Opinion: Communitarians of the World Unite (and Decentralise)!

October 28 - November 10, 2011 Issue No. 74 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 The 600,000 NEWS Dollar Lobbyists Uniformed Russians Tour North Kosovo Kosovo’s government Barricades has quietly signed a > page 3 deal with one of the BUSINESS Washington’s top Kosovo Doctors in lobbyists for Holidays-for- 600,000 dollars a Prescriptions year after it was Scandal forced to cancel an identical agreement.

See Page 3 Blood Feuds Sold as Tickets > page 7 to Belgian Promised Land NEIGHBOURHOOD Saintly sounding NGOs are selling fake documents about deadly vendettas to Albanians seeking Hackers Disrupt asylum in Western Europe. Online Macedonian claiming that feuds with another criminal code. six month period, but they are not By Elvis Nabolli in Shkodra family put their own lives at risk. It lays out detailed procedures allowed to work during their stay. Classes For Greeks Prishtina Insight has discovered for blood feuds, loosely based on Following the liberalization of ran Nikolli, a burly man in that Nikolli’s organization and the principle of an eye-for-an-eye. the visa regime there were few > page 9 his sixties, works as the gen- other similar NGOs routinely sell When someone is killed, the vic- applications for asylum in Feral secretary of “Mother families documents and certifi- tim’s family may take revenge not Western Europe. Teresa’s Missionaries for Peace,” cates saying they could become just against the killer himself but But in September and October INSIDE PRISHTINA an organization that claims to be victims of a fatal vendetta if they against all males in his extended Belgian authorities saw an expo- involved in peace-making between No End to Albanian families caught in a do not receive asylum in Europe. clan. nential growth, prompting warn- cycle of violence based on the As this reporter found, these Because of the loose nature of ings to Tirana that criminal net- Illegal Taxis medieval code of Lek Dukagjin. documents come with a price tag, the rules on retribution, it’s often works might be behind the sudden Although Albanian officials say and they do not necessarily hard to work out who precisely is surge. > page 18 so-called blood feuds - which require a real conflict to exist. in danger. Freddy Rosemont, head of spiked after the collapse of Enver The EU lifted visa requirements Belgium's Asylum and Migration Hoxha’s dictatorship - are declin- An eye for an eye: on Albanians on December 15, 2010, Department, who recently visited ing, Nikolli and his colleagues are since when Albanians have been Tirana to alert local authorities, The Canon of Lek Dukagjin is a allowed easier access to Europe’s said 240 Albanian citizens sought busier than ever. Kosovo’s only English-language Hundreds of Albanians, mostly centuries-old code of conduct cov- borderless Schengen zone. political asylum since the start of newspaper is available: from the northern region of ering every aspect of life, which The new regime allows October, compared to only 44 in Shkodra, have applied for asylum still holds more sway in some Albanian citizens to travel within September. Delivered to in Belgium in the last two months, areas of the countryside than the the EU borders for 90 days within a continues page 2 Your Door

North Kosovo Leader Demands Impasse over Skopje From Newsstands Right to Join Serbia Highway across Kosovo

The head of the Serbian National Kosovo’s government intends to press Sent To Council, Nebojsa Jovic, says that 50,000 ahead with its plans to build the country’s Your Inbox Kosovo Serbs living in the area north of second highway between Prishtina and the the Ibar river want the territory to become Macedonian border, perhaps as early as part of Serbia and are ready to die for the next year, despite concern from interna- From cause. Beside one of the 18 barricades tional institutions that the country can ill our partners erected by Serbs north... afford it... news page 2 business page 6 see page 16 for more info

is supported by: 2 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 news North Kosovo Leader Demands Right to Join Serbia A Serb leader in North Kosovo says the 50,000 Serbs living there want to merge with Serbia, and will not live in an independent Kosovo, whatever the EU and NATO say. is that we are allowed to live inside with a comprehensive agenda Serbia, separated from independ- about the north, and reach out to ent Kosovo. The second is that Serbs living there. By Fatmir Aliu, someone expells us from here, Jovic said that Stefan Fule Mitrovica which believe me, is hard to "means absolutely nothing com- Serbs in northern Kosovo want to be ruled from Belgrade. achieve. Deporting 50,000 people pared with Resolution 1244. This [Serbs] tried through violence and cades on various roads, preventing looks like a big risk,” Jovic added. resolution is stronger than Stefan war to achieve our goals, but we access to the Jarinje and Brnjak he head of the Serbian Northern Kosovo, which borders Fule, and it is more powerful than failed. That was the case pre-1999 border gates. KFOR has since National Council, Nebojsa Serbia, has long been a tense area. the German Chancellor [Angela and afterwards. Now is the time to requested the removal of the barri- TJovic, says that 50,000 Its population, which is almost Merkel] and other statesmen." Kosovo Serbs living in the area talk to each other. Dialogue and an cades. entirely Serbian, does not recog- He was referring to the Security north of the Ibar river want the agreement should be based upon But Jovic says Serbs will keep nise Kosovo’s independence and Council resolution, adopted in 1999, territory to become part of Serbia reality [on the ground] and on the the barricades and are ready to pro- does not trust KFOR and EULEX. which placed Kosovo under the and are ready to die for the cause. readiness of both sides to compro- tect them with their lives. While officially a part of Kosovo, authority of the United Nations. Beside one of the 18 barricades mise,” Jovic said. “If the barricades are taken the four majority-Serb municipali- "What's happening in the north erected by Serbs north of the town Recently, tensions have flared down, EULEX and KFOR will have ties in the north are under the de- is a private war of [Kosovo Prime of Mitrovica, Jovic told Prishtina over the issue of who controls to pass through us," he said. "We facto control of Serbia, which Minister] Hashim Thaci," he Insight that the Albanian-led gov- Kosovo-Serbia checkpoints. From don’t want to threaten anyone. But finances all the main institutions. added. "It’s not a war between the ernment in Prishtina, NATO's Kosovo's independence in 2008 the moment they march on the bar- The EU Enlargement Albanian and Serbian nation." peacekeeping mission, KFOR, and until mid-July, the two main north- ricades, even if they use tanks, Commissioner, Stefan Fule, recent- The head of the Serbian the EU rule of law mission EULEX, ern border gates were controlled they will have to run over us first," ly urged Belgrade to improve its National Council said multi-ethnic needed to understand that Serbs exclusively by EULEX. he said. relations with Prishtina in order to institutions could not function in will never accept Kosovo's inde- But on 25 July the Kosovo gov- "If we find ourselves in a life begin EU accession talks, noting Kosovo. pendence, proclaimed in 2008. ernment deployed special police to threatening situation, then of that the area north of the Ibar river “No one can force us love each “They cannot force us to be part these two checkpoints to enforce a course we will have to defend our- remained part of Kosovo. other," he said. "The Albanians of the independent Kosovo. This recent trade ban on goods entering selves with other means, but I hope The European Commission, don't love us and I don’t like them, will never happen," he said. the country from Serbia. this will never happen,” he added. meanwhile, recently urged the gov- but don’t hate them either. "There are two options. The first Kosovo Serbs then erected barri- ernment in Prishtina to come up "It’s a fact that in the past we Blood Feuds Sold as Tickets to Belgian Promised Land from page 1 country is staggering, considering framework on which to issue such certificates about blood feuds are

"If this trend continues, by the REPUBLIKA E SHQIPERISE that the Shkodra region’s police documents and in most cases they not so scared of the police clamp- Misioni i Pajtimit Mbarekombetar end of the month the number of “NENE TEREZA“ spokeswoman, Farbardha Celepia, are fakes, because the people who down. Albanian asylum seekers [in Adresa: Shtepia e Ushtarakeve, Kati 3, Shkoder- ALBANIA Tel. +355692633015 says only about 240 people in the received them were not involved Gjin Mekshi, chair of the Nr.173/11. Prot Shkoder, me 16/10/2011 Belgium] will reach some 400," area are involved in blood feuds. in any conflict or vendetta,” police Nationwide Reconciliation VERTETIM

Rosemont said in a joint press con- Me ane te te cilit vertetojme se z. Elvis NABOLLI, i datelindjes 11 shtator 1986, “In recent years this problem has spokeswoman Alma Katragjini Mission, “Mother Teresa,” anoth- lindur e banues ne Shkoder, eshte rregjistruar prane Misionit sone si person i rrezikuar nga fenomeni i gjakmarrjes. ference in Tirana with the head of Xhaxhai i Elvisit, Faiku eshte kthyer per pushime nga Greqia ku eshte emigrant been minimized,” Celepia said. said. er NGO operating in Shkodra, prej vitesh. Teksa udhetonte me makinen e tij, nje makine tjeter e drejtuar nga Marash Albanian police, Hysni Burgaj. Zefi, banor i fshatit Bardhaj por me origjine nga Dukagjini, e ka goditur me makine. Pasi The Forum for Freedom of Both officials have denied offered to sell me a similar docu- eshte ulur nga makina, Faiku i ka kerkuar Marashit qe te marre persiper riparimin e demeve meqenese ishte ai fajtor. Marash Zefi, jo vetem nuk ia ka marre persiper kthimin "Behind these people that are e makines ne gjendje para perplasjes, por i ka lene celesta e makines se tij ne dore Faikut, Thought, a local NGO funded by wrongdoing. ment with same story about my duke i thene se me ke 5.000.000 leke borxh sepse aq me ka kushtuar makina. Me kot Faiku eshte munduar ta binde dhe madje Marashi e ka goditur me grusht. Pas sekonda me falling prey to lies is an entire pas, pasi eshte ngritur nga toka, ka shkuar ne makinen e tij, ka marre nje pistolete qe e USAID, which has created a data- After these indictments on uncle’s imaginary crime. And he mbante pa leje dhe ka qelluar te drejtim te Marash Zefit. Edhe pse ka marre plage ne trup, organization - networks that pro- Marashi me nderhyrjen e mjekeve ka shpetuar, por kane filluar problemet per nipin e base on families facing vendettas October 24, communication with followed through, even giving me Faikut, Elvis Nabollin. Familja Zefi ka deklaruar se ne baze te Kanunit, gjaku lahet me gjak dhe meqe Faiku eshte rikthyer ne Greqi, ne do ta marrim hakun tek nipi i tij. Sipas vide documents and fake papers in Kanunit, fisi i demtuar ka te drejte te vrase me te njohurin, me te mirin e fisit Nabolli dhe connected to Lek’s Canon, esti- Nikolli became difficult. When I a discount. ky eshte pikerisht Elvisi, i cili punon gazetar dhe eshte i rrezikuar cdo dite me jeten. Misioni yne ka bere te gjitha perpjekjet per ta mbyllur kete histori gjakmarrjeje, exchange for huge amounts of por nuk ia ka arritur te realizoje pajtimin ne mes dy fiseve, te cilat tashme jane ne mates that only 94 families cur- contacted him again he broke off “That’s 200 euro for you because hasmeri. Gazetari Elvis Nabolli perfshihet tashme ne listen e gjate te viktimave te money," he added. gjakmarrjes, duke qene i kercenuar me jete edhe gjate ushtrimit te profesionit te tij. rently face such a predicament. the deal. “I am not issuing any you are a journalist,” Mekshi said, Per Misionin e Pajtimit Mbarekombetar “NENE TEREZA“ more certificates for now as the handing the document. My own private feud: Kryetari Bonus needed: police and secret service are after Gjin MEKSHI The investigation was supported me,” he said. by the Danish association of inves- During a meeting in early Because my own “blood feud” But Nikolli’s competitors in the tigative journalism, FUJ, under its October, once Nikolli found out was not real but a fabrication, business of issuing pay-as-you-go Proof of a 'blood feud' provided to our SCOOP programme. that I was looking for a blood-feud reporter Nikolli required a bonus before he certificate, he went straight to the could release the certificate. “The point asking if anyone from my his car refused to pay damages, blood feud is made up and so costs family had ever been involved in a my uncle, apparently in a fit of 250 euro; if it was real it would conflict, and particularly if the rage, had shot and wounded him only cost you 150,” he explained. conflict had resulted with some- as a result of which the victim’s We agreed to meet a few days one being killed or wounded. family had selected me as a target later when I could come up with “Hmm… this is a problem, but for revenge. the money and receive my certifi- even for this problem there is a “Now your life is in danger and cate. In the meantime, following solution,” Nikolli chided, on find- you cannot live any longer in the alert from the Belgian author- ing out that no one from my fami- Albania,” Nikolli said with a ities, Albanian police launched ly had committed murder in degree of pride. “This document their probe into the issue, sending recent memory. “However, it can will work for you because only Nikolli and others like him under- be fixed,” he added, after grum- this way you can be granted asy- ground. bling with his thoughts for a few lum in the EU,” he added. The probe has since resulted in moments. Nikolli said his organization the indictment of two local offi- A few days later Nikolli pro- had released some 220 similar cer- cials, the head of the communes of duced a document, which said that tificates in the last two months Postriba and the mayor of the my uncle, on his return from alone, which he assured me had small town of Koplik, who had Greece where he lives as a resulted in many successful asy- also issued fake certificates about migrant, had been involved in an lum applications. blood feuds to would-be asylum accident. The number of alleged blood seekers. After the driver that scratched feud victims who need to leave the “The two officials had no legal Thethi, in northern Albanian, home to one of the last 'blood feud' towers.

Y M C +381 38 602042, +377 44 243367, +386 49 243367 K news Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 3 The 600,000 Dollar Lobbyists Editor’s Word Bogg's foreign affair advisor, planned to carry out a single- But the agency was less met Thaci in United States in source tender. clear, first stating that it had Peshkim July 2010. According to a press Government members, how- no record of such a request, By Petrit Collaku release they discussed “current ever, refused to give clear then saying it did and finally political developments in answers about the reasons for asking for a meeting to discuss Kosovo and the achievements annulling the deal, suggesting this which has yet to be held. up to now of Kosovo’s institu- only that it had been made fol- According to the US docu- By Lawrence Marzouk osovo’s government has tions”. lowing legal advice, and reject- ments, logged at the quietly signed a deal with one of the It is not known whether a ed accusations that it had bro- Department of Justice, Patton K e Europeans may have sleepwalked Washington’s top lobbyists for potential lobbying deal was ken procurement rules. Boggs will perform research to the brink of the financial 600,000 dollars a year after it also on the table, but in Now, according to the docu- and “advisory services on September 2010 the govern- ments seen by Prishtina legal and advocacy issue to be Wprecipice, but here’s some news to was forced to cancel an identi- cheer us as we await the inevitable freefall of cal agreement last year. ment’s cabinet voted to employ Insight, the deal has been used for expansion of bilateral Patton Boggs at a rate of 50,000 brought back from the dead. and multilateral relations”. our living standards – the Anticorruption Prishtina Insight has Agency has actually done something. Yeah. dollars a month, 38,000 euro. It is not clear whether this The company will be obtained a copy of an official On Thursday it emerged that they were The cabinet was then forced to follows another vote by the gov- engaged in “fostering invest- US document which details prosecuting 20-odd people for not declaring cancel the decision at the next ernment, as no such decision ments and trade opportunities Patton Boggs’ relationship, their assets. I gasped in excitement, for, and I meeting in November. could be found on the prime for Kosovo, as well as gather- with the Office of the Prime know it be a little sad, this is my kind of This followed revelations by minister’s website, or whether ing funds from foreign aid pro- Minister and Ministry of news. Prishtina Insight that the it follows a tender process, grams”. Foreign Affairs. As I clicked on the story link, I could see move appeared to have broken which was also not apparent Patton Boggs’ foreign affairs The deal, which is under the images of big fish being plucked effortlessly the law on public procurement from the website of the Public adviser is Frank Wisner. The name of “His Excellency the from a raging torrent by the former director as Patton Boggs had simply Procurement Agency. former US Secretary of State Prime Minister of Kosovo, of Anticorruption, Hasan Preteni, in a bear been selected to do this job by The office of the prime min- under George Bush, Hashim Thaci” was signed on suit. Ah, I thought, that trout looks like Shaip the cabinet. ister said it had not dealt with Condoleezza Rice, appointed August 31, but has not been Muja. The government should the process, while the Ministry Wisner as the US’s special rep- announced or publicised by the I could not have been more disappointed: have picked the lobbying firm of Foreign Affairs said it had resentative to the Kosovo government, who last year the Anticorruption Agency has, it seems, following a competitive bid- awarded the contract in coor- Status Talks in 2005, where he were forced to cancel the same decided to prosecute a bunch of whitebait – ding or justified to the Public dination with the procurement played a crucial role in negoti- contract. each less nutritious than the next – for not Procurement Agency why it agency. ating Kosovo’s independence. Frank Wisner, who is Patton filling in their forms, while the salmon con- tinue to flip tauntingly in the river. Give me ten minutes and I can prove to you that a handful of Kosovo’s political elite have Uniformed Russians Tour lied on, or forgotten to complete properly, their declarations. The example I tend to use when training journalists is the aforementioned trout, Dr North Kosovo Barricades Muja. I don’t have anything against the man, but I do know that he has not been entirely Men wearing Russian military uniforms have been spotted in the Serb-dominanted north of Mitrovica, though forthcoming with his business interests in Kosovo Police say they were civilians. his declaration. This, to you and me, is a crime, but to Dr Muja & Co. it is irrelevant, a spotted with military uniforms doesn’t distraction from the business of govern- mean they were soldiers," he said. ment. “They came to Kosovo to bring an icon His name appears on two businesses which By Fatmir Aliu, Maryrose Fison, for the Orthodox church in the north of he has not declared, and if you spend a bit of Mitrovica Mitrovica,” Hoti added. time looking, it quickly becomes clear that A hundred metres away, some ten KFOR his close family are also pretty entrepreneur- peacekeepers observed the crowd that had ial. group of about 10 Russians dressed gathered at the barricade. He is far from alone and BIRN, as well as in military uniforms visited Serbs At the barricade, using a translator, the later spotted on barricades in Zupce and many other media organisations, has pointed Amanning a barricade on the main Russians told local Kosovo Serbs that “they Jagnjenica, near Zubin Potok. out these gaping holes in many assets decla- bridge in the north of the divided town of had come with a message from the Russian Mitrovica on Monday. Meanwhile, KFOR told Prishtina Insight rations. The European Union has questioned Prime Minister [Vladimir Putin] to show Accompanied by a Russian Orthodox that a barricade positioned on the road in its progress report for the past two years support for the Serbian population living Priest, the uniformed men bore Russian leading to the Brnjak customs checkpoint why more is not being done to investigate in the north [of Kosovo]”. flags and were greeted as heroes by Kosovo had been removed over the weekend and a glaring discrepancies between income and "They were not soldiers, because if they Serbs on the barricade. second barricade, erected approximately wealth. were KFOR wouldn’t allow them to enter “You are our only hope! You are our only 600 metres away from the main road to But the Anticorruption Agency, be it by Kosovo,” Besim Hoti told Prishtina Insight. saviours! God bless you for coming here, Brnjak had been dismantled by the local design or weakness, has virtually destroyed The group stayed for about an hour at the since no one else cares about us,” an old population. the value of declarations of assets by allow- barricade, which stands on the bridge over woman told a uniformed man. Serbs have been manning more than a ing officials and politicians to lie about their the river Ibar dividing the town into the Kosovo Police spokesperson Besim Hoti dozen barricades in northern Kosovo for wealth, emboldening those already swagger- southern predominantly Albanian and told Prishtina Insight that the uniformed months in protest against the deployment ing with impunity. northern, mainly Serbian sectors. men were not part of the regular Russian of Kosovo government customs officials on By allowing a spotlight to be shone on peo- After completing a religious ceremony, military. the Kosovo-Serbia border. ple’s assets, the Agency is supposed to either the Russians staged a parade in the streets “They came into Kosovo as civilians. The Serbs in northern Kosovo do not recog- expose wrongdoing or act as a disincentive to in the north of Mitrovica. fact that these group of 10 Russians were nise Kosovo's independence, proclaimed in corruption. Kosovo police said the Russians were 2008. In the first year of declarations, this meant at least that politicians had to say where their houses were located, name the busi- PRISTINA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT “ADEM JASHARI” nesses they owned and provide some infor- mation on the wealth of close family mem- bers. But the light is fading. Now, most just pro- vided meaningless lists on their declarations without specific information. For example, Fatmir Limaj in 2010 declared where his homes were, down to the street names. This year – nothing, apart from whether it was a house or an apartment. What was supposed to be an exercise in transparency has become one of obfuscation and box-ticking. Worse – the politicians are making a mockery of one of Kosovo’s most important institutions. The Anticorruption Agency should be commended for hauling in its 20 small fry, but it risks being worse than useless if it does not cast its net in murkier waters. WE ARE OPEN FOR ALL DEPARTING FLIGHTS • CALL US ON 038 594422 4 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 news Apple “Recognises” Kosovo’s Independence Apple, arguably the most sought-after brand on the planet, registered its trade mark for the first time with Kosovo Customs in May, it has emerged, but the high-tech firm’s friendship with the country dates back to 2007.

before the premiere. Gjoci had to while looking at the latest text reassemble the clip overnight on message on his iPhone 4G. Tinka Kurti his Mac. Gjoci decided to sidestep the “If I had to try to redo the clip regional head office in Croatia overnight on a PC, it would have and travel to Portugal, where he osta Rica is often heralded been impossible,” Gjoci said. met Paddy McManus, representa- as the first country to have This, he says, reinforced his love tive of Apple for Ireland, who he Crecognised Kosovo’s inde- The Apple store in Prishtina. pendence from Serbia, on the day of the brand and, soon afterwards, convinced to provide him with a of PM Hashim Thaci’s declaration he left Kosovo to purchase more licence. As a result, in 2007 he institutions offer insufficient pro- in February 2008. Apple products. inaugurated the company "Molla" tection of trade marks. But, according to Blerim Gjoci, “I was paid 15,000 euro for a with all the Apple products and “Besides the 11.5 per cent tax Apple’s decision to award him a movie in Switzerland and I spend McManus by his side. that we must pay at customs, we licence to open a franchise in all of the money at the Apple Everything can still be bought are being damaged by the illegal Kosovo, not Serbia, in August 2007 store,” he said. at the store, except iPhones, competition. Many stores use was as important a recognition as Later on, back in Kosovo, he which must be sold alongside a Apple’s logo while they have no any that have come since. could not find the necessary equip- mobile phone provided, of which kind of right to do so. Molla, which is Albanian for ment or parts for his purchased none in Kosovo has a licence. “We have complained but no Apple, has been the only autho- products. “I got the idea to open a Gjoci consideres all these prod- one has taken responsibility for rised store in Kosovo since then. franchise, but the licence had to ucts “a sign of modern civiliza- this matter,” said Gjoci. But it was not until this May that be obtained under Serbia and I tion”. Kosovo Customs have their own Apple registered its brand with did not want to accept this, so I “All the iPhones that you see defensive version. I phone's cannot be sold legally in Kosovo Kosovo Customs, in order to stop tried to meet with the representa- being sold are illegal,” said Gjoci, Adriatik Stavileci said: “The tive of Apple for Europe,” he says, who complains that Kosovo’s the flood of counterfeit products. “Apple” trademark has protection Canada at 463 euro, whereas the In early May, 180 fake Apple from Kosovo’s Customs. most expensive is in Italy at 659 iPhones 5 arrived at Pristina air- “Based on all the information euro. port. that we have from the holder of According to shops in Pristina As Apple had not yet registered the trademark in question, mod- the best selling product is the its brand no offence had been com- ules have been established for iPhone 4G. Its price is 495 euro. mitted and Customs was obliged to risk profiling in order to combat Aida Rexha a student who uses treat the fake goods as genuine the counterfeiting of goods." the iPhone and iPad says that Apple products and allow their According to Customs figures, these products are fun to use. import. the company has imported goods "The content and language used On May 20, Apple registered the worth 150,000 euro this year. in messages that I receive remain brand, or trademark, and, indi- Of the latest 32GB iPad 2, 66 the same as the ones I got before, rectly, recognised the independ- have entered officially the coun- but now they look better and they ence of Kosovo. try. cannot be more exciting," says Of the simpler version, the iPad Aida. The Original Sin 2, 16GB, 22 have been imported. She says that she carries her Another popular product for iPad wherever she goes, cafes, to Four years ago, Gjoci, who is an imports is Apple bags. her friends’ homes where they actor, lost a clip he was working Meanwhile according to tech- meet to prepare their university with on his computer, just the day nology company “Focus”, which assignments. According to her, recently published a price list on the iPhone is also very suitable the different costs of the new for social networks such as The Apple store in London iPhone 4S, the cheapest price is in Twitter.

www.prishtinainsight.com Publisher: Albania and Kosovo to Unify Consular Services BIRN Balkan Investigative Reporting Network lbania’s government has rati- fied an agreement which uni- Mensa e Studenteve, first floor Afies consular services and 10000, Prishtina practices with Kosovo and halves Kosovo costs for both countries. Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 “Albanians should feel the same in Fax: +381 (0) 38 22 44 98 Tirana and Prishtina,” said Prime [email protected] Minister Sali Berisha during a cabi- net meeting. Editor-in-Chief: He added that similar practices Lawrence Marzouk should be followed in other areas [email protected] like customs, culture and education in order to cut down on bureaucracy Editorial Team: and bring the two sister countries Ana Petruseva, Gordana Igric, closer together. Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, “It’s necessary to consolidate the Petrit Collaku, Shengjyl Osmani, trend of cooperation with [a] com- Artan Mustafa and Kanarina Shehu. mon legal framework and common legal practices, alleviating the Marketing, Sales & Distribution: bureaucratic hurdles for the citizens [email protected] of Albania and Kosovo,” he said. Since Kosovo declared independ- Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” ence from Serbia in February 2008, Arben Grajqevci Y the two governments in Tirana and Prishtina have worked closely to M Printing: Lindi Printing Center C strengthen business and cultural Copyright © BIRN K ties. Kosovo and Albania are increasing their ties. news Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 5 Stars Twinkle in Vain over Kosovo’s Hotels Of the 350 hotels in Kosovo, fewer than 200 are licensed and none has a legitimate claim to a star rating, despite the lights often adorning their roofs.

recently constructed and luxuri- ous Emerald Hotel, also expects that the Ministry of Trade and By Lulzim Ahmeti Industry will hand it five stars when it starts awarding ratings. He would prefer the assessment to be done by international here may be three, four or experts. “It's not that we do not even five. But the star rat- trust the ministry, but it is a differ- Tings for hotels in Kosovo are ent matter if we get rackets going rarely, if ever, a guide to the com- on,” he said. “It would be best to forts within, Prishtina Insight can have foreign experts in on the reveal. Most are for show only, the process.” hotels rated purely on the owner’s The Emerald Hotel is the first whim rather than according to any hotel in Kosovo to have a reason- standard criteria. able claim to a quintet of celestial As many unsuspecting interna- bodies on the roof. tional guests can attest to, follow- It has even built itself a helipad, ing a night in one of the country’s despite the dearth of chopper-own- grotty inns, the number of stars ing clients within flying distance. atop a hotel has often little to do Along with its indoor pool, sauna, with the quality of the establish- spa and a fitness center, perhaps ment. its only drawback is that it is situ- About 350 hotels are currently ated in the car park of a petrol sta- operating in Kosovo, according to tion just off the main highway to the Ministry of Trade and Skopje. Industry, which says it has The Iliria, on Prishtina’s licensed just 200 and graded not a Mother Teresa Boulevard, is due single one. to reopen in November following Tourism expert Zeke Ceku said major renovation work by that no hotel deserved a five-star Mabetex, the construction firm rating, despite many claims to the owned by Behgjet Pacolli. contrary. “Hotel stars in Kosovo It will form part of the billion- are an expression of will and the aire’s luxury Swiss Diamond claims of the owners,” he said. Grand Hotel is anything but grand, according to most guests, but new owners hope this perception will change. chain and will also set higher stan- Ceku blames the Ministry of dards for hotels in Kosovo. Trade for the delay in the process when MPs will pass it. one deserves,” he said. Zylqif Berisha, says he intends to According to the Statistical of grading and licensing hotels: Shala says the new law will Kosovo’s best-known hotel, the earn back the hotel’s claim to a Office of Kosovo, the country is “This could have been done earlier determine all the necessary condi- Grand, is testament to a decline in five-star rating. over-endowed with hotel rooms. but there hasn’t been any dedicat- tions, ranging from floor space, standards from Yugoslav times. He says they are working to Kosovo’s 197 licensed hotels ed work in this field.” shape of rooms, and number of Yugoslavia’s long deceased meet the standards of the interna- already offering 2,000 rooms of Nijazi Shala, Director of bathrooms and toilets. ruler, Josip Tito, may still have his tional, luxury Sheraton chain. various sizes, it says, which is well Tourism at the ministry, said that The law will also determine old room there, but given its cur- “We expect to invest more than 30 above the current demand. the failure to grade hotels was which facilities are needed for rent state he would probably million euro by the end of the proj- According to the latest figures, down to fact that the ministry was each grade, ranging from gyms decline the opportunity to ect," he said. the average occupancy rate in awaiting adoption of a new law on and swimming pools to parking. overnight in it. Bardhyl Meta, director of the June, was just 380 rooms a night. hotels. Hysen Sogojeva, head of the Sunday Times journalist “The grading process has not Hotel Division at the ministry, says Richard Green visited the hotel begun, and only ‘Administrative a good 60 per cent of hotels should last year to follow up British diplo- Hotel Misnomers: Instructions’ have been issued,” be stripped of their right to oper- mat Chris Patten’s assessment of Shala confirmed. ate as hotels at all as they don’t the Grand as “the worst hotel in Grand Hotel (Five Stars): Not so grand anymore, it has even been “Grading will begin after the meet the minimum requirements. the world" and “unbelievably labeled the worst hotel in the world. law is passed and a commission “All hotels bearing stars now are grim”. Hotel OK (Five Stars): This inn on the outskirts of Prizren could will be set up to lead this very considered illegal as far as the He concluded that Patten’s win a prize for mixed messages. While it has five stars on its roof, the important process,” he added. Department of Tourism is con- harsh judgment was fair enough, name “OK” suggests a more modest offering. But the hotel law is not even cerned, until the relevant assess- despite constant renovation work Motel Intertrans Coop: This venue wins the prize for least homely before parliament and no clear ment committee gives them certifi- over the past two years. moniker, which would, perhaps, be better suited to a haulage union. time frame exists concerning cates about how many stars each The new owner of the Grand, Mirel: New Vision Needed for Northern Kosovo

many people does not work and I guess in such a situation you have people who would By Prishtina Insight abuse the situation. The time has come to develop another vision, have a plan about the north and we will contribute to imple- menting it,” he added. n an exclusive interview with the Balkan Talking about the Balkans as a whole, he Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, indicated that there was also a disconnect Pierre Mirel, the director for Western I between what countries’ leaders said and Balkans at the European Commission, said did in the region regarding movement it is time for the government to improve towards the European Union, EU. socio-economic conditions in northern Kosovo. “What we have seen in each and every country [in the Western Balkans] is a Mirel said the Commission would be in strong commitment towards the EU but favour of supporting a plan as long as what we do not see, at the same level, is a Kosovo tackled the poor living conditions translation of this commitment into con- in the north of the country. crete measures which would, in the one “We have suggested that government side, bring inclusive regional cooperation should come up with a vision for the north that would lead to reconciliation and would – there have been little, not to say no invest- get the countries closer to the EU.” ment [from the Kosovo government] for Mirel’s interview with BIRN took place years and years [in the north] and the on 13 October in Prishtina, after Mirel Y social and economic situation there is very delivered the EU’s annual progress report M bad,” he said. to Kosovo. C “Trepca mine that used to employ so See the full inteview at www.gazetajnk.com Pierre Mirel meets Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga. K 6 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 business

Impasse over Skopje Highway

Kosovo’s Government is determined to build a highway between Prishtina and Skopje, despite objections by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund about the state of the nation’s financial health. start construction in this financial clearly states that this project can- "In addition to fiscal constraints agreed not to allocate resources year, but that the government not be started before funding has - projections of revenues and and not put in the budget the start hopes works could begin by the been identified and approval financing – the budget leaves no of the construction of Highway 6 By Tinka Kurti end of 2012, or early 2013. sought from the IMF and the space for the start of the construc- to Macedonia, given the financial “What we have agreed with the World Bank. tion of the road 6,” said the World constraints and the fact that the IMF is that in 2012, Kosovo’s gov- “In the short term, our priori- Bank manager for Kosovo, Jan- government plans for fiscal ernment will continue with the ties include highway spending to Peter Olters. resources, which is available to osovo’s government intends preparation of procedures around Macedonia (R6), and implementa- "Therefore we have proposed to use to ensure completion within to press ahead with its Kplans to build the country’s the start of the construction of tion of health insurance for carefully examine various alterna- the prescribed period of highway second highway between this project which includes employees / employers who may tives for this route, offering our construction in Albania .” Prishtina and the Macedonian design, implementation and feasi- eventually require funding from support for a research grant that Lumir Abdixhiku, head of the border, perhaps as early as next bility study of the whole project, the government,” red the letter will fund a study on options for Riinvest Institute, said: “With the year, despite concern from inter- and tendering procedures, “ he from the government to the IMF. financing its construction,” he new IMF monitoring agreement, national institutions that the said. “We will continue with these added. This will, he said, look at Kosovo has been made it clear that country can ill afford it. “The [financial] programme projects only when we identify good examples from across the the repetition of the “Highway of The World Bank has told monitored by the IMF ends in late and secure funding that is consis- world and investigate the possibil- the Nation” to Skopje eventually Prishtina Insight that Kosovo’s December 2011, while we are talk- tent with our fiscal position. We ity of bringing in private funds. will lead to the country's financial government must not begin so ing about the inclusion of a proj- will consult with the International Jan-Peter Olters added that, bankruptcy.” early, given its already onerous ect in future fiscal years. As such, Monetary Fund and World Bank according to the IMF agreement, “People do not know why it is commitments to complete the it is in harmony with the IMF and before moving forward with these the highway will not begin in 2012. better to spend a billion on build- country’s first motorway – the 1 no current agreement with this plans, especially before continuing “Regarding Highway 6, the ing roads, before investment in billion euro road between institution will be violated. “ with the contractual agreements. “ Kosovo government and the IMF health, education or regional Prishtina and the Albanian bor- Jose Sulemane, head of the IMF World Bank officials in Kosovo recently agreed the basic princi- roads are made,” he added. der. in Kosovo, would only point already see difficulties in financ- ples for the 2012 budget,” said The new highway between Muharrem Shahini, spokesman Prishtina Insight towards the let- ing the highway following a Olters. Prishtina and Skopje is one of for the Ministry of Finance, said it ter between from the government review of the options available to “During these discussions, the Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's had agreed with the IMF not to and the IMF from August, which the government. delegation of the government has election pledges for this mandate. PTK Sale Collapsed After The sale of Kosovo’s most lucrative asset, Post Telecommunications of Kosovo, has been set back by at least a year, leaving a gaping hole in the country’s budget. Prishtina Insight also under- a turnover of 160 million euro. It stands that Telco AG and Wolf remains the most profitable com- Theiss, transaction advisors for pany in the country and the tele- By Artan Mustafa the process, are likely to be phone market is very attractive in replaced. the global market. "In June, Hrvatski Telekom Minister Beqaj does not see the expressed concern about the three years of preparations as reparations for the privati- court case involving PTK. We lost by this setback. “The credibil- sation of PTK have been put have given our guarantees that ity of the government would fall Pon hold by the Ministry of investors will not in any way be if we make decisions against the Economic Development following affected by this,” said Minister interests of the state. In this case, the withdrawal of Hrvatski Besim Beqaj, at a press confer- we have acted in harmony with Telekom, one of the two remain- ence. “But then HT partner, them,” he said. ing bidders. Deutsche Telekom, announced Sources in the Ministry of The Croatian firm pulled out, that it had problems with a trans- Economic Development said that leaving just Mobilkom Austria, action in the US and so was defi- it would wait at least a year before because of concerns about the Y nitely out of the race.” starting the process again. impact of an impending corrup- M PTK had announced that by Within the annual budget for tion court case which affects May of this year it had generated the year 2011/2012, some 300 mil- C PTK. K business Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 7 Kosovo Doctors in Holidays-for-Prescriptions Pharmaceutical companies are encouraging doctors to ille- gally prescribe their drugs in exchange for holidays abroad Scandal and dinners, Prishtina Insight has discovered.

ing cheaper, generic Prescriptions for Sale The Private sector is also drugs. “Is it me who “Infected” has to start changing By Alban Selimi The correspondence between this?” she said. Amir Dishallari, an agent for the Dishallari explains The phenomenon doesn’t just Prizren region for the Greek com- that after his return affect public hospitals, private olidays on the Greek coast, pany Ogechi Health, and the man- from the family medical facilities are also in the grip of funds to attend seminars, agement of the company in centre, he met two trainee drug companies. Hlunches, medical equip- Prishtina, obtained by this news- doctors, Refki Selaj and Nijazi Eminoviq, otolaryngolo- ment, cash and just the old fashion paper, lays bare the deals. Raman Bajramin. Bajrami notebooks and pens are among the gy specialist, left the public sector dur- Dishallari reports to his superi- refused to talk about this sub- gifts that pharmaceutical compa- after three decades of service ing a ors of the work which has been ject, whereas Selaj said that nies are giving to doctors in because of “irregularities”, he meeting he had carried out in the field, and they had just been offered pens. Kosovo in return for prescribing said. handed him a drug called arrangements for meeting, reveal- Selaj, like his colleague Raman their products. But although he claims not to “Plavidosen”. ing that doctors of the Family Bajrami, according to email, usu- An investigation by Prishtina prescribe drugs on behalf of cer- “He appreciated this and I told Medicine Centre in Prizren as well ally prescribes the Greek drugs Insight has discovered that the tain companies, his name is also him, Doctor, we keep our promis- as the town’s hospital and private Malortin and Vital Q10. doctors are specifying specific on Dishallari’s email. “There are es, the rest is up to you. He imme- clinics are benefiting from pre- Dishallari in his email says that branded drugs to patients, in enough companies, around 50 of diately gave me positive signals scribing the Greek company’s Dr Bajram Kryeziu, Nail Emini breach of the law, in return for them, and as a specialist I will pre- that he would prescribe some car- drugs. and Fadil Bajraktari, from the gifts from drug firms. scribe the drug that I feel is most diologic medications, especially One of Dishllari’s emails reads: FMC in Prizren, have similar suitable, may it be Turkish, Plavidosen,” read Dishallari’s “Dr Nazmije Martinaj and Dr answers to their colleagues. German or from any other state,” email. “Ogechi Health sends doc- Vjosa Braha said that they are pre- “I chose the drug that I like, the said Eminoviq. Vesgisht says he has never pre- scribing our drugs. This is very one which is the most effective, tors to Greece on vacation. The walls of his clinic are com- scribed drugs from Ogechi Health, true because I was in the office whether it’s Dalip’s or Hasani’s, or pletely covered in posters from but he does admit having met the For a year they have been today and they had written “Neo whoever’s, it does not matter,” said pharmaceutical companies, sales agent. Septol” for diarrhoea, of which Fadil Bajraktari. telling me that they will send including Ogechi Health, whose they had had several cases.” Rexhep Hapciu, Ferid Susuri Ciprospekt drug he prescribes. me as well, but then the situ- The two doctors, Dr Nazmije and Mujadin Trinjaku are other Health Mangers Reject Eminoviq says that he is capable Martinaj and Dr Vjosa Braha, specialists from the Regional ation changed because they of deciding which medicine to pre- Criticism work at the Family Medicine Hospital of Prizren, who are also scribe for the patient. "It is my were reducing half of the Center in Prizren. Braha is men- mentioned by Dishallari as doc- Although this phenomenon is decision as a doctor, nobody can tioned at the end of Dishallari’s tors who prescribe drugs from often discussed in various boards doctors [they work with].” stop me,” says Eminoviq, who in email, where he writes that “it is Ogechi Health. of the FMC and the Directorate of Dishallari’s email writes that he is vital to stick to the promises made Hapciu first admitted that Health in Prizren, director The breadth of this phenome- prescribing Ogechi Health drugs to some doctors, especially the “Ogechi Health” had promised Mehmedali Gashi says that so far non is exposed in two e-mails in return for gifts. ones to Vjosa Braha”. him a holiday in Halkidiki, near they have provided only feedback obtained by the newspaper. In another email, the agent While doctor Nazmije Martinaj Thessaloniki, although later he to staff, and not any punitive The Health Inspectorate of the explains that he had visited the refused to talk about Dishallari’s recanted and explained that the measures. Ministry of Health said it intend- family medical centre in Arbane, email. Her colleague Vjosa Braha promise was connected to “semi- “I heard this information and I ed to crack down on this activity near Prizren. said that she does not prescribe nars and symposiums”. got it off the record,” said Gashi. following our revelations. Dr Arta Hoxha and Dr drugs from only Ogechi Health Ferid Susuri admitted he met “Such arrangements are also Advie Mala, acting chief of the Gjelbrime Koqinaj are the two doc- and denies that she has an agree- Dishallari, but rejectedthe possi- made in other countries. If these Health Inspectorate, said that the tors here that Dishallari claims in ment with the firm. bility of doing a deal of this sort. arrangements are made for con- Law on Health prohibits prescrip- his dispatches prescribe the Greek “Anyone can mention my name Mujadin Trinjaku, dermatology tinuous professional develop- tions being made in the name of a drugs. [in an email], but I am very confi- specialist, had attended a seminar ment, then even if the doctor pre- brand. Doctor Hoxha says that regard- dent in myself of the work that I in Greece earlier in the scribes the drug of the company, This law states that “drugs at ing the “engagement” of do and the medicine that I pre- year, paid for by it does not cause major damage or any level of health care must be doctors for prescribing scribe. No one can forbid me to Ogechi Health. “I was ethical violations. Although, I did described with international gen- the drugs, they are sent prescribe a certain drug.” surprised when they warn my colleagues.” eral accepted designations”. to different events in called me and said Myzafer Kalenderi, director of return. “For example an come, you been the hospital in Prizren, said that Iftar [breaking of fast] have chosen to go to meetings were conducted in the was organised recently,” a training seminar hospital, but that it is not clear she said. in Greece,” said whether the drugs being pre- Although Hoxha has Lack of Bids Trinjaku. scribed were by the hospital or in received promises from Trinjaku pre- the private practices of these doc- lion euro had been earmarked economics and a senior member Ogechi Health that she scribes their drugs, tors. from the proceeds of PTK. of Vetenvedonsje, said the failure will go to Greece, this has but also insists that Ogechi’s Greek office declined The Finance Ministry Bedri to privatise PTK left the govern- not happened yet. he offers patients to comment on the investigation. Hamza, however, says that it has ment with a “500 million euro” “Ogechi Health sends doc- other drugs from Dishallari, the agent from reached a compromise with the black hole. tors to Greece on vaca- other companies. Prizren, has also refused to International Monetary Fund, "We have generally opposed the tion. For a year they have Dishallari also speak. IMF, to bypass this issue. been telling me that they postal privatisation as it is the mentions an intern Burim Hyseni, one of the man- “The failure to privatise PTK will send me as well, but most profitable property that from the Hospital of agers of the company in Kosovo, only affects the budget reserve,” then the situation Kosovo currently has,” said Prizren, Sharr replied by email, explaining that he said. changed because they Ahmeti. “From the beginning we Vesgishti, who the marketing activities of this International Monetary Fund were reducing half of the said that budget planning of the says that company are focused on training sources said the government can doctors [they work government of Kosovo had and development of doctors and actually cover their spending with].” become a risk due to many uncer- pharmacists. this time with the 244 million She, however, These include seminars and euro surplus from the previous tainties." says that she has educational trips within and years, but they foresee serious Naim Gashi, a professor of never prescribed a outside Kosovo. He says that problems in the future. macroeconomics, says that for drug to a patient in these activities are common Kosovo had soured relations 2012 there is no risk to finance order to go on holi- to all pharmaceutical with the IMF when it increased public projects. He said that the day. She rejects companies, anywhere in the income of civil servants government’s ability to dip into the idea the world. Y between 20 and 50 per cent in the the funds of the privatisation that she M New Year. agency would provide the neces- should be C Shpend Ahmeti, professor of sary liquidity. prescrib- K 8 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 neighbourhood news

Germany's Lidl Eyes Sites for Tender Failure Leaves Supermarkets in Serbia erbia is about to get its first super-dis- Scount stores, as Moraca Dam Project food retail giant Lidl examines some 20 loca- tions in Serbia for possi- ble facilities. German discount Hanging Business in brief chain Lidl is looking at Future of Montenegro’s ambitious 20 sites for possible stores in Serbia. Two project to harvest energy from the supermarkets are to be built in Novi Sad and Moraca river is in doubt after for- Valjevo, among other places, Balkan Insight has learned. eign partners fail to submit bids. Under the name Lidl Serbia Supermarketi, Lidl registered in Serbia on December 22, 2010 with a start-up capital of 20,000 euros. Lidl already oper- ates in neighbouring Croatia, Hungary and By Prishtina Insight Bulgaria. In May media reported that the chain would soon start operations in Novi Sad, where the com- razenka Becirovic, from the pany was reportedly interested in a site on Futog Montenegrin Economy Ministry, street. Dtold Prishtina Insight that new Lidl discount stores usually cover 1,000 to 2,000 expert analyses had been ordered fol- square metres, marketing goods at much cheaper lowing the failure of the tender to con- prices than competitors. struct hydroelectric power plants on the With an emphasis on rock-bottom prices, the Moraca river. chain has the potential to do well in Serbia, where The fresh studies were “the condition salaries are low. of all conditions” in order to decide Investments in aesthetic surroundings is mini- whether Montenegro’s former state mal, and goods are piled high to ensure quick power monopoly, Elektroprivreda Crne sales. Gore, EPCG, could handle the project on The largest retail chain in Serbia is Maxi, owned its own, she said. by Belgian group Delhaize, which bought the firm The tender closed unsuccessfully on from Delta Maxi Group for 932.5 million euros in September 30 after none of the other pre- March. viously qualified bidders presented an Plans for a Hydro-electric plant along the Moraca river are facing choppy water. offer. Montenegro, Serbia to join EPCG had qualified as a bidder for the failure of the tender should represent a monopoly Enel pulled out just before the tender in consortium with Italy’s A2A, “clear sign” for the government to turn to deadline to submit proposals expired. Russian Customs Union which also owns 43 per cent of EPCG. other, more sustainable projects, she Enel said it was not satisfied with the con- he customs union of Russia, Belarus and In July, the government of said. ditions, but did not want to comment on Kazakhstan will expand to include Montenegro, still a majority shareholder Marojevic said adequate environmen- the government’s agreement with A2A, TMontenegro and Serbia, Russia’s Minister in EPCG, signed a memorandum of tal impact and cost-benefit studies for the stating it was against company policy to for Emergency Situations, Sergei Shoigu, has said. understanding with A2A, which stated dams project had never been carried out; comment on third-party decisions. Montenegro and Serbia are the only states in the that if the Moraca tender failed, the gov- the civil sector was not surprised by the On the occasion of A2A’s revision of region which Moscow has free trade agreements ernment would consider assigning the failure of the tender as they had warned the initial agreements with the with, the minister said in Podgorica on Wednesday. project directly to EPCG. the government about the unprofitability Montenegrin government, the Italian "This will be an additional incentive for invest- Critics say that A2A may have had an of the project from the beginning. media said these were “bad times for ment because, apart from the existing market, that interest in not presenting its own bid, as A former economy minister, Branko Italian companies in Montenegro” and of the Customs Union will also be opened," Shoigu the concession through EPCG would Vujovic, told the local media that that Terna’s undersea cable “could be said during a meeting with Montenegrin Economy require lower investments owing to the Montenegro “did not offer a good climate next” to go. Minister Vladimir Kavari . government’s majority stake in EPCG. In for the Moraca dams project to succeed, This was a reference to an 850-million- During the meeting, Shoigu and Kavari also dis- the same memorandum of understand- which was probably one of the main rea- euro project, which is supposed to export cussed problems in the Podgorica Aluminum ing, A2A also withdrew from the previ- sons why the tender failed”. Vujovic said energy from the Moraca dams and other Combine, in which the Montenegrin government ously agreed possibility of acquiring the he was sorry that the tender had failed, renewable energy plants in the Balkans and the company of Russian oligarch Oleg majority ownership of EPCG after 2015. since “enormous efforts were made”. under the Adriatic seat to Italy by 2015. Deripaska each own one third. Jelena Marojevic, of the Podgorica- Three other bidders made the pre-qual- But Becirovic said the problems over It was indicated that "the issue of all issues" is based NGO Green Home, said the project ification tender for the Moraca dams proj- the Moraca dam project would have no the long-term supply of electricity to the company, to build dams on the Moraca river had ect. China’s Sinohydro and Germany’s effect on the construction of the marine on which the fate of the aluminum factory not been economically or environmental- Strabag withdrew early this year. The cable. “These are separate projects,” she depends. ly sustainable from the beginning. The Italian energy giant and former state said. According to some media reports, Shoigu arrived in Podgorica in order to request subsidies for electricity from the Montenegrin government. Serbian Borrowers Face Credit The state's aid in this form for the factory expires in spring 2012. Bosnia Companies Hope For Squeeze Return to Libya

Domestic banks are likely to tighten curbs on lending as debt contagion spreads from the euro-zone. erhat Seta, the Bosnian ambassador to Libya, sector in Serbia is owned by European put the brakes on growth. For small says he expects construction companies to be banks, mostly from Italy, Greece, businesses hoping to invest in the agri- Finvited back to Libya, an important market Austria and France – all nations that are cultural sector and for young couples for the Balkan country. By Snezana Krivokapic heavily exposed to the sovereign debt hoping to buy their first home, loans Ambassador Seta said that as months of fighting in Libya came to an end and as government insti- crisis. will be harder to arrange and costlier to tutions were being formed on all levels, contacts According to most observers, private repay. between the two countries were developing afresh. savings held in domestic banks are not Dejan Soskic, governor of the itizens and companies in Serbia Libya is the most important foreign market for in any danger. However, Serbian banks National Bank of Serbia, the country’s are likely to find it harder to will less readily lend money to private Bosnia construction companies, which have lost central bank, acknowledges that citi- Csecure loans as a result of the borrowers until their parent institu- 110 million euros as a result of fighting in the deepening crisis in the euro-zone, zens and private firms are finding it tions feel secure enough to send more country between supporters and foes of the now experts say, even though the country’s harder to secure credit. capital their way. defeated former leader Muammar Gaddafi. banks are expected to withstand the tur- The Fiscal Council, an independent “Banks would rather invest money in Faruk Sirbegovic, director of the "Sirbegovic moil. public finance watchdog, says this the state and in the central bank’s bonds group", has told a Bosnian newspaper that some of While domestic banks are generally shortage of credit could make it harder than give loans to businesses and peo- the contracts between Bosnian companies and believed to hold enough funds to ensure for the domestic economy to deal with ple,” Soskic told Tanjug news agency. Libya could be put on hold, or would not be a prior- savings, their owners’ woes are expect- Y the effects of another possible reces- He added that around one billion ity. ed to make them more reluctant to M sion, currently looming over Europe. euros is currently invested in the cen- However, he said this could make way for more extend credit. C A decision by the banks to tighten tral bank’s two-week securities, which important contracts, or for projects of bigger More than two-thirds of the banking K their terms for extending credit could are seen as a relatively safe bet. importance to the needs of the country. neighbourhood news Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 9 Hackers Disrupt Online Macedonian Classes For Greeks An innovative plan to teach members of Greece's unrecognised Macedonian minority their mother tongue online has fallen foul of internet hackers.

unrecognised Macedonian commu- assimilate and become totally nity in Greece, says language class- Greek or Bulgarian was extremely es are vital for the survival of a strong. By Sinisa Jakov Marusic, minority that has been subjected to The problem in Greece worsened Skopje assimilation for decades. after the 1946-1949 civil war, when “Macedonians under 20 have real many Macedonians fought for the problems speaking and especially losing Communist side and had to he pioneer project, called writing in Macedonian because all leave the country. “Learn Macedonian online”, they learn are rudimentary words Some historians believe as many Twhich was scheduled to they hear from their parents and as 100,000 ethnic Macedonians fled launch virtual classes for students grandparents,” he says. northern Greece during or after in Greece in October, has been “It would be ideal if we could the war between the monarchist postponed as a result of hackers incorporate Macedonian language government and the left-wing disrupting the site. classes into the Greek school cur- Democratic Army of Greece. Plevneliev is on course to become Bulgaria's next president. The organizers now hope the riculum but this is far from hap- The numbers of those who launch will take place in November. pening,” Voskopulos says. stayed behind is also unknown. “This month alone there have Jovanov’s online school is not Athens does not recognize those Plevneliev Builds his been over 100 attempts to hack into designed exclusively for who fled as Macedonians and has our servers,” the founder and man- Macedonians in Greece. It already refused to reissue them with citi- ager of “Learn Macedonian offers language classes for diaspora zenship, or grant it to their descen- online”, Mitko Jovanov, told Way to Bulgaria’s communities elsewhere in Europe dants. Athens also does not grant Prishtina Insight. and in the US, Canada and any collective rights whatever to He said they have had to post- Australia. Courses include live ethnic Macedonians who stayed in pone the start of classes “out of online lectures. Greece. Presidency precaution” but insists the attacks He says that some 80 students In July 2008, Macedonia's Prime “will not deter us from launching”. from Greece signed up so far, which Minister, Nikola Gruevski, wrote to Former construction boss Rosen Plevneliev looks certain The issue of Macedonian classes he calls “a good start”. his then Greek counterpart, Kostas in Greece, even if only conducted to win the presidential election for the centre-right GERB The problem of the Macedonian Karamanlis, demanding recogni- online, remains a sensitive one for minority in Greece dates to the tion of the Macedonian minority in party. The big question is whether he will be his own man the two countries, which are also Balkans wars of 1912-13, when Greece. once he is in office. locked in a long-standing dispute Ottoman Macedonia was parti- He also asked for Macedonians over use of the name "Macedonia". Communism, he found himself tioned between Bulgaria, Greece who fled the country to regain their Greece refuses to recognize the without a job and during the first and Serbia. The modern republic is property and sought for existence of a Macedonian minori- turbulent years of Bulgaria’s eco- formed out of the old Serbian por- Macedonians in Greece to have the By Boryana ty in the country. nomic transition he initially tion. right to education in their own lan- Dzhambazova, Sofia Pavle Voskopulos, head of the wanted to emigrate to the United In the territories absorbed into guage as well as the right to foster European Free Alliance-Rainbow, a States. Greece and Bulgaria, pressure to their culture and traditions. small party representing the He did not get a visa. Without The answer was blunt. “There is t has been busy few months for succumbing to despair he found no 'Macedonian' minority in Rosen Plevneliev whose elec- another solution, setting up a Greece. There never has been. In tion campaign started long I construction company that this respect, any allegations before he was officially worked on projects in Germany. regarding the existence of such a announced last month as presi- He later supervised the construc- minority are totally unfounded, dential nominee of the ruling tion of the first business park in politically motivated and disre- centre-right GERB party. the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, as spectful of the historic realities of Together with Prime Minister well as the reconstruction of a the region,” Karamanlis replied. Boyko Borisov he has been preoc- major hotel in the city centre. This issue was not mentioned in cupied lately with “ribbon cut- Although Plevneliev was well public in the series of meetings ting” ceremonies for different that Gruevski had in 2010 with the infrastructure projects. known as a construction entre- current Greek Prime Minister, “As President I’d be active and preneur he did not make his polit- George Papandreou. efficient, I don’t get impressed by ical début until 2009, when mere talk and party slogans,” he Borisov made him minister of said, when his nomination was regional development. announced last month. At first the 47-year-old was just “I’d work to allow all citizens to another expert, summoned by Serbian Liberals Mull Borisov to take part in govern- have a say in the agenda of Bulgarian institutions,” he ment; he had never been a GERB added, pledging to steer clear of party member. Pro-European Coalition But during the two years since any party political games as head As general elections loom in spring 2012, a group of centrist, pro-EU parties is assessing of state. GERB took power he slowly Days before the presidential became more popular. He often a possible pre-election coalition. election on October 23, he is the boasts that the government prom- 14 per cent of the electorate might would get so many votes,” Vuletic odds on favourite to get the post. ised to finish three key highways support such a movement. said. His slogan is simple: “Whatever I by the end of its term, instead of Although the SPO and the Social Both analysts accept such a do from now on, I’ll do what I’ve which it’s working on six. With the backing of the Prime By Gordana Andric, Democrats have not announced coalition may take votes from the done so far – try to be useful to the Minister he managed to top the Belgrade any deals with the LDP, analysts ruling centrist Democratic Party, country, society and the econo- ranking of most popular mem- believe that such a coalition is led by Serbian President Boris my.” bers of government – and stay in likely. Tadic. A recent poll by Gallup agency erbia's Liberal Democratic that position. Despite some early “It would be logical, given that But Vuletic says the Democrats puts Plevneliev in first place with Party, LDP, is planning to speculation that Borisov himself those parties have similar pro- would remain the coalition's "most 29 per cent, followed by Ivaylo Sform a pro-European move- might run for president, he clear- grams regarding the EU and logical, and in fact, only option as Kalfin, of the opposition ment gathering several political ly decided that the regional min- Bulgarian Socialist Party. parties that may form an election Kosovo,” Djordje Vukovic, from post-election partners, so the ister was the right man to go out Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s first coalition, an LDP source told the Centre for Free Elections and Democrats will get those votes and get the votes. European Commissioner, is in Prishtina Insight. Democracy, CESID, said. back in a way”. The elections pose a major test The Preokret ["Reversal"] coali- But political analyst and In the last elections in 2008, the third place on 11 per cent. for GERB and Plevneliev person- tion would include the Serbian Philosophy professor Vladimir LDP, then in a coalition with the Not surprisingly, Plevneliev ally. If the ruling party loses the Renewal Movement, SPO, the Vuletic expressed doubt that such Social Democrat Union, got 5.2 per expressed his confidence last race, it would trigger a political Social Democratic Union and par- a coalition would gather 14 per cent of the votes. The SPO was week that he would win the elec- crisis in the government. At the ties representing Serbia's Bosniak cent of the votes. then in the victorious Democrat- tion in the first round. same time, if Plevneliev wins, it [Muslim], Albanian and Croatian “The synergy of these parties led coalition that gained 38.4 per After taking a degree in com- will be a challenge to prove to his minorities. would probably help them pass the cent of the votes. Under the coali- puter engineering he didn’t have voters that he can distance him- The LDP source said the idea threshhold [to enter parliament] tion agreement the party got four a chance to make a career in this self from the party and show he came after research showed about but it sounds incredible that they seats in parliament. field. Following the fall of can take decisions on his own. 10 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 neighbourhood Croatia's HDZ Looks Right in Hunt for Votes Ruling party seems to be returning to classic nation- alist politics with the pas- sage of a controversial law on war crimes, but the shift is is unlikely to derail Croatia's EU accession in 2013.

By Boris Pavelic in Zagreb

roatia's ruling party, the HDZ, is bidding for the sup- Cport of right-wing voters by adopting a controversial law blocking war crimes probes from neighbouring Serbia. But the party's rightward lurch only 50 days before the next gener- al election – which it is expected to lose – will not postpone Croatian accession to the European Union on July 1, 2013, according to most experts. In another move that signals a stiffening of political positions, the Croatian Democratic Union, together with its coalition part- ners and independent MPs, has scrapped the parliamentary immunity of an opposition MP, opening the way for his prosecu- tion for libel. Social Democrat MP Zeljko HDZ, Croatia's ruling party, is looking to beef up his nationalist and tough image in the run-up to December's election. Jovanovic has angered the govern- Josipovic, who was elected Yugoslav wars of the Nineties. according to Vesna Pusic, a promi- "We would have expected more ment of Jadranka Kosor by repeat- President as candidate of the After overruning the town in 1991, nent opposition politician and political creativity and depth from edly terming the HDZ a "criminal Social Democrats, said the law Serb paramilitaries and Yugoslav chair of the National Committee an experienced political party," organisation" in reference to a would be counterproductive and Army troops executed more than on EU accession. Rimac concluded. string of corruption cases involv- could prove "extremely harmful to 200 Croats taken from local hospi- "Fortunately nobody in the EU The abolition of the MP's immu- ing HDZ politicians. the rights of groundlessly accused tal, dumping the corpses in a mass takes what is going on these days nity is also highly controversial The more important shift in Croatian soldiers, and the judicial grave at nearby Ovcara. in the Croatian parliament seri- move, as the constitution declares position was last week's passage of security of Croatian citizens". One Croatian suspect, Tihomir ously," said Pusic, referring to the that "MPs cannot be criminally a Law of Invalidity, which, as its The State Prosecutor, Mladen Purda, spent two months in cus- fact that the election campaign is prosecuted, jailed or punished for name suggests, declares that all Bajic, also opposes the move, say- tody in Bosnia at the beginning of widely seen to have already start- opinions expressed, or for voting war crimes investigations in ing it will "protect war criminals this year, where he was detained ed. in parliament," in spite of which Croatia by bodies representing walking here among us". on a Serbian arrest warrant. "The EU will want those prob- the HDZ filed a law suit against Serbia, the former Yugoslav Army GONG, an NGO that monitors Another suspect is the wartime lems solved after the elections, so Jovanovic for libel. and the former Yugoslav state are the electoral process, meanwhile head of the hospital in Vukovar, we can expect that HDZ to with- Jovanovic justifies his use of invalid. criticised the abolition of the MP's Dr Vesna Bosanac. Naming her draw the law by itself if it wins the word criminal on the grounds Both actions have been criti- immunity as contrary to the con- caused fresh anger in Croatia, the elections," she added. that former HDZ prime minister cised as unconstitutional, antide- stitution. where Bosanac is highly reputed. "If the opposition win, of Ivo Sanader is in jail awaiting trial mocratic and as harmful to the "With this decision, the HDZ The vice-president of the parlia- course we will withdraw it imme- for corruption, while several other country's international reputa- and its coalition partners have ment, Vladimir Seks, another diately," continued Pusic, who is prominent HDZ figures are await- tion. stopped the development of HDZ politician, is also among the the unofficial opposition candi- ing trial for corruption, or are sen- The EU has told Croatia that Croatia's fragile democratic politi- accused. date for the post of foreign minis- tenced already. adopting the war crimes law could cal culture and questioned the Prime Minister Kosor respond- ter. The vote to scrap the MP's set back recent progress towards democratic character of the polit- ed to Serbian accusations swiftly, Political analyst Ivan Rimac, immunity and adopt the immunity regional cooperation in war ical system," GONG said in a state- saying parliament would simply from Zagreb's Political Science fac- law was passed with a minimum crimes investigations, which is a ment. pass a law nullifying all Serbian ulty, echoed that view. quorum of 77 MPs present. key EU demand towards all The war crimes law was passed investigations of war crimes in "If the EU says so, the HDZ will After the vote, one MP, Semso Western Balkan countries. in parliament with a minimum Croatia. withdraw the [invalidity] law after Tankovic, said he had «made a "If [Croatia's] parliament adopts quorum of MPs present. "It is time to say 'enough' to the the election," he told Balkan mistake“ and said that he was such a law, it will complicate coop- The issue of Serbian war harassment of Croatian defend- Insight. "sorry", but his retrospective apol- eration with Serbia. We would crimes probes has stirred strong ers, starting from Purda case," If the HDZ wins, Rimac added, ogy did not annul the vote. rather Croatia continued negotia- feelings ever since the HDZ raised Kosor said in September. "It will be able to say that 'We did Whether the HDZ's rightward tions with Serbia," the chief of the issue in September, when it "The fact is that Croatia was a what we could, but now we have to shift will have an impact on voting the EU delegation in Croatia, Paul became public that Serbia had victim of [Serbian] aggression [in do what EU requires.' day remains to be seen. Vandoren, said, a few days before accused more than 40 Croatian the 1990s], that we were attacked, "The HDZ is behaving in a polit- Most polls suggest that the HDZ parliament discussed the law. soldiers of war crimes in Vukovar, and that Croatian defenders ically contradictory way these is on course to lose the election. More significantly, the country's eastern Croatia, in the summer of defended their homeland," Kosor days,“ Rimac continued. "On the The last poll, conducted by Puls President, Ivo Josipovic, has also 1991. added. one hand, we have a classical, agency a few days ago, suggested Y come out against the law, urging The Vukovar issue remains sen- The law and the scrapping of intolerant authoritarian right-cen- that HDZ would win 20 per cent of M the Constitutional Court to nullify sitive, as the Danube riverbank the MP's immunity should not tre party model, but on the other the vote, while an opposition cen- C the law if it is ruled unconstitu- town was the scene of one the sin- endanger Croatia's expected hand they are obedient to stronger tre-left coalition would win about K tional. gle worst massacres in the accession to the EU on July 1, 2013, authorities like the EU," he noted. 40 per cent. neighbourhood Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 11 Wildlife NGOs Take Romania’s Bear Hunt to Brussels

Conservationist groups plan to send a letter of complaint to Europe, accusing Romania’s authorities of lack of trans- parency in deciding the bear-hunting quota. analyzed. The ministry never wanted to give us access to this information,” Cristian-Remus Papp, a bear expert within WWF, By Magda Munteanu said. He wants the law changed in Romania to include NGOs in the nternational conservation bod- entire process and in the final ies are to complain to the decision-making. IEuropean Commission about Ana Frim, head of biodiversity an order of Romania’s Ministry of in the Environment Ministry, said Environment and Forests concern- that all the NGOs have to do is ask ing the quota of bears that can be for this data and they will receive shot in the next hunting season. it. The order, issued in mid- She said the ministry would September, has drawn protests publish the methodology it had A brown bear in Romania - an increasingly rare sight. from experts who say they were used on its webpage in a couple of denied access to nationwide bear The problem is that Romania’s Foundation. ICAS had reached its hunting weeks, and in December it would data collected by the authorities bear population is the subject of The consortium, which was quota, because its methodology make public the entire evaluation and who accuse the ministry of hot dispute. At the top end, the selected by the Environment was not made public. regarding the structure of the deciding the hunting quota behind managers of hunting areas put the Ministry to conduct this research, But Frim, from the bear population. closed doors, without a public figure at 7,800, which means that gathers reports on bear numbers Environment Ministry, argues debate. the country has 40 per cent of the and on the damage they have that the methodology was decided Three NGOs – the World Wide Useful loophole: bear population of Europe, exclud- caused from all the associations at the working group meeting in Fund for Nature, WWF, the Milvus ing Russia. that manage hunting around the June and that ICAS took into The row over bear hunts stems Group and the Association for The environment and forests country. account all the issues discussed in part from a loophole in EU legis- Preserving Nature Values Balan – ministry says the number is 6,000- It then sends a report to the then. lation that places bears on the say they want the European 6,500, while some NGOs a few Environment Ministry, which pro- “It’s enough for [the working] “red” list of endangered, protected Commission to get the Romanian years ago said there were no more poses a hunting quota. group members to know that the species. authorities to reveal the methodol- than 3,000 bears left in the country. The methodology regarding quotas were correctly decided. An important exemption in the ogy that they used to evaluate the The body in charge of deciding data collection is coordinated by They don’t need to see the data or legislation permits the killing of overall number of bears in the whether a bear should be shot is a Ovidiu Ionescu, who is involved in to take part at the analysis,” she bears if they are found to have country and the scientific data on consortium comprising the state- all three institutions and is also said. threatened people or damaged which they based their hunting owned Forest Research and head of a major private hunting The concern is that as long as public or private property - or if it quota. Management Planning Institute, association. the administrators of the hunting can be proved that their killing “We still don’t know how the ICAS, the Transylvania University Critics argue there is a clear areas have a strong economic does not affect the overall bear data was centralized, adjusted and of Brasov and the Carpathian conflict of interest, as the hunters interest in getting EU exemptions population. are ones actually counting the for bear kills, the temptation is bears. Their fear is that some man- great to overestimate the number agers of hunting associations of bears and exaggerate the dam- Bear Savages Man in Prizren inflate the figures in order to offset age they cause. claims that killing individual Critics say there is no reliable bears poses a threat to the overall way in place of counting animal population. numbers, and the authorities don’t really know whether the hunting Not for everybody’s eyes: of bears on the present scale is damaging the future of the Once ICAS, which leads the con- species. sortium, sends its report to the “The evaluation that we receive Ministry of Environment and from ICAS has a large margin of Forests, it sends the proposal to error,” Frim admits. “But it shows the Romanian Academy. The the bear population is not in dan- approval of this body is mandato- ger, which is enough for us to take ry before the order can be issued. the decision on hunting quotas.” “It took us half a day to analyze She said they didn’t need to the report. We don’t check the data know how the bear population was but the quota requested didn’t distributed in terms of gender or seem so big,” Dan Munteanu, pres- age in order to take a right deci- ident of commission for the pro- sion on quotas that also meets EU tection of nature within the legislation. Romanian Academy, said. But Papp of the WWF disagrees. But some members of the “The ministry should bring National Working Group for Large onboard several bear specialists Carnivores, an advisory body to and get actively involved in data the environment ministry, don’t gathering, damage report analysis agree. and in ICAS’s final report,” he They say it was agreed during says. In his view, this would the working group’s last meeting improve the whole decision-mak- in June that once ICAS collected ing chain. knee before trying to drag him towards the forest, all the data, they would meet again Until then, hunters in Romania he claims. and analyze it before the ministry will continue to monitor, quantify "The Bear did not stop,” he said. by Petrit Kryeziu, Prizren released the order. and control the entire bear man- “Yes I saw death with my eyes, I thought it “This never happened. We agement process. The working would rip me whole.” man was savaged by brown bear received the ministry order the group has only a consultative role He was operated on that evening at 11pm in close to the Prizren’s famous same day it was sent to the and the NGOs can do nothing but Afortress. . Prizren’s regional hospital. Academy and the next day it was express individual views. Mehmet Koro was walking in a wood just outside Koro complains that no official, including published and it was too late to do “We need to change the law. The Kosovo’s second city at 5.30pm earlier this month police and municipal authorities, have visited anything,” Csaba Domokos, bear working group should have deci- when the bear emerged from the undergrowth him to discuss the issue. expert with the Milvus Group and sion rights and NGOs should be and attacked him. “You, Prishtina Insight, are the first to come to member of the working group, involved in the process of central- The bear slashed Koro’s left hand and right interview me,” he said. said. izing data and taking quota-relat- He said he still had no idea how ed decisions,” Papp said. 12 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 census special Serbian Albanians Rally While Albanians believe they are sending a wake-up call to Belgrade and the world about their plight of their border region, Serbia insists the Albanians are damaging their own interests. 14,782 are Serbs (34.14 per cent). proclaimed traitors to the national The Albanian boycott has also interest,” he said. been observed in the overwhelm- Meanwhile most locals feel that By Nikola Lazic ingly Albanian municipality of they have achieved something. Bujanovac Presevo, just to the south, where Presevo resident Aliu Veseli said only about 70 members of the he did not want “the census or the Albanian community took part. census-takers in my home. ost ethnic Albanians in Dragoljub Filipovic, president of South Serbia seem to have the census commission in this “When Serbia treats us like all Mheeded the decision of municipality, noted that the num- the other citizens, I will change my their regional leaders to boycott ber was tiny given that Albanians attitude,” Veseli said. the national census held between make up 90 per cent of the popula- Vincent Degert, head of the EU October 1 and 15. tion of around 30,000. delegation in Belgrade, made it While local Albanian politicians A few local Albanian leaders clear that Europe did not look with say they are boycotting the head describe the boycott as misguided. sympathy on boycotts. The count count in protest against their com- One local politician who wanted to was being carried out according to munity’s dismal economic posi- stay anonymous told Prishtina EU standards, and “there is not a tion and endangered rights, Insight that he and his family had single objective reason for a boy- Belgrade accuses them of taken part “because the decision cott”, he said. obstructing the census for politi- to boycott is a political one that “Special attention in the whole FoNet by Photo cal reasons and of undermining may bring harm to my people. census procedure was dedicated to Bujanovac assembly threatening stability in this sensi- “People don’t realise that the national minorities,” Degert tive border region, close to Kosovo the decision to boycott the count ers, is the fact that the census census is not a mere head count,” added in Belgrade, just before and Macedonia. was made in Prishtina, in Kosovo, forms were not printed in Latin he added. signing a contract for the EU dona- Boban Pavlovic, president of the not in Presevo or Bujanovac. letters but only in Cyrillic, “After the census, the economic tion of 20 million euros, which will census commission in Bujanovac, The decision to boycott the cen- although the Statistical Office potential of the country will cover 49 per cent of the total cost said that by October 10 only about sus was made on September 3 at an printed multilingual instructions become known and our region will of the count. a hundred Albanians in the main- assembly in Presevo of local lead- for citizens and census takers in not figure in the register made Milan Markovic, head of the ly ethnic Albanian municipality of ers from Bujanovac, Presevo and all languages used by ethnic available to investors who want to government’s Coordination Body 43,000 had taken part, despite Medvedja – a municipality in minorities. invest in Serbia because of this for Southern Serbia, a body set up penalties of up to 500 euro for which Albanians comprise 26 per However, the main reason quot- boycott”. to liaise between local and central those failing to respond. cent of the 11,000 population. ed by those attending the gather- According to him, Albanian government, said the boycott was “The census-takers did not even Albanians are not the only com- ing of Albanians in Presevo was leaders expected support for their a politically motivated and retro- enter villages populated solely by munity boycotting the census in the state’s refusal to register their boycott from the international grade step. Albanians,” he told Prishtina Serbia. Some Bosniak [Muslim] compatriots who were born in community, and when support did “Boycotting the census will Insight, adding that the few leaders in the mainly Bosniak South Serbia but who now live in not come they felt it was too late to most harm the people of southern Albanian respondents lived in the Sandzak region of southwest Kosovo or further abroad. revoke their decision. Serbia and prevent the resolution towns. Serbia have also urged locals to Riza Halimi, the only Albanian “No party opposed the boycott of the problems that all national According to Serbia’s last 2002 ignore the count, though far fewer MP in Serbia’s parliament, who out of fear of the reaction of vot- communities face,” he said. census, Bujanovac is home to appear to have responded there. has called these people “invisible ers in the elections next year, as Markovic, who is also minister 43,302 citizens, of whom 23,681 are One factor behind the boycott, Albanians”, said a boycott was that party and its leader would be for local government, claimed that Albanians (54.69 per cent) and according to ethnic Albanian lead- the only appropriate reaction. “In its decision not to register our citizens who live abroad, the state wants to present a false situ- ation about the size of the popula- tion in South Serbia,” Halimi said. “That is why our people reacted in a politically mature way and boycotted the census,” added the leader of the Party for Democratic Action, the strongest ethnic Albanian party in the region. Halimi said the boycott was a wake-up call to Belgrade and the world. “We are reminding the gov- ernment that problems cannot be solved by force, with the police and army, like they were during the rule of [former Serbian leader] Slobodan Milosevic.” He said the boycott sent a simi- lar message to international com- munity. “Europe and the world must think twice about this mes- sage,” Halimi said. Jonuz Musliu, a deputy in the local assembly in Bujanovac, agreed. The boycott was a normal response to “the unbearably bad conditions of the Albanian national minority in Serbia”, he said. “With this boycott we again assure Brussels and Washington that Belgrade is not capable of being a factor that can under- stand and resolve the problems of Albanians,” Musliu, head of the Movement for the Democratic Y Progress, said. M According to the 2002 census, C held a year after the end of an K Albanian language newspapers and magazines imported from Kosovo and on sale in Serbia. armed conflict in South Serbia census special Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 13 Behind Census Boycott between the security forces and said. Albanian insurgents gathered in Between gulps of espresso, he the Liberation Army of Presevo, said no one was afraid of the 500 Medvedja and Bujanovac, a total euro fine. “I just don’t believe of 57,595 Albanians live in the they will be able to fine all the region alongside 24,929 Serbs and Albanian people,” he said. 4,297 Roma. Ragmi, sitting at the next table, But it is not clear whether the says he has been back in Serbia census would have recorded a for three years with a university similar number for any of the diploma from Kosovo that Serbia main communities today. Many refuses to recognise. Serbia has people have emigrated. not recognised college diplomas Goran, a Serb from Bujanovac from Kosovo since Kosovo pro- with a university diploma and a claimed independence from well-paid job, said the Albanians Serbia in 2008. were predictably showing disre- “Here in my hometown I can’t spect for the Serbian state. get a job as an economist with “Albanians do not want to take diploma, so why should I love this part in any action organised by state and respond to the census it the state, except for local elec- organises?” he asked. tions, because they care only When Xhavit, another young- about being in power,” he said. ster, was asked why Albanians are “The only time that the state is boycotting the census, he also acceptable to Albanians is when replied with a question. “Is there they are supposed to get some- a single reason for Albanians to thing from it, like a pension or respond to the state’s invitation to welfare,” agreed Milan, the owner take part in the census?” he of a local fast food restaurant. asked. “When you need to do an impor- “This area is very economically tant job like the census, then the underdeveloped, people don’t state is not acceptable,” he added. have jobs and Albanians still can- But local Albanians said they not use their national signs offi- Shooting the breeze on Rruga Mareshali Tito. did not feel the state took much cially, like the flag,” Xhavit told notice of them most of the time. Prishtina Insight. Stojanca Arsic, head of the He added: “The decision creates walks of life will be set, in econo- “There are around 3,000 people But with Europe looking the Group of Citizens, which shares new problems not only for my, transport, education, infra- here under 30 without a job and other way, local Serbian politi- power in Bujanovac with the Albanians, but also for Serbs and structure, culture, and sport... all of them feel bitter both with cians feel confident in dismissing Albanian majority, says the boy- Roma, because on the basis of the “We already know now that local and state authorities the boycott as a foolish stunt that cott is mainly aimed at “raising census results in the next ten these parameters won’t be valid,” because of that,” Driton, aged 25, will damage the whole region. tensions”. years new parameters in many Arsic warned. marketing

Y M C K 14 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 census special Ethnic Worries Knock Macedonian Census Off Agenda

Political calculations about the number of Albanians in Macedonia will probably prevent another census from happening in the near future.

By Sinisa Jakov Marusic

fter Macedonia’s popula- tion census was cancelled Aearlier this month, days after it had already begun, the hunch of most experts is that the experiment won’t be repeated soon. They believe the governing VMRO DPMNE of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and its junior Albanian partner, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, prefer to put the census on hold rather than risk disturbing a mutually beneficial parliamentary alliance. "A census in Macedonia can never be seen as a purely statisti- cal operation", Saso Ordanoski, a veteran journalist and political analyst, notes. He says the ruling elites fear the political repercussions of a cen- sus, especially regarding the perennially sensitive issue of the number of Albanians in the coun- try. Macedonia's governing parties allegedly prefer to delay the census rather than confront issues of ethnicity. The nationwide head count statistics body, which Macedonia 20 per cent, the Albanian language The official reason for moving depends on parliamentary support ended dramatically in October on aims to adhere to, people who have is accepted as official tongue along the census to October was an early from the DUI. its 11th day, just four days before lived abroad for more than a year with Macedonian, among other general election announced for Observers say the DUI would the October 15 deadline, when the should not be included in a nation- points. June. probably quit the government if ethnically split census commis- al census and should be accounted The next census, which took Ordanoski says the ruling par- the census had shown Albanians sion collectively resigned. for in the countries where they place in 2002, revealed that ties seem to have failed to agree in made up less than 25 per cent of Macedonians made up the now live. Albanians made up 25 per cent of advance on the census results and the population, as Albanian voters majority of the 24 members while At the same time Albanians the population, well up from the so avoid political troubles after- would have blamed the party. Albanians and other ethnic groups pushed for prolongation of the previous figure recorded in the wards. But if the result had shown held the rest of the posts. census for another 15 days, saying 1990s. This resulted in different read- Albanians making more than 25 After three days of acrimonious that the 15-day time slot was not But the ruling VMRO DPMNE ings of the census law by the com- per cent of the population, this debate, parliament scrapped the enough. has ever since maintained that the mission members, a muddle that would have been seen as cata- count on October 15, ordering all Stevo Pendarovski, a political 2002 census, which took place was then transferred to the field strophic for Gruevski’s the census material to be analyst and former advisor to under the Social Democrats, where census-takers did not know Macedonian nationalists. destroyed. The failed operation Macedonian presidents Boris “added” some 120,000 Albanians what instructions to follow. “Gruevski could not afford to cost some €14 million. Trajkovski and Branko who in fact lived abroad. They say Ordanoski says the census was present such a result to his own While the government and the Crvenkovski, says that “the room this “artificially” expanded the annulled as soon as the govern- rank and file,” Pendarovski said. Social Democrat-led opposition for maneuver of the ruling parties Albanian percentage from 18 to 25 ment realized they were heading Political Analyst Jovan Donev, traded blame for the fiasco, every- for a new head count in the near per cent of the population. towards a political car crash from head of the Euro-Balkan think one agreed that the information future is very small”. “This claim has one flaw,” which no one would draw any ben- tank in Skopje, sees thing differ- collected would not reveal an accu- He says the failure of the census Pendarovski says. “The same efit. ently. He says the Albanians rate demographic picture. is a major setback, as the results methodology that allowed [the “Any census results that differed undermined the census by trying The stumbling block lies in the are needed to determine the future 2002 census to] count Albanians drastically from the last census [in to inflate their numbers and disre- head count of Albanians, the coun- allocation of resources for infra- living and working abroad was 2002] would have caused a political gard the law. try’s largest minority. Ethnic structure like hospitals or schools. applied to Macedonians as well.” earthquake,” Ordanoski said. “They did not expect the Prime Macedonian and Albanian mem- “The key is in the number of However, VMRO DPMNE “If the new census showed Minister to scrap the census,” he bers of the commission, and their Albanians,” he added, noting that remains determined to claim that Albanians on less than 20 per cent, said. political patrons, were unable to this affects the implementation of the percentage of Albanians in the the Ohrid Accord and the [changes Donev says that while “nobody agree on the methodology. the 2001 Ohrid Peace Accord and country is lower than 25 per cent. to the] constitution would have believes that the 2002 census was Ethnic Albanians make up a the constitutional provisions In a press reply to Social been brought into question, and authentic”, “that does not matter high proportion of emigrants directly determining their status. Democrat attacks on the failed these are the foundations of anymore”, as Albanians “already from Macedonia who have gone The Ohrid deal ended the short- census, the party said: “We will Macedonia’s multiethnic society,” gained their rights and I don’t abroad to seek work. lived 2001 armed conflict between not allow a census forgery, like the Pendarovski said. believe any politician in his right As a result, Albanians at home Albanian rebels and Macedonian addition of 120,000 Albanians by “This way VMRO DPMNE can mind would dare turn things back- wanted the count to include people security forces by granting more the Social Democrats back in maintain their point of view [that wards”. who have been living abroad for rights to the Albanian community. 2002.” the number of Albanians has been He does not see a fresh census more than a year, as well as accept- Its provisions were later incor- Macedonia has already post- massaged upwards] to their own happening soon. “We will only ing photocopies of ID cards as a porated into the constitution, poned its head count once this voters,” Ordanoski added. have a new census when the basis for data. which grants special status and year. It was originally planned for Albanians, meanwhile, can Albanians realize that this is a sta- Macedonian members were rights to minorities exceeding 20 April. But Albanians insisted that maintain that the authorities are tistical and not a political opera- Y strongly against this, saying it per cent of the total population. the count be shifted to summer, frightened to reveal the true demo- tion” Donev says, arguing that “we M contravened EUROSTAT rules. This means that in municipali- when many Albanians living graphic state of the country. will need some time to settle the C According to the rules of the EU ties where Albanians make at least abroad return home on vacation. The government coalition emotions”. K feature Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 15

Marriages of Alone in Belgrade: Serb inconvenience?

n the past more Kosovar men married Serbs, moving Capital’s Last Albanians Ito Belgrade to start new lives. Serbs were seen as the Only a handful of Kosovo Albanians now live in the old Yugoslav capital and – with a lack most powerful ethnic communi- of suitable marriage partners from the community – the remaining youngsters are ty in the former Yugoslavia dur- ing the years of Josip Tito. pondering their options. Of course, many also mar- Yugoslavia. iKerbus bus company. ried for love and have suffered Despite appearances, Cinci is The company set aside small the stigma of a mix marriage different: she is an Albanian from apartments for workers from following the break-up of Kosovo, a community consisting of Kosovo in a neighborhood in the Yugoslavia. By Fexhrie Zylfiu just 100 families in Belgrade today, capital. The area became a hub for “Through a marriage in for- it is estimated. many Albanians from Kosovo and mer Yugoslavia, one could gain Cinci Noshaj, an Albanian living in Many Kosovar families living in southern Serbia in Belgrade. social prestige,” Anton Belgrade t first sight Cinci Noshaj is Belgrade sold their homes and Cinci takes pride in her memo- Berishaj, professor of sociology no different to any other 20- returned to Kosovo after the 1999 ries of her grandfather, who died Peja, with whom he had two sons at the University of Prishtina, Ayear-old student at the war. Some exchanged homes with ten years ago. “He was a great and one daughter – Cinci. notes. Faculty of Food Technology in the Serbs from Kosovo, who for the worker and a very hospitable “My grandmother named me Some people also entered University of Belgrade. same reasons moved in the oppo- man,” recalls Cinci. “When he met after an Italian friend whom she such marriages in order to With a scarf tied around her site direction. an Albanian he was delighted had met in Belgrade,” she recalled. prove their loyalty to the multi- neck, cell phone in hand and an But Cinci’s family remained in beyond measure. He would bring It was only when she was old ethnic Yugoslav idea, he adds. interesting novel in her bag, she Belgrade even after the exodus. home anyone who needed to stay enough to go to school that she But whereas a Albanian- merges into the busy student life Her family came to here, especially those who came realized her history was different Serbian marriage was a social- of Serbia’s capital, once the Belgrade in 1962 when for health reasons.” to that of most of her neighbours. ly advantageous move in the lynchpin of all her grandfather, Cinci’s father, Nezir, was only Cinci felt the weight of discrim- 1960s and 1970s, this is far from Muharrem Noshaj, two when he came to Belgrade ination from her teachers. “On the the case today following the moved there for his from Istog, together with the rest one hand they were polite, but on break-up of Yugoslavia, job in the of his family. the other they would deduct my Kosovo’s declaration of inde- He has few if any grades just because I was pendence in 2008 and the childhood mem- Albanian,” she says. “Once the decline in Serbian-Albanian ories of Kosovo, teacher told me she could not relations in general. but still mar- understand which language I “Today these couples live ried an spoke.” with a stigma,” Professor Nada Albanian The environment became much Raduski, of Belgrade’s woman tougher after NATO bombarded Demographic Research Centre, from Serbia in 1999 to force the Serbs to says. relinquish Kosovo. “People came to our door and said they’d heard we were selling the apartment. We and mother told me that I should never planned such a move. not marry a Serb,” she said. “You Basically, it was a provocation.” never know what the future With age and time she says she brings, but I believe I won’t marry has earned respect from her one.” Serbian friends and today she Cinci has visited Kosovo several feels more comfortable in times: “I like Prizren most; it’s Belgrade. such a beautiful city. Peja as well, “I have good friends here,” she especially the Rugova Gorge,” she said. But now she worries about said. “Kosovo is where we all feel whether she should marry an free.” Albanian or not, especially “I would like to return to given the lack of suitors in the Kosovo if there were jobs, order. Serbian capital. But now it is difficult for me to “No matter how far from leave Belgrade,” she says. Kosovo I am, in our family we In the meantime, only about a are told that marriages do hundred other Albanian families not happen remain in the capital of Serbia – between us not enough to form an active com- and the Serbs,” munity, she says. she says. “We do not have a place where "When I was we could sit down and have little, my father Turkish tea together,” she sighs. marketing

Y M C K 16 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 Prishtina Insight

Where to pick up Prishtina Insight? Hotel AFA Located in a quiet neighbourhood Prishtina Insight has teamed up with these excellent venues to offer a limited number of complimentary copies of Kosovo’s only just outside the city centre, Hotel Afa can guarantee guests a peaceful English-language newspaper. Grab a copy of the publication and settle down with a drink or a meal to read it. night while being within walking distance of all the action. The venue Jinglebells A taste of Napoli in Prishtina. has won a host of awards for its Cavallero Mexican Restaurant excellent service to customers and If your soul is affected by the grey sea- After ten years of making pizza in Napoli, and offers a good range of facilities, You can almost transport yourself to the son then pay a visit to Jinglebells, where only with love to blame, Fatmir the chef from an exclusive restaurant and Mexican coast, with soaring palm trees and an you will find all the colours that you’ve returned to Prishtina. His pizzas, made in a VIP bar to pretty, tranquil garden. immaculate five star resort, while dining at been missing. woodburn stove, are definitely genuine napoli- Rooms start at 45 euro for a single, Cavallero Mexican Cantina. Mouth-watering Jinglebells is a perfect one-stop-shop tanas. For those who consider pizza to be bor- and luxury rooms and apartments appetizers and savoury main dishes are nicely for internationals offering a selection of ing, Fatmir has several pastas on offer, also a are available. The hotel’s rooms are washed down with countless cocktail options books in various languages and the true joy for the taste buds. Napoli has an excel- well appoint- and even imported Mexican beer. Skopje-based quickest supply of international newspa- lent selection of red and white wines or, for the ed and com- ‘Los Ritmos’ entertain diners every Friday pers in town. It also offers souvenirs and more ambitious, one of the region's best Quint's fortable. and Saturday with their latin beats. For more gifts, such as raki. Napoli makes for 15, Rr Ali information, visit local handicrafts. delicious lunch, dinner Kelmendi, their facebook page, or even after-theatre Sunny or contact them. Jinglebells. time out in the centre Hill, Cavallero, Bookstore and of Prishtina. Prishtina Located next to the ex- more. +381 UNMIK building Ernest Koliqi Pizzeria Napoli 38/225 226 Prishtina 12, opposite off Luan Haradinaj, www. hote- +386 49 619 375 EULEX HQ opposite Newborn lafa. com Facebook page +386(0)49 741 170 044/409-402402

Cantina am-pm Restaurant Hotel Prishtina Hotel Victory Te Komiteti

Cantina AM-PM, formerly known as Hotel Prishtina’s 43 charm- But Victory is more than a place to meet and do Te Komiteti’s large trees and a beauti- Mexican Cantina, recently went ing guest rooms and suites are business. Its doors are always open for guests to fully garden, which surround the small through a transfer to new management, reminiscent of a small hotel in enjoy the tranquility of our guest rooms and lob- outdoor terrace, give you an impression and although hardly noticeable from a the European tradition. You'll bies, and the finest cuisine in the region. The only of an exclusive place for ordinary peo- distance, the new owners have trans- immediately feel at home in hotel in the region where real plants, original art ple. And this is exactly what it is. From formed the venue into a more grown-up our living room, sipping a glass and fine solid furniture decorate the space and brunch to lunch-time snacks and special affair with good, cheap food. Cantina of wine in our fine restaurant turn it into a homelike environment. Hotel evening meals, this restaurant offers offers Mexican dishes at reasonable surrounded by a gallery of Victory is established to offer travelers the most dishes comprising quality, varied ingre- prices, starting from less than 5 euro. paintings complete, comfortable accommodation available dients, combined to perfection. Although the majority of the food is by local in Kosovo and the region. Our professional staff Alongside one Mexican-influenced, Cesar salad and artists. will offer guests the highest standard of service of Prishtina’s pizza have been included too. Mexican The hotel and support, and we will use our resources to best ‘modern favourites served up at Cantina include offers free, greater lengths to make your stay as complete as European’ style tortilla, thicker fast wifi possible. menus, you’ll pan-friend tortilla, internet, Hotel Victory also find a good nacho chips and complimen- Mother Teresa selection of burrito. Cantina’s tary break- Prishtina, Kosovo wine, and great also offers a very fast, confer- Tel: +381 38 543 277 sangria and pleasant area for al ence room, +381 38 543 267 cocktails . fresco dining. swimming Email: Te Komiteti Cantina AM-PM pool, sauna info@hotel-victo- Qamil Hoxha Rr Qamil Hoxha and laun- ry.com Street Prishtina dry service. http://www.hotel- Prishtina +377 49 710 710 victory.com/ +381 38 24 96 63

Friends Bar Odyssea Bistro Paddy O’Brien’s Olive Tapas Bar

Friends Bar is owned by a Swiss- Odyssea Bistro Bar is a beautiful The staff at Paddy O’Brien’s have a saying: After many tears running tapas Albanian couple. The modern interi- bistro located in the heart of Prishtina, “It’s easy to walk in, but very hard to leave.” bars in England and Germany, as or and the calm terrace behind the offering a combination of a quality And with its warm atmosphere, fantastic range well as opening the first of its bar will make your stay comfortable. menu with inspiring dishes and a mod- of drinks and excellent food, it is easy to see why. kind in Prishtina, these guys no They offer a wide range of beers, ern bar with a large variety of drinks There have been many attempts to establish a their trade.Try to delicious tapas including Dark Lasko and Murphy’s and exotic cocktails. proper Irish pub in Prishtina, but this is the only and while away on afternoon on Irish Red, which can rarely be found Odyssea Bistro Bar's unique design is one to hit the spot. the moorish sangria.Tapas and in Kosovo. You can also try eight dif- a mixture of classic French influence From classic coffees to cocktails, via, of course, main courses include rocket ferent tastes and colours of vodka. and a modern touch. Guinness, you really wont find it difficult to salad, mixed cheese, Spanish tor- Starting from May 14 there will be Busy during lunch breaks, romantic select the perfect drink. tilla, omelet with vegetables and barbeques every Saturday from 5pm for dinners and classy for evening A mouth-watering menu of Irish specialties is potatoes and deep fried calamari. to 9pm, and brunch every Sunday drinks, Bistro is a great place to visit at also on offer, spanning from all-day breakfasts to from 9am to any time of the day. Irish stews at night. Open Monday to Saturday 1pm. BBQ and Sample Bistro’s brunch on Sundays, or Options include shepherd’s pie, bangers and 7 am until 12 pm brunch will be enjoy live music on Wednesday, Fridays mash, fish ‘n chips, Olive Tapas Bar offered with a and Saturdays and whopping great St.Fehmi Agani 48/1 wide choice of Bistro, burgers. Tel. +381 38 321 132 local and Sejdi Kryeziu, Pejton, Prishtina Thursday is pub quiz Cell +377 44 620 414 international 045402095 and 049333959 night, but there is [email protected] food. always something going on at the pub, whether it 17, Rr.Fehmi is sport screenings or Agani just a good shindig. 045244 498 Paddy O’Brien’s Y Facebook Tringe Smajli Street, M Page: Friends by the Illyria Hotel C Bar - Prishtine Prishtina: 045-420900 K By Yllka Hoxha Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 17 in Prishtina Timeout Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

Every day at 10 pm, ABC Cinema continues screening the Albania movie “Fjala e gjakut” produced by the American producer Joshua Marston. Nick is a 17-year-old boy in his last year of high school in northern Albania. He begins his first romance with a girl from his class and National Theatre of Kosovo Theatre ODA plans to open an Internet cafe after school. His sister, Rudina, a smart girl, 15-year-old wants to go to college. But a local dispute over a piece of land results in lasting change - Friday, October 28, from 8 pm ODA Theatre Mark’s father becomes embroiled in a lethal blood feud. Canon laws, Pristina Kids Fest Friday, October 28, 2011 from 9 pm legal codes of ancient Balkans, force Nick, his brother and 7-year-old ‘Jam for the cow’ male members of the family,to close themselves up at home almost as The International Children’s Song Festival is the The tradition continues of the humanitarian if under house arrest. Mark hides in the mountains and forces Nick first international festival organised in Kosovo by concert for collecting money for buying cows for to stay at home, while the family is supported by Rudina, who leaves the International Multicultural Children’s and poor families in Kosovo. school and takes over the business. Young People’s Center Xixëllonjat. This fifth edition will present: While Rudina flourishes in her new responsibilities, Nick suffers Pinkmetal, Trio of Love, Spec Djegs, Rona frustration and anger from the isolation. The festival’s goal is to stimulate and promote chil- Nishliu, Projekti, Bim Bimma & Mono, Dj Buda, ABC Cinema soon will screen the Comedy/Romance “What’s your dren’s musical talent and create young stars. The fes- Dj Labinot Sponca number?” everyday from October 21, at 4, 6, and 8 pm. tival also aims to create opportunities for coopera- Entry fee 3 euro. Eli Darling is seeking to find out which one of her ex-boyfriends is the tion and for children to get to know other children best one, because she read in a newspaper that those who have had from other countries in the world. Saturday, October 29, 2011 more than 20 partners, cannot have true love. Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley Jr The festival is designed as a spectacle where young Creme de la Creme star. cultural ambassadors will have the chance to express James Leigh - DJ James looks beyond the City- For information or reser- and share their musicality and the culture of their United divide to play a comprehensive collection vations call at 038 243 238 country. of his favourite tunes from his native or visit them at The festival will continue on Saturday, October 29, Manchester. www.kinoabc.com and on Sunday, October 30, at 7 pm. For more, visit them at Monday, October, 31, 2011 http://www.teatrikombetar.eu or Israeli Film Week: October 27-29, 2011, at http://prishtinakidsfest.com/ Creme de la Creme, Halloween Night ABC Cinema From 9 pm, dress up and show up at this fancy event at Creme. Friday, Friday, October 28, from 8 pm October 28, 2011 Eda Zari Band at National Theatre of Prishtina Big Dig, at ABC Cinema, from 5 pm The Summer of Aviva, Eda Zari Band Featuring Rhani Krija, Pre-release, from 7 pm new album Toka Incognita concert in Prishtina, Aviva my Love, 9 pm Presented by RTK TV. More info www.eda-zari.com Saturday, October 29, 2011 The Summer of Aviva, 3 pm Aviva my Love, 5 pm Big Eyes, 7 pm The Police Man, 9 pm

Prishtina Diary Friday, October 28, 2011 year later she got her first opportunity to play in Hamam Jazz Bar that club. Jazz Trio with Tony Kitanovski, Oliver Duev and After that successful experience, a lot of clubs in the Oliver Josifovski from Skopje city invited her to visit their booths. In the last 3 years, she has visited countries as France, Portugal, Saturday October 29, 2011 at 10 pm Russia, Bulgaria, Switzerland, USA, Morocco, Hamam Jazz Bar, Turkey, Algiers, Albania, Croatia, Angola and Josephine’s Suspenders... Bossa Nova, Latin, Cuban Brazil among others, and she entered the produc- Funk, with plenty of soul. tion world, collaborating in studio with All reservation at Hamam Jazz must be made by 6 artists as Alex Seda, Nicolas Ojesto and Jose de pm at 044 222 289; 038 222 289 Mara. Her smashing tech-house sounds are currently Peppermint Club played in clubs as Space Ibiza, Pacha Marrakech, Exhibition Marien Baker from Spain – Valencia. Sweet and Eibisi Barcelona and Passion Malaga; venues where charming, full of power and energy, Marien con- she has residencies. National Museum of Kosovo quers you as soon as she steps into the DJ booth. www.marienbaker.com Her first encounter with dance music was when she Friday, October, 28, 2011, 7 pm was 14 years old and pushed her into the dance club Monday October 31, at 8:30 pm scene, to which she has dedicated her career. “Halloween Party” at P1 club – Hip Hop & R’nB A personal exhibition of the artist Visar Mulliqi will be open Y Buying records and improving her mixing skills at Night at the National Museum of Kosovo, on Friday, October 28, 2011. M home, she was about 15 years old when she started The exhibition will be open for 15 days for all art lovers. C as lighting operator in Spook Club, Valencia. One Entrance fee: 3 euro Men, 2 euro Women K 18 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 Inside Prishtina No End to Illegal Taxis Illegal taxis which plough the same routes as buses are becoming increasingly common in Prishtina, but the police and municipality blame each other for the lack of action.

while the police says that this dence in them," she said. business is going well and this is is categorised as “smuggling” once issue is under the competency of One of the taxi drivers, offering because public transport is late. they enter the bus area,”said the municipality. services with an VW Golf 2, said “Particularly, old people cannot Halili. By Sanie Jusufi Resident Bekri Maliqi says that that he had no other choice to feed wait for too long,” he says. According to him, inspectors there are a lot of illegal taxis and his family but do this job. When asked why he was work- are called to inspect if bus routes the most common are the ones cov- He said that he can earn up to 20 ing illegal he added: “Why are you are being kept to. ering routes 1 and 3. euro per day. “My car is good. singling us out?" Brahim Sadriu, a police official, f you wait for a couple of min- Route 1 covers Prishtina to There are few expenses, its diesel "I have no other solution," says said that police had undertaken an utes at most bus stops in Fushe Kosove and route 3 is within and in a good condition. I earn another middle-aged man working operation to remove illegal taxis, IPrishtina, you’re likely to encounter an illegal taxi. Some the town. around 20 euro per day,” said the on Route 1. His registration plates but it is the job of municipality to signal with their finger the bus “There are times I use them taxi driver with his VW Golf 2, as have 02 referring to the region of tackle the problem in the long route they are taking, others have because of delays on public trans- he took the Prishtina – Fushe Mitrovica. term. a piece of card with their route port. I went to Fushe Kosove and I Kosove bus route. Mendu Halili, traffic inspector Lieutenant Agron Borovci said number displayed, and all of them paid 0.50 cents,” said Maliqi. Although, he knows he is work- at Prishtina municipality, admits that there had been a certain num- are unlicensed and unregulated. But there are other citizens who ing illegally , he claims that he is there are illegal taxis on the road, ber of interventions taken togeth- But with high unemployment, do not feel safe to travel with them. forced to do so. adding that in cooperation with er with the municipality and and the offer of cut price journeys Saranda Krasniqi, another citizen “Until I am caught I will contin- police they are organising a cam- police have been called to assist compared to regular taxis, this of Prishtina, said that she had also ue,” he said, asking for 0.50 cent paign to eliminate all illegal net- when needed. service is booming in the city. noticed a large number of illegal for the drive from Fushë Kosovë to works. “The municipality should exer- Who is responsible for tackling taxis operating within the city. Prishtina. The equivalent in a taxi “Based on the regulations in cise its competencies and police the issue remains under dispute. "Many times I wait for delayed would be ten times the price, while power, the police should remove exercise its competencies,” The municipality says police buses but I never travel with ille- a bus ticket would be 0.40 cent. them without the presence of Borovci said. should eliminate illegal taxis, gal taxis. I have simply no confi- Another taxi driver says that [municipal] inspectors because it Occupy Prishtina Starts Quietly

tarting with Wall Street, city cen- tres across the globe have been Srocked by mass protests under the “Occupy” banner. But in Europe’s poorest country, Kosovo, the Occupy Prishtina move- ment has yet to really make an impact. A small group expressed their anger at the government on October 18 to cor- respond with protesters across the world calling for global changes. The movement has about 400 fans on Facebook but promises that it will grow quickly. Organiser Yll Rugova said the num- ber of protesters was increasing. “The number of participants is not as impor- tant as creating the opportunity for a group to hold a lively debate where peo- ple can protest for their grievances,” said Rugova. “The initiative is ideolog- ically charged." The next rally will be held on Saturday, October 29, and further Y events are expected in November. M C K 19 Inside Prishtina Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 Dr Vulture Slept At Baci Hotel Jerome

days when police raided the In the District Court hearing, shown that transplants are clinic. witness Besim Gashi, a Medicus being made, but can confirm Confirmation came from wit- nurse, clarified his statement to that during that time there were By Florent Spahija ness Agim Humolli, owner of the police that there had been foreign patients,” said Gashi. Poncet the hotel in Prishtina, on ”three or four kidney transplan- Four Kosovo doctors and an Tuesday at the District Court. tations”. economist, implicated in an Resident twinning adviser Police failed to apprehend the He emphasized he was refer- alleged organ trafficking ring, r Yosuf Somnez, the man who is alleged to have Turk on November 4, during a ring to foreign patients who have pleaded not guilty at the Dheaded the kidney trans- search of the clinic. According were staying at the clinic and beginning of the Medicus trial. plant operation at Medicus, to the hotel registry, Somnez left that he did not know what oper- Urologist Lufti Dervishi is slept comfortably at Hotel Baci Kosovo on November 5 unno- ations had been carried out. alleged of being the ring-leader on November 4 and 5, 2008, the ticed. "We, as staff, have not been of the alleged activities. Prishtina through the Eyes of: the Eyes through Prishtina

1. What surprised you most about Prishtina? From some points of view, Prishtina seems to always be on the move, just like if people are going out every night. This is appreciable.

2. What's your favorite hangout? I like to change places, depend- Hospital Car Park or Parking Lot? ing on my mood. I like Crème for their cocktails and the particular that the facility’s car park was senior official in the Ministry largest car park in Kosovo”. ambiance. to be open to the public, but of Health's, had made the "For this parking lot, people everyone would have to pay to announcement. will come from all over 3. What's your favorite By Gravlax use it. “This parking lot will be Kosovo," he said. Kosovo food? To challenge the decision of managed by a private compa- The company which is deal- Pizza, no I am kidding, I really the Ministry of Health, the ny, which plans to charge for ing with the implementation appreciate this particular bread workers union held a protest people to come to work with of the MoH's decision says that you eat with cheese. rade Unions are squaring earlier this week. our cars," said Selmani. health workers and academic up with the management Xhemajl Selmani, chairman Shefqet Hadergjonaj, head staff will pay 20 euro for a 4. What annoys you most Tof the University of the Union of UCCK work- of another union, said the badge, while the public will be about Prishtina? Clinical Center of Kosovo, ers, said that Arif Alimusa, a UCCK yard will become “the charged 1 euro entry. I have never been really Prishtina, after it emerged annoyed by something, except maybe by birds bombing at dawn.

5. If you were mayor of Prishtina for a day what would you change? I would get rid of all these car parked on sidewalk and blocking the city traffic.

6. How many macciatos do you drink in a day? Sorry, I only drink expresso, but quite too much I guess, at least five a day.

7. What is your favorite Albanian word and why? It is a mix between Po and JO, so it is PJO. Because sometimes I would love to use it at work.

8. What landmark do you use to tell taxi drivers where you live? Y In the street where is Odyssea M Bistro C K If you would like your NGO to appear in 20 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 our Making a Difference feature, please Opinion email [email protected] Communitarians of the World Unite (and Decentralise)! true: hence we read, commented fortress. Certain that our ram- metaphor, [cut this: and a bad one: of its history, you look at it as a and invariably improved ICO’s parts rested on very solid analyti- stale, overused, utterly incapable static thing, also because if it Dr. Andrea Lorenzo writings on many fields. It is on cal foundations, during our of evoking a visual image (in his moves well beyond the borders of Capussela these fields that we met our ene- evening strolls we enjoyed watch- grave, tears silently flow from the where you are you will soon lose mies. ing the frantic, disorderly activity empty orbits of George Orwell’s sight of it, and will have to The vanguard of ICO’s ranks is of the communitarians camped skull: this one is new). Subtly, the describe it from memory. The hile I led the economics a tribe called the Community below us, and dropped cigarette communitarians invoke for their action of a cultural heritage – an unit of ICO I had three Affairs Unit, which at the height of ash on them. Fools: one fateful day ideas the support of the landscape action that occurred in the past – Waims: reduce unemploy- its power numbered 86 communi- our beloved goddess of fiscal disci- precisely because it cannot speak: is that of receiving: Kosovo’s her- ment, write well and defeat the tarians. They worships decentrali- pline was summoned back to her if it could, having cleared its itage does reflect influences com- communitarians. sation, an ethereal entity to which native Greece, and by dusk we had throat from 2,7 tons of plastic bags ing from Constantinople, Edirne, The first one was achieved. they attribute miraculous powers, all been taken prisoners. it would point out that making Rashka, Dortmund, Milwaukee. Fastidious people will retort that and honour her with rites which By the time it was closed, on 31st Special Protection Zones won’t Cultural heritages move across since 2008 unemployment they call ‘brain-storming ses- March 2011, the economics unit help much in a place where the law borders only when you talk of remained perfectly stable, or even sions’. Their minds, though, are was a sad bunch of losers, con- is often ignored.] them as living things, which lay grew. Don’t listen to them: the data steady and lucid: following the rev- fined to silence; powerless, we «… castles … »: there are no cas- their seed in other places. For they will invoke are the product of olutionary technique elaborated watched our cherished ideals tles in Kosovo, only forts or instance, Hellenism (not number inflation. It’s a rather sim- by Lenin (who had arrived from being sunk one after the other: the fortresses. Only the one in Zvećan Macedonianism) followed ple phenomenon: over time, due to Finland, like the author of the IMF program, the privatisation of might have briefly served as the Alexander the Great across Asia the repeated use of the same num- ‘plan’ or ‘package’ which they fol- PTK, the investment climate, the private residence of a lord, but the and left there Buddhas that look bers (which are only ten), their low to the letter), they set them- central bank, the PAK trust funds. communitarians don’t talk about like Olympian athletes, with only nominal value grows relative to selves the task of municipalising ICO managed to avoid ridicule it because north Kosovo is beyond a moderate belly. This, indeed, is the real value of the things they everything, to provoke the break- on the first day of its life without their reach. [Cut this: Much to the hidden plan of the communi- measure; the result is that on down of all forms of centralised us, which was April fools’ day, but their regret: imagine how much tarians: bring their Finnish word paper things look bigger than government and privatisation our demise proved fatal to its decentralisation they could do up well beyond Kosovo, and create a what they are. For instance, three (their ancestry must include also prose. there!] It’s funny: if you mention region, a continent, a globe com- minutes ago I ordered ‘one coffee’: some anarchists). One of their Let’s take a recent example: the the north in their presence they posed of billions of minuscule I drunk some, and now the cup is clans, composed of 28 decentralis- report on the Special Protection immediately take an introverted municipalities each with its tiny half empty (or half full, as you ers, was sent to north Kosovo in Zones. Its first two sentences – look and start grinding of their university, airport, hospital and prefer), just like the cups of the early 2008, but preferred to settle attributed to the Dutchman Pieter teeth: ‘grrrrrr’, ‘grrrrr’: they hate huge budget. other people sitting around me; on the southern shore of the river Feith but written by the communi- defeats, and for this one they If this is what can be com- yet, in both moments, each of our Ibar, where an idle life led them to tarians, corrected by the legalitar- blame the idle clan that was sent pressed in two short sentences, cups counts as ‘one coffee’: conse- take an interest in observing ians and revised by the politickers up there but gave themselves to just imagine what ICO is capable quently, we still have the same defunct mining sites and writing (two other tribes) – will suffice: the arts. of when it formulates whole poli- number of ‘one coffee(s)’ despite fantastic literature (‘A strate- «Kosovo’s landscape boasts a rich «These sites …»: ‘these’ are the cies. Indeed, at the next occasion I the fact that in these three minutes gy/comprehensive plan for the variety of traditional houses and castles, bridges, churches, etc. would like to talk about the forum the real aggregate amount of cof- north’ is the pinnacle of their art); monuments, including castles, Now, each has a site, but none is a where ICO policy is discussed: the fee in this café has significantly they ended up opening a drama bridges, churches, mosques, site: they are constructions, daily morning meeting. declined. Likewise, every unit of school, where the Mitrovica monasteries, teqes, turbes, things, monuments, objects (a very unemployment that composes the Municipal Preparation Team the- hamams and kullas. These sites chic expression in my view). Here Andrea Capussela has a PhD on 45% which those people will quote atre company learnt its trade. are part of a cultural heritage that I think they wanted to sound aca- the cross-border aspects of competi- contains a good deal less unem- The other ones were anything goes well beyond the borders of demic. tion law, and until 2008 worked on ployment than that number sug- but idle, everyday erecting minus- today’s Kosovo.». «… a cultural heritage that goes mergers and acquisitions. He then gests. If this is too complicated, cule municipalities, giving them Where to begin? From the begin- well beyond the borders of today’s moved to Kosovo, where until the look at it this way: everyone – gov- enormous budgets and de-taxing ning: «Kosovo’s landscape boasts». Kosovo.». If you are an observer end of March he was the head of ernment, US, EU, World Bank, trade in church candles: conflict Now, landscapes neither boast nor intending to describe the cultural the economics unit of the IMF, ICO and its economics unit – with the economics unit was speak: this is just a bad, stale heritage of a territory as a product International Civilian Office says that their priority is to reduce inevitable. One provocation fol- unemployment, and are doing all lowed the other: when we suspect- they can to cut it down; now, it sim- ed that they were secretly inciting ply is impossible that despite all Meanwhile in the north... mayors to usurpe land that was these efforts unemployment would meant to be privatised, we remain so high: it must have declared war. declined. Only, number inflation After some terrible initial doesn’t allow us to see it. defeats, the communitarians Apologies for this rather techni- realised that what matters is not cal introduction, but a resurgence so much the strength of the argu- of my conscience imposed it (I ments but the control of the battle- used to earn perhaps 40 times the field and the speed of movement average salary of those Kosovars across it. We soon found ourselves who are lucky enough to have a attacked from every corner, with job). their new frightful weapon: pairs Moving to more interesting top- of contradictory arguments (for ics, on ‘writing well’ the standard I example: ‘we agree’ and ‘we dis- set to ICO’s economics unit was agree’, or ‘A+B=C’ and ‘A+B=Z’) this: precision in the choice of linked to each other by an iron words, no silly metaphors, jargon chain and hurled at us by pairs of only when necessary to hide past loose cannons, of which they had mistakes, and outward respect for many (they borrowed this idea binary logic. My excellent col- from the Dutch pirates of the XVII leagues added one criterion, which century, who used it to hit the they mercilessly applied to my masts of the ships of the catholic own prose: cut it short. kings; I suspect that another Indeed, the job of the ICO being Dutchman sold them the designs the production of literature, the of this deadly weapon). After a job of its economics unit was to forceful attack on the left, they write pieces of prose containing would swiftly move to the right, economic terms (once we tried think of another pair of contradic- some sharp hexameters on fiscal tory arguments and mount an policy, but they were refused Y equally powerful offensive from because undiplomatic). But all eco- M there. At every battle we lost large nomics is politics, and, for ICO’s C portions of socially-owned territo- great fortune, also the reverse is K ry, until they laid siege to our Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 21 Opinion If you would like your NGO to appear in our Making a Difference feature, please email [email protected] It’s Time Bosnians Declared Outside In What They Want A Cypriot in the The fractured country will keep on drifting towards social and economic meltdown unless Balkans! people start demanding that the politicians address their social and economic as well as national interests. By Kreshnik Hoxha

By Srecko Latal elcoming internationals to the Balkans has never failed to amuse me. And you know you’re in for a treat when a Wtourist from another UN bolthole turns up. osnia and Herzegovina has It seems, however, that despite the constant comparisons been in a slow-motion crisis between Cyprus and Balkans, few passport holders from the Bfor so long that it has become Mediterranean island step foot on this mountainous peninsula. part of normal life. A year has The closest flight to Prishtina or Skopje from Laranca is the passed without any sign of a state- level government and on the surface Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki. life continues, but deep down people If you’ve got your Macedonias mixed up already, the story are increasingly divided about becomes even more completed at the Macedonia-Kosovo border. where the country is heading. Upon seeing the passport of my visiting Cypriot friend Giorgos, Ethnic and social tensions are ris- the fascination of the otherwise bored and sleepy Macedonian bor- ing. Over the past few weeks there der police led to an hour wait, presumably, as a map and a Greek- have been four violent clashes Macedonian dictionary was consulted. between football hooligans in differ- guaranteeing that no local or inter- they really care about them? And The official said that he was checking the “validity” of the pass- ent towns, the last on 6 October in national counterpart questions the what has this high-minded national- port. I think the Greek letters got him excited as he wondered Sarajevo, when supporters of the entity’s existence any more. Yet this ism produced so far but misery and whether Greece had given in over the Macedonia name dispute and local team Zeljeznicar and Hajduk has come at a high price. tragedy for all ethnic groups? changed its own name to Cyprus. Wasting one hour at the Blace from Split in Croatia clashed in the Today, its international image is Nevertheless, three and a half border crossing was definitely not the way I had envisaged my city centre. badly tarnished; its immediate years of war and 15 years of subse- friend’s first evening in the Balkans. But my Albanian friends and Scores of people and police were neighbours in the Federation are quent political strife have affected I killed time by observing Giorgos’s relentless efforts to try to fig- injured and numerous cars burned fuming; foreign investment has people across Bosnia. They no ure why the policeman “confiscated” his passport. and upturned in one of the worst dwindled down to almost zero, and longer share a common view of the “What is wrong with these people? Is it just because I’m such incidents in many years. corruption, cronyism and nepotism country’s future or structure and Cypriot?” he asked in panic. Strikes are also spreading in are rampant. Republika Srpska now some do not even accept the coun- “No, it’s because being a pain is in the job description of border firms, with a street protest planned faces critical economic and social try’s existence anymore. police,” said my other friend. by NGOs on 15 October in Sarajevo challenges that threaten not only While traveling throughout It took the policeman an hour to work out the answer to this and few other cities against the pro- Serbs’ but everyone’s national inter- Bosnia I have seen that Bosniaks, obviously mindboggling question of my friend’s origin and then longed political, economic and ests. Serbs and Croats still have much to we were off to Kosovo. social crisis. The leaders of the Republika share. They all care first and fore- Drinking rakia in the Prishtina summer seems to have convinced Though the environment is very Srpska have brought their own enti- most about their identity but none many of our international community of the merits of Kosovo. It different from the late 1980s and ty and the rest of the country to the wants violence again. I worked for Giorgos too as he claimed that he felt at home. early 1990s, the combination of vio- brink of catastrophe by toying with If their identity is respected and And considering how Cypriots and Kosovars share concerns lence on football fields and unrest on nationalist sentiments, mocking accepted by others, they all shift about their territorial integrities, you can only imagine the direc- the streets is eerily reminiscent of international powers and weaken- their focus to bread-and-butter tion of the discussion as the rakia consumption continued to rise. the final days of Yugoslavia. ing state institutions. issues, such as security, stability, We had to reassure him that the muezzin call at 4am, echoing Still, local politicians appear Yet the Serb-led entity is not the jobs and better living standards. around a quiet Prishtina, was definitely not a Turkish invasion. unperturbed, civil society is inert, only one at fault. It still takes at least They reject the political aspirations The vivacious youth, the liveliness of the city, the food and the the international community is two to tango, but in the case of of their ethnic counterparts but wel- hospitality in Kosovo seemed to have impressed Giorgos. “I am fas- divided and the local media are as Bosnia it takes three, four or some- come them as friends and neigh- cinated by this sense of community which holds Kosovar families divisive as ever. times even five. So instead of a tango bours. strongly bound to each other and certainly people’s knowledge of The EU has just published its 2011 we end up with the local circular But six years of political, econom- the Cypriot problem really caught my attention,” he said, while Progress Report for BiH, which kolo with each dancer pulling in a ic and social tensions are taking supping on some quince rakia. shows it halting or slipping in polit- different direction. their toll and the country seems to I’ve heard it said many times by foreigners, but, personally, I am ical, economic and all other key Croat national parties are increas- be approaching economic and not quite sure about this sense of community. If we had one, we areas. It is the worst progress report ingly flirting with the dangerous social, if not political and adminis- would have probably not turned a blind eye to the misuse of power BiH has received so far, so bad was it idea of a separate Croat entity trative, collapse. The economy is carried out by our politicians. in fact that the EU should have focused in the south of the country, halting and the entities are taking Next on the agenda was Tirana. Realising that he was about to called it the deterioration instead of though this would largely isolate out new loans to continue to pay visit another Balkan country Girogos recoiled in horror. His experi- the progress report. Bosnian Croats who live outside salaries, pensions and social bene- ences at the Macedonian border were still fresh and he feared anoth- Incredibly, some politicians are Herzegovina. Bosniaks hate the fits. The country is facing new diffi- er passport “confiscation”. But, to his surprise, the bus passed the trying to persuade their electorates idea, and it has no international cult economic, social and financial Kosovo-Albania border without even checking the passports. that the recession is about to end support, but Bosnian Croat leaders challenges in 2012 when repayment “So, what happened to the passport control?” he asked. and that a brighter future awaits. seem not to care. of large international loans is due to “Kosovars don’t have freedom of movement to the EU, so instead they do it with Albania” - replied sarcastically my French friend. For the past year my colleagues While Croats and Serbs are main- start. ly focused on their national inter- As the situation seems to go from The mesmerising views in Tirana and the breeze around the and I have toured this country, iden- ests, most Bosniaks, as well as oth- bad to worse, it is time for the citi- Skenderbeg Square were quick to win our Cypriot friend over. tifying problems on different admin- ers who identify themselves with zens of Bosnia to think about Every corner in the city centre seemed to be whispering fragments istrative levels and exploring their Bosnia and Herzegovina, want to whether they care more for the pack- of history. Giorgos was absolutely gobsmacked with the wide origins. build up a civic state. Most have no aging than for the content, and tell “Deshmoret e Kombit” street which stretched almost endlessly We spoke with people from all time for the views of most Croats their leaders they want not only down the city. sides: ruling and opposition parties, and Serbs who prefer ethnic-based their national but also their econom- But, his amazement reached its pinnacle when he found out that urban and rural, dignitaries and entities. Nobody is willing to open a ic and social interests protected. during Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship, only the supreme leader was ordinary folks alike. We published discussion on how to merge the civic It is also high time for local lead- allowed to use that street. our findings about the situation in and ethnic concept in a democratic ers, NGOs, intellectuals and media “The whole region of Balkans has really suffered from tough the Federation of Bosnia and society. to provide citizens with what they regimes and dictators, but there is something unique and stylish Herzegovina [one of the two enti- I believe that all this fuss about need, and stop promising what they about this region that makes me visit again because this place has ties] in the report “A Parallel Crisis” ethnic versus national allegiance, cannot deliver. Otherwise all may potential,” he said. last September. We released our and central state versus entities, is end up with what they want least: a Ah, I thought to myself, I wondered how long before I would hear findings about the country’s other set up by politicians to disguise collapsed state and economy, and the word “potential”. Foreigners visiting the region inevitably use entity, the Republika Srpska, in their protection of their personal maybe even more conflict. it at some point, as do real estate agents looking to shift houses “What Does Republika Srpska and economic interests. which are falling to pieces and begging for some investment. Want?” last week. Bosnia’s political elites have been Srecko Latal is a Sarajevo- based The Balkan roof is still leaking and we’re still waiting for money Our latest report concludes that rallying in defence of what they analyst with the international think to renovate the living room (our countries), but at least when it’s the Bosnian Serb leaders’ harsh claim to be higher national or ideo- tank the International Crisis Group, sunny we can admire our potential over a glass or two of the strong political discourse has succeeded in logical interests since 1992, but do ICG alcoholic stuff. 22 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 Community Focus Ecosovo Begging for an Education Kosovo’s unofficial recyclers. A day spent in the bins. By Ferdi Misini and Jeton Jashari we should focus on: there are cer- tainly enough of them in the back streets of Fushe Kosove. We pulled By Elizabeth Gowing oma, Ashkali and them out of hedges, picked them Egyptians children do not off the roadway, cleared them out Rattend school regularly of bins (particularly and newly because most are forced by their t took a bit of persuasion grateful to people who separate parents to go through the streets (Gjelane’s father looked at my their rubbish so that all the bottles of Prishtina to beg. beautiful boots, bought in I were together). Gjelane asked me Many children of Roma, Istanbul, and asked politely ‘do you what the English word for them Ashkali and Egyptian back- have some more sensible shoes?’) was, and scampered along ahead of ground from Fushe Kosove are but I finally persuaded Agron to forced to beg on the streets of take me with him when he went out us calling out ‘bottull, bottull’ to go through the bins. when she spotted one, as if it was a Prishtina rather than attend I didn’t know what I thought treasure hunt. school. about this work which is the main When we came to houses where One of them is Bubi, known by source of income for almost all the the bins were set inside the gates his peers by this nickname. He families our NGO is supporting in Agron would call out if he saw has attended classes in a multi- Fushe Kosove. Sending children someone in the garden, and ask ethnic school Sveti Sava. out scrambling through broken permission to go in, and whenever Bubi is 12 years old but has only glass, meat offcuts and discarded householders saw him they were finished the first grade. He has condoms to find some scrap metal friendly, often generous. Gjelane reenrolled in school but instead to sell, rather than being in class: was given coins, a skirtful of he helps his father to collect cans anti-social activity. Unemployed plums, a couple of bags of clothes for recycling. people cleaning up the city and that one woman had saved for her. His father, Isuf Berisha says recycling its waste - and earning People knew Agron – he has been that Bubi does not go to school some money through their hard doing this work since he was 14, because he needs to help with work doing so? Some kind of hero- and he said he learned it from his earning money for the family. ism. father before him – and many “He has to help me because I turned up to check out this greeted him in the road. My feeling there is no one else,” Berisha told heroic/ anti-social activity at first was of reciprocity, an acknowl- the newspaper Prishtina Insight, hand, wearing my rubber gloves edgement that he was doing a serv- during an afternoon where he and (Agron sniggered at me like master ice. Bubi were having their lunch craftsmen snigger at their appren- It was hard work, bending to break at home. tices the world over) and Gjelane pick up the bottles, and stooping to While the father continued to her dad and I set off with his wheel- push the wheelbarrow at an uner- complain about the family’s diffi- barrow. gonomic angle, and it got harder as cult financial situation, Bubi left the wheelbarrow (with one wonky home and continued his work ‘So what are we wheel) got fuller and more difficult until late in the evening. Berisha, whose family is seven- looking for?’ to steer. We all stank. I was ready to go home. strong, said that during the day But only when the wheelbarrow he makes from five to ten euro by ‘Plastic bottles are 15c per kilo- was laden with perhaps six full selling cans but also other iron gram; aluminium is 20c per kilo- scraps. In addition, Berisha binbags of plastic bottles, plus a gram. The best thing we could receives welfare of 75 euro a bag hung from each handle and find is a car battery – 75c a kilo- month. one each on my back and on gram. And those things weigh a The Jashari brothers, from a Agron’s – only then did he suggest lot.’ that we could make our way to the different neighborhood of Fushe We stayed in Fushe Kosove Kosove, also regular miss lessons. because Agron doesn’t have a depot where they’d buy the scrap off us. Rather than a satchel of books, bike. He was rather wistful when I Roma children do not attend school for a variety of reasons. I wondered how much we’d the eldest, Florim, carries a sack asked him about that, because if full of cans and metal scraps. you have a bike you can get to the make. After all, we had done quite plained that Kosovo’s Dragusha said that most of these a good job – satisfyingly bulging He says he does not go to school Government had not allocated students have left school due richer pickings of Pristina’s bins. because he doesn’t learn anything With just a wheelbarrow it’s only bags, three hours of three people’s any budget for this centre. because of financial difficulties at there. “I cannot write, nor read. feasible to stay in Fushe Kosove. labour. I tried to work out how “We only have international home. Collecting iron and selling it is When you’re loading your much a bag of plastic bottles donors who help us to develop Children often must leave easier,” Florim told Prishtina wheelbarrow to the maximum weighed, tried to multiply it by 15 classes in two languages, school because they do not have Insight. you’ll soon need extra storage so cents per kilo, until my head hurt Albanian and Serbian,” said the required school uniform, Basri is concerned about the before you start gathering scrap as much as my back. Stolaku, stating that 240 Ashkali which they cannot afford to buy. fate of his children. “They are not in earnest you need to gather Two euros eighteen cents. That’s and 30 Egyptians attend classes in “Parents need to purchase very interested,” he said, “but if your resources for the day. We what we earned. It’s less than what Albanian and 45 Roma in Serbian. these uniforms,” said Dragusha were passing a minimarket. ‘Shall I paid for the freshly-squeezed they did attend regularly, they In Fushe Kosove, there are adding that a non-governmental we go and buy binbags?’ I asked. orange juice I ordered to slake my would probably learn some- three schools which Roma, organization has financed only 42 Agron looked at me witheringly. thirst when I got back to Pristina. thing.” Ashkali and Egyptians children uniforms for the Ashkali commu- It’s actually almost exactly the The Centre for Cooperation and are supposed to attend, although nity. ‘We find the binbags’. daily rate of social welfare Agron’s Integration, CCI, in Fushe few do so. Unlike the first two schools, at family receives (75 euro per month) Kosove, provides assistance to Manuela Petrovic, a teacher at Mikhail Grameno the situation is CCI, also blamed the parents of more promising. 1,251 students Of course. So first to a large skip so by doing this work, he doubles these children to overcome diffi- the children. attend this school, of which 46 behind a tall apartment block. It his income. culties in learning. Petrovic says that parents are children are Ashkali. was full of binbags and Agron It’s the cost of recycling the rub- The centre provides homework not showing interest in their chil- The director of the school, fished out a few that were only half bish that you threw away this assistance for children who do dren’s education. “They prefer to Ismet Gashi, said that compared full and emptied them. He has a morning. not attend regularly public send their children to beg rather to other schools, this school hernia and couldn’t climb in to the It’s one way of calculating the schools. than bringing them to school,” stands out because the children of skip. ‘In you go, Gjelane,’ he said to opportunity cost of a child who Coordinator of the centre, she said. this community are regularly in his daughter. That was the hardest doesn’t go to school because they’re Stolaku Rahman, said the it was "I often talk with parents, but class. moment of the day for me, as the earning money for their family. funded by the NGO Balkan Sun they are only serious for one day, “They are very dedicated to nine year old shinnied over the Flowers and started work in 2008. while problems remain the learn, the students are regularly edge and started sorting through Elizabeth Gowing is the author Stolaku said that the centre same,” Petrovic told Prishtina in class and come to school well the bags of used toilet paper, the of the recently-published, Travels mainly caters for students from Insight. dressed,” said the director, adding smears of tomato sauce, and stink- in Blood and Honey; becoming a Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian At the biggest primary school that their parents attend various ing pools of unidentified liquid. beekeeper in Kosovo. She is also a communities, but also helps some in Fushe Kosove, Selman Riza, meetings. ‘Let me do it instead,’ I suggested, founder of The Ideas Partnership, Albanian and Bosnian children. there are 1,543 pupils out of "We have very good cooperation Y but they wouldn’t let me. a Kosovan NGO working on educa- The children are largely of pri- which 4 are Roma, 446 Ashkali with the Ashkali community as M When we’d retrieved some sacks tional, cultural and environmental mary school age. “We have stu- and 37 Egyptians. well as with the Albanians," said C we started collecting. Agron reck- projects. She can be reached at thei- dents from the first grade to the Director of the school Sahit Gashi. K oned that plastic bottles were what [email protected] fifth,” said Stolaku. He com- Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 23 Classified Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like to advertise Email [email protected]

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American Address: "Nazim Hikmet" no. 30 Arbëria/Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 549 516 Austrian Address: "Ahmet Krasniqi" no. 22 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 249 284 Belgian Address: "Taslixhe" I, 23 A 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 734 734 British Address: "Ismail Qemajli" no. 6 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 254 700 Bulgarian Address: "Ismail Qemajli" no. 12 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 038 245 540 Dutch Address:" Xhemal Berisha" no. 12 Velania, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 224 61 Finnish Str. Perandori Justinian No. 19 Pejton 10 000 Prishtina Phone: +386 43 737 000 French Address: "Ismail Qemajli" no. 67 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 22 45 88 00 Greek Address: "Ismail Qemajli" no. 68 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 243 013 German Adress: "Azem Jashanica" no. 17 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 254 500 Italian Address: "Azem Jashanica" no.5 Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 244 925 Japanese Address: "Rexhep Malaj" no. 43 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 249 995 Luxemburg Address: "Metush Krasniqi" no. 14 Classified Ads Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 226 787 Do you have a flat to rent? Position to fill? Students to find for a language course? Why not speak directly to Kosovo’s international com- Malaysian munity through Prishtina Insight’ classified ads. Address: "Bedri Shala" no. 48 Almost every international organisation, embassy, NGO and many others subscribe to Kosovo’s only English language newspaper, which 10000 Prishtina is also on sale at newsstands in seven cities and received in electronic format by scores of paying clients across the world. Phone: +381 (0) 38 243 467 Norwegian Address: "Sejdi Kryeziu" no. 6 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 232 111 00 Saudia Arabian Easy Medium Hard Address: Dardania SU 7, building 2, #1 y| y | |y 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 549 203 59 85 4 41 Slovenian Address: "Anton Ceta" no. 6 1578 26 94210000 Prishtina Phone: +381 (0) 38 244 886 92382 576 Swedish Str. Perandori Justinian No. 19 98 6 71 8 9 58 472Pejton 10 000 Prishtina 615 389 9 547 6 78Phone: +381 38 24 57 95 Swiss 271 52 83 92 3 5 4 Address: "Adrian Krasniqi" no. 11 10000 Prishtina 4283 6 67 9 Phone: +381 (0) 38 248 088 8997 31 52 3 Turkish Y Address: "Ismail Qemajli" no. 59 M Arbëria /Dragodan, 10000 Prishtina C 64 697 85 Phone: +381 (0) 38 226 044 K 24 Oct 28 - Nov 10, 2011 marketing

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