decision – to salary for each board meeting. that the chairman of the central University of Prishtina and the pri- confirm the appointment of an The figure has been branded “an bank board, Gazmend Luboteni, is vate Fama University totalling administration for an insurance unreasonable and unnecessary” paid 2,000 euro for each board meet- 35,000 euro in 2010 and 30,000 in 2011. company. > page 18 - 19 expense to the taxpayer by the for- ing that he attends – eight times the In total, the board cost the bank Luboteni told Prishtina Insight: mer head of the economics depart- national monthly average wage of 155,000 euro in 2010, including “Of course it may seem that it is a ment at the International Civilian 250 euro. The other two members of allowances and expenses. Figures high payment. Compensation Office, Andrea Capussela. the board – Mejdi Bektashi and are not yet available for 2011. should be as such as to recruit the The probe also uncovered how Sejdi Rexhepi – are paid 1,700 euro. Capussela told Prishtina Insight: best experts and keep them in bank. Kosovo’s only English-language the board spent 40,000 euro on In 2010, Luboteni took home just “I believe that the board compensa- The accountability and responsibil- newspaper is available: travel in 2010, members used offi- under 30,000 euro after tax, around tion is excessive, both because the ity is extremely demanding.” cial cars to travel to other work 36,000 euro before tax, for attending absolute amount is too much, and Delivered to commitments and the chairman of board meetings. This means the because by artificially increasing continues page 6 Your Door Tomislav Nikolic - Stuck Foreign Soaps Push Out Kosovo From Newsstands Between Moscow and Brussels Productions across Kosovo A former funeral parlour boss and con- Kosovo’s three main television stations – Sent To struction technician from Kragujavac, KTV, RTV 21 and the public broadcaster Your Inbox Nikolic has run the presidential race four RTK – have all but abandoned investing in times in eight years. Despite previous locally produced shows. defeats, he has remained on the scene, con- The only local show currently being From vinced his time was yet to come. With his aired on terrestrial television is “Kafeneja our partners surprise win in Sunday’s election run-off Jone”, Our Cafe, shown on RTK once a neighbourhod against outgoing... page 11 feature week... page 14 see page 16 for more info is supported by: 2 May 25 - June 7, 2012 news Football Wins amid Political Kosovo’s strategy of entering European football through FIFA-sanctioned friendly match- es could create opportunities for talented players and point the way towards solving broader issues of its representation in international sport. depends on other considerations.” home. They have starred for their FSS representatives have Swiss club (famously ousting requested a meeting with FIFA Manchester United from this By Vladimir Novakovic officials, and this has been sched- year’s Champions League) and for uled for May 31. At the meeting, the Swiss national team, thus the implications and implementa- earning lucrative transfers to top tion of the decision will be dis- German Bundesliga sides. rofessional footballers from cussed. On Wednesday Shaqiri and Kosovo are making a name Those who follow football close- Xhaka played their last game for Pfor themselves in the top ly attribute considerable signifi- Swiss League and Cup winners FC European leagues but until now cance FIFA’s move, while the tim- Basel, Shaqiri moving to Bayern they have been unable to play for ing of FIFA’s decision has been a Munich, Xhaka to the country of their birth in the subject of speculation. Mönchengladbach. major European and World foot- In years to come these players ball competitions. are likely to be followed by more FIFA head Sepp Blatter this week agreed to allow Kosovo to play friendly matches. That could change, but first a Coming of age soccer stars from Kosovo who – series of tricky diplomatic and Vallon Behrami, Fiorentina's unable to play in international ble First Division. They produced has always been happy to speak to legal obstacles will have to be cir- star signing and member of the competitions as part of a Kosovo a number of fine players, both eth- the Serbian media, and has regu- cumvented. FIFA’s decision to Swiss national squad | Photo by: team – will accept invitations to nic Albanians and Serbs, who later larly proposed dialogue and coop- sanction international friendly Reto Stauffer, play for other countries instead. played successfully for top erative initiatives to the FSS, matches between a Kosovo nation- www.sportreporter.ch (Wikipedia) Over the past 15 years at least 18 Yugoslav clubs and won places in though these approaches have gen- al team and FIFA members could A distinguished generation of ethnic Albanian players from the national team. erally been ignored. open the way for Kosovo to gain players from Kosovo has already Kosovo have played for Albania, Perhaps the most prominent of Whatever the effect of the next world and European football made an impression right across with Cana being the Albanian these players was Fadil Vokrri, a round of negotiations between the recognition over the long term. European soccer. national team’s current skipper. hero among Partizan supporters, FSS, FIFA and UEFA, it seems For the moment, though, UEFA is These players include Valon Others have played for Finland, who played 12 games and scored inevitable that some level of com- opposed to the move. Behrami at Fiorentina and former Norway, Croatia and Montenegro, six goals for Yugoslavia. munication between Belgrade and FIFA’s decision on 22 May to Marseille captain Lorik Cana, while Emir Bajrami is part of the Vokrri has been at the helm of Prishtina will be established, not allow member associations to play both of whom formerly played in Sweden team for Euro 2012. the Kosovo Football Federation, least because the whole issue is friendly games with the national the English Premier league (for The main beneficiary of the FFK, for four years now, and has about much more than just poli- team of Kosovo has sent shock- West Ham and Sunderland respec- Kosovo soccer Diaspora has been fought hard on two fronts. tics. waves across the Balkans. The tively), and veteran striker Shefki Switzerland, where most of the At home, he has sought to Giving all those talented Kosovo decision was particularly surpris- Kuqi, currently with Oldham, his Kosovo emigrants live, with four improve playing conditions on and players across Europe an opportu- ing because UEFA members repre- 10th English club in 11 seasons being called up for the Swiss off the field, and has had some suc- nity to play for the land of their sented in FIFA had voted against (half of them in the Premiership). national squad in the past 12 cess, not least as a result of his birth is a matter of fairness. Even it. And this season a new genera- months (interestingly, they have personal charisma. more importantly, those who have FIFA Secretary-General Jérôme tion has come onto the scene, been joined by two Macedonia- Internationally his main task was remained in Kosovo must not be Valcke sent a letter to the Football spearheaded by FC Basel duo born ethnic Albanians, Blerim to put Kosovo on the world map, to forgotten, because football is an Association of Serbia (FSS) Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhemaili and Admir Mehmedi). gain UEFA and FIFA recognition integral part of Kosovo’s sporting explaining that the decision was Xhaka. An even higher proportion can be for the KFF and to see Kosovo life, as FIFA President Sepp made” following repeated written The pair were born in the east- found in youth squads. clubs and the national team enter Blatter pointed out on Wednesday.