Opinion: The Kingdom of Looting

September 14 - 27, 2012 Issue No. 95 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 NEWS How to Medicus Clinic ‘Part of Bigger Buy an EU International Chain’ Citizenship > page 4 NEWS Stalin would not have Limaj May be been amused. Indicted in October A man named Vladimir, > page 5 apparently the Soviet BUSINESS dictator’s great-grand- Fox Marble is son, stands at the Kosovo’s First threshold of acquiring London Floatation a Romanian passport > page 7 and with it, the right to CULTURE work within the EU. ‘Black Sheep’ Disturbs Albania See Pages 12 - 13 Art Scene > page 14 Kosovo Businesses INTERNATIONAL Does the CIA step up drone strikes Spar Over Faded Spa during Muslim Kosovo’s top spa resort in Yugoslav times is crumbling away today, and its future remains unclear after a series of failed festivals? privatizations and court cases. attempt to offload the huge com- men, Ekrem Lluka, was declared Gani Dreshaj, owner of Kosova By Parim Olluri plex, including 26 acres of land, winner in the privatisation of the Invest, is a business partner of four hotels and a spa. Peja baths after his firm, Dukagjini Xhavit Haliti, a senior figure in espite interest from some of But a final decision is being SHPK, offered 8.6 million euro. the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo’s most powerful delayed by PAK, which is current- But Lluka later withdrew the Kosovo, PDK. Dbusinesses, Banja e Pejes, a ly without a board. bid, claiming that he had received But he was unable to provide once popular spa retreat near Peja, Meanwhile Prishtina Insight deaths treats from three men, all of PAK with the funds on time, and > page 15 is still under state ownership and has learnt that one of the disquali- whom were found guilty of extor- the agency disqualified his offer. deprived of much needed invest- fied bidders, the German firm, tion the following year. PAK then offered the second ment. The Kosovo Privatisation Rutinvest, is considering a legal PAK then put the hotel back up highest bidder, which had offered 7 Agency, PAK, in August announced challenge. for sale in 2010. A consortium of million euro, then the third, which that the Prishtina-based firm two firms, Kosova Invest, and a offered 5 million euro, the opportu- Kosovo’s only English-language Intering had offered 6.1 million Firms vie for spa: German firm, Wefa Health nity to buy the business. But both newspaper is available: euro to buy the publicly owned Management GmbH, was then suc- pulled out. “Hotel Onix Peja Baths and Ilixhe”. In November 2009, one of cessful in securing the bid, after Delivered to This was part of the fourth Kosovo’s most powerful business- offering just under 8.2 million euro. continues page 2 Your Door

Kosovo Imam Laughs Off Kosovo Marks Full From Newsstands Al-Qaeda Links Independence With a Shrug across Kosovo

Everyone knows him in Mitrovica. They Apart from the teams of police officers Sent To greet him, hug him, sometimes they even dotted at major intersections, securing safe Your Inbox offer him sweets. passage for the diplomats and dignitaries But Ekrem Avdiu, an imam at a contro- gathering in Prishtina, there was nothing versial mosque in this divided Kosovo city, unusual about Monday, September 10 – sup- From is also known to the American secret serv- posedly a key date in Kosovo’s history. our partners ices who claim he has links to Islamic Everyone went to work - even the civil news extremism... page 3 news servants who had been.... page 6 see page 16 for more info

is supported by: 2 September 14 -27, 2012 news Kosovo Businesses Spar Over Faded Spa Police Convoy from page 1 Sprayed With Bullets

Intering, the highest bidder in North Kosovo in the most recent sale, also bid on this occasion, although A Kosovo Police officer was injured Prishtina Insight was unable to when masked men sprayed a convoy establish how much it offered. Meanwhile Dreshaj filed an of EULEX and Kosovo Police vehicles indictment at the Special with bullets. Chamber of the Supreme Court, contesting PAK’s deci- sion to disqualify his firm. The 500,000 euro he had deposited when bidding for the enterprise By Fatmir Aliu has not been returned. Dreshaj is a business partner with Haliti, who is deputy n EU and Kosovo police convoy was chairman of the Kosovo assem- attacked last Friday morning in the bly, in the firms “Macrometal” Anorthern Serb-run part of Kosovo, and “Kosovo Clinic when a group of masked persons opened fire Management”. on them. He told Prishtina Insight: The assault, according to the police in “I’ve engaged an American northern Kosovo, took place at around 9am lawyer to deal with the case. on the road between Zupce and Zubin Potok PAK’s decision was unjust and during a routine joint patrol of the two forces. I’ll go to the end.” The court has “One Kosovo Police (KP) officer was slight- yet to issue a verdict. ly injured and a KP and a EULEX vehicle Earlier this year, the baths were damaged [after] a number of masked were again put up for sale, persons appeared on a road between Zupce receiving just two offers, the Both are part owners of the and Zubin Potok this morning [and] opened first for 4 million euro and the International Village, built on fire on the vehicles,” a EULEX press release second, from Intering, for 3 mil- the outskirts of Prishtina, said. lion euro. which is also owned by Dino Kosovo Police said that the injured officer, But PAK’s board annulled the Asanaj, the former chairman of of Serbian ethnicity, is out of danger and was tender. “We refused the offer of the PAK board. He died in suspi- injured by broken glass, not by bullets. this company [Intering] as it cious circumstances in June, The northern part of Kosovo, which bor- was too low,” Naser Osmani, a although police said he commit- ders Serbia, has long been prone to violence. PAK board member, explained. ted suicide. The local population, almost entirely com- The process was then Albert Shoshi, an official at Bathers relax in the waters of Banja e Pejes, despite the building’s poor state prised of Serbs, does not recognise Kosovo's launched for the fourth time in Intering, said that they were independence, or the ethnic Albanian-led May. awaiting the decision of the German institutions and those which were illegally occupied. government in Prishtina. In August, the agency report- PAK board on either refusing or in the European Union to “PAK accepts that it hasn’t Last week, three explosions were recorded ed that it had received only one approving their offer. understand this,” he added. been able to gain ownership of in the zone, targeting the property of a valid offer, for 6.1 million euro, He noted that his company “We have also engaged a the entire area of this enter- Kosovo Serb Police officer, the director of the again from Intering, owned by was now competing for the lawyer in Kosovo and are await- prise,” spokesman Ylli Kaloshi hospital in northern Mitrovica and a senior brothers Xhevdet and Arben third time for the enterprise. ing adequate instruction as to said. official of the Serbian Progressive Party, Shoshi, businessmen from Peja. PAK said a decision on how we should proceed. He added that PAK had man- SNS, in Leposavic. The EU Special Representative to Kosovo, Intering’s offer would be made “We have been very interest- aged to retake some other Samuel Zbogar and the Head of EULEX, when a new board of the agency ed in buying the hotel and had a usurped land on the site and is approved. No date has yet good team of people from Xavier Bout de Marnhac, condemned the lat- Baths still open: had brought the thief to justice. been set for the long delayed Kosovo and other companies in est incident in northern Kosovo. “The usurper [of the land] Despite its decrepit decision. Germany. "I thoroughly condemn this act of wanton has been convicted and sen- state, Banja e Pejes Tomas Witsad, manager of “Based on what will happen, violence. Lives were put at risk. It illustrates tenced to one year in jail,” remains open to the public. the German company we would again be very inter- and reinforces the need for greater rule of Kaloshi added. For an entrance fee of Rutinvest, told Prishtina ested in buying the hotel,” he law in this area of Kosovo," Zbogar said. just 2 euro visitors can Insight, that they had employed concluded. “The agency has sent several The head of EULEX said the perpetrators enjoy hot pools, sauna, a lawyer to look at why they requests to the relevant institu- had to be brought to justice, and appealed to massages and swimming were disqualified from the most Usurped land query: tions in this municipality - the all those who had information relating to this pools. recent bid. municipality and police - to stop incident to contact the police. The complex is about “We were promised a reason As part of the hotel sale, 26 usurpers damaging the proper- Northern Kosovo is widely seen as being 16km from the town of for our elimination but this has acres of land are also on offer. ty but the necessary measures under de facto control of so-called parallel Peja along the main road to never happened and we do not But Prishtina Insight has dis- to preserve the property from institutions, which are funded by Serbia. Mitrovica. know why,” Witstad said. covered that the site initially damage by illegal users have These include decision-making bodies such “We are in contact with included a further five acres, not been taken.” as town councils and mayors. EU Kosovo Police Detain Three Corruption Suspects The EU rule of law mission has detained the head of the city assembly in Prishtina, Sami Hamiti, and two construction businessmen in a corruption and extortion probe. two businessmen, suspected of that three persons were arrested without being hand-cuffed. ney of Hamiti, confirmed that his corruption and extortion. Wednesday but did not reveal any The spokesperson for the city of client would be interviewed on One suspect is Sami Hamiti, names. Prishtina, Asdren Osaj, told Wednesday afternoon by a EULEX president of Prishtina’s city “They are suspected of extortion Prishtina Insight that all questions prosecutor related to a suspected By Fatmir Aliu assembly. and other acts linked with corrup- related to the case should be case of corruption. The two other are Agim Ademi tion,” the spokesperson explained. addressed to EULEX, since no offi- He said he had been notified by and Muharrem Rama, both Sources told Prishtina Insight cial note was sent to the munici- the European prosecutor that an senior official of the involved in the construction trade. that Hamiti was visited this morn- pality to clarify the allegations investigation had been opened Prishtina municipality has Blerim Krasniqi, spokesperson ing by four EULEX police officers against Hamiti. against Hamiti, but that no other Abeen detained by EULEX of EULEX, told Prishtina Insight in his office and left with them Tome Gashi, the defence attor- details were provided to him. police on Wednesday, along with

Y M C +381 38 602042, +377 44 243367, +386 49 243367 K news September 14 -27, 2012 3 Kosovo Imam Laughs Editor’s Word Off Al-Qaeda Links Selling Coal Imam Ekrem Avdi claims he only learned last week that he was suspected of links to a member to Kosovo of Al-Qaeda held in Guantanamo Bay.

By Lawrence Marzouk By Jeton Musliu

Ever heard of the expression “selling snow to Eskimos”? veryone knows him in Well, I’ve got a new one which is almost as absurd: “selling Mitrovica. They greet him, hug coal to Kosovo”. Ehim, sometimes they even offer him sweets. In November 2009, I wrote about how Ferronikeli, Kosovo’s But Ekrem Avdiu, an imam at a biggest exporter, was forced to import coal from the other side controversial mosque in this divided of the planet, despite sitting on one of the world’s biggest Kosovo city, is also known to the reserves. American secret services who claim The metal giant complained that Kosovo Coal, a spin-off he has links to Islamic extremism. from KEK which is responsible for preparing and selling the A secret document from the US country’s publicly owned lignite reserves, was unable to pro- Department of Defense at vide enough fuel, and that what it did provide was generally of Guantanamo Bay, published by poor quality. WikiLeaks, dating from 2005, lists Ferronikeli said it was expensive bringing it in from him as a suspect in recruiting Malaysia, but that it had little choice. Mujahedeen fighters. At the time, Azem Rexhaj, former director of the The US secret document notes: Independent Commission of Mines and Minerals, said that “Avdiu is linked to recruitment the opening of Sibovc mine would solve the problem. efforts for the Chechen and Iraqi “Workers are moving fast to make the opening of the mine insurgencies, and as of February happen. We think that our first coal from this mine will arrive 2007, remained active in extremist in the middle of next year,” Arben Gjukaj, Managing Director activities in Albania.” of KEK, told us. Almost three years on, however, the situation has got worse The paperwork, which profiles a Imam Ekrem Avdiu laughs off links to terrorism former detainee, Faha Sultan, from in a bizarre twist which epitomises the problems of doing Saudi Arabia, notes that during a recruited for Islamic extremists. Kosovo Police,” Besim Hoti, business in Kosovo. KFOR raid on Avdiu’s home in 2003, Prishtina Insight asked KFOR for spokesperson for Kosovo Police for KEK has, we have learnt, failed to renew its contract with the NATO force discovered a phone clarification on the Imam’s arrest, the Mitrovica region, said. the publicly owned Kosovo Coal - they suggest because of book containing Sultan’s number. but the force refused to comment on He added that, in principle, the some unpaid debt – and as a result coal destined for big com- Sultan’s number was also found the specifics of the case. police do not talk about individu- panies, but also public facilities like schools and railroads, is in a raid on a “an Arab office in “KFOR’s mission is to contribute als, but in this case he was happy to now imported at hugely inflated prices. Kandahar”, in Afghanistan, during to an orderly and safe environment say that Avdiu was a respected fig- Although sitting on the fifth-largest reserve of brown coal which 160 “military training camp for all the people of Kosovo. To ure in Mitrovica. in the world, Kosovo has already imported 100,000 tonnes this applications” for Al-Qaeda were increase the efficiency of opera- Avdiu received his religious edu- year – double the total amount brought into the country in discovered as well as the same tions, KFOR monitors all activities cation in Saudi Arabia in 1997, the 2009, before the troubles began. phone number for Sultan noted on that may potentially threaten order home of the conservative As a result, the cost of coal has increased by 60 per cent, Avdiu’s Mitrovica papers. and a safe environment,” Wahhabist strand of Islam. depriving the state coffers of funds in lost revenues and the As he drank coffee in a busy spokesman Uwe Nowitzki said. He is a regular lecturer on reli- higher cost of imported fuel, and making Kosovo’s few export- shopping centre in Mitrovica last “However, KFOR is not in a posi- gious topics on the Kosovo fran- ed products less competitive. week, the Kosovar imam leafed tion to comment on issues that are chise of the London-based Islamic This is a remarkable example of gross incompetence and through each page of the secret US related to operations,” he added station, Peace TV. negligence. The problem should have been jumped on and documents linking him to terror- Officials working for Kosovo The mosque that he leads is solved by Kosovo politicians or officials within weeks, if not ism. Police in Mitrovica said that they known as “the mosque of Wahhabis” days. Laughing, he said that he had no have never had any cause to investi- in Mitrovica. Instead, KEK’s contract with Kosovo Coal ended in idea who Faha Sultan was and did- gate Avdiu. From 1998 until 2001, he was November 2011, and almost a year on nothing appears to have n’t know that the Guanantamo doc- The imam “has never been the imprisoned in Serbia for alleged ter- been done. ument existed. subject of an investigations by rorist activities in 1997. What has always struck me about politics in this country is “I have no idea about what has the shocking lack of accountability. Politicians can be exposed been said – that I was apparently a as cheats, liars, or at the very least useless, but retain their recruiter or that I have connections Planned Attacks in Kosovo jobs. with people in Afghanistan. It’s all When I wrote about this problem in 2009, I gave KEK and the slander,” Avdiu said. ther documents included in the WikiLeaks haul of secret authorities the benefit of the doubt, pointing out that “Kosovo He does admit that he was arrest- Guantanamo files reveal further links between alleged Al-Qaeda is making efforts to solve these problems, and is being helped ed in 2003, and sent to the American Ooperatives and Kosovo. along the way by its international partners”. military base known as Bondsteel, A suspected member of Al-Qaeda arrested and detained in Guantanamo But instead of resolving the problem, the situation has near Ferizaj. in 2002, Sami Muheidine Mohamed al-Haj, had been in Kosovo during the severely deteriorated. Avdiu, says that on November 28, summer of 2001. I hoped at the time that that ‘Me i shit qymyr Kosoves’ – 2003, or as he prefers to remember Another prisoner arrested in 2001, Mustafa Ait Idr, from the Algerian Selling Coal to Kosovo – wouldn’t become a refrain. it “the third day of Eid”, KFOR Armed Islamic Group, GIA, suspected of being involved in an attack on the I am afraid it has. But since they have chosen not to fix the arrested him. American embassy in Sarajevo, is mentioned for his close ties to the problem, will anyone have the decency to resign instead? “American KFOR in Bondsteel Balkans. asked me: ‘Why are you connected The same document mentions that on August 26, 2012, the Italian police to terrorism?’” he recalled. in Kosovo arrested two Kosovo Albanian brothers, Jamel and Sarhane The Fortnight in Numbers: “I was asking them, ‘With whom, Lamrani. which network, which people?’ But “Both brothers had made threats against KFOR and UNMIK,” the docu- Kosovo parliamentarians have voted in favour they wouldn’t answer,” he said. ment reads. “Jamel Lamrani is in a direct way connected to prisoner +355of dropping the international telephone cur- “They held me for 24 hours in (Mustafta Ait Idr). Sarhane Lamrani has recently claimed that he is con- rent codes from Monaco, Serbia and Slovenia - +377, +381 and Bondsteel and interrogated me. At nected to Al-Qaeda, and at the end of June 2005, he said that Albanians in +386 – in favour of Albania ‘s +355. A number of obstacles the end they thanked me and hand- Kosovo should carry out suicide attacks on UNMIK and KFOR”. remain in Kosovo’s way, however, before it can make the ed me over to the UNMIK police,” Mustafa Ait Idr, according to documents, was connected to Ahmad Efendi switch. he continued. Adilovic and his brother Zuhdija, who was leading an Islamic school in The number of states the US Secretary of State After charging him with posses- Travnik, Bosnia. 89Hillary Clinton said had recognised the independ- sion of an illegal weapon, UNMIK “The school sent students to a camp in Guca Gora [Bosnia]. According to ence of Kosovo, not 91 as is claimed by Kosovo’s government. freed him. the Bosnian government, the detainee was also involved in this camp, pro- The amount of money that Kosovo Police asked a “I was sentenced for that and had viding karate training,” the document said. 300driver to hand over in order to ignore the fact he to pay a fine,” he said, “and that It adds: “In March 2004, the Adilovic brothers were among a group of was driving without a licence and was found with a small quan- was it!”. Islamic extremists preparing an attack against Camp Bondsteel, a US mili- tity of drugs, according to an investigation by BIRN’s show He denies allegations of having tary base located at Urosevac[Ferizaj], Kosovo.” Justice in Kosovo. 4 September 14 -27, 2012 news The Fortnight in Medicus Clinic ‘Part of Bigger Headlines International Chain’ Zeri, September 3 Big difference of opinion have The clinic at the centre of organ-trafficking claims in Kosovo was just one part of a wider international racket dealing in started to resurface inside Hashim Thaci’s ruling Democratic Party of transplants, Nancy Scheper-Hughes director of Organs Watch, says. Kosovo since his first deputy chairman of the party Fatmir Limaj has launched the idea of reforming from inside the PDK. By Fatmir Aliu Limaj’s proposal of 1 member 1 vote is seen by observers as an imposed dictatorship.

he director and co-founder of Koha Ditore, September 4 Organs Watch, an organisa- Ttion dedicated to research on The British diplomat Robert the global traffic in human organs, Cooper, known as the facilitator of has told BIRN that two former the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, has clients of the Medicus clinic near retired and is not working any Pristina had identified Yusuf longer formally for the EU. Sonmez as the key figure in what Diplomats in Brussels don’t she describes as a major organisa- exclude the possibility that tion based in Israel. Baroness Ashton will ask for “The organized criminal syndi- Cooper’s services so she does not cate begins with Sonmez and his become heavily involved in the partner in Israel who both started forthcoming talks between out in the 1990s.... [when] they met Pristina and Belgrade at a transplant conference,” she says. Koha Ditore, September 5 The Medicus case centres on allegations that poor donors were While the President of the induced to sell their kidneys to the European Council Herman Von clinic, which then sold them on to Rompuy said that a visible rich clients. advancement in the relationship Seven Kosovo Albanians and with Kosovo is key for the start of two foreigners, one of whom is Serbia’s negotiations for member- Sonmez, were indicted by EULEX ship into the EU, the President of in 2010 with human trafficking, Was the Medicus clinic part of a wider organ trafficking network? the European Parliament Martin organised crime and unlawful Schultz was even more precise in medical activities. The prosecution says Moshe were using Palestinians to pro- intermediaries, he would have underlining Serbia’s need to recog- The accused include the alleged Harel, an Israeli of Turkish ori- vide organs for Israelis. been aware of the situation and nise Kosovo as an independent ringleader in Kosovo, the clinic’s gin, acted as the gang’s fixer, find- She claims that some of the bro- was perhaps, therefore, in contact state if it wants to integrate into owner, Professor Lutfi Dervishi. ing both donors and recipients and kers for the clinic were working with people in the KLA who the EU. The Kosovars named in the handling funds. for Israeli’s national insurance would have suggested that, as a indictment were allegedly aided Poor people were allegedly lured company, which knew how to han- surgeon, he could help out,” she by Sonmez, who is wanted on from Istanbul, Moscow, Moldova dle funds provided by Israel’s suggested. organ trafficking charges in sever- and Kazakhstan on the false Ministry of Health, which reim- Former KLA leaders have al countries. While the Turkish promise that they would get up to burses the costs for Israelis who strenuously denied all knowledge authorities are prosecuting him 15,000 for their organs, with some decide to obtain organ trans- of the organ trafficking opera- for the alleged offences in Kosovo, receiving no payment at all. plants abroad. tions during the war. he remains at liberty in his native According to the indictment, 30 The Medicus clinic is also On Monday night, Serbia’s state Turkey. operations involving illegal kid- named in a December 2010 television station, RTS, broadcast ney transplants took place at the Council of Europe report, which an interview with a man claiming clinic in 2008. alleges that senior members of to have been a KLA fighter during Scheper-Hughes says that the the Kosovo Liberation Army, the war, and who removed a pris- first man she interviewed, who KLA, several of whom are now in oner's heart intended for the www.prishtinainsight.com she calls David, a wealthy client the Kosovo government, traded black market in organs during the from California in the US, paid the organs of prisoners during 1990s Kosovo conflict. Publisher: the network roughly $200,000 for the 1999 Kosovo conflict. Serbian prosecutors say that Express, September 7 the kidney transplant. She believes that such organ the victim was a Serbian prisoner, BIRN Mr David travelled from the US harvesting did take place in 1999, and the operation had been car- Nigeria hasn’t recognised the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network to Israel and then Turkey to go on but says the case still lacks suffi- ried out near the northern independence of Kosovo. The for- to Kosovo, she says. cient evidence. Albanian town of Kukes. Mensa e Studenteve, first floor eign minister of this African state, But she says the broker then She says that the place in The EU-led investigation team Olugbenga Ashiry, told Express 10000, Prishtina informed him that police had Albania named in the report as a looking into the claims in Marty’s that his country didn’t take any Kosovo raided the clinic. key site, known as the “Yellow report said it would consult stesp to recognise the independ- “He had to pay, a second time, House”, may have been a transit Serbian prosecutors on the wit- Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 ence of the Republic of Kosovo. another $120,000,… to go to Baku centre. ness at their next meeting. Fax: +381 (0) 38 22 44 98 Deputy Prime Minister Behgjet in Azerbaijan; he didn’t even The victims, she says were “a Scheper-Hughes says she met [email protected] Pacolli, who a year ago presented a know where this place was,” she small number of Serbian former Sonmez in 1994 and 1996, when letter from Nigeria as recognition, recalls. fighters, or perhaps just civilians they both worked in an interna- Editor-in-Chief: was silent on the matter. “This man did not come from and minorities at the end of the tional task force on organ traf- Lawrence Marzouk an educated background; he did- war, leftovers as you might say. ficking, where Sonmez said he Express, September 11 [email protected] n’t know where he was. He had no “It is wrong to speak about had carried out over 2,000 trans- idea who he was getting a kidney Serbs being murdered for their plant operations involving what Editorial Team: Kosovo Liberation Army veter- from. He is lucky he survived.” organs. It was really a question of he called “commercial donors.” Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, ans are to be counted by their pres- Sonmez was arrested in killing Serbs [in retaliation for Last year a Turkish prosecutor ident. According to sources, Petrit Collaku, Artan Mustafa, Gresa Istanbul in January 2011 but was the war] and then taking advan- asked for Sonmez to be sentenced Muharrem Xhemajli is set to Musliu, Parim Olluri, Jeton Musliu and later released on bail. tage of having a technician pres- to 171 years in prison for illegal replace the former Supreme His alleged partner, Harel, was ent to remove their organs,” she transplants carried out in the Donjeta Demolli. Commander of the KLA, Azem arrested on May 25 in Israel with says. Medicus clinic. Syla, who resigned recently as the other nine persons. But the direc- “According to my sources, the His lawyer told BIRN that his Marketing, Sales & Distribution: head of the Government tor of Organs Watch says he too kidneys were taken to the airport client continues working in Commission to verify and count [email protected] was since released. in Albania and shipped to Istanbul where he lives. the veterans, invalids and martyrs Scheper-Hughes says that Turkey,” she adds. EULEX prosecutors called last Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” of the 1999 war. Xhemajli will be Sonmez and Harel started work- She says Somnez was not pres- week for Sonmez to be questioned Arben Grajqevci appointed officially to the post ing further afield after their oper- ent at the Yellow House but that via video link. Y during the week, when the com- ations received bad publicity in he may have received the removed The case against the Kosovar M mission is expected to gather, for Printing: Lindi Printing Center Israel, after a whistleblower told kidneys. suspects is ongoing. All deny C the first time, without Syla as its Copyright © BIRN the Israeli authorities that they “Through his contacts and wrongdoing. K chairman. news September 14 -27, 2012 5 NGO Reveals NGO news Richest Officials evizja Fol, one of Kosovo’s leading Kelmendi, owner of the supermarket chain anticorruption organisations, has ETC, with 62 million euros. He represents Llaunched a platform allowing the the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK. public to compare the wealth of senior “Available information revealed discrep- politicians and officials. ancies between the income and properties Information published on the site - leviz- of senior Kosovo officials,” the European jafol.org/al/deklarimet – is based on offi- Commission wrote in its 2010 progress cial declaration of assets submitted to report. “This indicates widespread corrup- Kosovo’s Anticorruption Agency each year. tion at high levels in Kosovo persist. This Fatmir Limaj May be According to Fol, which means “speak fact has not been followed-up by public up” in Albanian, the richest public official debate or investigations of the relevant in Kosovo is Behgjet Pacolli, with 192 mil- bodies, showing a distinct lack of political Indicted in October lion euro in land, shares, cash and other will in fighting corruption.” assets. The investigation into alleged corruption in the Ministry of Transport may Pacolli is often labelled the world’s rich- The issue was again raised in the 2011 EC est Albanian. He made his fortune through report. “Declarations of assets by public result in an indictment of former minister Fatmir Limaj being issued in the Swiss-based construction firm Mabetex officials continue to show discrepancies October. between the assets declared and actual rev- which won a number of lucrative contracts The initial investigation exceeded the enue,” reads the report. from the Kremlim during the Boris Yelstin time limit of 24 months on April 23. This Fol hopes the website will encourage citi- era. prevents the Special Prosecution Office of Pacolli is head of the political party New zens to take a closer look at official declara- By Petrit Collaku / Fatmir Aliu Kosovo, SPRK, from undertaking further Kosovo Alliance, AKR, which is coalition tions of assets and help the authorities spot “investigative actions” into the charges. with the Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s inconsistencies. EULEX spokesperson Blerim Krasniqi PDK. A total of 224 officials are included in the imaj, now an MP in parliament from told BIRN that “investigative actions” refer The richest parliamentarian is Ramiz database. the ranks of the ruling Democratic to, but are not limited to, such actions as LParty of Kosovo, may soon be charged house searches and arrests. with corruption during his time as the However, “the time limit of 24 months Minister of Transport, Post and does not apply to possible additional Telecommunications, sources have told charges or against possible additional Prishtina Insight. defendants that are added at a later stage of The EU rule of law mission to Kosovo, the investigation,” he explained. EULEX, has apparently prepared an indict- A Prishtina Insight investigation ment that it plans to send to the courts as revealed that a number of lucrative build- early as October. ing contracts appear to have gone to friends Limaj appeared at the EULEX prosecu- and relatives of Limaj. tion on Tuesday after being called to sign “On-going analysis of the information the hearing session minutes of March 20, collected to date will continue in order to 2012. make the final assessment of the case at a EULEX has not commented on the later stage,” EULEX told BIRN. reports, although the Ministry of Transport Limaj was recently freed from another has been under investigation by the case, related to war crimes during the 1999 European mission since April 2010, when conflict in Kosovo. police raided the ministry and properties On May 2, a mixed panel of European and connected to Limaj in Prishtina. Kosovo Judges at Prishtina’s District Court The operation was part of a corruption announced that they had found no evidence probe linked to road tenders issued between to justify continuing the trial against 10 for- 2007 and 2009. Limaj has denied any wrong- mer fighters in the Kosovo Liberation Army doing during his time as the head of the including Limaj accused of war crimes. ministry. Photo News: Nationalist Graffiti Appears in Northern Kosovo

Two men talk in front of newly painted nationalist graffiti in the northern part of Mitrovica. The text reads: “No turning back from here.” Y BETA-PHOTO M /SASA DJORDJEVIC C K 6 September 14 -27, 2012 news Kosovo Marks Full Independence With a Shrug Kosovo was granted full independence by its international masters on September 10 - but few people in Prishtina seemed interested in celebrating.

employee, Andrea Capussela, wrote in the leading Kosovo news- paper, Koha Ditore, on Tuesday By Fatmir Aliu that the ICO had failed to build up Kosovo’s institutions. He said there was little reason to celebrate the end of supervi- part from the teams of sion, as the country remained police officers dotted at under the de facto control of the major intersections, secur- A US and EU. ing safe passage for the diplomats “The supervision of Kosovo and dignitaries gathering in does not end today… Kosovo was, Prishtina, there was nothing unusual about Monday, September and will continue to be, super- 10 – supposedly a key date in vised or managed or influenced or Kosovo’s history. whatever you will, by foreign pow- Everyone went to work - even ers: the US primarily, and to lesser the civil servants who had been degree also the EU and some of its expecting a public holiday to mark member states,” the former head the end of the era of Kosovo’s of the ICO’s economic affairs unit internationally “supervised” inde- said. pendence. A day after supervision ended, Unlike previous milestones on Kosovo hosted an international the route to statehood, there were conference on the future. no cars draped in Albanian and Hundreds of foreign diplomats Kosovo flags driving around gathered in Prishtina to listen to Prishtina to the sound of a horn Ahtisaari and watch a video-mes- chorus. sage from former US President Prime Minister Hashim Thaci Bill Clinton, whose statue graces and Pieter Feith, the International one of Prishtina’s main thorough- Civilian Representative for fares and who is a hero to Kosovo Kosovo, announced the end of Albanians. supervised independence to a The streets have been devoid of celebrations following the end of supervised independence (Photos by Beta) The former UN Envoy for country that seemed largely indif- Kosovo’s Status underlined that ferent. It was tasked with implement- organisations, including the implemented in full, particularly lasting peace between Kosovo and A concert was held on Tuesday ing the Comprehensive Proposal United Nations, though it has in the far north of the country, Serbia can be reached only by a in central Prishtina to mark the for Kosovo’s Status Settlement, joined the World Bank and which remains controlled by change of approach by citizens decision but more people appeared drawn up by the Finnish UN International Monetary Fund, Belgrade. and leaders on both sides. interested in the football match Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari. IMF. Some Kosovo Serbs also warned “Peace doesn’t mean Kosovo taking place that evening between The so-called “Ahtissari plan” Pieter Feith of The Netherlands that progress in interethnic rela- and Serbia forgetting the past but Albania and Switzerland. was designed as a blueprint for was appointed ICR on February 28, tions could yet be reversed with- accepting that their future can be Hairdresser Ardit Dula, a 25- Kosovo’s future following years 2008, and has remained at the post out more commitment from the different,” Ahtisaari said. year-old Kosovo Albanian in spent under an increasingly since then. Kosovo government. “This is a lesson for interna- Prishtina, said that nothing much unpopular UN administration, He was tasked with ensuring “We are fully aware that our tional diplomacy, that true success had changed as a result of the UNMIK. implementation of the Ahtisaari [Kosovo Serbs] future in this place cannot be found in the negotia- decision. After Serbia’s main ally, Russia, plan, including the creation of is in question because the institu- tions room or in the signing of “What people tend to forget is refused to support Ahtisaari’s pro- new municipalities, decentraliza- tions are predominantly agreements. It can be found in the that you can never really be inde- posals for “supervised independ- tion of power, building up state Albanian,” Rada Trajokovic, a behaviour of the people, ministers pendent in our country,” he said. ence”, the ISG countries side- institutions and ensuring the pas- Kosovo Serb MP, said. officials and eternal neighbours,” “Everyone knows that the war stepped the UN Security Council sage of new laws covering a range “Through them, a latent fascist he added. [of independence] was fought by and went it alone. of areas, from protecting Serbian policy is led against the Serbs,” The International Crisis Group the US, and that it won it. Now and The ISG created the post of the Orthodox sites to managing pub- she added. released a report on Monday out- forever, whatever happens, it’s the International Civilian licly owned enterprises. Officials insist they have no lining the challenges facing Americans that decide.” Representative, ICR, to head the In July, the ISG ruled that the problem with coexistence with Kosovo following the end of super- International Civilian Office, ICO, ICO had broadly completed its Serbs. Kosovo’s Prime Minister, vision. An end to supervision? which guided the country through mission, as a result of which it Hashim Thaci, used a speech this “While Kosovo must do more, its difficult first years alongside will pack up in Prishtina in week to emphasise that the gov- Belgrade, if it means to help the The International Steering the elected government. September. ernment’s main priority was inte- Serbs south of the Ibar, [i.e. in the Group was set up in 2008 by 25 Meanwhile Kosovo’s disputed But while the ICO clears its grating the Kosovo Serb communi- rest of Kosovo] has to recognise powerful countries that backed status means it has not been able desk, experts have pointed out that ty in the north and establishing where fate has left them and Kosovo’s independence. to join a number of international the Ahtisaari package was not the rule of law. accept the same conclusion they He said he wishes to extend the have already reached: there is no hand of friendship to the northern good alternative to full and open Serbs by organising free elections engagement with the Pristina gov- there and bringing investments to ernment,” Marko Prelec, Crisis the three Serb-run municipalities. Group’s Balkans Project Director, But he said that action was said. required, in partnership with the The ICG called on Belgrade to international community, to put rethink its policy of funding pressure on Serbia to stop financ- Kosovo Serb salaries and pensions ing its structures in Kosovo. and running education and health “The international community systems inside Kosovo. must put pressure on Serbia to “Belgrade should not discour- withdraw its security institutions age Serbs in Kosovo from cooper- from the north, namely the ating with Kosovo institutions [Serbian Secret Service] BIA and and needs to replace its parallel the [Serbian Interior Ministry] municipal structures with liaison MUP,” he added. offices to provide for the needs of A Kosovo government report the Serb community while com- from 2011 said Serbian security plying with Kosovo law,” the ICG structures have operated continu- said. ally in the north since 1999. But the influential think-tank Thaci said that the country also said that authorities in would not agree to any form of Pristina must also work harder to partition, nor would the north be protect Serbs across the country, Y granted special status beyond and not use the end of supervision M what was offered in the Ahtisaari to water down any of the provi- C plan. sions in the Ahtisaari package K Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci shakes hand with US Deputy Assistant Secretary Philip Reeker as Martti Ahtisaari (middle right) looks on. Meanwhile, a former ICO related to minorities. business September 14 -27, 2012 7 Titan Rejects Claims of Fox Marble is SharrCem Sale Kosovo’s Titan Group, owners of the cement giant SharrCem, have told BIRN the firm is not con- sidering selling its cement plant close to the Macedonian border. London First By Parim Olluri Floatation Fox Marble has become the first Kosovo-based firm listed ne of the Kosovo’s biggest investors, the Greek giant on the London stock exchange. OTitan Group, has rejected years. media reports suggesting it was “During this period, we’ve held considering exiting Kosovo. 736 meetings with investors from Kosovo daily Express carried all over the world and every day quotes from a senior Titan execu- By Petrit Collaku they have told us that they would- tive earlier this month suggesting n’t collaborate with us,” Albani that the repeal of an import tax on The Kosovo company, part added. cement would badly affect the owned by former PTK director He said that the main problem firm’s profits. Etrur Albani, aims to begin opera- was the risks associated with But a spokeswoman for tions at three marble quarries fol- Kosovo’s instability. SharrCem told Prishtina Insight lowing a listing on AIM, the Albani added that Fox Marble’s that it was one of biggest employ- Alternative Investment Market. entry into the London Stock ers in the country, with more The SharrCem cement plant is one of Kosovo’s major employers Fox Marble owns five quarries Exchange would put Kosovo on the than 500 employees and 200 con- in Kosovo and hopes that to raise world business map. tractors., and had no plans to PAK, if it decides to leave. PAK Mimoza Kusari-Lila abolished 10 million euro from the market to “The main point is that we have leave. sold the formerly state own plant. the 35 per cent levy just 52 days enable it to acquire the equipment received four offers from serious She added that the firm was an Spokesman Yll Kaloshi said after introducing it, following to extract blocks of marble. companies that are interested to example of the principles of “cor- Titan’s performance was still protests from neighbouring Company chief Christopher work in Kosovo in fields such as porate social responsibility” and being monitored by the agency to Albania. Gilbert told the media in London mining and information technolo- that it had invested more than 8 ensure it was meeting the terms “To compete, to achieve a last year that James Caan, star of gy,” Albani said. million euro in environmental of the sale. multi-year investment plan, such BBC business and entertainment Rex Marble, owned by Fox protection equipment alone. SharrCem was heralded as the measures on imports of cement show “Dragon’s Den”, through his Marble, has secured four licenses “Furthermore, the public most profitable privatisation in should last three to four years,” company “Hamilton Bradshaw for extraction on October 31, 2011, should be informed that Kosovo’s short history when it he is reported to have said. Capital Partners”, had invested an lasting until 2036. undisclosed sum of money in the SharrCem is not owned by any was sold for 30 million euro in “With the removal of these The company plans to process company. company, but is part of Titan 2010. Titan Group also pledged to measures Sharrcem cannot sur- around a million square metres of Major shareholder and manag- Cement, the world renowned invest 35 million euro. vive”. marble a year, which will produce ing director Etrur Albani, former- company in the cement industry, The Kosovo daily Express news- Kosovo Competition Authority a turnover of 70 million euro. ly known as Etrur Rrustemaj, said listed on the stock exchange for paper reported earlier this month has begun an investigation into “Our investment will open hun- he and the team had overcome more than 100 years,” said the that Titan was considering selling whether the temporary protection dreds of job positions in Kosovo,” great adversity to make it onto the spokeswoman. She added that the the plant. Michail Sigalas, man- measures on cement imports were Albani said. stock market. firm has large factories in nine Some 91.3 million metre squares aging director for Europe and contrary to Article 11 of the Law “We finally made it,” he told countries, including the US. of marble have been located in Africa, had complained to the on Protection of Competition. Prishtina Insight, explaining that It has also emerged that Titan Kosovo, and it is estimated that the newspaper about the repeal of an ACA noted that the decision the company had been pushing for would require consent from the country could hold around 235 mil- import tax on cement. affected the cement market and the floatation for two-and-a-half Privatisation Agency of Kosovo, Ministry of Trade and Industry favoured SharrCem. lion meter squares. Kosovo Unions Ally Against Post and Telecom Sale Twenty-seven organisations have called on the government of Kosovo to stop the privatization of the Post and Telecom company, PTK. of those enterprises, to show soli- darity in protecting our common resources, which are about to be By Fatmir Aliu stolen,” the meeting held on September 4 said. The BSPK issued its call on the same day that the Procurement osovo trade unions are call- Overview Body gave a green light ing on the authorities to to the government to proceed fur- Kstop the planned privatiza- ther with its plans. tions of the Post and Telecommunications of Kosovo, Five companies have qualified PTK, and the Trepca mines. for the next round of the competi- Twenty-seven organisations tion to buy the government's 75 per united to oppose the sales last cent of shares in PTK. week at discussions held under the These are Albright Capital Management LLC, in cooperation chairmanship of the Alliance of Opposition is growing against the sale of Kosovo’s most lucrative publicly owned firm PTK Independent Unions of Kosovo, with Portugal Telecom; Columbia BSPK. Capital in consortium with ACP Telecom). socially owned enterprises has nomical and social development,” “We urge an immediate halt to Axos Capital Gmbh, which cooper- The alliance of organisations “de-industrialized” Kosovo. the BSPK said. the privatisation of PTK, the ate with British Telecom – Poland; opposed to the sales blames pri- “The public property of PTK, As the government tries for a Kosovo Power Company, KEK, dis- M1 International Limited; vatisations for massive job losses KEK and Trepca needs to remain fourth year in a row to sell the tribution network and the liquida- Turkcell and; Twelve Hornbeams and for the poor economic situa- untouched if the country is to get shares it holds in the PTK, it is Y tion of Trepca. in consortium with Avicenna tion in general on the ground. out of this deep crisis. Their eco- also encountering objections from M "At the same time we call on all Capital LLC, which cooperate with The BSPK claims that the nomic development is a condition the opposition Self-Determination C citizens, especially the employees Sofrecom (part of France process of selling off former and an opportunity for overall eco- Movement. K 8 September 14 -27, 2012 neighbourhood business Serbia Counts Cost of Politicians' Pledges to Farmers After a dismal, drought-ridden summer, farmers want politicians to make good on their lav- ish election-time pledges towards the agricultural sector. this as the “single largest state loans, doubling the incentives for assistance to farmers in the past fattening cattle and pigs, increas- 25 years”. ing subsidies for milk from 5 [0.04 Following the budget rebal- euro] to 7 dinars [0.06 euro] for By Stevan Veljovic ance, the Ministry of Agriculture the second half of 2012, as well as will have 42 billion dinar [355 mil- the emergency purchase of lion euro] at its disposal, com- 200,000 tonnes of commercial erbian politicians, both those pared to the RSD30 billion [254 maize for strategic reserves. in power and in opposition, million euro] earmarked at the The package of measures, Scompeted hard to show their beginning of the fiscal year. worth 160 million euro, should support for hard-pressed farmers This increase means the agri- alleviate some of the pressure on in the May general election, all culture budget now accounts for farmers as a result of their promising more state support. But 2.5 per cent of the national budg- unsuccessful harvest, but is far as autumn approaches, these pledges are coming back to haunt et, though the government from enough to cover the damage, those now in office. intends to increase the total to or to preserve food prices at pres- Tomislav Nikolic, presidential four per cent in 2013 and five per ent levels. candidate for the victorious cent in 2014, explained Knezevic. Natalija Bogdanov, professor of Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, One of his first moves was to the Faculty of Agriculture, Farmers are facing hardship this year after the summer drought terminate the contracts of 1,658 expects that the measures will and now President of Serbia, Goran Zivkov, consultant for agronomists hired by the previ- secure food supplies, but not More investment pledged more investment in agri- SEEDEV, a consultancy company, culture. ous minister, Dusan Petrovic, to price stability. Experts say that the lower vol- and a former minister of agricul- Mladjan Dinkic, leader of the advise farmers. “The biggest increase will be in ume of production and smaller ture, says Serbia needs to allocate United Regions Party, URS, and He said their wage bill of 800 the price of meat and dairy prod- reserves means that high food budget money more efficiently if now Minister of Finance and million dinar [6.75 million euro] ucts,” Bogdanov predicted. prices are on the cards in 2013. farming is to become more compet- Economy, was even more specific, by the end of the year would be Farmers, on the other hand, The high price of pasturage, itive. promising to double the agricul- better used in directly alleviating are still awaiting more exact meanwhile, will lead to the “The problem in Serbia is that tural budget and to define the the cost of the drought. details about the announced state increased slaughter of cows, pigs expectations of agriculture are subsidies policy for at least five Despite the pledges and demon- assistance. and sheep, leading to a further much higher than the willingness years in advance. strations of concern for the sec- “The government has only to invest in and reform the sector,” Although it is early to judge to tor, many farmers have yet to be adopted two measures that were decline in livestock numbers. he said. what extent these promises will convinced of the willingness and already promised by the former Miladin Sevarlic, president of “We should be aware that our be fulfilled, the severe drought ability of the new team to change minister,” Vojislav Malesev, the Serbian Society of Agricultural economic recovery cannot depend and rising food prices ensure that things. farmer and head of the “100P Economists, estimates that the on agriculture, because other sec- agriculture will be high on the Some experts, on the other plus”, association of largest value of agricultural and food tors will have to provide jobs for all new team’s agenda. hand, fear that the proposed grain producers, said. “We still product exports this year will drop those who have to leave agriculture It is estimated that the drought measures are not enough to tack- don’t know how the big sums they by around 800 million euro from 2.1 and provide money to support age- has halved this year’s crop of le soaring prices, adding that the talk about will actually be spent,” billion euro in 2011. ing farmers. corn, soya bean and sunflower, consequences of the dry summer he added. He adds that the consequences of while other crops, including would have been less dramatic Sanja Bugarski, president of drought will affect exports in 2013, Zivkov says the best way to fruit and vegetables, also suf- had the state invested more in the Association of Milk too, as there will be less surplus left improve competitiveness is to fered. irrigation in the past. Producers of Vojvodina, says the over for export until the next har- invest in new technologies and Experts at the Serbian government hasn’t yet paid the vest. knowledge, but that in reality this Chamber of Commerce put the Food prices head up subsidies for the first six months “The biggest weakness in is not happening. estimated cost of the damage at of 2012, while already promising Serbian agriculture exposed in the “The measures being intro- roughly at 2.1 billion dollar [1.68 The government has adopted subsidies for the second half of dry 2012 is the decade-long lack of duced, such as providing subsidies billion euro], warning that this two regulations for preferential the year. investment in irrigation,” he said. per hectare … often don’t con- will have an impact on prices of purchase of 70 million tons of “The soaring price of corn and He also says that in the last four tribute to this goal,” he said. flour, oil, sugar, milk and meat. diesel for autumn sowing and soya means that I’d be better off years, the value of the funds ear- “Because of that, Serbia now has Goran Knezevic, Minister of subsidising 54.20 euro per hectare selling them on the market, marked for agriculture have fallen the smallest share of investment Agriculture, has said that the of crop and potato, with more rather than using them for breed- by half of in the state budget. support and support for rural government will give 160 euro to measures to follow. ing cows and producing milk, “Thirdly, we have huge oscilla- development in the whole of 170 euro million to cover the con- Measures include, among oth- when dairy purchase prices are tions in terms of yearly production Europe, when only seven or eight sequences of the drought, citing ers, a one-year grace period to low and the state is late in its pay- of more than 25 per cent,” Sevarlic years ago it was among the highest repay the principal on subsidised ments,” Bugarski said. added. in Europe,” Zivkov concluded. Foreign Retailers Struggle in 'Overcrowded' Albania The announcement that Slovenian retailer Mercator may sell up in Albania highlights the difficulty that big foreign retail chains face in Albania’s fragmented and impoverished market. gish demand from consumers due Toni Bazic, the new chief execu- to the economic crisis might tive of Mercator, told Reuters news explain a possible exit,” she added. agency that the company was con- Consumer demand in Albania sidering selling up in Albania and By Besar Likmeta has been badly affected in the last Bulgaria as part of larger cost-cut- year due to the debt crisis in ting drive that includes also the Greece and Italy, the country’s sale of some real estate. There has been an overcrowd- main trading partners, which host Mercator opened its first hyper- ing of the Albanian market by more than a million Albanian emi- market in Tirana in December Mercator superstore in Albania “international retailers in the grants. 2009 and currently also operates last few years and increased com- “Consumers continue to be ori- two neighbourhood stores, with 0.8 Albania in 2011 were 5.3 million The largest retailer is Delhaze petition,” Ornela Liperi, editor of Y ented toward savings by postpon- per cent share of the total retail euro. Several other international with 3.2 per cent of the market, the Tirana business weekly M ing important economic deci- market in Albania, worth 700 mil- food retailers operate in Albania, while traditional and fragmen- Monitor told Prishtina Insight. C sions,” Albania’s central bank gov- lion euro. including Conad, Carrefour and tized forms of retail account for “Fierce competition and slug- K ernor said last week. The company's revenues in the Belgian Delhaze. the lion's share. neighbourhood news September 14 -27, 2012 9

TV Organ Testimony Serbian Democrats to Choose 'Broke Serbian Law', Expert Says

erbian law expert says that New Leader in November by broadcasting the testimo- Sny of an alleged participant

After a heated debate on the party's future, Serbia's former ruling Democrats agreed to vote on the in brief News in organ-harvesting, the War Crimes Prosecutor broke Serbia's new leadership on November 10. own criminal procedures. Nikola Lazic, a Belgrade crimi- nal lawyer, said Serbia's Prosecution Office for War Crimes By Bojana Barlovac had broken Serbian law as it is for- bidden for a protected witness in an investigation phase to speak publicly about the case in ques- embers of the main board of the tion. Democratic Party on last Saturday “The investigation is also a part Magreed to a proposal of their leader, Boris Tadic, to elect a new party leadership of the criminal procedure, and the on November 10. rules for it are prescribed in crim- They rejected his proposal for the voting to inal law," Lazic said. direct. Instead, the new leadership will be By law, the investigation phase chosen through a delegate system. needs to be conducted secretly, The two main candidates in the running without the eyes of the public, and for the top post are the current leader, Tadic, only parties involved - prosecutor, and the party's deputy president, the Mayor judge, lawyer, suspect - in the case of Belgrade, Dragan Djilas. should be involved in the find- Part of the membership is unhappy with ings,” Lazic added. Tadic, Serbia's former President, blaming “Presenting your witness to the Former Serbian President Boris Tadic at a meeting of the Democratic Party last week him for having concentrated too much power public prior to the indictment for in his hands and for losing the May general loss of power. tion results but said he was not the only one the case endangers the overall and presidential elections. Saturday's congress was the first opportu- responsible. criminal procedure. Djilas was the only senior Democrat to do nity for them to analyze the causes and conse- “I was ready then to step down as leader. "First, it may affect the judge's well in the elections, winning the vote in quences of their defeat. However, the party presidency wanted me to decisions, then the potential wit- Belgrade and being appointed Mayor for the At the beginning of the session, Tadic pre- stay on and lead the negotiations on the form- nesses, but also the perpetrators, second time. sented a report on the party’s work in the pre- ing of the government,” Tadic said, recalling as they are now informed that this Since the presidential and parliamentary vious period. prolonged post-election negotiations, which specific event is being investigat- elections, party officials have been publicly In it, he admitted that he bore the biggest in the end led to the formation of a govern- ed,” he explained. bickering and blaming each other for their responsibility for the Democrats’ poor elec- ment under the Serbian Progressive Party. Lazic was referring to Monday's broadcast on Serbia's public broadcaster, RTS - done in cooper- ation with the war crimes prosecu- Murder Trial of Macedonian tor - of an interview with a self- proclaimed former fighter in the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. Policeman on Hold Albania General Feared The trial of the Macedonian policeman who shot dead two young Albanians in February, causing ethnic uproar in 'Chemical Attack' in the country, was delayed last Friday for “security reasons”. 2011 Riots eneral Ndrea Prendi, the former head of the GRepublican Guard, who is By Sase Dimovski indicted for murder, claimed he had information of a possible chemical weapon attack in last he trial of the policeman at January’s deadly protests. the centre of the case has Prendi told the court on Tbeen delayed after the Wednesday that he heard that “a prison in Prilep refused to bring sniper and individuals from the the ethnic Macedonian detainee, crowd with chemical weapons Jakim Trifunovski, 39, to trial in would attack the government Albanian dominated Gostivar, building”, without specifying the where the murder took place. source of the information. “The court received a letter The protests on January 21, from the prison saying that they 2011, turned into a deadly riot will not bring the suspect to when several hundred opposition trial for security reasons,” marchers attacked a police barri- Kjirko Mihajloski, head of the cade set up to protect Prime Gostivar district court, told Minister Sali Berisha’s office, Prishtina Insight. using sticks, stones and Molotov He said that the judge in cocktails. charge of the case will later Police and the Republican decide further steps and inves- Guard responded with tear gas, tigate the security threat. Albanian women demonstrated against the death of two men at the hands of a Macedonian police officer The prison in Prilep refused water cannons and later with live to elaborate to Prishtina Some said the dispute had killing was plain murder and all-out civil war in 2001. ammunition fire, leaving four pro- Insight on what the threats erupted over a parking space accused the police of trying to Gangs vandalized buses and testors dead and several others were. while others claimed that the cover it up. beat up citizens at random on wounded. Meanwhile, Trifunovski’s victims, Imran Mehmet, 29, and In a protest held that month, the streets of the capital, Apart from Prendi, two other defence in the Gostivar court Besnik Shehapi, 26, were neigh- some 10,000 ethnic Albanians Skopje, and in other places. members of the Republican Guard demanded that the trial be bours of his with whom he had gathered in Gostivar to express Ethnic Albanians used social are accused in the high-profile moved to Prilep, arguing that it previously quarrelled. their anger over the murder. networks to call for renewed trial. would be a less risky environ- Police initially said Some of the protestors turned protests last Friday in front of Prendi, together with Agim ment. The Supreme Court will Trifunovski fired his gun in violent, breaking public prop- the court in Gostivar. However, Luppo, former chief of staff of a decide on this request. self-defence. They said he was erty and attacking shops owned in the absence of the defen- special unit of the Republican Trifunovski, a police officer first attacked while parking his by Macedonians. dant, few people turned out. Guard, are accused of murder from Gostivar, shot dead two car outside his home in the The killing contributed to a Fearing retaliation, the fami- under aggravated circumstances. ethnic Albanians in the town in presence of his young daugh- spree of inter-ethnic gang vio- ly of the defendant fled the They face a minimum of 20 unexplained circumstances ter. lence in March, the worst since town shortly after the incident years to life imprisonment if while off duty. But local Albanians said the the country narrowly avoided took place. found guilty. 10 September 14 -27, 2012 investigation Belgrade Waste Contract Leaves City’s contract for underground dumpsters clearly violated procurement law -while many believe the whole procedure was tailor-made to fit a pre-arranged winner. partner company, Blok. of prior experience in this field, Procurement Act are meager and new tender must be issued. However, Mandrapa repeatedly that is, proof of having manufac- range from 850 euro to 8,500 euro. She further explained that, if refused BIRN’s requests for an tured 25 million dinars [214,000 This situation, however, may the public procurement contract By Aleksandar interview. euro] worth of dumpsters. change as the draft of a new Public was signed in breach of the law, Djordjevic Blagojevica’s founder, Zivko At the time when the tender was Procurement Act is soon to be the contract would be null and Radojicic, a man close to the issued, Blagojevica was the only tabled before parliament. void. Socialist Party of Serbia in the company that could meet this The draft envisages that the In this case, however, although hile Belgraders get used Nineties, also played an important requirement, as this company had Public Procurement Office and the one bid was inadequate, Gradska to their new underground role in the deal. previously installed the first and Commission for the Protection of cistoca still launched negotiations waste containers, 1,800 of W Radojicic, who is seen as the the only underground dumpsters with the consortium led by Blok Rights in Public Procurement which are being set up round the informal director of Blagojevica, in the country. Procedures could launch proce- and finally awarded it the con- city, BIRN can reveal that the ten- appeared in the tender as Blok’s Public procurement experts dures to declare contracts null and tract. der awarded by the city’s public representative. utility company, Gradska cistoca, describe the use of this criterion void. Although the only other bidder, Attempts to shed light on his worth around 6 million euro, as discriminatory. After the applications were sub- Eco Waste, was also invited to role were in vain, however. He said breached the Public Procurement Two Serbian companies filed mitted, the tender committee negotiations, the company decided Act. he had the will but no time for an three official complaints against found that the bid submitted by not to participate. The first violation was that only interview by the time of publica- the tender procedure. the consortium led by Blok was The winning consortium was two bids were submitted for the tion. Two complaints were upheld incorrect, while the bid submitted not only awarded with a 6 million tender issued in March 2011, one of June 2011, but Gradska cistoca by other bidder, Eco Waste, was euro contract. which was deemed inadequate. ‘Custom-made’ for winner: made only cosmetic changes to the both incorrect and inadequate. Gradska cistoca has since signed Although the Public requirements as a result. An incorrect bid most often contracts with the same consor- Procurement Act from 2008 obliges The city adopted a decision to Molok’s Finland headquarters means that the submitted docu- tium for additional repair work, the procuring entity to issue a new introduce underground trash bins sent a protest note to Gradska cis- mentation is incomplete, where as servicing, unforeseen works and tender in such cases, Gradska cis- in 2009. The plan is to introduce toca and to the office of Belgrade an inadequate bid usually implies for cranes used to empty the bins. toca nevertheless opened negotia- 6,000 by 2013. Mayor Dragan Djilas. They got no that the required technical specifi- The extra contracts were in total tions with the other bidder with Underground waste containers response. cations were not met. worth of about 40 million dinars which it finally signed a contract. are a novelty in Serbia. Because of In situations when bids are [350,000 euro]. The deal went to a consortium that, before the tender was issued, Faulty bid: incorrect, bidders are routinely comprised of two companies, a it was expected that interested asked to supplement their bids and Where did the money go? Belgrade-based company, Blok, companies would be provided with Analysts believe that the compa- negotiations are launched with which had no previous experience sufficient time to develop proto- nies that might file such requests them. Since the contract was signed, in this field, and Blagojevica from types. Making a prototype takes at probably have no faith in Serbian However, Daliborka Sreckov of several hundred underground Mladenovac, which did have some least five months. institutions and, at the same time, the Public Procurement Office trash bins have been installed in experience but was founded by an According to the Public fear that if they complained they explains that under the Public Belgrade and the job should soon owner of numerous bankrupted Procurement Act, the institution would lose opportunities to partic- Procurement Act, if a submitted be complete. companies. issuing a tender can announce its ipate in future tenders. bid is judged inadequate, negotia- Meanwhile, Zivko Radojicic’s BIRN has failed in its attempts intention to issue a tender a year Fines for violating the Public tions cannot be launched but a role, both in Blagojevica and in to obtain clarification of the ten- in advance, in order attract the der procedure. best and most affordable offers. Gradska cistoca’s director, a But Gradska cistoca gave poten- Democratic Party official, tial bidders only two months. The Aleksandar Stamenkovic, “didn’t tender was announced in January have time” for an interview, he and issued in March. said. Gradska cistoca also breached the Public Procurement Act in Rigging complaints: terms of advertisements. The act states that all public pro- Breaches in the tender proce- curements worth more than 50 dure were not the only issue. million dinar [420,000 euro] must Several companies that had be announced on the website of intended to apply for the job decid- the Public Procurement Office and ed in the end not to compete, in Serbia’s Official Gazette. But believing the tender was rigged. information on the tender was Although 22 companies pur- published only in the Gazette. chased bidding documentation, More significantly, perhaps, only two actually submitted appli- according to other manufacturers, cations. the tender requirements precisely “The tender was cleverly put matched the specifications of the together. The suspicious thing was containers, in terms of descrip- that technical characteristics were tion and size, that Blagojevica had such as to suit only one bidder,” already installed in the city. said Ljubivoje Slavkovic, director The company delivered 140 of Blok Signal, in Nis, one of the dumpsters to Belgrade in 2010. biggest utility equipment factories STP, Molok’s representative in in the country. Croatia, also pulled out. “We Although his company bought realised that the tender was made tender documentation, they gave to suit only one manufacturer,” up on submitting a bid after they Marko Brncic, STP’s director, told saw the requirements that BIRN. Gradska cistoca had prescribed. Several directors of other In written response to these Serbian companies agreed to talk claims on June 8, Gradska cistoca to BIRN but only under condition stated: “All interested bidders of anonymity, as they feared they could have met the technical could jeopardise future business requirements for this bid.” deals with the state if they spoke Milan Lukic, secretary of the out. Socialist Party in Mladenovac, and One described the tender deal as the man listed as the owner and “systemic theft”. director of Blagojevica in Serbia’s Another company owner said Business Register, told BIRN that that he had had bad experiences Blagojevica’s role was to produce before with such tenders: “No containers, which it had done. more tenders for us,” he said. Y Lukic said the right person to Another bidding requirement M talk about the tender was Dusan practically ruled out all Serbian C Mandrapa, owner of Blagojevica’s manufacturers. This asked all K potential bidders to produce proof The plan is to introduce 6,000 underground trash bins by 2013. | Photo by Beoinfo investigation September 14 -27, 2012 11 Law in Dumpster Fairness claimed Blok, remains unclear. In December 2010, Blok had only two employees and 5 million dinars in earnings (50,000 euro). or the contract to be By the end of 2011 the company annulled, one of the employed 25 people while its Finterested parties must income had increased 20 times. file a request to the Blok ended 2011 with total earn- ings of about 100 million dinars Commission for the Protection (about 1 million euro). of Rights in Public The situation in Blagojevica is Procurement Procedures. completely different. The account In case of the Blok- of this company, which was found- Blagojevica consortium no one ed in 1992 by Radojicic, has been filed such requests. blocked since June, because the On the contrary, Serbia’s Lad company is unable to repay 11 mil- Group company, which partici- lion dinars (100,000 euro) in out- pated in the tender as part of standing debts. the Eco Waste consortium, told Radojicic owns at least four BIRN it believed that the tender other companies that are either procedure was correct. bankrupt or in liquidation. “I would have been more About three months before the than glad to find something issue of the tender for the waste bins, Radojicic transferred his wrong and complain but there ownership of Blagojevica to an wasn’t anything. It was fair employee, Milan Lukic. play, an open competition, but Locals in Mladenovac still con- we didn’t get the job,” director sider Radojicic the real owner of Milos Markovic said. Blagojevica. However, he signed “Blagojevica was at an minutes from the negotiating pro- advantage because they cedure with Gradska cistoca as already had a developed model, representative of Blok. while we were still developing Milan Lukic, listed in the ours,” he added. Business Register as the owner The plan is to introduce 6,000 underground trash bins by 2013. | Photo by Beoinfo Daliborka Sreckov says that and director of Blagojevica, left she is not aware that anyone in the company in August, so it which had won a deal worth 6 mil- frozen account],” he said. He like him. I take my hat off to him. Serbia has ever launched a pro- remains unclear who officially lion euro - now faced financial diffi- spoke of Radojicic with admira- I admire him,” he said. cedure to declare a tender void, represents Blagojevica. culties, nor could he say who the tion, however, recalling that he In an interview with BIRN in current director of Blagojevica was. had hired him back in 2001 as a BIRN journalists Slobodan nor that any contracts have September 2012, Lukic couldn’t “I no longer work for the compa- labourer. Georgijev and Gordana Andric ever been declared null and explain why his former company - ny, I know nothing about it [the “I wish there were more people also contributed to this article. void. Reform Deadlock Leaves Albania’s EU Bid in Limbo As the big parties exchange recriminations over the country’s failure to end the immunity of high state officials, experts remain divided over whether the reform can secure Albania’s EU candidate status. ambassadors in Tirana all urged Albania first applied for EU can- “There also other issues, such is not a great achievement when the Socialists to vote through the didacy status in April 2009 but its as the war against corruption, in the [political] climate and the per- reform, although they admit that bid was turned down for the sec- which the EU has sought concrete formances and capacities [of the By Besar Likmeta Albania's justice system needs ond time last October. high-profile convictions, not only candidate country] are not at a other changes. The European Commission said laws and strategies,” he said. level that permits the following “We believe that lifting immuni- not enough progress had been Gjergji Vurmo, director of the and most important step, the start ty is but one step of several that made in political dialogue, the Centre for European & Security of membership negotiations,” he ince parliament failed to need to be taken to effectively com- fight against organised crime and Affairs at the Tirana-based said. amend the constitution on bat corruption,” US ambassador against corruption. Institute for Democracy and Albania has a small window of SAugust 7, lifting officials’ Alexander Arvizu said after meet- The European Commission has Mediation, disagrees. opportunity until the end of immunity from prosecution, the ruling centre-right party and the ing Socialist leader Edi Rama in issued 12 recommendations on He argues that statements by September to solve the logjam Socialist opposition have early August. policy areas that must be EU officials indicate that the over the immunity and address exchanged jibes on the impact that “The timing of steps to address addressed for Tirana to obtain reform of officials’ immunity the other recommendations of the this will have on Albania’s bid for these measures is something that candidate status, opening the door might be enough for Albania to Commission before the EU candidate status. the Albanian political system to a possible date for negotiations. receive a positive recommenda- Commission’s progress report is Sali Berisha’s ruling Democrats needs to decide, but, from our per- Gledis Gjipali, head of the tion from the European finalised. maintain that the opposition’s fail- spective, it is important that this European Movement in Albania, Commission and later from the Gjipali otherwise believes that ure to support the reform serves be done,” he added. EMA, says the immunity issue is EU Council of Ministers. only in the case of a grand com- the interests of a few rich Socialist The Socialists maintain that only one of one the priorities that “The Commission’s approach promise between parties will the MPs, while sacrificing Albanian’s only after their proposals have Albania needs to address, and may until now has been that reform of country have a chance to obtain inspiration for EU integration. been discussed in parliament will not be the key condition that immunity should secure a positive candidate status by the middle of “The billionaires of the they give a green light to the secures candidate status. recommendation from the next year, although with the 2013 Socialist Party are for the third amendment to lift the immunity of “Many important issues have European Commission and elections already on the horizon, year in a row blocking Albania’s high state officials. not been addressed at all,” Gjipali approval of candidate status from such compromise looks unlikely. candidate status,” the Democratic “We have proposed a series of told Prishtina Insight. the EU Council,” he said. “It’s a small window of opportu- Party spokesperson Silvi Bardhi amendments that do not deal with “The immunity debate is serv- “Parliamentary reform has also nity and if commitments are claimed in mid-August. a make-up of the justice system ing as a justification for what been a condition but it’s clear now taken with a clear timetable for Although both Socialist and but with its essence,” Socialist MP looks like the failure to secure the that if the parties reach a deal on reforms, Albania could obtain EU Democrats agree on the need to lift Gramoz Ruci said in parliament EU candidate status for the third immunity, parliamentary reform candidate status in spring 2013, as the immunity that officials cur- on Monday. year in a row,” he added. will be only a minor detail,” he Serbia did this year,” Gjipali rently enjoy, the opposition main- While the big political parties Gjipali said Albania’s political added. noted. tains that such reform should exchange accusations, experts parties have almost completely However, Vurmo warns that, “However, this is highly unlike- come only as part of a broader remain divided on whether ignored other key priorities set based on the experience of other ly,” he concluded, “because with constitutional package that also addressing only one of the many forth by the Commission, such as countries, candidate status does the electoral campaign that seems changes the election rules for high recommendations for reform of parliamentary reform and reform not mean necessarily a great leap to have started a year before [the court judges and the general pros- the European Commission will be of the justice system, public forward in the EU integration elections], both parties are prepar- ecutor. enough for Albania to obtain can- administration and property process. ing for war rather than compro- The EU, the US and OSCE didate status in November. rights. “Receiving EU candidate status mise”. 12 September 14 -27, 2012 investigation How to Buy an EU Citizenship Dodgy dealers in Romanian nationality can conjure up gen- uine documents for fake applicants, investigation reveals. In the same year, Bucharest adopted a law granting foreign nationals of Romanian descent By Adrian Mogos, Vitalie Calugareanu the right to become citizens of the country. Since then, Romania has processed an estimated 225,000 citizenship applications talin would not have been from Moldovans, according to a amused. A man named study published in April 2012 by Vladimir, apparently the S the Soros Foundation in Soviet dictator’s great-grandson, Romania. stands at the threshold of acquir- The study was compiled from ing a Romanian passport and with it, the right to work within the EU. data provided by Romanian insti- When he crosses that threshold, tutions, much of which is incom- Vladimir will reverse one of plete or in dispute. In the absence Stalin’s achievements. His grand- of exact numbers, the Soros parents were citizens of Romania report argues that the figure of in the first half of the twentieth 225,000 serves as the “most rele- century, long before it joined the vant approximation” of the num- EU. ber of people who have been They lost their nationality at the granted Romanian citizenship in end of the Second World War, the last 20 years. when Romania ceded the territory The Soros study shows that the of Moldova to Stalin’s Soviet annual number of citizenship Union. applications from Moldova has Today, Vladimir is entitled by been rising steadily. The rise has law to acquire the citizenship that coincided with changes in was taken from his grandparents, Romanian legislation, and with The documents were issued by the Moldovan state archive, confirming that Vladimir’s “ancestors” had once been citizens of Romania. one of whom shares a name and a Romania’s entry into the EU in zenship through unofficial chan- such as the UK or France. The of police records from the birthday with Svetlana Alliluyeva, 2007. Moldova is the poorest coun- nels. They frequently pay hun- study also attributed the steep Moldovan and Romanian authori- the Soviet leader’s daughter. try on the bloc’s borders, and a dreds of euros to brokers in the rise in citizenship awards after ties, confirming that Vladimir did He is among hundreds of thou- large proportion of its youth hope of expediting their applica- 2007, the year Romania joined the not have any criminal convictions. sands of Moldovans with already work in wealthier tions. EU, to the simplification of the Along with the certificates from Romanian ancestry who regard economies abroad. Inexperienced Moldovans risk process for awarding passports. the Moldovan archive, these docu- the border between the two coun- The study also shows that being ripped off when they use ments were presented at the citi- tries as nothing but a bureaucratic Romania has begun processing invention. citizenship applications faster illicit intermediaries. But the ‘Genuine documents’: zenship bureau in Bucharest, But Vladimir is keeping a secret since 2007. Of all applications unofficial channels can also be where an official confirmed that from the bureaucrats who are processed by Bucharest since very efficient. As this investiga- Our investigation reveals the they appeared genuine. about to let him into the EU – his 2002, more than half – around tion shows, they can even gener- existence of a thriving grey mar- According to the official, ancestry is also invented. 116,000 – have been handled in the ate proof of Romanian ancestry ket for Romanian citizenship, Vladimir could apply to take the According to certificates last four years. Again, the study where none exists. intersecting official and unofficial oath of citizenship once he had acquired from the Moldovan state does not provide a breakdown of The EU does not interfere on channels. However, our investiga- completed a few more formalities – archive, his illustrious grand- how many of these applications citizenship, describing it as a sov- tion does not confirm that namely, submitting his identity mother was married to one Ostap were successful. ereign matter for member states. Romania is operating a “back- card, an application form, and a Bender, who shares a name with Many Moldovans regard the However, Romania’s policy has door” for unchecked and unlawful statement from a notary. the con-man antihero of the Soviet Romanian passport as the key to long prompted accusations in the migration, as some within the EU The official’s confidence was not novel, The Golden Calf. the EU, according to Marian media that it is operating a “back- fear. misplaced. Vladimir’s documents The papers from the archive Gherman, a Bucharest prosecu- door” into the EU, allowing Indeed, many Moldovans may have the seals and signatures of all reveal a past rich in historical tor whose office has investigated impoverished Moldovans unlaw- use brokers and intermediaries the appropriate institutions and coincidence. Ostap’s Moldovan a network of touts and bureau- ful access to the bloc. because they are frustrated with officials in Moldova and Romania. birth certificate says he was born crats who were expediting citi- In 2010, France spoke out the slow pace of Romanian But while the papers may be legit- on June 28, 1914 – the day of the zenship applications for money. against Romanian efforts to join bureaucracy. According to imate, the means with which they assassination of Franz Ferdinand, “Everybody knows it,” he said. the EU’s border- free Schengen Gherman, the Bucharest prosecu- were procured were not. and the start of the First World “They ask for Romanian citizen- zone. Among other factors, the tor, the grey market is attractive War. The marriage certificate ship only because it gives them French EU affairs minister at the even to legitimate applicants Fresh from the archive: meanwhile shows that Ostap and the freedom to travel and work time, Pierre Lellouche, cited “the because it operates faster than the Svetlana tied the knot on within the EU.” distribution of Romanian pass- official process, which can take up We joined Vladimir as he set off September 2, 1945: the day Japan An official from the National ports” to Moldovans as a cause for to six years to award citizenship. on his quest for EU citizenship in surrendered to the US. Citizenship Authority, NCA, in concern. Some Moldovans may also turn Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. It is highly unlikely that a Bucharest, speaking on condition The April 2012 report by the to intermediaries because they are The touts were easy to spot, hav- woman named after Stalin’s of anonymity, confirmed that Soros Foundation in Romania already working illegally in west- ing practically set up stall outside daughter took a husband named Moldovans had shown little inter- argued that many of these fears ern Europe, and cannot leave to government ministries and the after a fictitious Soviet trickster est in acquiring Romanian were unfounded. While criticis- apply for citizenship in person. Romanian consulate. They wore on the day the Second World War nationality until 2007. ing Bucharest for an apparent “They can’t come to Romania… pouches around the waist and ended. lack of transparency, the study because they cannot go back to carried business cards in their Today however, it is entirely pos- ‘Backdoor’ fears: said there was no evidence to sup- their jobs,” Gherman said. hands. At the gates of official sible for a man claiming to be their port claims of Moldovan Our investigation mainly calls buildings they huddled together, descendant to buy the right to Moldovans may have several migrants surging unchecked into into question assurances by drinking coffee or speaking work in the EU. All he needs are good reasons to seek Romanian Europe. Nor did the report find Romanian officials that all citizen- intently into mobile phones. patience, cash, and the right con- nationality – especially where any evidence to support Basescu’s ship applications are checked One of the touts, identifying nections among the citizenship they are legitimately entitled to it. statement that a million thoroughly to weed out fraud. himself as Vadim, boasted of his brokers and corrupt bureaucrats Romanian President Traian Moldovans were seeking By working with a man posing contacts with Romanian officials of Bucharest and Chisinau. Basescu said in 2009 that up to a Romanian citizenship. as a citizenship hopeful, in Bucharest and in the eastern million Moldovans – representing The Soros foundation is one of “Vladimir”, we showed that the cities of Iasi and Vaslui. He led us Passport to the EU: more than a quarter of the popu- several groups in the Open procedure for acquiring a to a lady who introduced herself lation – wanted to acquire his Society network that aim to pro- Romanian passport cannot distin- as Maria. As she could not The territory of Moldova was country’s citizenship. He has mote democracy in Eastern guish genuine applicants from arrange documents in under six part of Romania between 1918 and repeatedly promised to help appli- Europe. those whose grandparents are months, we continued our search. 1940, and again between 1941 and cants by cutting red-tape. The authors of the Soros plucked from Soviet history and A tout calling himself Emil 1944. Formerly known as However, this investigation, Foundation report said Romania’s literature. told us he was not doing anything Bessarabia, it was annexed by the sponsored by the European Fund naturalisation programme – After acquiring birth and mar- illegal – merely using his influ- Soviet Union during the Second for Investigative Journalism, although disorderly – had created riage certificates for Ostap Bender ence. “I have a lawyer in World War and became an inde- reveals that many Moldovans still proportionately fewer citizens and Svetlana Alliluyeva, we used Bucharest who can speed things pendent republic in 1991. prefer to acquire Romanian citi- than similar efforts in countries the same intermediary to get hold up,” he said. He handed out a investigation September 14 -27, 2012 13 business card, advertising a web- site which promised Romanian citizenship for anyone, anywhere. The prices quoted on the site varied according to how fast the application would be processed. For 700euro, all the essential citi- zenship documents could be arranged within 15 months. Payment of 1,000euro guaran- teed the documents within 10 months, while a fast-track appli- cation – completed within five months – cost 1,500euro. Once citizenship had been acquired, further payment of 95 and a 10- day wait would secure the appli- cant a Romanian passport. A Romanian ID card would cost an extra 140euro. Back on the streets, another tout said he could arrange the necessary birth, marriage and death certificates for 300euro. A young woman, claiming to be a university student, interrupted the conversation and promised to lead us to a reliable interme- diary. She introduced us to Arghira, a lady in her fifties with a bruise above her eye. She too quoted a price of 300euro, which was then reduced to 250euro. Arghira led us to a pub- lic notary, in whose presence A crowd gathered in front of Romanian embassy in Moldova, where touts lurk offering services for those attempting to obtain Romanian citizenship. Vladimir signed a document. locals to host Moldovans that are ship business. In April, we met a Efforts to draw conclusions But despite this promising start, Migrants go legal: seeking the ID card. One such ad Moldovan man outside the pass- about the process are hampered Arghira proved to be unreliable, promises 40euro per guest for any- port directorate in Bucharest. His by a lack of clear data, and by dra- demanding more money at every Romania carried out its most meeting. one willing to host up to 20 people high-profile crackdown on the citi- Romania-based broker, a lady matic discrepancies in the figures Eventually we struck gold for short periods. In reality, the host zenship racket in March 2012. named Oxana, was due to procure provided by various institutions. with a middle-aged man who is being paid to say that the Dozens of people were arrested his identity card – but had been For instance, the NCA told us it gave his name as Ion. He prom- “guests” are staying at a particular and thousands of euros were scared off by the recent arrests. had approved around 15,000 appli- ised to procure the necessary property. The ad asks only that any- recovered in a series of raids. NCA “She knew somebody in a high cations in the period 2007-11. It documents for 70euro each. By one interested have “contacts with employees as well as brokers hold- position – but now she wants to lie said it had rejected around 1,000 the end of February 2012, he had the police precinct”. ing Moldovan and Romanian low for a while,” he said. The man, applications in the same period. provided birth and marriage It is not hard to find further evi- nationality are awaiting trial. who gave his name as Andrei, said Taken together, this would mean certificates for Ostap and dence that the intermediaries are According to Gherman, the it had taken him a year to acquire the NCA had processed around Svetlana. The documents were helping applicants forge their resi- Bucharest prosecutor, they formed his Romanian citizenship through 16,000 applications in that time. freshly issued by the Moldovan dency. Several citizenship websites part of a network that was respon- intermediaries, at a cost of almost However, this contradicts offi- state archive, and they confirmed contained a picture of the same sible for handling around 1,000 cit- 1,500 uro. cial figures quoted by the Soros that Vladimir’s “ancestors” had Romanian ID card, apparently a izenship applications. Court docu- Meanwhile in Chisinau, several Foundation’s April 2012 study, once been citizens of Romania. specimen advertising the final ments said US investigators had Moldovans said they had used which say that the NCA had Shortly afterwards, Ion also pro- product. While key details on the helped trace the group’s financial their new nationality to take jobs processed 116,000 applications vided statements from the police card had been deliberately blurred, transactions. in the EU. All said they had between 2007 and August 2011. in Romania and Moldova, show- we were able to establish the name Moldovan officials also say they migrated in order to support fami- While the study did not have ing that Vladimir did not have of the card’s owner and his place of made several arrests in concert lies struggling in dire poverty. exact figures for how many citi- any criminal convictions. birth – a town in Moldova. The with the Romanian crackdown. Alexandru Covas, a garage zenships were granted, the As confirmed by the official in address on the card led to a one-bed- Anastasia Mihalceanu, a spokes- employee, said he used to work authors suggested that most of Bucharest, Vladimir was now on room apartment in a run-down dis- woman for the anti-corruption illegally in Italy and would dread the applications in the 2007-11 the brink of taking the oath of trict of Bucharest. No one agency in Chisinau, said some 80 being stopped by Italian police – period would have been success- citizenship. In the interests of answered the door. However, a people had been questioned over until he received his Romanian cit- ful. timeliness, we decided to end our search through online registers the citizenship racket – all of them izenship. “The passport is a salva- The NCA did not comment on pursuit of Romanian nationality revealed that the same address was brokers or people employed by tion but I can’t stand the the discrepancy, only saying that at this point. used by several Moldovans with them. “Here in Moldova, no offi- Romanians,” he said. “They are its figures were correct. The Soros Romanian citizenship, as well as cials were involved,” she added. selfish, treacherous people.” Foundation is also standing by the Ghostly ‘guests’: some Romanian and Chinese firms. Separately, Moldovan prosecu- Interviewed while visiting his figures. The study containing Although it is not illegal for sev- tors and anti-corruption officials hometown in Moldova, Veaceslav them was released in the presence Had Vladimir gone on to receive eral citizenship applicants to claim say they have been making arrests Mandis said he did not feel he had of NCA representatives. citizenship, he would then be in a residence at the same address, some throughout 2012. Of the nine peo- profited unfairly by becoming a The NCA insists it carries out position to apply for an identity Romanian officials have tried – ple questioned over citizenship Romanian national: “Nobody thorough checks on all citizenship card, which is regarded as the ulti- without success – to clamp down on rackets since January, some have asked my grandfather when they applications. “If there are any sus- mate objective of the citizenship the practice. reportedly been state officials or took away his Romanian citizen- picions over a document [such as a process. Victor Gindac, a director in the lawyers. Only two of the nine ship in 1945.” A former teacher birth or marriage certificate], New citizens from Moldova pre- Office for Immigration, said he cases have proceeded to trial so far. who now works as a truck driver there are supplementary verifica- fer the identity card to the passport began receiving reports in 2009 of There have been no convictions. in Italy, Mandis said the passport tions,” NCA spokeswoman because it attracts less scrutiny at individuals who had been tricked Our investigation shows that the meant he did not have to break any Gabriela Neagu said. EU borders, while offering the same by brokers and lawyers in the resi- grey market has continued to laws. A Moldovan citizenship broker privileges. Recent recipients of dence racket. He added that his thrive, despite arrests on both Liuba Carpineanu, a Moldovan offered an alternative guarantee. Romanian citizenship are still employees received threats after sides of the border. The birth and who has worked in Italy as a carer “Give me a Russian from Siberia,” regarded with suspicion at some attempting to unmask lawyers in marriage certificates for Ostap for the elderly, said her Romanian he boasted, “and I will make him a borders. The identity card, unlike Bucharest who had helped forge and Svetlana were procured just passport spared her from using Romanian citizen.” the passport, does not reveal how proof of residence. weeks after the March crackdown. people traffickers. “The first time I long its holder has held the nation- The NCA has also tried to warn And while Mihalceanu says left Moldova, we had to pay Additional reporting by Vitalie ality. applicants against using unofficial state employees were not among 4,000euro to a guide who took us Selaru in Chisinau and Lina In order to qualify for an identity brokers and lawyers to expedite the 80 arrested in the Moldovan through swamps and forests,” she Vdovii in Bucharest. Editing by card, a citizen must show that they their citizenship applications. sweep, our investigation suggests said. “I don’t want to remember Neil Arun for the Balkan have been resident in Romania for a However, a statement to this effect they are nonetheless complicit in what we went through.” Investigative Reporting Network. minimum specified period. Here on the NCA website, posted in the citizenship racket. How else [Full disclosure: Open Society too, the network of illicit interme- February 2012, provoked fierce could the state archive in Chisinau Disputed figures: contributes to the European Fund diaries is ready to assist, by fabri- complaints from lawyers in deliver legitimate-seeming records for Investigative Journalism. cating proof of residence. Bucharest. The online warning was for fictitious individuals? While the advantages of acquir- Funds affiliated to the European Y The classified section of a news- duly amended to exclude lawyers At best, the March crackdown ing Romanian citizenship are Union and to Open Society also con- M paper in Iasi, a large city in eastern from the category of intermedi- may have succeeded in temporari- obvious, the number of benefici- tribute to the Balkan Investigative C Romania, carries ads looking for aries. ly slowing down the illicit citizen- aries remains in dispute. Reporting Network’s programmes.] K 14 September 14 -27, 2012 culture ‘Black Sheep’ Disturbs Lethargy of Albania Art Scene

An exhibition by painter Helidon Haliti, which draws inspiration from his personal narrative, anxieties and qualms, has art lovers flocking to Albania’s National Gallery.

me reaches an almost joyful expression in the canvass, which I cannot explain but pleases me very much,” he added. By Besar Likmeta Since the exhibition opened on August 16, it has received more than 2,500 visi- tors, a record for the GKA this year. ugust is an unusual month for an art The poem, written in 1972, used sharp exhibition in Tirana. Its often chaot- wit to contrast the propaganda of the Aic streets, filled with unruly drivers, Communist regime with the impover- go quiet as the city takes a break from its ished reality in which many Albanians own mundane restfulness. lived. Like the city, Tirana’s art scene comes to a Following publication of the poem standstill as artists and art lovers move to Haliti was chaffed by the then literary the coast or fly away to resorts for their establishment, banished from publishing summer vacations. and sent to work as a labourer for a However, the exhibition that Helidon decade, first in a collective farm and, Haliti opened in mid-August, called after four years, digging ditches. “Black Sheep”, had many people flocking Helidon says that his painting is not a back and filled the media with a buzz. recreation of his father’s poem, but Haliti’s large canvasses, painted with rather explores the impact that this poem warm colours and simple figures, which had on their family, the qualms and sacri- often create complex exchanges, narrate fices of his father, questioning if they a deeply felt personal and artistic quest, were really worth it. covering his first steps in watercolours “Sometimes in art you receive a much at the age of eight to the murder of four harder blow than the one you gave,” opposition protestors during last Haliti said of his father’s poem. January’s riots in Tirana. Haliti’s exhibition includes two dozen Hailit says that when he started con- works, whose simple figures and symbols ceptualizing the exhibition he immedi- are depicted in warm colours that make ately decided that all of its characters them easily decipherable. would be strictly connected with his own “The world is too tired, has too many personal narrative - his fears and anxi- eties, rancour and sarcasm. wounds… and that is why my symbols are To escape from himself as an individ- simple,” Helidon says, paraphrasing one ual, Haliti spent months secluded in his of his father’s poems. “Rancor and pain studio in order to attach himself more and problems mixed with colours are eas- closely to his artistic alter ego. ier to see,” he added. “The periods that I could go beyond The only painting in Haliti’s exhibition myself as an individual were few, but that does not draw inspiration directly they were enough to bring forth this from his life, “21 J” refers to the deadly exhibition, which explores my deficien- opposition protest in Tirana in January cies and the malformations of a country 2011, in which four protesters were shot with imposed boundaries,” he said. dead by the Republican Guard and sever- Haliti belongs to a new generation of al others wounded. contemporary Albanian painters that Haliti says he decided to include the graduated during the Nineties in the painting in the exhibition only at the last Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana follow- moment, while transferring the canvass- es from the studio to the National Gallery ing the collapse of Albania’s communist of Arts. regime, which for nearly half-a-century “While walking with a friend [in the had imposed Social Realist aesthetics boulevard] I stepped on some tiles and it with an iron fist. hit me that blood had been spilled on After graduation, like many artists of those tiles,” Haliti recalls. “So I decided his generation, Haliti moved to Athens, to exhibit it and there is no mystery as to where he explored genres and tech- what it refers,” he added. niques. The canvass gives the impression of a The drama of emigration and the spir- river of blood that nearly spills out of the itual distemper as an emigrant were frame with a watchful head of a rooster reflected in several pictorial cycles, such serving as a counterpoint. as ‘The Legs”, “The pigeon”, “The cage” The painter remembers seeing the and “Adam and Eve”. death of the protestors live on TV while “Black Sheep” is the artist’s first exhi- at luncheon in Lake Ohrid at an artists’ bition at the National Gallery of Arts, colony, and feeling completely shocked at GKA, and represents works produced in what had happened. the last three years, the period following “I was completely horrified but to my his return to Albania, which, although shock some of my colleagues there often defined by a personal gloom, pro- approved of the shootings,” Hailiti duced a body of works with cheerful recalled. colours. “This nagged me so much that I could “Now that I see the exhibition as a not overcome it without reacting,” he spectator I am surprised by the harmony said, adding: “The painting was more Y of the opposites, the contradictions in imposed than inspired.” M light, shadows and forms, between warm This article is funded under the C and cold colours,” Haliti said. BICCED project, supported by the Swiss K “The conversion that happened inside Cultural Programme. international September 14 -27, 2012 15 Photo News: London Celebrates the Paralympics

Great Britain's David Weir celebrates on the podium with his gold medal after winning the men's marathon T54, at The Mall in London, on Sunday September 9, 2012. The man nicknamed the "Weirwolf of London" has become a household name in the host nation by triumphing in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters over the past week, and now takes the marathon crown in a time of time of 1 hour, 30 minutes, 20 seconds.

(AP Photo / Chris Radburn, PA) Analysis: Does the CIA step up drone strikes during Muslim festivals? to be a time of religious devotion. [For] the militants who claim by Jack Serle and Chris Woods The long fast is broken with Eid al Fitr, a three-day holiday when fam- to be mujahedin and wage ilies gather together to feast and jihad against Islam’s ene- he news-lines said it all. ‘US celebrate. official summoned after ‘Generally it is perceived that mies, this sacred period is Tdrone rampage over Eid,’ the month of Ramadan is a time of called the Month of Jihad. reported The Hindu. ‘A flurry of peace and tranquility,’ the CMC’s drone attacks pounded northern director Abdullah Khan told the Abdullah Khan, director, Pakistan as Pakistanis celebrate Bureau. ‘[But for] the militants the end of the holy month of Conflict Monitoring Centre. who claim to be mujahedin and Ramadan,’ said Reuters. wage jihad against Islam’s ene- Assistance Force (Isaf). The Eid witnessed some of the mies, this sacred period is called According to data provided to most intense bombing of Pakistan the Month of Jihad.’ the Bureau by Isaf, August and Islamic Militants in Waziristan are the target of drone attacks (Photo AP) by the CIA in many months. Seven Landmark battles for the control September have seen a peak in the attacks since August 18 have killed of Mecca early in Islam’s history number of attacks by Afghan to comment for this article, year old son Osama, and the wife up to 65 people including senior were fought during Ramadan, insurgents on Isaf troops since at appears to make no concessions of Ahsan Aziz, both reported Taliban leaders and civilians. Khan explains. Some militants use least 2008. towards Ramadan, bombing has killed. But are the CIA’s drone strikes this as proof ‘that Muslims should This peak has also been coincid- been particularly intense through This was the second time during actually more frequent during wage Jihad in Ramadan.’ ing with the end of the multi-mil- the three days of Eid this year. the Obama presidency that the Muslim religious holidays? Militant groups such as the lion dollar poppy harvest, when Muslims in Pakistan’s tribal CIA has launched strikes during It seems not. Data from the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) have con- insurgents are busy gathering and region broke their fast on August Eid itself. In 2010 the CIA killed at Bureau reveals no major differ- tinued to kill and wound Pakistani processing opium poppies into 18 this year, a day earlier than the least five people in an attack on a ence in the tempo of CIA attacks security forces and civilians heroin. rest of the country. During the house in North Waziristan on during Ramadan compared to throughout Ramadan. Isaf says it does change its own three days of Eid three drone September 12. other times of the year. The excep- According to data provided to tactics during Ramadan – but not strikes killed 11 to 22 people in In contrast there are no records tion was in 2010 when there were the Bureau by the CMC, this year directly out of any cultural consid- North Waziristan. And the strikes of any US drone strike in Pakistan 15 strikes during the Muslim holy there were 86 attacks in the month eration. have continued after the holiday. on the major Christian celebra- month compared to the monthly prior to Ramadan and 96 during This year the alliance timed its In all seven strikes killed 29 to 65 tions – Easter Sunday and average of 11 for that year. This, Ramadan and Eid. operations as often as possible for people in the week after Ramadan. Christmas Day – since the covert however, was possibly linked to an And in 2011 there were 120 before dawn and after sunset. This Among those reported killed drone war began in 2004. Isaf counter-insurgency push recorded terrorist attacks during was to limit the strain on fasting were Badruddin Haqqani, Emeti across the border in Afghanistan Ramadan and Eid, compared with Afghan soldiers who were fighting Yakuf and Ahsan Aziz. All were This story is published courtesy of which took place at that time. 146 attacks in the previous four alongside Nato troops. described as Taliban leaders. The Bureau of Investigative Perhaps more surprising, weeks. Lieutenant Amy Hession of Isaf The attacks also saw the first Journalism http://www. thebu- research by the Islamabad-based public affairs told the Bureau: firm reports of civilian deaths in reauinvestigates.com/ under Creative Conflict Monitoring Centre (CMC) ‘Operations continued to be some months – with Haqqani’s 13- Commons licence. shows that some militant groups Peak fighting period aggressive but were conducted Average number of Strikes during in Pakistan do not seem to respect Nor is Ramadan a time of peace mainly during times when obser- CIA strikes per month Ramadan the religious periods. in neighbouring Afghanistan. vant troops had access to water or 2009 5 5 food.’ A time of peace? The date of Ramadan changes 2010 11 15 annually. For the last four years it Y CIA campaign 2011 6 6 Throughout the world, Muslims has fallen during the peak of the 2012 4 3 M fast from dawn until sunset for the Taliban ‘fighting season’ against C While the CIA, which declined Source: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism month of Ramadan. It is supposed the International Security K 16 September 14 -27, 2012 Subscribe to Prishtina Insight for just 26 euro a year. Guide Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Here is Prishtina Insight’s guide to the best places in town to eat, drink, shop and be merry. We’ll keep this section updated with the newest and coolest places

Hard Rockers Club Fastfood: opening in Kosovo. Road Ilaz Kodra, contact: vraja_fatos@ hot- mail.com. It's one of the few places in Prishtina where you can catch regular live Bel Ami Restaurants: Stylishly designed and smoke-free, Le Siam acts and the only place which caters for Rr Luan Haradinaj, Tel: +377 (0)44 133 848, has become a real hit for the international those who like their rock served up heavy, or +386 49 133 848. The ideal town-centre stop community of Kosovo. If you are acquaint- hard. On a quiet night, it's quite a comfort- for a quick lunch or takeaway snack, Bel Liburnia 1 and 2 ed with Thai food, you're not in for any sur- able venue to grab a beer, even if you are not Ami unceremoniously serves some of the Rr Meto Bajraktar, tel. +381 (0)38 222 719. prises here, with the typical assortment of being entertained by hirsute musicians . best chicken doner in Prishtina in a surpris- There are actually two Liburnias opposite curries, salads and deep fried treats, deliv- ingly un-greasy, smoke-free environment. each other, both very similar in style and ered to decent standards. At 7 or 8 euro for a The Cuban Ask for a “komplet” to get the classic doner food. Housed in a fine Ottoman abode and main course, it's relatively pricey compared Road Luan Haradinaj Tel: +377(0) 45 620 620. packed with salad and sauces and wrapped surrounded by pleasant walled gardens, to its neighbours. Open Monday-Thursday This is a decent addition to the city's drink- in tin foil. Monday-Friday 9 am - 7.30 pm; Liburnia oozes atmosphere, whether in win- 11:00-14:00 and 17:45-22:30; Friday-Sunday ing scene, even if the place can be full of Saturday 9 am - 8 pm. ter or summer. The food is a roll call of 11:00-23:00. spivs and tarts who aren't going to a fancy- decent traditional Albanian food, including dress party. The Cuban-themed décor is the usual stews (tave) and grilled meat. It’s Clubs: Renaissance II decadent Havana, the food is average, and not the best place in town to sample local Rr. George Bush (behind the Pro Credit Bank not very Caribbean, but the cocktails are delicacies, but a good choice given the set- P1 HQ), tel. +377 (0)44 118 796. Renaissance good. 8 am - 1 am. ting. Open 8 am - 11 pm Fehmi Agani, +377 (0)44 608 669. If you’re offers arguably the best overall dining expe- looking for cool, then P1 is probably not rience in Prishtina. It's quite an experience Xhoni’s Bar Country House the spot for you. The decor is pretty unin- just to find the place. Tucked away along a Rexhep Mala, Pristina, tel. +377 (0)44 750 720. Off road to Podujevo from Pristina, right spiring, the music is bog standard and the tiny alleyway, you enter the homely, stone Xhoni’s is, without doubt, a Prishtina insti- after the Muciqi Mercedes-Benz garage, tel. atmosphere reminiscent of a cattle mar- building through heavy wooden doors. It's tution. It’s small, friendly and smoky, plays +377 (0)44 656 054. This rustic restaurant is ket. But if your thing is scantily clad 15 euro per head, and for that you will be excellent soul, disco and classic rock music a 15-minute drive outside Pristina (on a young women or packs of amorous boys, kept fed, watered and supplied with booze from vinyl and is open until the last man or good day) and provides glorious views than it’s an excellent choice. And, in the for at least a three course meal, including a woman staggers out. Arrive by 11pm at the across rolling, verdant hills and is especial- venue’s defence, it does have a pleasant wonderful meze starter and a delicious weekend to secure a corner, or even better a ly pleasant place in the summer to watch outdoor area for summer dancing. main course cooked on embers. Open 11 am seat, if you intend to make a night of it. Next the sunset. The overall food quality is - 11 pm. to A&A restaurant and has round windows. Working hours Wednesday, Friday, decent, with special marks for the fresh Opens: 8pm-to late. Shut on Sundays. Saturday from 9 pm to 3 am. bread, straight from the wood stove, and speca me maze (peppers in cream). 10 am - 11 pm. Bars:

Princesha Gresa Crème de la Crème 23 Rr. Fehmi Agani, tel. +381 (0) 38 24 58 41. If Rr Robert Doll, tel. +377(0)44259912. Crème you have a horse-size hole in your stomach is probably the best all-round bar in the city. to fill, this is the place to come. The meal It's run for the amusement of the young, starts with some free bread and dips and is arty owners and not for profit, which followed by gargantuan portions of salad, explains the more-than-generous pricing meat, fish, or anything else on this varied arrangements, especially for the perfectly menu. The food is sometimes great, some- executed cocktails. Its five tiny floors heave times average but always served in massive on Fridays and Sundays with Pristina's cool portions. Open 10 am - 11 pm. to the variety of beats. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8pm to 3am. Hemingway Rr Ilaz Kodra, tel. +386 (0)49 145 637. Yes, you Filikaqa can get fresh sea fish in landlocked Kosovo. Rr Mujo Ulqinaku BL 4/1, Pejton, website Hemingway is tucked away in an unappeal- www.filikaqa.com; 038 244 288. Whistle, as it ing end of the city but worth a trip if you translates from Albanian, offers a dizzying are craving food of the piscine variety. It's a array of televisions on which to watch your pretty basic sort of set-up and relatively sport of choice and eat the best burgers in expensive for the setting, but undoubtedly town. Select a booth, ask the amiable staff to one of the best places in town for fish. Open tune into your match and grab a 'double 9 am - 11 pm decker' or 'triple burger', which look like American fast-food classics but taste better. Le Siam Thai Friday night Karaoke is a must-see, must- Rr Fehmi Agani, tel. +377 (0)45 243 588. sing event.

Hot Food: NOMNOM, Rr Rexhep Luci, Prishtina. A superb edition to Prishtina’s dining scene. Its London chef serves up food fit for a high-end eatery in the Big Smoke. The excel- lent variety of ingredients on offer is particularly pleasing, as is the extensive wine list. The outdoor area is also great for people watching while you sup a cocktail or two.

PAPIRUN(LEFT). Tel. 045 26 23 23. Papirun has seating at two perpendicular coun- ters in what’s basically a hole-in-the-wall just off Mother Teresa Boulevard, near the Grand Hotel. The menu has 13 options: 6 pizzas and seven sandwiches. The sandwich- es are the stars, though. Every component is handled with care. The bread alone is good enough to make just about any sandwich into a glorious feast. It’s freshly baked and seasoned with rosemary.

Hot Shop: SACRO(ABOVE), Rruga Garibaldi, Behind Metro Caffe, Prishtina, tel. +377 44 234 Y 499, www.sacrobio.com Where in Pristina can you buy dried Kamenica mushrooms? M Lentils to help with a vegetarian/ vegan diet? Marshmallow root? Sacro, the newly- C opened shop in central Prishtina, is an education and a delight. K September 14 -27, 2012 17 Guide Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

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A taste of Napoli in Prishtina. Hotel Prishtina Prishtina Insight has After ten years of Hotel Prishtina’s teamed up with these making pizza in 43 charming guest excellent venues to Napoli, and with rooms and suites are only love to blame, reminiscent of a offer a limited num- Fatmir, the head small hotel in the chef, returned to European tradition. ber of complimentary Prishtina. His piz- You'll immediately copies of Kosovo’s zas, made in a feel at home in our woodburn stove, living room, sipping a only English-lan- are definitely gen- glass of wine in our guage newspaper. uine napolitanas. fine restaurant sur- Fatmir also has sev- rounded by a gallery Grab a copy of the eral delicious pas- of paintings by local publication and settle tas on offer, a true artists. joy for the taste The hotel offers free, down with a drink or buds. Napoli has an excellent selection of red and white wines or, for fast wifi internet, com- a meal to read it. the more ambitious, one of the region's best quince raki. Napoli plimentary breakfast, makes for delicious lunch, dinner or even after-theatre time out in the conference room, centre of Prishtina. swimming pool, sauna and laundry service. Pizzeria Napoli Hotel Prishtina, off Luan Haradinaj, opposite Newborn St. Vaso Pasha nr. 20 044/409-402402 +381 38 / 22 32 84

Hotel AFA Te Komiteti Located in a quiet neighbourhood just Te Komiteti’s large trees and a beauti- outside the city centre, Hotel Afa can fully garden, which surround the small guarantee guests a peaceful night while outdoor terrace, give you an impression being within walking distance of all the of an exclusive place for ordinary peo- action. The venue has won a host of ple. And this is exactly what it is. From awards for its excellent service to cus- brunch to lunch-time snacks and special tomers and offers a good range of facili- evening meals, this restaurant offers ties, from an exclusive restaurant and dishes comprising quality, varied ingredi- VIP bar to pretty, tranquil gardens. ents, combined to perfection. Alongside Rooms start at 45 euro for a single, and one of Prishtina’s best ‘modern luxury rooms and apartments are avail- European’ style menus, you’ll also find a able. The hotel’s rooms are well appoint- good selection of wine, and great san- ed and comfortable. gria and cocktails . 15, Rr Ali Kelmendi, Te Komiteti Sunny Hill, Prishtina Qamil Hoxha Street +381 38/225 226 Prishtina www. hotelafa. com +381 38 24 96 63

Restorant Brasserie Lura Paddy O’Brien’s Papillon Bistro Bar At 450-metres squared Restaurant Lura is as spacious as The staff at This newly reopened bar in Prishtina, you get in Prishtina. It’s also surrounded by the towering Paddy O’Brien’s Papillon, offers more than 60 types of wines trees of Germia and offers a pleasant garden where, in the have a saying: “It’s from France, Italy, Spain, and Kosovo with summer, this eatery prepares food al fresco. It’s large meet- easy to walk in, but great prices and delicious dishes. ing room is also ideal for that private lunch or dinner. very hard to leave.” They serve pasta, sandwiches, salads and The combined style of classical and modern interior And with its different appetizers. leaves you with an impression of refined taste. warm atmosphere, You can also try different types of local or The newly opened restaurant is already famous for its fantastic range of international beers. Mediterranean specialties, exquisite seafood and fine drinks and excel- The bar, with it’s stunning new design, is selections of Italian, French and local wines. But that’s not lent food, it is easy located in the centre of Prishtina, near all, for music lovers, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to see why. ProCredit Bank headquarter, RTK radio night dinners are accompanied by jazz, whereas on There have been centre, and the Mother Teresa cathedral. Saturdays local patriots can enjoy live traditional many attempts to Albanian music. establish a proper Papillon Lura Restaurant Irish pub in Mother Teresa Str. Nr. 51 A Str. Nazmi Gaffuri • 10 000 Prishtina • +381 (0)38 763 763 ; Prishtina, but this [email protected] +386 (0)49 763 763 • www.lurarestaurant.com is the only one to 044 103 310 [email protected] hit the spot. From classic coffees to cocktails, via, of course, Guinness, you really wont find it difficult to select the perfect drink. A mouth-watering menu of Irish specialties is also on offer, spanning from all-day breakfasts to Irish stews at night. Options include shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, fish ‘n chips, and whopping great burgers. Thursday is pub quiz night, but there is always something going on at the pub, whether it is sport screenings or just a good shindig. Paddy O’Brien’s Tringe Smajli Street, by the Illyria Hotel Y Prishtina: 045-420900 M C K 18 September 14 -27, 2012 timeout

Nationwide comedy festival ‘Komedia Fest’ Gallery

In Gjakova from September 17-23, 2012 Gallery of the Ice Age Directed by: Ilir Bokshi Ministry of Culture, The main focus of the Music: “Qafa” complex, Prishtina: Continental festival is to present the Mali & Lumi Exhibition of painter comedies with local the- Urban B Altin Etemi Drift atre troops. After each Atili The exhibition of this play, there will perform- The film will artist is open until ances from musical Thursday, September be screened groups. 20 September 15, 2012 everyday at 11am Two Dozen with Roses and 2pm. Monday, September – Bylis Theatre from Fier, The Kosova Kino ABC is 17 Albania Art Gallery, continuing to Twelfth Night – taken Author: Aldo De University Complex: screen this from National Theatre Benedetti, Directed by: International Exhibition movie. The programme Dafina Llupa beloved trio - – Gjon Mili award 2012 Author: William Music: Meni, Diego and Time Place and the Shakespeare, Directed by: Dj Shaqa Sid – experience Sunday, September Camera: Photographers at Ilir Bokshi BB Poqi the greatest 23 Work, Curated by Christing Music: adventure of Forgotten Love – Frisinghelli Mali & Lumi Friday, September 21 their life. On National Comedy Grupi NA The Private Dinner – Twelfth edition of the their way they Theatre, Tirana Artili Professional Theatre, Gjon Mili International meet exotic sea creatures and face a new world. Author: Erion Kame, Peja Photo Exhibition will be Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Directed by: Erion Kame Thursday, September Author: Peter Shaffer, held from September 7 to Leary, Alan Tudyk, Wanda Sykes, Jeremy Renner, Music: 18 Directed by: Burbuqe October 7 at the. Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah etc. Duo Deejays The beautiful Queen of Berisha Mali & Lumi Lenan – Professional Music: All plays will begin at The Amazing Theatre of Gjakova J2L & Revivalz 8pm while the musical Author: Martin Vesa Smolica performances start at Spiderman McDonough, Directed by: 9pm in the “Old City” Ilir Bokshi Saturday, September (Carshia e Vjeter). Every day at Music: 22 Komedia Fest will also 3pm Duo Deejays Love, Theatre and organize fairs of domes- Rina Bilurdagu other Foolishness - tic products, crafts and Peter Parker Funky Guru Tetovo Theatre exhibitions by the local finds a clue that Author: Selajdin Salihu artists. Entrance is for might help him Wednesday, and Refet Abazi, Directed free. understand why September 19 by: Refet Abazi Call at 44 439 410 or his parents disap- The Money – Albanian Music: visit them at komedi- peared when he Theatre from Skopje Mali & Lumi afest.com was young. His Author: Ray Kuni, Malda Susuri path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt A Place Beyond Belief GREEN MUSIC FESTIVAL MITROVI- The Crackers Connors, his CA - SEPTEMBER 14-15 Vjosa Selmani father's former The art work brought to Eho partner. FIRST NIGHT The Freelancers Prishtina by Nathan Coley SEPTEMBER 14, 7PM Zig Zag Orchestra is a magnificent structure Green Hypnoses Jericho with illuminated text fas- On Thursday, September 6 - the film premiere Bicalko Dj Doroci & Dj Wiggi tened to scaffolding spelling Gipsy Groove 2. PRISHTINA EVENT out the words “A place “The Watch” Emir Zanzi ZONE CLUB - SEPTEMBER 15 beyond belief”. Offchestra Next Level Prez. Alex Niggemann This art work was at Kino ABC SECOND NIGHT Urban B installed in the green space will be screened. SEPTEMBER 15, 7PM Likatek by the National Library as Four friends, part of the activities mark- once a week, ing the end of supervised organise a meet- Oda Theatre independence. ing to escape the Nathan Coley is a Turner city life. They Every Tuesday at 8 pm Prize-nominated artist. randomly real- Tre Gjermanët e Trashë II ize that their (Three Fat Germans II) city is in danger of being invaded They are back, not in Kosovo but in the Prishtina Diary by aliens, who north of the country. Not as UNMIK but as look like ordi- the EU. Crème de la crème – nary citizens. During the play you will understand Friday, September 14, Global They decide to “What did Brigel say when he asked for a Excitement. Starts at: 21:00 save their city drink?”, “Why Hans didn’t let him drink Music: one of bekteshi’s and the entire Mojito?”, “How did Gani experience his 21 playlists world from snow?”, “Is Vukashin really Ukshin?”, “How extinction. does Hekuran cooked eggs in the middle of Sokoli e Mirusha – the North Pole?” For any further questions or reservations call at 038 243 Monday 2012 Live Music Author: Lirak Celaj; Producer: Florent 238 or visit them at www.kinoabc.com with Fatos Hoxha dhe Vedat Merhmeti; Cast: Naser Rafuna, Adrian Morina, Kushtrim Sheremeti, Lirak Celaj, Fisnik Ademi, Ard Islami, Arta Selmi, Florent Mehmeti Maxhuni STACION - Center for Contemporary Art Filikaqa - Sports bar Prishtina If It Was a Play - Every Thursday 8pm organise football nights and Video performance of karaoke and Fridays. Flaka Haliti: I Miss You, The play is based on the drama by Almir Imshireviq. Director: Agon Myftari. I Miss You 'Till I Don't During the war time, on bus number 4 in Prishtina, near Hotel Union there was Paddy O’Brien’s Irish a 26 year-old guy wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. Sniper bullets break the win- Miss You Anymore Pub – Every Thursday at dow and shoot the youngster in the neck. A lady who was next to him starts to Now until October 6 7.30pm there is Paddy’s Pub scream. When she sees the blood in her shirt she faints. Flaka Haliti is present- Trivia/Quiz Night – Info: ing her new video Starring: Rebeka Qena, Adrian Morina, Armend Ismajli, Besnik Krapi. 038 221 070 & 038 221 077 or installation looking at Y love from the write at M Renaissance to Pop cul- For more information call +381 (0)38 246 555 or write [email protected] C ture. [email protected]. K inside prishtina September 14 -27, 2012 19 Apple Product Repair in Prishtina

lost a 50,000-word manuscript I had space clutter indicates someone locate the one file I needed. price I ended up paying was so been working on since arriving in focused on results rather than After some creative searching, I incredibly reasonable I would not Kosovo, but had neglected to back being tidy. was able to find my accept it until he added 20 euro to By Douglas Morris up to my external hard drive. When So, as I crunched my way into his manuscript. Albeit the amount. That’s me, Doug I had given up all hope of recover- hole-in-the-wall workshop, trying to in text format, Morris, the world-renowned ing the file, a local friend recom- avoid ultra thin screwdrivers, plas- with all format- reverse bargainer. f you have dropped your mended I visit Sabedin. tic containers of itty-bitty screws, ting gone, and So if you ever encounter a prob- iPhone in water, shorting out Finding his shop was a cultural circuit boards, computer cases, dis- control charac- lem with your Apple products here Ithe circuit boards, sat on your experience in, and of, itself. On the assembled iPhones and iPads, I was in Kosovo — iPhone, iPad, iPod, iPad and cracked the screen, first floor retail area of a modernist actually relieved. This mess spoke or Macintosh computers — crunched your iPod in a car door, apartment building, the first thing volumes about Sabedin’s poten- certainly, use the local had the hard drive on your that came to mind was the movie tial tech cred. Apple store, Molla. They MacBook crash, or any other man- Blade Runner. It was night, lights Over the next few days, as are a fully licensed Apple ner of problems associated with were flickering in the darkened he used one software tool distributor after all. your Apple products, then I have just the person you should contact hallways, some of which seemed to after another to try and res- However, if I were you, I in Pristina: Sabedin Makoli. lead to nowhere, populated by urrect my hard drive, I would first head over to Sabedin Macintosh tech for US empty store fronts, with shadowy watched him in action. and let him work his magic. Ambassador Dell, former head of figures following me with their gaze Juggling three, four, five Oddly enough, for a super the repair department at the local as I passed. activities at once, Sabedin techie, Sabedin prefers dealing Apple store — Molla (which is, you Any moment I expected an remained calm, focused with people face to face. So guessed it, Albanian for “apple”) — android Darryl Hannah to cart- and able to locate needed you can call, text, and Sabedin is a technical wizard. All wheel around the corner. Well pieces of hardware, screws, email him, but I am pret- he lacks is a cape with funny sym- maybe that is more of an ongoing and components in the chaos ty sure he will ask you to bols on it, a pointy hat, and a wand. fantasy, but at first glance the scene he called his workshop. come to his store so he What he is able to do with Apple was freakishly futuristic. The man was simply bril- can check it out your mal- technology is nothing short of bril- Entering Sabedin’s store only liant. I saw him get a phone functioning device in per- liant. added to the surreal. His place was working that was dripping with son. The visit will be well “I used to work at Molla, the local a shambles. It was as if someone water when it came in. I saw him worth it. Not only to get your Apple store,” he explained, “but I had upended all the drawers on the cobble together a computer from technology working again, but left to start my own business floor, and for good measure dumped parts scavenged from others then for the whole cultural experience because it seemed to me they only bits and pieces of technology every- sell it onto a happy customer. I saw ters strewn about the of visiting his store. A Blade wanted to sell more products, not where. Despite having spent my him replace components in an document. But bottom line, I had Runner meets Clockwork Orange repair the ones they had already entire work life in the hi-tech world, iPad that had been virtually my 50,000-word manuscript back. meets Star Wars bar scene all sold. Me, what I really like doing, is surrounded by folks who have a less crushed and got it working again. All thanks to Sabedin. rolled into one. bringing broken technology back to than neat approach to their work- And throughout all of this, he was Even though this whole process life.” spaces, Sabedin’s workshop took able to re-image my hard drive, took two to three overnight ses- Sabedin Makoli, 044 (or 049) / Thank god for that, as my hard chaos to whole new level. Which is give me 30GB of data — containing sions of his computer churning 316-159, Bregu i Diellit, Qendra drive crashed here in Kosovo not a bad thing with techies. From about 30,000 completely renamed away crunching data, and hours of tregtare lokali 64A, Prishtina, recently. Despairing, I thought I had my experience, that sort of work- files — to search through and dealing with me in his store, the Kosovo. [email protected]. Thousands Watch “Tito” Speak ome 2,000 people gathered Boro and Ramiz, Serbian and in a burnt out section of Albanian partisans represent- Sthe Boro Ramiz shopping ing the “brotherhood and centre, Prishtina, on Saurday unity” of Yugoslavia who gave to experience a remarkable their names to the modernist piece of performance art. centre in central Prishtina. Using the relics they had found in the charred space – The event, called ID cards, documents from the “Prishtina – mon amour” 80s and shoes – artists set including a speech by an about taking over the space, actor playing Tito. (Photo by and exploring the history of Mersina Xhemajli) Thomas Schmidinger former research fellow at the University of Prishtina What surprised you most about along Rexhep Luci. nationals anymore, but full of public cultur- Prishtina? al spaces, like good theatres and cinemas, The nice night life in the evenings – and What is the most annoying thing open air concert halls and so on. even in the afternoons. I visited Prishtina about Prishtina? the first time in 2006 and I have to say that The quality of the air and the not very How many macchiatos do/did you the bars, coffee houses and restaurants real- well organized public transport system. drink a day? ly improved since then. Between 7 and 15. Kosovo is a paradise for If you were mayor of Prishtina for coffee-lovers. What's your favorite hangout? the day what would you change? Difficult to say, because there were many I am not sure if the mayor would be able What’s the tastiest Kosovan food? nice places, but to be honest, the open air to change everything that would be needed. There is lots of tasty food in Kosovo, but I coffee houses in the city park. However, it is obvious that the social differ- especially love the general balkanese ences between rich and poor are one of the Skënderbeu and what I really miss is my Do/did you do anything cultural? most urgent things that have to be daily Salat Shope. Yes, I went to a movie, but I was very dis- addressed. I also hope that one day appointed about the quality of movies they Prishtina will have a good public transport What landmark do you use to tell taxi show in the only cinema in town. And I also system and downtown Prishtina will be not drivers where you live/lived?

Prishtina through the Eyes of: the Eyes through Prishtina went to some of the concerts at the bars full of non-accessable compounds of inter- Varrezat e dëshmorëve. 20 September 14 -27, 2012 opinion Green Pages: A Guide to Green Outside In living in Kosovo The Kingdom

available on bus or train times; you're interested in holidaying locally with a of Looting light carbon footprint, but you don't know where to go. By Elizabeth Gowing If this sounds familiar, then the Green Pages; a guide to green living in Kosovo offers you an easier - maybe even a better f you're reading this column then - life! By Kreshnik Hoxha you’re someone interested in sustain- It's been published this week in a joint Iable living in Kosovo. (Or the person project by The Ideas Partnership NGO you’re due to meet is just really late and and UN Volunteers, and includes sections here is a phenomenon that is readily you've run out of other things to look on recycling in Kosovo, the country's sec- associated with swathes of Kosovo’s post through while you wait? That's fine, I shall ond-hand shopping, green office services, Twar politicians. In diplomatic terms it is work to make you interested in sustainable Kosovo resources for reducing packaging, known as “corruption”. For me and many of living in Kosovo. I aim for this column to buying local here, eco-tourism in Kosovo, my fellow citizens it is nothing short of rob- be like a tomato: it starts off green but it bery. Sadly, this phenomenon not only has public transport and green volunteering. ends up read...). become entrenched in our daily lives, but it has This is no nannying attempt to tell you But even when you want to be green in also been nurtured as a vital mechanism in that you should turn the lights off when Kosovo, it's not easy. You conscientiously state consolidation. you leave a room; this is a practical com- to explore the places where some of these separate your home and office waste, and If the true scale of corruption in this country pilation of contact details and local products come from then the eco-tourism then can’t find out how to have the rub- was fully known, I believe many of our 2 mil- resources specific to where we live. section introduces you to kullas and home- bish recycled; you want to use public lion people would be on the verge of packing The recycling section, for example, stay in Decan, Dragash, Junik, Novo Brdo, transport, but can't find information everything up and heading towards the border. offers contact details of people who will Rugova, and Velika Hoca. There's even a The previous statement might sound melo- collect and recycle your plastic bottles, section on environmental volunteering dramatic, especially because it brings bitter cans and batteries. There's information opportunities. memories of the agony that Kosovo went on finding homes for your unwanted Even more wonderfully, the Green through thirteen years ago, but it is unfortu- books, clothes and furniture through var- Pages, available in English, Albanian and nately true. ious NGOs, and details of the plastic bot- Serbian, is free of charge. It's been pub- Those close to the government would, of tle top, 'Kosovo cap' project. lished with a short print run (printed on course, brush off the claims of widespread This section is followed by an extensive recycled paper), but - more sustainably - it's cronyism. They would even attempt to refute it directory for second hand shopping, help- also available for you to download, add to by referring to the praise lavish on them by the ing you to treat yourself to quirky, retro, and comment on the entries at the international community as supervised inde- or just plain cheap clothes (and also www.KosovoGreenPages.wordpress.com pendence officially ended. During the two-day books and bikes) that have cost no addi- site. events this week in Prishtina, our internation- tional resources from the planet to pro- It's a great resource, however long you've al partners held up Kosovo as a role model of duce. I dare you to name even three of the lived here, but it will be particularly useful state building, social and inter-ethnic cohesion. dozen second hand clothes shops with for new arrivals, including in induction It is also interesting to note that international which I now realise Prishtina is so packs or office intranet systems, or just media resorted to putting these words in invert- blessed. leaving with a cheery smile on your new ed commas, challenging subtlety the over-effu- For work, the Green Pages offers infor- colleague's desk or inbox. sive claims. mation on where to buy recycled paper, And now there's no excuse... In an interview given to the German interna- how to recycle your cartridges, get publi- tional broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, PDK’s cations printed on recycled paper with Elizabeth Gowing is a founder of The Arsim Bajrami claimed that the end of recycled ink, and suggestions for local sup- Ideas Partnership, a Kosovan NGO work- Kosovo’s supervised independence means more pliers and creators of office furniture. The ing on educational, cultural and environ- responsibility for Kosovar institutions for com- 'buy local' directory tells you where to find mental projects. She is also the author of bating organised crime and corruption. The locally-produced jewellery, antiques and Travels in Blood and Honey; becoming a statement of Mr Bajrami is logical. However, cosmetics, as well as foodstuffs (including beekeeper in Kosovo. She can be reached on the reality suggests that the government has organic suppliers). And if you're tempted [email protected] neither the courage nor the interest to fight what it has tolerated and nurtured for years – robbery and looting. The fact that this phenomenon has now reached uncontrollable levels is demonstrated with the hopelessness of Kosovo’s youth. Most youngsters keep an eye out for the first oppor- tunity to take a ticket abroad and head to the western world for employment. Others chose asylum-seeking or illegal immigration. A senior politicians who decides to treat a group of women to a trip to Albania for International Women’s day, costing tens of thousands of euro, could easily be seen as play- ing fast and loose with the Kosovo budget. Using a private jet to return from holidays in Turkey at a cost of 20,000 euro is perhaps a worst example of excessive spending. You might be wondering about the names of these protagonists. I purposefully choose not to name them in order to test our collective mem- ory. The examples refer to two different govern- ments of Kosovo, the former currently in power and the latter of 2005. If we struggle to remem- ber the names, our apathy is confirmed. We need to understand the fact that even if these acts have now faded into history this does not dilute them, nor does it legitimise the situ- ation Kosovo is in. But, what legitimises this Kosovo-wide looting is the apathy of society, which allows this phenomena to turn into a lifestyle. The time has come to seriously ask our- selves: are we simply unable to react or are we not able to understand where we went wrong? Why do we remain silent while being robbed? Y And finally, we need to address one issue: how did we accept a leadership who should have M been confined to the cells of Dubrava Prison, C rather than the glass buildings of government? K opinion September 14 -27, 2012 21 Serbia’s New ‘Patriots’ Revive Old Threat to Art

Deputy minister’s attack on ‘unpatriotic’ artists shows that Serbia has not learned the lessons of the Milosevic era, when, as now, patriotism was shamelessly abused to advance people’s careers. Nemanja Cabric asks if singer Bajaga By Nemanja Cabric (above) is really a spy or traitor? Democratic Party. Even if those institutions had named were followers of the fectly well for the new deputy min- Kolarevic called on the masses to weren’t already in the ownership of anti-Serb mindset allegedly estab- ister. f statistics were ever compiled join a “cultural uprising” against his boss, the culture minister, lished after the First World War, The ever-divided Serbs seem to on which words were most mis- those that presumably think differ- Bratislav Petkovic (which they are: which has mostly manifested itself long for new divisions, and it is Iused in post-war Yugoslavia, ently from the ruling Serbian The Museum of Automobiles, and in culture. always easy to spark new flames in patriots and patriotism would Progressive Party, which took an alternative theatre “Modern This anti-Serb tradition, the everlasting fires of Serbian surely rank at the top. power following May’s general elec- garage”), one might ask what such Kolarevic wrote, continued under nationalism. For more than two decades, con- tion. institutions can do to make Serbian the Communist regime of Josip And the deputy minister may flicting understandings of the Most of the Serbian media, as art “more patriotic”, as Petkovic Broz Tito, and kept existing thanks have even scored some political meaning of the word patriotism points for his patriotic art idea, have been a leading cause of divi- having in mind that new minister sion in society. first came up with it. Over these years the term has In Serbia, the comfortable lives become a convenient shield, hid- of functionaries depend on minis- ing all manner of personal ambi- ters. And you know what you my tions on the part of certain indi- get when you flatter the king. Just viduals, which have often been don’t tell him his new suit is invisi- harmful to the public interest. ble. Serbia should have learned from So, perhaps Kolarevic should not its past that those who declare be held entirely to blame for his themselves the greatest patriots “patriotic” call. As a former jour- often use this cover to hide their nalist in Milosevic’s state TV in the own aspirations. Nineties, he has already shown he However, these lessons are knows all about naked propaganda. apparently hard to learn. Instead, He might have never have writ- every once in a while, a new self- ten his “Nazi-like” article, as for- style patriot tries to fulfil his per- mer President Boris Tadic called it, sonal dreams, using populist rhet- had he not felt encouraged to do so oric to make himself more attrac- by the earlier “patriotic” state- tive – much as the malevolent ments of Petkovic himself. prince Richard III did in the Although Petkovic spoke out in Questions are being asked about Minister of Culture Bratislav Petkovic’s appointment of Dragan Kolarevic as his deputy Shakespeare play. reference to one controversial play, A recently appointed deputy “Zoran Djindjic” by Croatian direc- minister has employed a similar well as former president Boris himself urged the art world to be, to modern traitors and Serb-haters tor Oliver Frljic, his statement mechanism in a recent article he Tadic, have declared that the arti- before he was appointed minister. like the afore-mentioned artists. could have served as a guide to wrote, titled: “Time for the first cle revealed “the real intentions” of We might ask whether Kolarevic But what does Kolarevic mean, those who wished to make a politi- Serbian cultural uprising”. the new government – to use “patri- only wanted to draw the attention exactly? Is the singer Bajaga a spy, cal profit out of it. In the article, the deputy minis- otism” once more to win popularity of the newly appointed minister by or the actor Predrag Ejdus a trai- Thus, Kolarevic may have only ter of culture responsible for for the ruling party among the setting out an ideology and an tor? wished to secure his position in the media, Dragan Kolarevic, divided masses. action plan for Petkovic’s undiplo- According to Kolarevic, all their ministry by using well-rehearsed Serbian artists into two groups that However, it’s not a sufficient matic call for “patriotic” art, which work should be considered an tactics. are all too familiar to people who explanation of the phenomenon, he backtracked on shortly after expression of the national hatred The real lesson is that the future lived in the Milosevic era - patriots when one considers what becoming minister. felt by traitors for patriots. culture minister should never have and traitors. Kolarevic’s cure for the art world’s Having in mind that Petkovic So, does this mean that civil made his “patriotic” art statement Kolarevic didn’t hesitate to sin- “anti-Serbian politics” implies. then changed his mind, on realiz- rights in Serbia now mean nothing in the first place. Or rather, a per- gle out some of the latter by name, Specifically, he called for the ing that a culture ministry must for the authorities? Where is the son with this kind of an attitude though his main criteria for defin- establishment of an alternative support all kinds of art, it seems right guaranteed by the constitu- should have never been chosen for ing “unwanted artists” appear only theatre where nationally minded that his deputy has gone too far tion to think and to express one’s such a function. to have been their support for rival actors could work, as well as for the with his article. own opinion? This article is funded under the political options, namely the reconstruction of the Museum of In his text, Kolarevic speculative- Knowing the circumstances of BICCED project, supported by the Democratic Party and the Liberal Automobiles. ly inquired whether the artists he Serbia, it might all work out per- Swiss Cultural Programme.

If you would like your NGO to appear in our Making a Difference feature, please email [email protected] 22 September 14 -27, 2012 Life in Focus Rita Ora Shines Her Light on Prishtina

rishtina-born singer Rita Ora filmed her latest music video in Kosovo on Sunday, September 9, 2012. PDuring a press conference she said that she was very happy to be back in her home- land and shoot the video for “Shine your Light” from her chart-topping first album, Ora. Rita was chased throughout her trip by hordes of fans and was surrounded by Kosovo children during the video shoot. The closing footage of the video was taken in the Prishtina bar Zone Club.

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