Opinion: Ethnic Coalition Will Deepen Macedonia’s Divide

March 29 - April 11, 2013 Issue No. 108 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 NEWS Ire Over Dacic and Thaci Closing Deal on War Rape North Comments > page 2 NEWS Some 50 people Official Gazette protested outside Kosovo’s parliament Director’s Political against “degrading Post Breaks Law language” used by > page 4 lawmakers in a NEWS debate about wartime Kosovo Villager rape victims that Recalls Deadly Serb sparked heated Paramilitary Assault controversy. > page 6 See Page 7 NEIGHBOURHOOD Fojnica - Where Body and Soul PDK Keeps Donations a Secret Coincide If Hashim Thaci’s party flagrantly flouts the country’s law on financing, it is far from alone in doing so. > page 12-13

By Salihi contribution registry to find out the Leon Malazogu, director of 2012, the company won a tender for CULTURE source of the remaining 24,947 Democracy for Development, a 80,000 euro for road maintenance in euro. think tank in Prishtina, said the Gjilan, a PDK-governed municipali- City Threatens he ruling Democratic Party The newspaper attempted to con- PDK’s financial reporting is sus- ty. of Kosovo, PDK, claims it tract multiple party officials, pect. The Procurement Review Body Mosque Treceived just 29,947 euro in including Prime Minister Hashim “The PDK spends more money canceled the contract after a com- contributions in 2012 - and won’t Over Shops Thaci and finance officer Fexhrije than it , and the suspicion is that peting firm complained that reveal where most of that money Luta, who did not respond. it gets some of its funds through Magjistralja hadn’t paid all the came from. Plan The money represents a minute public contracts,” Malazogu said. The PDK only accounted for taxes it owed the municipally. 5,000 euro in its annual financial portion of the 1,187,265 euro that The 5,000 euro that the PDK did However, the company went on to > page 19 declaration to the Central Election the PDK reported receiving in 2012. declare came from Gjilan-based win an 8,000 road-maintenance con- Commission. Most of that money came through road builder, Magjistralja, but the tract from Gjilan in December. The party’s failure to disclose public financing, which every party party didn’t supply a date for the Magjistralja is also mentioned in the other 24,947 euro in theory in parliament is entitled to receive. donation, the personal ID of the the corruption indictment against should result in a fine three times Based on the figures that the PDK donor or a complete address, all of former Transport and Kosovo’s only English-language that amount, according to the 2010 reported on its bank accounts, the which the Law on Financing of Telecommunications Minister newspaper is available: Law on Financing Political Parties. largest party in the country spent Political Parties require. Fatmir Limaj, who also was a PDK The party refused Prishtina about 875,000 euro in 2012 - roughly Magjistralja has also benefited leader. Delivered to Insight’s requests for access to its 2,400 euro per day. from public contracts. In October continues page 2 Your Door

Serbia Eyes Germany With Partisans Set to Lose Their From Newsstands Fear and Hope Memorial across Kosovo

Despite warmer relations between A monument in Prishtina to Partisans Sent To and Berlin, experts are still con- who fought in World War Two faces demoli- Your Inbox cerned whether Germany will support the tion as a new memorial complex arises to opening of Serbian-EU accession talks. Kosovo’s first president, Ibrahim . The monument, a platform supporting a From Analysts are especially doubtful about our partners whether Belgrade can count on Berlin as metal globe surrounded by several con- Germany heads towards ... crete shells, situated in the ... analysis page 11 news page 14 see page 16 for more info

is supported by: 2 March 29 - April 11, 2013 news PDK Keeps Donations a Secret from page 1 tract with the government, and fears to lose it,” Malazogu said. A prosecutor from the EU rule-of-law mis- sion, EULEX, has accused Limaj and others LDK: of fixing public contracts in exchange for bribes. The indict states that some contracts The opposition Democratic League of that Magjistralja won during Limaj’s tenure Kosovo, the second largest party in parlia- were suspicious. ment, claimed it received 1,090 euro in con- Magjistralja did not respond to Prishtina tributions out of 904,511 of inflows in 2012. Insight’s request to comment on the nature of The money came from parliamentary cau- its contribution to the PDK. cus leader Ismet Beqiri and finance officer Lutfi Zharku. Other parties no better: The LDK’s declarations also suggest it spent very little money in 2012 - about Lack of financial transparency is not 220,000 euro. It reported having 564,397 euro unique to the PDK. With the exception of in the bank, the most of any party in the There are more questions than answers in the financial disclosure report of Hashim Thaci’s PDK. the opposition Self-Determination move- country. ment, Kosovo’s major parties denied Zharku declined to discuss LDK’s contri- They include four people with the surname not for the 2012 reports. Prishtina Insight’s requests to see their butions or release any financial statements Pacolli. “Our office is obliged to double check [the financial inflows. to Prishtina Insight. The AKR, which is part of the PDK’s rul- declarations], but we haven’t done so due to On paper, the parties obtain the bulk of ing coalition, rejected Prishtina Insight’s the lack of staff,” Miradije , head of their financing from the sate budget. Most of AAK: request to see its money inflows. the Office for the Registration of Political the funding is awarded proportionally to the Parties, said. number of seats that each party has in par- The opposition Alliance for the Future of Self-Determination: Mavriqi also said she was unsure whether liament. Kosovo, led by former Prime Minister and any parties had been fined this year for filing But it is suspected that much party financ- acquitted Hague defendant Ramush The opposition Self-Determination move- incomplete reports. ing happens off the books. Reports from the Haradinaj, claimed it received 2,000 in con- ment declared the most contributions, both The Office of the Auditor General, report- Office of the Auditor General and from the tributions from a single company out of in number and value. It raised 100,855 euro ing on the Central Election Commission’s European Commission have complained of a 397,899 euro in total inflows. out of a total of 621,315 in inflows last year. activities, noted that most political parties sub- lack of financial transparency, and some- Prompt Prishtina contributed 1,000 twice, Most contributions came from individu- mitted incomplete financial disclosures in times of illegal funding, of parties. on December 26 and 28. In January 2012, the als. MPs and party members also donated, 2011. Kosovo’s Central Election Commission sel- company won a tender for 160,000 euro from including leader , who gave 2,000 “The financial reporting of political sub- dom audits parties to check their declara- the Post and Telecom of Kosovo, PTK. euro. jects is not at an adequate level,” the report tions. Asked for more information about the Some notable businesses donated as well, stated. Ardian Gjini, an MP from of the Alliance contributions, Valon Tolaj, who handles including Askfoods, Ben Af and Drini The report also concluded that, “over the for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, told finances for AAK, offered the same report Company. years, political parties have received money in Prishtina Insight that political parties strug- that it sent the Central Election Self-Determination also allowed contradiction to the law on financing of politi- gle to keep track of their own finances. Commission. Prishtina Insight access to its internal cal parties and the election regulations”. “I assure you that they themselves don’t financial records, which were consistent The European Commission’s feasibility know where the money is coming from,” AKR: with the reports it submitted to the Central study for Kosovo, released in 2012, also criti- Gjini said. Election Commission. cised the state of party financing. Malazogu said that opposition parties are The , led by wealthy It noted a lack of transparency as well as reluctant to provide full financial disclosure deputy prime minister Behxhet Pacolli, Reports not checked: flaws in the law on Financing of Political in order to protect their donors. reported receiving 38,320 in contributions Parties. “They don’t dare make them public out of 240,471 euro in inflows. The Central Election Commission is The report suggested that outlawing dona- because there could be a donor who gives Most of its reported donations - primarily obliged to check political parties’ financial tions from people or companies who provide money to the opposition but who has a con- 1,000 euro apiece - came from individuals. declarations. But it has only done so once, and services to the government. Dacic and Thaci Closing Deal on North Kosovo Kosovo and leaders have already reached a substantive agreement on the future Association of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo and will announce the outcome on April 2, an EU diplomat told Prishtina Insight. structures in the north, and with Serbian demands for broad autonomy to be offered to all Serb-populated areas in Kosovo. By Bojana Barlovac Since the end of the Kosovo conflict in the late 1990s, the north of Kosovo has been beyond the Kosovo government's control rime Ministers Hashim while Serbia has continued to Thaci and Ivica Dacic will finance local security, judicial, Pannounce a deal on forming health and educational institu- an Association of Serbian tions. Municipalities in Kosovo on April The EU Special Representative 2, an EU diplomat told Prishtina in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, also Insight. said last Thursday that the next "A general deal has been made prime ministerial meeting on but the two leaders will agree on April 2 will yield key agreements. the details on April 2," the same The reports of progress source added. emerged after a day of separate According to the plan, 10 and joint sessions that the EU for- Serbian municipalities - four in Prime Ministers Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic are slated to announce a deal on forming an association of eign policy chief, Catherine Serbian municipalities in Kosovo. Serb-run northern Kosovo and six Ashton, conducted with both from the rest of Kosovo - will prime ministers on Wednesday. that the two Balkan leaders were three years after Kosovo declared Kosovo's independence. transfer their responsibilities to However, Aleksandar Vucic, simply buying time in order to independence. "Normalisation" of relations the Association, the diplomat Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister, prepare their publics for the deal The aim is to normalize rela- with Kosovo, which declared explained. Y said last week that Serbia had on April 2. tions between the two countries, independence from Serbia in The plan is in line with EU and M been offered an "unacceptable" The EU-mediated technical dia- both of which aspire to EU mem- 2008, is the EU's main precondi- Kosovo demands that Serbia dis- solution. logue between Kosovo and Serbia bership, in the context of Serbia's tion for Serbia as it continues to C mantle its so-called "parallel" K The EU source, however, said was launched in March 2011, continued refusal to recognise pursue EU membership. news March 29 - April 11, 2013 3 Kosovo Court Holds BIRN Editor’s Word Media Harassment Hearing Shameful s a weapon of war, rape achieves no justi- The court in Prishtina held a closed session in the case against a municipality chief and a group of fiable goals while it inflicts wounds that Afar outlast the armed conflicts them- newspaper staff over a slur campaign against BIRN Kosovo director Jeta Xharra. selves. Rape simply brutalises and destroys lives for years to come. And it has persisted for as long as humanity has known warfare. The wars in the former Yugoslavia were no By Prishtina Insight exception. Thousands of women and girls were raped during in Bosnia and Kosovo. These atroc- ities led to their recognition as war crimes by the the International Criminal Tribunal for the protected witness testi- former Yugoslavia. fied on Tuesday in the Yet, wartime rape survivors were notably Acase against the mayor omitted from a 2011 Kosovo law that gave a sta- of the Skenderaj municipality, tus, rights and benefits to veterans, families of Sami Lushtaku, and a group of fallen soldiers and civilian victims. This is due five journalists and executives to change, thanks to an amendment that from the now-defunct Infopress received preliminary approval from Kosovo’s newspaper, all accused of stag- parliament in March. ing a negative media campaign The recognition is long overdue, and it’s against Xharra. unconscionable that a single member of parlia- The hearing was held ment would have voted against it. Twenty-nine behind closed doors because did. the witness is protected by the All were part of Prime Minister Hashim EU rule of law mission in Thaci’s ruling coalition. The arguments against Kosovo, EULEX, due to their it were ludicrous. Opponents suggested that involvement in another case. authorities must first count wartime rape vic- The testimony was presented The mayor of Skenderaj, Sami Lushtaku, is accused of threatening BIRN Kosovo director Jeta Xharra. tims. Some also went as far to say that women to the court via video link. would make false claims or that if Serbs and Lushtaku is charged, along against Xharra and violating gramme, ‘Jeta ne Kosove’ cles published by Infopress, other minorities were to report rapes, Kosovo’s with Infopress's former owner her citizen’s right to equality (‘Life in Kosovo’) dealing with Xharra was called a “Serbian image would suffer. Others said Kosovo’s budget Rexhep , former executive in May and June of 2009. alleged mismanagement and spy”, a “professional bomb” just can’t afford it. director Arizona Dibra, for- According to the indict- unfavourable conditions in and subjected to other insults, Many of the same arguments could be made mer editor-in-chief Avni ment, the campaign was Skenderaj where Sami the indictment says. for others covered by the law. More than 50,000 Azemi and former journalists launched after Radio Lushtaku was acting chief at The trial started earlier this people have registered as Kosovo Liberation Rizah Hajdari and Qani Television Kosovo broadcast the time. month and the next hearing is Army Veterans - by some estimates more than Mehmedi with making threats an edition of BIRN’s TV pro- Over the course of 12 arti- scheduled for April 15. twice as many people who actually fought for the KLA. Yet, somehow, the law stands. The amendment is about recognition and lift- ing the stigma of rape to empower people who Ambassador Defends suffered such horrific crimes to heal and move forward. But the message from the 29 MPs who voted Scholarships for Himself, Son against it is: Rape survivors don’t matter. On Wednesday night, one of the most vocal Kosovo’s top diplomat in Germany says scholarships awarded during his time at the Education Ministry advocates for the amendment, Self- were based on merit. Determination’s Nazlie Bala, was attacked out- side her home in Prishtina. She previously received a letter that said, “Don’t protect the shame.” Police haven’t identified any suspects, but it By Parim Olluri stands to reason that the two incidents are prob- ably related. In light of this deplorable attack, Parliament should move quickly to adopt the amendment to osovo’s ambassador to Germany, include rape survivors in the war-benefits law. Skender Xhakaliu, received a state- Kfunded scholarship from the And perhaps those 29 MPs will use the oppor- Ministry of Education to study in Greece tunity to reconsider their opposition, and at a time when he was one of the min- remove the stain of their truly shameful vote. istry’s highest-ranking officials. Xhakaliu was awarded 7,150 euro to attend CITY College in Thessaloniki in 2009 when he was director of the min- istry’s Central Administration. The ministry also awarded Xhakaliu’s Publisher: BIRN • Balkan Investigative Reporting son, Liridon, a scholarship of 11,700 euro to attend the same college the following Network • Mensa e Studenteve, first floor • 10000, year. Skender Xhakaliu is Kosovo’s ambassador to Germany. Prishtina • Kosovo • Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 The scholarships were part of a pro- gram established under a March 2009 university did this, based on objective the Xhakaliu and his son. Editor-in-Chief: qualifications such as academic perform- Xhakaliu, who served in the Ministry memorandum of understanding between Artan Mustafa Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and ance, professional history and proficien- of Education until 2011, told Prishtina Ioannis Ververidis, principal of City cy in English. Insight that he won his scholarship based [email protected] College, which operates as the said the ministry saw no issue on merit and didn’t see a need to consult Editorial Team: about one of its officials and his son the Anti-Corruption Agency about International Faculty of the University of Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, Nate Tabak, Petrit Collaku, Sheffield in England. receiving scholarships. whether it constituted a conflict of inter- Parim Olluri, Jeton Musliu and Donjeta Demolli. The agreement foresaw 10 scholarships “It wasn’t necessary to consult the est. for undergraduate studies and 10 others Anti-Corruption Agency regarding the “This was my thinking then and I at Master’s level. scholarships because it was not a case of think it was the right judgment,” Marketing, Sales & Distribution: conflict of interest,” Morina said. Xhakaliu said. It also included 10 scholarships for gov- [email protected] ernment employees to receive Master’s The Anti-Corruption Agency has not Xhakaliu said his son also was selected responded to Prishtina Insight’s on merit, based on the results of his high degrees. Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” inquiries about the scholarship. school exams and his command of The agreement has been renewed each Arben Grajqevci year since. CITY College Vice President Megaklis English. Spokesperson Arber Morina said the Petzemas, head of the commission that Liridon Xhakaliu told Prishtina Insight Ministry of Education did not determine the Ministry said selects scholarship that he expects to receive his degree this Printing: Lindi Printing Center the winners of the scholarships, as the winners, did not respond to Prishtina year. His father, on the other hand, said he Copyright © BIRN Insight’s queries about the selection of has yet to finish his Master’s dissertation. 4 March 29 - April 11, 2013 news

ZERI olitical parties in Kosovo Official Gazette Director’s have different stands on Pwhether the resolution for talks with Serbia headed by Political Post Breaks Law Kosovo PM, Hashim Thaci and his Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic, Director of government publication breaks civil service law by holding an important post in PDK, creating a con- has been violated or not, the paper writes. flict of interest. According to the paper, the oppo- sition Self-Determination party says the document has been violat- ed since the process started.

By Njomza Salihi in the Press Fortnight KOHA DITORE he Kosovo Parliament could s director of the government’s have 10 more seats, five of Official Gazette, Naser Canolli over- Twhich would be given to Asees the publication of Kosovo’s legis- Serbian representatives if an lation. agreement between Kosovo and But if Canolli were to consult one of the Serbia would is achieved, while back issues of the Gazette, from June 25, five others would be given to repre- 2010, he would learn that he himself is in vio- sentatives of the diaspora, the lation of the Law on the Civil Service. paper announces. This is because Canolli was elected to the The Kosovo daily says any effort Steering Committee of the ruling for the increase of seats in the par- Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, at the liament is seen by the civil society party’s internal elections in January. The as a negative impact on the politi- 154-member committee is the PDK’s top gov- cal balance in the country. erning body. However, the law says that civil servants Naser Canolli, who directs the government’s Official Gazette, isn’t shy about his membership in PDK. “may not occupy directing positions in polit- ZERI ical parties and be politically active”. Canolli, also a member of the presidency commission of Prishtina International osovo officials say the of PDK’s Prishtina branch, has not con- Airport, according to the declarations he Kosovo Security Force has cealed his political involvement. made to the Anti-Corruption Agency. Kreached its full operational He posted a list of steering committee Canolli’s case isn’t an anomaly. Prishtina capacities, therefore its status members on his Facebook page following the Insight has previously identified other civil needs to be changed, Zeri reports. PDK elections. servants who serve in PDK leadership posts. KSF is waiting for a signal, the The Anti-Corruption Agency has yet say if - Bekim Jupa, manager of gambling games daily says. it considers Canolli’s positions in the PDK, at the Tax Administration of Kosovo, sits on and as director of the Gazette, a civil service the PDK steering committee. ZERI job, a conflict of interest. - Safet Hoxha, head of the Public he issue of the north of After initially agreeing to an interview Procurement Regulatory Commission, also Kosovo can only be solved by with Prishtina Insight for March 16, Canolli sits on the PDK Steering Committee. Tdialogue between Kosovo has not responded to multiple phone calls - Betim Gjoshi, the chief executive of the and Serbia, the paper quotes and emails. national railway company, Trainkos, repre- Turkish Deputy Head of Canolli became director of the Gazette in sents the PDK to the Central Election Parliament, Cemil Cicek, saying. 2006 after serving as acting director. Commission. Cicek who visited Kosovo recently The only publication of record of the Blerim Rexha, the new board chairman of said dialogue is the only way for- Republic of Kosovo, released in printed form the Privatisation Agency of Kosovo, ward for both sides. and electronically, the Office of the Prime resigned from his PDK positions on Minister, Hashim Thaci, oversees its publi- February 26 after Prishtina Insight reported Prishtina Insight has not veri- cation. his election to the PDK Prishtina branch’s fied the facts in the original press Canolli announced his election to the PDK’s Steering reports and cannot vouch for their Committee on his Facebook page. Canolli also serves on the board and audit steering committee. accuracy. Cobbled Street May Land Mayor in Hot Water Vushtrri mayor is accused of abusing his authority to benefit an ex-KLA commander by paving his street with cobbles.

lies and for the other people who charges in the case, told prosecu- would use it,” Mulaku told tors in 2012 that he believed that Prishtina Insight. “If paving the road lay on a combination of Ex-KLA battalion commander Gani Imeri built three houses with his brother in Vushtrri. By Florent Spahija roads is a misuse of money, let the state-owned and private land, but court decide.” was nevertheless under the The Vushtrri branch of the authority of the municipality. Basic Court in Mitrovica has yet The homes of the Imeri broth- he mayor of Vushtrri, to confirm the indictment. ers, as well as several others, were Bajram Mulaku, is facing Tcharges of abusing his office However, if he is convicted, built on the land. They now face for paving the street where a for- Mulaku faces up to eight years in charges of usurping state-owned mer commander of Kosovo prison. property related to the construc- Liberation Army, KLA, lives with The mayor ordered the project tion of their homes. cobblestones. in September 2011 from money The brothers rented part of the The indictment, obtained by that was left over from other proj- property until 2011 when they Prishtina Insight, dated ects. built three houses. In an interview September 2012, accuses Mulaku The municipality moved quick- with prosecutors, Gani Imeri of approving the 16,500-euro proj- ly to pave Avni Klinaku Street, admitted that the homes had no ect to benefit ex-KLA battalion which is 185 metres long. The planning permission. commander Gani Imeri, his broth- street runs through a parcel of Imeri also faces charges stem- er, Naser, and several other home- land that belongs to the state- ming from the discovery of an owners on a plot of usurped state- owned Elan company and is now unauthorised pistol and 40 bullets Y owned land. administered by the Privatisation during a police raid on his home in M Mulaku defends the project. “I Agency of Kosovo. 2012. He told a prosecutor that he C didn’t pave this road only for Gani Vushtrri’s director of public didn’t have a licence for the gun, Vushtrri Mayor Bajram Mulaku is accused of abusing his office to pave a road Imeri, it’s also for 12 other fami- K works, Sami Istrefi, who also faces which he’d owned since the war. where ex-KLA battalion commander Gani Imeri lives. news March 29 - April 11, 2013 5 Serbia Cannot Choose EU Over Kosovo, President Says aimed to normalize relations legally entitled, so that the between the two countries, both administration in Prishtina can- of which aspire to EU member- not obstruct the exercise of these By Prishtina Insight ship. powers". "Normalisation" of relations He was referring in this with Kosovo is the EU's main pre- instance to the planned omislav Nikolic says Serbia condition for Serbia as it contin- Association of Serbian cannot be asked to choose ues to pursue EU membership. Municipalities, which Serbia and Tbetween its hopes of Serbia obtained EU candidate Kosovo are due to agree on in EU membership and its claim to country status in March 2012 and Brussels on April 2. the former province of Kosovo. is hoping to get a start date for The President also added that "It is not possible to choose membership talks in June. the government had been between Europe and Kosovo," But, according to Nikolic, exposed to great pressures to Nikolic told Serbian broadcaster Serbia has red lines that it will reach a deal on Kosovo, not men- B92 on Monday, referring to fre- not cross, including recognizing tioning them but presumably quent foreign demands that Kosovo as an independent state. from abroad. Belgrade make one or other issue The second is allowing any "All key officials in Serbia, the priority. armed force, other than its own, particularly Prime Minister Kosovo declared independence to act on the territory of the Ivica Dacic and First Deputy in February 2008 but Serbia Serbian community. Prime Minister Aleksandar strongly opposes the move. In In the meantime, Nikolic Vucic were exposed to pressures March 2011, an EU-mediated added, the Serbian community by those wanting agreements on technical dialogue between "should have the competencies to Kosovo signed as soon as possi- Tomislav Nikolic says recognizing Kosovo is a "red line" Serbia won't cross - even for Kosovo and Serbia was launched which local self-governments are ble," Nikolic said. EU membership. Serbia Must Recognise Kosovo, German MEP Says The chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs said mutual diplomatic recognition of Kosovo and Serbia was a condition of their EU membership. that "two countries that do not between the two countries. the EU at the same time", in recognize each other" cannot "Normalisation" of relations order to avoid a situation similar join the 27-nation club as it with Kosovo is the EU's main to that between Macedonia and By Prishtina Insight would be "impossible from the precondition for Serbia as it con- Greece, whereby Serbia could legal and political standpoint". tinues to pursue EU member- "use the veto to obstruct Kosovo's Kosovo declared independence ship. Serbia obtained EU candi- membership in the union". in February 2008 but Serbia has date country status in March The next round of Kosovo erman MEP Elmar Brok repeatedly said it will never 2012 and is hoping to get a start talks is scheduled for April 2. said neither Serbia nor GKosovo can hope to join the recognise the statehood of its date for membership talks in The two sides are expected to European Union if they have not former province. June. make a deal on an "Association recognised each other first. In March 2011, an EU-mediated Brok concurred with his fellow of Serbian Municipalities" Brok, an MEP in the Christian technical dialogue between German MEP, Doris Pack, who which would replace Serbian- Elmar Brok Democrat bloc, told Albanian TV Kosovo and Serbia was launched was quoted as saying that financed institutions in the Serb- aimed to normalize relations "Kosovo and Serbia should join run north of Kosovo. Photo News: Minister Pledges Security for Returnees

The new Minister for Returns in Kosovo’s government, Dalibor Jevtic, visited Kosovo Serb returnees in the village of Grabac, Klina municipality. He told returnees that he will increase the security for them. The minister brought a water pump to replace one that was stolen from one family, amid a recent rash of thefts. (BETAPHO- TO/Armenija Zajmi Y M Besevic) C K 6 March 29 - April 11, 2013 news Kosovo Praises NATO for 1999 Military Intervention Prishtina’s leaders thanked NATO for launching its bombing campaign 14 years ago to end the Kosovo war, and stressed their hope of gaining membership of the military alliance. “I am happy to say that 14 Kosovo declared its inde- logue aimed at normalising years after the NATO bomb- pendence from Serbia in 2008 relations between Prishtina ings, Kosovo is ready to be a despite strong opposition and Belgrade started in By Edona Peci part of the North Atlantic from Belgrade. March 2011 and talks are cur- The Jackals were a Serb paramilitary unit that operated in Kosovo. Treaty Organisation in order EU-mediated technical dia- rently ongoing. to give its contribution to efforts for peace, democracy, osovo president the rule of law and human Kosovo Villager said rights,” Kosovo Prime Kthat 14 years after the Minister Hashim Thaci said conflict with Serbian forces, in a statement. Recalls Deadly Kosovo “is proud and thank- While NATO’s intervention ful to all NATO’s soldiers and led to the removal of Serbian commanders who con- forces, the UN mission tributed to the end of geno- Serb Paramilitary installed in Kosovo after the cide against the people of the country”. bombings also dismantled “Thanks to the engage- Kosovo Liberation Army Assault ment of all citizens, the deter- guerrilla structures. mination of the society, our Kosovo initially established A witness who was 10 years old when the country is establishing a just the Kosovo Protection Corps society… a rule-of-law state which existed until January Serbian ‘Jackals’ paramilitary unit attacked with clear prospects of inte- 2009 when the Kosovo his village in Kosovo testified at the fighters’ gration into the European Security Forces, KSF, was Union and NATO, and eternal formed. trial how they killed his neighbours. friendship with the United The KSF is due to have States,” Jahjaga said in a some 2,500 active troops and statement on Sunday. 800 reservists. NATO launched its bomb- In June this year, NATO is ing campaign on March 24, expected to assess the KSF’s By Marija Ristic 1999 after attempts to secure operational capacities, and a peaceful end to the conflict Kosovo officials are optimistic failed during internationally- that the alliance will give the uftal Urshinaj, who was a schoolboy at the mediated talks in green light for the force to be time of the attack on his village of Ljubenic in Rambouillet in France. transformed into an army. M1999, testified before Belgrade Special Court on The air strikes lasted until More than 5,000 troops from Monday at the trial of 12 members of the Jackals who June 10, 1999, and ended with the NATO-led Kosovo Force, are accused of killing at least 100 ethnic Albanian civil- Belgrade’s forces pulling out KFOR, have remained in ians in four Kosovo villages during the conflict. of Kosovo and being replaced Kosovo since 1999, when the “They [Serb forces] entered the village around seven by international peacekeep- mission started its operations in the morning. We were gathered in the Urshinaj fami- ers. with some 50,000 troops. Atifete Jahjaga offered her thanks to NATO for the 1999 bombing campaign. ly’s house. Then the old villagers came and said that the Serbian army told them that we should all pack up our stuff and start moving towards Albania,” Urshinaj said. “We started going towards the main road that leads to Death Toll From NATO Yugoslavia the centre of the village. At one point, three soldiers came up to us and dragged [villagers] Adem and Ibro to the side. Then one of them just shot Adem dead,” he Bombing Still Unknown recalled. When asked by the prosecutor if he could recognise Serbia commemorated its dead 14 years after the NATO air strikes that ended the Kosovo war, but the any of the fighters he saw now, the witness said he could- exact number of people killed has yet to be properly established. n’t because a lot of time had passed. The NATO bombing of “I saw a murder, and that was something horrible for Yugoslavia started on March 24, me back then. I know that there were three soldiers but I 1999, as the West’s response to the cannot recall their looks,” he explained. By Marija Ristic failure of the Rambouillet talks He said that at that point he was separated from his to try to bring an end to the con- father and that he managed to escape and hide in the flict in Kosovo. nearby woods. Representatives of the EU, USA “A few days later I came back to the village searching eremonies were held across Serbia for my father. I saw so many dead bodies. More than 30. I and Russia met in the French on Sunday to remember the victims looked at every one of them thinking that one of those town of Rambouillet to mediate Cof the 1999 NATO military cam- bodies could be him,” Urshinaj said. between then Yugoslav leader paign to drive Serb forces out of Kosovo. “But it wasn’t. I found my father later; he was wound- Slobodan Milosevic and represen- Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic ed,” he added. laid flowers at a memorial on Strazevica tatives of the Kosovo , Urshinaj said that he was hiding in nearby woods for a Hill in Belgrade where Yugoslav Army but no solution was found. month and occasionally returning to the village. troops were killed in a NATO air attack On Sunday, a delegation from Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic lays a wreath at the “Once I saw that army trucks came to the village. They in 1999. Serbia’s defence ministry, led by Strazevica Hill monument (Photo by Beta) were picking up the bodies and putting them in the “I hope that there will be no need to minister Aleksandar Vucic, laid truck. They had some orange uniforms,” he said. died before a verdict was reached. die for Serbia, but to live and work for wreaths in front of a monument dedi- The Serbian war crimes prosecutor alleges that According to the Centre for our country,” Dacic said. cated to fallen air force servicemen Toplica Miladinovic, Srecko Popovic, Slavisa Humanitarian Law in Belgrade, During the 78 days of the military and air defence troops in Belgrade. Kastratovic, Boban Bogicevic, Radoslav Brnovic, Vidoje around 9,401 people were killed or campaign, the Serbian government esti- “What the members of our air forces Koricanin, Veljko Koricanin, Abdulah Sokic, Milojko mates that at least 2,500 people died and did for our country should never be went missing in Kosovo during the Nikolic, Zoran Obradovic, Dejan Bulatovic and Ranko 12,500 were injured. forgotten,” Vucic said. period of the NATO bombing, the Momic were responsible for killing more than 100 ethnic But the exact death toll and the full Meanwhile, the head of the Serbian majority of them Albanians. Albanians in the villages of Zahac, Pavlan, Ljubenic and extent of the damage remain unclear. Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, The bombing ended on June 10, Cuska during the conflict in Kosovo in 1999. It is estimated that the bombing held a service in honour of the victims 1999, after the signing of the They are said to have been members of the Jackals damaged 25,000 houses and apartment at St Marko’s Church in the capital. Kumanovo Agreement and the adop- squad, which was allegedly part of the 177th Unit of the buildings and destroyed 470 kilometres During the NATO bombing, tion of UN Security Council Yugoslav Army. of roads and 600 kilometres of railway. Yugoslav forces carried out an exten- Resolution 1244, which was followed According to the indictment, the squad was formed in So far only Serbia’s defence ministry sive campaign in Kosovo, resulting in by the withdrawal of all Yugoslav mil- order to expel the ethnic Albanian population from has publicly revealed its data, saying the expulsion of the Kosovo Albanian itary forces from Kosovo and the Kosovo with the aim of creating an ethnically-purged that NATO forces killed 631 members population. arrival of 36,000 international peace- area settled only by Serbs. Y of the Serbian armed forces, while a The Hague Tribunal charged keepers. Following the attacks, a number of villagers, mostly M further 28 went missing. Milosevic and six other top officials When the Yugoslav army moved out, Albanians, including women, children and the elderly, C NATO has also never revealed its with committing war crimes in the Kosovo Liberation Army expelled fled their homes. K losses. Kosovo, although the former leader the majority of Serbs from Kosovo. The trial is continuing on April 2. news March 29 - April 11, 2013 7 Protesters Bash MPs Over Rape Victim Remarks Some 50 people protested outside Kosovo’s parliament against “degrading language” used by lawmakers in a debate about wartime rape victims that sparked heated controversy.

By Edona Peci

he protesters began their rally on Thursday by staging Ta symbolic performance during which four women crushed apples with kitchen mallets to reflect the alleged lack of sensitiv- ity shown towards rape victims by lawmakers during a parliamen- tary debate earlier this month. “We’re protesting against the way the issue was discussed,” said Eli , one of the organisers of the protest. “We welcome any kind of sup- port, but not with this kind of dis- cussion where the damaged digni- ty of [war rape victims] is once again maligned,” she said. Protestors also threw printouts of the lawmakers’ speeches – some of them defaced with the word ‘shame’ – over the parlia- ment fence. During the parliamentary debate on March 14, lawmakers expressed different views on whether rape victims should be included in current legislation Protesters bash apples outside Kosovo's parliament in response to comments about war rape victims. defining the status and rights of tions. You are speculators and Serbian forces. pute. Proposals made by the party on Kosovo Liberation Army fighters unprofessional illiterates,” said Kosovo police are investigating “Every country has an obliga- March 14 for amending the cur- who died in action, war veterans, Muja, saying that he had actually the attack, but it remains unclear tion to identify appropriate sup- rent law on the status and rights invalids, ex-guerrillas and their been calling for post-traumatic who was responsible and what port for those who have suffered of war veterans and other vic- families. stress disorder treatment for the their motives were. as a result of war, including sur- tims were approved by 33 votes, Some of the MPs demanded a victims. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci vivors of rape,” the US embassy but the changes can only be genuine headcount of rape vic- Meanwhile a lawmaker from condemned the attack and called said in a statement. adopted after a second vote which tims and one lawmaker, Shaip the Self-Determination for the perpetrators to be brought The Self-Determination is yet to be held. Muja, said they should be med- Movement, Nazlie Bala, was phys- to justice. Movement blamed “some lawmak- Fourteen years after the end of ically examined. ically attacked on Wednesday “This is a cowardly and unac- ers and the Kosovo Prime the war in Kosovo, no official data Muja’s controversial statement after she criticised the authorities ceptable act… damaging democra- Minister” for inspiring the attack. is available on how many women drew widespread comment in over the issue on state television, cy in our country,” Thaci said in a “These threats and violent acts were raped during the conflict. local media but he told parlia- and said she was trying to put a statement. won’t stop our efforts in bringing According to UN Women data, ment on Thursday that he had clause about wartime rape vic- The US embassy in justice to men, women and chil- at least 20,000 women were raped been misinterpreted. tims in the current legislation also spoke out against “interfer- dren raped during the war,” Self- by Serbian forces in Kosovo “You have twisted my statement covering people who suffered dur- ence, threats and violence” Determination Movement MP between August 1998 and August about gynecological examina- ing the late 1990s conflict with sparked by the rape victims dis- Glauk Konjufca said. 1999. Fresh Charges in Kosovo Organ-Trafficking Case

kidney transplants were carried criminal proceedings in other out. countries, including Turkey, for Seven and human trafficking and the illegal By Edona Peci two foreigners, Yusuf Somnez and removal of organs. Moshe Harel, are on trial for Ratel said earlier this month alleged human trafficking, organ- that the indictment had to be ised crime and unlawful medical changed because of significant he prosecution at the trial activities. new information from abroad and for alleged illicit kidney- The clinic’s owner Lutfi “the appalling evidence from the Ttrading at Kosovo’s Medicus Dervishi and his son Arban witnesses” in the case. clinic has made new allegations of Dervishi will be charged with At the next hearing, the defence grievous bodily harm and fraud three of the new counts, the prose- will be able to present proposals against the defendants. cution said. for new evidence or new witness. “Four new counts were added to the indictment - grievous bodily According to the indictment, 30 Linn Slattengren, the defence harm, fraud, falsification of docu- illegal kidney transplants took lawyer for Medicus clinic boss ments and falsification of official place at the clinic. Dervishi, said that his client “will documents,” prosecutor Jonathan Donors were allegedly lured to decline to give a final statement” Ratel announced on Friday. Kosovo with false promises that in the trial, which would have The defence has a week to they would receive up to 15,000 opened the way to further cross- analyse the new charges and euro for their kidneys. examination. respond. The foreign defendants, Turkish The lawyer for another defen- The case focuses on allegations doctor Yusuf Sonmez and Moshe dant, Ilir Rrecaj, indicated howev- that poor donors and rich recipi- Harel, an Israeli citizen, are being er that he would make a final state- investigation, is also mentioned in Kosovo Liberation Army traded Y ents were brought to the Medicus tried in their absence. ment. a Council of Europe report which the organs of prisoners during the M clinic near Prishtina where illegal According to the indictment, The clinic, which was closed Sonmez is the subject of several down in 2008 as part of the initial alleged that elements of the 1999 conflict. C K 8 March 29 - April 11, 2013 neighbourhood business Serbia Seeks Blueprint for Industrial Revival Serbia needs to revive manufacturing in order to boost its exports, but economists warn that the state must hold back from aggressive intervention in the market. consists of ministers, bankers, economists agency Tanjug. and managers of large enterprises, will also Milojko Arsic, a professor at Belgrade be involved in preparing the measures. University’s economics faculty, agreed that By Stevan Veljovic Many of the council’s members are promi- the state should not take on the role of entre- nent figures in the Klub Privrednik, an asso- preneurs in the process of reindustrialisa- ciation which brings together some of the tion, but uses its resources to improve infra- wealthiest Serbian businessmen and owners structure, the quality of education and fter two decades of transition, Serbia of importing companies. human capital. is still years away from the level of The topic of reindustrialisation was wide- “Investors tend to go where they can find Aindustrial production achieved in the ly discussed during the annual business good roads, railroads, a favourable business Business and politics at the Serbian Davos: From left, late 1980s, before the dissolution of socialist forum on Kopaonik mountain in March, an environment and a low level of corruption, Miodrag Kostic, Goran Pitic and Aleksandar Vlahovic. Yugoslavia. event nicknamed the ‘Serbian Davos’ after which is why some countries managed to Photo by Beta According to experts’ calculations, last the Swiss ski resort where the global eco- attract more foreign direct investment year’s industrial production was 60 per cent nomic forum takes place. despite lower subsidies,” Arsic said. “In the next three to five years, success lower than in 1989, and around half the vol- Those taking part - ministers, owners of “The gradual depreciation of the national would be if Serbia was recognised as a man- ume achieved in 1981. big companies, representatives of interna- currency would also favour investment in ufacturing location and achieved cumulative Over the past 13 years, dozens of once-suc- tional financial institutions, members of manufacturing, because exporters would growth in production of 10 to 15 per cent,” he cessful factories have been closed in dubi- business associations and economists - all become more competitive,” he added. said. ous privatisations, while the number of agreed that it was both desirable and neces- Arsic is not among the supporters of the Judging by the current market conditions, workers in the manufacturing sector fell sary for Serbia to rebuild its industries. finance ministry’s proposal to decrease taxes this doesn’t seem realistic, which is why from 604,000 in 2001 to 289,000 in 2012. Many concrete questions remained unan- and contributions on salaries for the IT sec- entrepreneurs expect the government to pay Since the outbreak of the global financial swered however, particularly regarding the tor by a third. more attention to existing companies before crisis in 2008, the government has focused role of government, the selection of priority A programme aimed at boosting IT compa- establishing new ones. more on exports and used generous subsidies projects and models of financing. nies, which will be included in the reindus- “It doesn’t make any sense to talk about to attract big manufacturing brands. While the government is interested in sup- trialisation action plan, also includes grants creating new companies without eliminat- Among the companies that came to Serbia porting certain industries, both entrepre- up to 25,000 euro for IT start-ups which are ing the causes that closed more than 160,000 are Italian automotive giant Fiat and its sup- neurs and experts say that it first has to deal able to find other investors. firms,” insisted Milan Knezevic, vice-presi- pliers; Jura corporation, a South Korean pro- with the problems that are forcing thousands “It is wrong to subsidise one industry dent of the Association of small and medi- ducer of electric components for cars, and of private companies into bankruptcy. through tax relief, because it would mean um enterprises and entrepreneurs. Italian clothing manufacturer Benetton. In shaping sector policies, the government that the level of taxes would depend on the “Before we start reindustrialisation, we In 2012, Serbia exported goods worth 8.8 must treat all companies equally, because type of business,” Arsic said. need to stop the trend of closing businesses billion euro, a four per cent increase com- selective assistance would open the door to “Then we would have one rule for IT com- by reforming the pension system, taxation pared to 2011, while imports were worth 14.7 corruption, they suggest. panies and another for pharmaceutical com- and the labour market, reducing the grey billion euro. panies or dairies,” he explained. economy and improving from 86th place in The growth in the automotive industry Assistance not needed: Miroslav Zdravkovic, economist and editor the World Bank’s Doing Business report,“ from 37 million euro to 310 million euro of the makroekonomija.org website recalled said Knezevic. accounted for most of the export expansion, Dacic stressed in a speech on March 12 that the growth rate of IT exports was higher “As long as the government insists only on even though Fiat’s production only started in that there was a need for the “visible hand of in Serbia than on the global level, rising from the redistribution of tax-payers’ money, the second half of 2012. the state” in contrast to the invisible hand of 15 euro in 2004 to 145 million euro in 2011, state investment will be based more on This year Fiat predicts between 1.2 and 2 the market that has shaped Serbia’s economy without state assistance. expected political gains than on the strategy billion euro worth of car exports, depending over the past few years. “Exports will continue to increase by dou- of allocation of resources, which has to be on market conditions, while NIS, the oil com- “We are late in putting the topic of the ble-digit figures because of the possibilities underpinned with facts and figures,” he pany in the majority ownership of Russian reindustrialisation of Serbia on our agen- that new technologies create,” Zdravkovic said. Gazprom Neft, plans 400 million euro worth da,” Dacic admitted. said. Ljubodrag Savic, another professor at of petroleum product exports. “Short-term measures do not benefit politi- “Government involvement is much more Belgrade University’s economics faculty, Serbia’s finance and economy ministry is cians, scientists have fallen asleep, while needed in attracting investors in labour- argued on the other hand that state assis- now preparing a national action plan for business people got used to making easy and intensive industries in underdeveloped tance in some sectors could be beneficial reindustrialisation, a document which will quick profits from trade,” he said. regions with high unemployment,” he said. because the country needs to increase export elaborate on measures to boost the economy, On the other hand, representatives of the revenues to repay debts to foreign creditors. exports and employment in the coming business community insisted that the gov- New companies, old problems: He added that this support must be well- years. ernment should focus on creating a better targeted, temporary and conditional on the In the plan, which will be presented in legal framework and instituting reforms in Despite some encouraging signs in 2012, achievement of specific export and employ- April, special attention will be given to the the public sector. the current volume of industrial production ment targets. auto industry, agriculture and food process- “The forum sent a clear message to the is far from satisfactory and more investment “However, individual measures would not ing, and the IT and defence industries, where government that Serbia’s public sector needs is needed to secure higher exports in the make much sense if we don’t have an envi- Serbia is believed to have competitive advan- to be reformed while the process of reindus- coming years. ronment where, for example, the exchange tages. trialisation should be conducted in parallel,” As Zdravkovic pointed out, the increase in rate is predictable, permits are issued in 60 Members of the national council for eco- Aleksandar Vlahovic, the president of the production of four per cent in 2013 will only days and disputes are resolved in few nomic recovery, a body founded in September Serbian association of economists, told news counterbalance the decrease in 2011. months, which are not the case right now,” last year by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic which said Savic. French Lay Out Options for New Metro Egis Rail of France has offered Belgrade a number of models for the new metro network as part of its feasibility study. platforms accessed via stairs and lifts. involved in the construction of dozens of Within the coming months, the authorities underground railways. will review the proposals and costs and decide The company has been the focus of sever- By Prishtina Insight what option to implement. al corruption investigations, however. The network will have 55 stations along The New York Times reported that three three lines, covering 36 kilometres and serv- executives from Alstom’s UK office were f Belgrade adopts one of the proposals of ing 660,000 people a day. arrested in March 2010 over allegations of Egis Rail, the city’s metro will run both Trains will travel at 28.2 kilometres per bribery in bidding for contracts around the Iunder and over ground. The city might hour, typically taking 26 minutes from one world. also get a across the end of the line to the other. A Belgrade official said the deal with Sava. Under the terms of a deal signed between France only gave Alstom priority in talks to The company has proposed several options France and Serbia in November 2011, France supply equipment, and the city would not be for metro routes. For the first route, which is donated 3 million euro for the feasibility study obliged to use the company. If it did not The latest metro plans envisage underground and expected to run from Zvedara to Zemun and and guaranteed a loan of 500 million euro for strike an agreement with Alstom, the city over ground routes. Photo by Matt Maxson be ready by 2018, the French have proposed the project. would open a tender for the network. trams, buses and trolley buses. that trains run underground in the old part of Egis Rail was assigned to carry out the The total cost of the new metro and all But the roads in the city are designed for the city and above ground in . study, while a French conglomerate, Alstom, equipment is priced at about 1 billion euro. relatively light traffic. Only six bridges One option is for trains to drive through a will receive priority in negotiations for the Belgrade’s growing population of about cross the two main rivers, the and corridor high above ground that would be purchase of trains. two million currently relies on half-a-mil- the Sava, creating gridlock during rush built on pillars, while stations would be on Alstom, a 70-year-old firm, has been lion registered vehicles and a network of hours. neighbourhood news March 29 - April 11, 2013 9 Protests Raise Ethnic Tensions in Western Macedonia Several thousand Macedonians took to the streets and jeered the country’s PM after the ethnically-mixed town of Kicevo got its first Albanian mayor in Sunday’s municipal vote. abroad to help elect its first Albanian mayor. Kicevo’s new mayor Dehari was By Sinisa Jakov once a member of the now-disband- Marusic ed Albanian guerrilla force that fought against Macedonian securi- ty troops in 2001. group of protesters booed The brief but intense armed con- Prime Minister Nikola flict ended with the signing of a AGruevski after he arrived peace deal that guaranteed greater in Kicevo on Tuesday, shouting rights to the Albanians who make “traitor” and accusing him of giv- ing up Kicevo to the ethnic up a quarter of the country’s 2.1 Albanian community. million population. Another group rallied in defence One of the most surprising of the Macedonian premier, and a twists at the elections was the deci- brief scuffle broke out between the sion of Gruevski’s VMRO DPMNE opposing demonstrators. and the opposition Social Gruevski insisted he was there Democrats, normally at logger- “to ease tensions” and to reassure heads, to field joint candidates for people that “Kicevo remains a mayors in Kicevo and another west- Macedonian town”. Macedonians gathered in front of the HQ of the ruling VMRO DPMNE party ern town, Struga. The government press service The move, intended to boost the denied reports in some media that the Macedonian flag from a central erate attempt to remove it. town during the pre-poll campaign. chances of ethnic Macedonians Gruevski was stuck in the town’s flagpole in the municipality. The crowd dispersed on Tuesday He was able to win thanks to the becoming mayors, triggered a simi- ruling party HQ and unable to leave “We are utterly disappointed. evening after Gruevski left. attachment of surrounding rural lar counter-move by the Albanian because of angry protesters gath- Kicevo is now in the hands of Fatmir Dehari from the ethnic areas to the town which made camp. ered outside. extremists,” an unnamed protester Albanian Democratic Union for Kicevo a predominantly Albanian While the Albanian camp won in Some protesters claimed that they told local media. Integration, DUI, the junior partner municipality. The change was Kicevo in the first round, the joint had been provoked by an incident Police confirmed that the flag was in the ruling coalition, became agreed in 2004 but took effect at Macedonian candidate has a lead the day before, when media reports briefly on the ground but said that it mayor in the first round of the these elections. in Struga ahead of the second suggested that an unidentified was because of high winds and not local elections on Sunday amid Voters from the Albanian diaspo- round of voting which is due to group of people tried to take down because someone had made a delib- strong ethnic mobilisation in the ra also poured into the town from take place on April 7. Serbian Church Files Charges Over Sex Abuse Claims In the wake of fresh accusations against Bishop Pahomije for sex abuse, his diocese is striking back with charges against the employee who accused him. respond to any call from the police or prosecution regarding the case. "It is my duty, and I will not escape from it," By Bojana Barlovac he said. In 2003, the bishop was charged with sex abuse offences and was summoned to appear before a closed court in he Vranje diocese of the Serbian Vranje. The charges were brought on Orthodox Church filed charges behalf of four teenagers, the youngest Ton Tuesday against its former aged 13. warehouseman, known only as N.S., for Four years later, following a lengthy embezzlement and abuse of office. transfer of the trial from Vranje to Nis, The lawsuit comes after the 24-year- Pahomije was found not guilty. The ver- old told the local Vranjske Novine last dict was subsequently upheld by a Thursday that the bishop had been sex- higher court, the Nis District Court. ually abusing him for years. Bosnia to Hunt Mass Graves Serbia’s Supreme Court eventually He said that Pahomije used to come ruled that the two verdicts clearing the to his room every night. "Each night at bishop were unlawful, but the court the monastery was like hell for me," he Using Satellite Images was unable to order a retrial because of told the paper. double-jeopardy laws. The Bosnian prosecutor and the International Commission on Missing Persons "He was telling me that there was Bishop Pahomije remains in office. nothing wrong in what he had been will use satellite imagery in a bid to find the last undiscovered mass graves from He has always maintained his inno- doing," the man said, after telling the cence, claiming that he has been the the 1990s conflict. same account to the local police. victim of what he describes as anti- Following the accusations, Bishop locate the remaining missing persons”, the patriotic and anti-clerical plots. Pahomije said that he was ready to ICMP noted. Salihovic and Bomberger said it was still nec- By Denis Dzidic essary to resolve the identification of bodily remains in morgues in Bosnia, as well as to explore new avenues to find hidden graves. osnia’s chief prosecutor Goran Salihovic The Bosnian chief prosecutor said that find- and Kathryne Bomberger, the director- ing and identifying the missing created crucial Bgeneral of the International Commission evidence for war crime cases. on Missing Persons, ICMP, agreed at a meeting “Locating the mortal remains is also impor- in Sarajevo on Tuesday to try to speed up the tant for victims’ families who have been search- search for the estimated 9,000 people still miss- ing for their loved ones for 17 years or longer,” ing from the armed conflicts in the country in Salihovic said. the 1990s. Bomberger said the Bosnian institutions “The two institutions have agreed to work must make efforts to establish a system to jointly on locating the remaining mass graves review all 12 mortuaries in the country to find in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by using satellite out why over 2,500 bodies cannot be identified. imagery among other resources in order to help According to ICMP estimates, around 40,000 locate new locations where missing persons people were declared missing during and after might be found,” the ICMP said in a statement. the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. It is esti- Some 22,000 have been found and identified mated that 30,000 went missing in Bosnia, 6,500 Bishop Pahomije since the war, but “it is increasingly difficult to in Croatia and less than 5,000 in Kosovo. 10 March 29 - April 11, 2013 neighbourhood Serbs Find Their Feet in Divided Mostar A trickle of Serbs has made its way back to divided Mostar - prompting some to wonder whether they might play a role in helping to reunite it.

By Elvira M. Jukic

espite having one the most famous bridges in all of DBosnia, Mostar is still a divided city, split down the middle between Croats on the western bank of the Neretva river and Bosniaks on the east. Once there was a third major ethnic force in the city, the Serbs, who until the outbreak of the 1992- 5 war in Bosnia made up about a fifth of the population. Today, they are much dimin- ished, comprising not more than about 3 per cent of the city’s popu- lation. In spite of that, some have returned to the city - and are even conceiving a future role for them- selves as a bridge-building com- munity. “Young people are turning to the future,” says former returnee Radislav Tubic, 28, a Serb who came back in 2004 from eastern Herzegovina, where many Mostar Serbs went to live during the war. Tubic returned to study in Mostar's iconic Old Bridge connects two sides of the ethnically divided city in Bosnia. Mostar and stayed on in what he calls “the most beautiful city in the has not yet recovered,” he adds. the situation would surely be more making. multi-cultural United World world”. According to this cleric, the relaxed.” But the mainly Bosniak Party of College in Mostar. “As I young man I can say that 80 small community of Serbs lives on “I hope that this little communi- Democratic Action, SDA, and the Nowadays, when everyone lives per cent of my generation want to both sides of the divided city, while ty will affect the reconciliation Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, at peace in Mostar, the real problem start living a normal life, leave Serbian children attend schools process in the city, and that this both still lay claim to Mostar as a is lack of jobs and money, which Fr some things behind... feel their that follow both the Croatian and leads to development and Bosniak or a Croat city. Krulj says is one reason why more roots but not make a big deal about Bosniak teaching programmes. progress.” Everyday life in the city, where young people are not coming back. them,” he adds. A more complete recovery of the In the last pre-war census held in you can find up-market squares A number of Serbs and others “I feel the big task facing our Serbian community in Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1991, 34 and alleys on one side of the street returned to Mostar in 1998 and 1999 [Serbian] community in Mostar is could contribute to ending the cur- per cent of those living in the city and bullet ruined of buildings on when cash was given to reconstruct to be an integrative factor,” Serbian rent divisions, he maintains. area were Bosniaks [Muslims], 29 the other, seems to struggle to rise houses, but only a few stayed on Orthodox priest Fr Radivoje Krulj, “Only around 3 per cent of peo- per cent were Croats, almost 19 per above the political wrangling that because other conditions for a nor- says. ple in Mostar are Serbs now,” Fr cent were Serbs and around 15 per holds it back. mal life were still lacking. “This is possible, even though Krulj continues. “But if the num- cent declared as Yugoslavs. “The city is formally united with However, Serbs have felt more our community is very small and ber was more like 10 per cent, then At the beginning of 1992, the one mayor and one city council, but confident in Mostar since 2011, Serb-dominated Yugoslav People’s in reality it is still truly divided when the headquarters of the Army, JNA, attacked the city. into two parts,” Fr Krulj told Serbian Orthodox Church diocese However, the Serbs did not put up Prishtina Insight. of Zahum-Herzegovina returned a serious fight for Mostar, and joint “You can feel the divisions, and from Trebinje in eastern action of mainly Muslim Army of that is blocking the city’s develop- Herzegovina to Mostar. Republic of Bosnia and ment,” he adds. Reconstruction of the city’s old Herzegovina, ARBIH, and the There are some small signs of Serbian Orthodox cathedral, Croatian Defence Council, HVO, hope, however. destroyed in the war, has also start- forced them out. One positive example of young ed. Mostar has been a victim of people rising above political and “But the life of people in Mostar power struggles between the two ethnic divisions comes in the form in general is hard,” Fr Krulj notes. major groups, Bosniaks and Croats, of a recently published photograph “You can feel the instability and ever since. of a boy draped in a Serbian flag, politically unsolved issues, which In the early 1990s, a wartime and a girl in a Croatian flag, kissing reflects on the economy... thanks to autonomous Bosnian Croat entity, in front of the high school on the which life is tough.” the Croatian Republic of Herzeg- Spanish Square. Tubic says it’s up to young people Bosna, tried to make Mostar the The photograph has been in Mostar to make changes by join- capital of a semi-independent, described as a sign of reconcilia- ing politics, and by making a better Croat-run Herzegovina. tion among the younger generation life for all in Mostar and Bosnia They did not succeed, but Mostar since it was uploaded to the online their goal. A glimmer for reconciliation as a Serb and Croat steal a kiss in Mostar. was left divided into a western, image service, ingur. The Serbian cultural organiza- Croat, and an eastern, Muslim part, A comment alongside the photo- tion Gusle, which he runs locally, while most Serbs were forced out. graph says that the Serb was walk- has already done its bit to bring After the war, Mostar was split ing through Mostar holding hands Mostarians together, he says. into six municipalities, in order to with his Croatian girlfriend when a “When we held a Christmas con- avoid its permanent division into woman asked how she could walk cert, which was among the biggest two ethnically separate cities. that way with a Serb - to which the cultural events in city, we had both Then, in 2004, Paddy Ashdown, girl responded by kissing her Croat and Bosniak guests,” he the High Representative, replaced boyfriend. recalls. “That’s one way to achieve the six municipalities with one, “It is nothing special really, a what Mostar once was.” subdivided into six different elec- couple showing affection, but for us Tubic feels optimistic that time toral areas, in order to force the here in Mostar, it is evidence that will heal wartime hatreds in the city council to unite. new generations are not willing to end. Mostar today is formally gov- continue with war in their minds,” “Time will erase all of that, and Y erned by a united city council with the comment adds. Mostar will again be what it used to M one mayor and with all three ethnic The picture was apparently be, the most beautiful city,” he pre- C groups represented in decision- taken during a parade staged by the dicts. K Despite much post-war progress, Mostar's leaders struggle with unity. neighbourhood March 29 - April 11, 2013 11 Serbia Eyes Germany With Fear and Hope In the run-up to a crucial EU decision on opening membership talks with Belgrade, Serbs are unclear which way Berlin will jump. accession talks in June. The European Commission is currently drafting a progress report on Serbia that will be pub- By Gordana Andric lished on April 16. On the basis of the report, the European Council will decide on espite warmer relations June 28 whether to grant Serbia a between Belgrade and start date for accession talks. DBerlin, experts are still con- cerned whether Germany will sup- German elections ahead port the opening of Serbian-EU accession talks. Florian Hassel, Balkans corre- Analysts are especially doubtful spondent for the newspaper about whether Belgrade can count Süddeutsche Zeitung, says on Berlin as Germany heads Germany’s doubtful stance on towards autumn elections and as Serbia’s EU accession reflects its German interest in further EU mixed experience of EU countries enlargement fades. that entered the club and then A source from the EU told BIRN failed to live up to requirements. that while German support is cru- “The German decision on cial for Serbia, Berlin is still Serbia has more to do with what grouped among those countries we’ve witnessed in past years with that are most dubious about grant- changed its requests for new mem- EU than outside,” Ognjen countries like Greece,” Hassel Interest in regional ing Serbia EU membership. bers. Pribicevic, a political analyst said. “Germany is in a specific situa- “It is in Germany’s interest that and former Serbian ambassador stability “The subtext of Berlin’s policy tion in terms of internal politics countries entering the EU are eco- in Berlin, said. toward Belgrade has little to do as elections take place in nomically strong and have no “I believe the issue will be Analysts agree that German with Serbia itself,” Hassel added, September, and it’s unlikely that internal problems that they solved before the election cam- interests in Serbia mainly focus on noting also that politicians are the government will vote at this bring into the union,” the source paign starts in Germany, in regional stability and on strength- more positive on enlargement moment for [further EU] enlarge- added. order to avoid discussing it dur- ening Berlin’s own position within than the public. ment,” the source said. However, Serbian analysts ing the campaign,” he added. the EU. Recent polls in Germany show Representatives of Germany’s remain optimistic that Berlin Bosko Jaksic, a journalist and Pribicevic says that Serbia does that only about 20 per cent of the two ruling parties, the Christian will not hold up a decision on political analyst, also believes not have a big enough market to be population favour further EU Democratic Union, CDU, and the setting a start date for EU acces- Germany will vote for a start of much economic interest to enlargement. Christian Social Union, CSU, visit- sion talks. date for talks with Serbia. Berlin, while the country’s strate- A BIRN source in Berlin noted ed Belgrade on March 19. “The German electorate is “We shouldn’t expect German gic importance in a globalised post- also that looming German elec- They told Serbian politicians to against enlargement but Berlin politicians to go against the will cold-war world has also declined. tions are already influencing polit- move faster on resolving the vexed believes it’s better to have Serbia of their voters, but I think the “The only thing that interests ical standpoints on EU enlarge- Kosovo issue if they want to get a inside German public can accept Berlin is the stability of the region, ment. start date for EU membership the approval of a date [for talks with “In interviews, Chancellor which in some level depends on talks. Serbia], as it’s just a step Angela Merkel has stated Serbia,” Pribicevic said. “The precondition for a start to towards membership while that Berlin must recon- “Germany’s decision to support negotiations is a clearly visible membership is so far off that sider its policies on Croatian independence in the will to normalise relations with it does not represent a EU enlargement, 1990s was a chance for Berlin to Kosovo,” Andreas Schneckenhof, threat,” Jaksic said. and that countries regain and show its strength in of the CDU, said in Belgrade. Jaksic said the new must show they Europe,” Jaksic recalled. Germany also says that Serbia Serbian government led are economical- “Nowadays it is the same; its must stop funding so-called “paral- by the Progressive Party ly stable interest in Serbia and influence on lel structures” in northern also has a significant enough to sur- the Balkans is Berlin’s chance to Kosovo. rapport with Berlin. vive the compe- show its power within the EU,” Since the end of the Kosovo con- “Some people [in tition in the Jaksic added. flict in the late 1990s, the Serb- Serbia] may dislike the EU,” the source Both BIRN’s Berlin source and dominated north has been beyond things that the said. Hassel agree that the German pub- the Prishtina government's con- Germans are asking for, He added that lic and politicians have little trol, while Belgrade has continued especially on Kosovo, but since the last intrinsic interest in the Balkans. to finance local security, judicial, they have helped Belgrade round of enlarge- health and educational institu- by openly setting out clear “For the German public and ment in 2007, tions. requests,” Jaksic added. most politicians the region is not Germany has "Normalisation" of relations Pribicevic agrees that rela- important. If there is an interest, with Kosovo, which declared inde- tions between Serbia and it’s because of the Greece experi- pendence from Serbia in 2008, Germany have moved to a high- ence,” Hassel said. “The media is the EU’s main precondi- er level since the also has little coverage of the tion for Serbia as it con- Progressives formed the Balkans - it’s out of their focus,” tinues its quest for EU government. says Hassel. membership. “The Progressives However, Jaksic maintains that Belgrade have realised the Berlin does have some economic obtained candi- importance of Berlin, interests in the Balkans and in date country while Berlin has Serbia. “In a time of economic cri- status in found a credible sis, every market is important,” March 2012 partner in [deputy Jaksic noted. and is hoping premier] In 2012, according to the to obtain Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade Statistical Office, Serbia a start as he did every- exported goods to Germany worth date thing he prom- 936 million, making Germany the for ised to do, most important destination for which exports. Germany In the same year, Serbia import- appreciates,” ed 1.5 billion worth of goods from Pribicevic Germany, which is the seventh said. largerinvestor in the country. 12 March 29 - April 11, 2013 neighbourhood Fojnica - Where Body and Soul Coincide

Nemanja Cabric

ew travellers these days come to Fojnica in Bosnia to enjoy the thermal Fspa or the country food and fresh air – so few that tourism here could hardly be called a flourishing industry. But those who come will be rewarded with interesting sights, starting with the contrasting views of colourful statues of Jesus and Mary, carved in rock, and the soaring minarets of the local mosques. Two buildings that have dominated the sleepy town for centuries, the Franciscan Priory of the Holy Spirit and the Carsijska dzamija mosque, illustrate the dual reli- gious heritage of Fojnica as a place impor- tant to both Muslims and Catholics. The two shrines are not just religious centres for near- by people. They are also the focal points of Franciscan monastery of the Holy Spirit | Photo/Nemanja Cabric interest for all those coming to the Fojnica region. state aid for the project. They need money to By the time the Ottomans conquered mantled the friar and gave him the famous Brother Nikica Vujica and Mensur Effendi appoint some professional staff to deal with Bosnia in 1463, the Catholics had founded ahdnama, by which he swore by Allah, Pasalic, leaders of two biggest religious com- tourists. some 35 priories in Central Bosnia. Only Muhammad and his sable that the friars munities in Fojnica, besides caring for their “In Bosnia and Herzegovina, like every- three survive, at Fojnica, Kresevo and would have the right to live, maintain their flocks, also try to contribute to the develop- where else in the region, the connection Kraljeva Sutjeska. honour, keep their property and continue to ment of tourism, which offers locals in between politics and religion is too strong. For the fact that the monastery is still communicate with the Holy See in Rome. Fojnica one of their principal hopes of eco- When it weakens, we will have the chance to there on Kriz hill, from where it towers over The ahdnama is deemed a great instance nomic salvation. live peacefully,” Fra Vujica says. the faithful, pilgrims have to thank an of religious tolerance between Catholics “Allah made us from one mother and father important event in the village of Milodraz and Muslims in an age not known for its tol- and brought us into this world to get to know The Dubrovnik connection: in Kiseljak municipality that same year. erance. Sadly, it perished in a fire in the 17th each other and respect each other,” Pasalic Fearful on behalf of the Catholic people century, when the archives of Bosnia’s says, pointing a finger towards the Koran Fojnica’s connections to Catholic in Bosnia and keen to protect them from the kings, the Franciscan province, and the pri- standing in the mosque window frame. Dalmatia date back many centuries. fury of the Ottoman invaders, the then ory, went up in flames. High on Kriz hill, meanwhile, the friars are Merchants from Dubrovnik moved to leader of the Bosnian friars, Fra Anđeo Today’s ahdnama is considered an accu- battling to save both the Muslim and the Fojnica in the 14th century, lured by reports Zvizdovic, knelt before Sultan Mehmet and rate transcript of the original, though the Catholic heritage of Fojnica by opening a of rich deposits of gold, silver, bronze and begged him to spare his co-religionists. procedure of detecting its date is still in new museum. But they have yet to obtain any iron. Along with them came the first friars. Responding to the request, the Sultan progress so its exact origin is unknown. marketing neighbourhood March 29 - April 11, 2013 13

A shrine to Muslims and Catholics, Fojnica is also famed for its homemade spirits as well as its spiritual life. What a pity so few tourists are there to try the combination.

than 500, before which the Priory was at a lasts from dawn to sunset and forbids all Guarding Bosnia’s past: place called Pazarice... Through all this time attractive things – food, drink and bodily pleas- the friars have tried to preserve what they ures,” Pasalic concludes. “Allah made us from one mother and can.” father and brought us into this world to get Rural retreats: to know each other and respect each other,” Rich Muslim heritage, too: says Mensur Effendi Pasalic. | Photo by Non-Muslims coming to Fojnica are unlike- Nemanja Cabric The Chief Imam of Fojnica says the prio- ly to feel tempted by fasting, not least because The priory complex consists of a church, ry church is very interesting to him because the area is famed for homemade food and museum, and a convent. The church gained of its copy of the ahdnama and because of excellent rakija brandy. its current appearance in 1888. The old con- the museum collection. Many women in Fojnica make delicious vent was a ruin by 2000, so a museum was “It represents true value and I’m glad fruit liquors, while their cakes are a tale in constructed in its place while the friars then they’ve kept alive the memory of Bosnia and itself. Among the best traditional dishes are got a new home. Herzegovina for so long,” he says. maglice, a kind of pasta soaked in milk, and The museum consists of several exhibition Fojnica’s mosques have no such attraction keske, a dish made of chicken and grain. spaces on three levels, along with a library. It for tourists in terms of icons, statues, or any- Some households sell their products to visi- holds important objects from Bosnia’s cultur- thing with an artistic value, of course. tors and will send them by post if need be. al, religious and everyday past. “In Islam the intent is to have visual mod- One is Ivanka Milicic from the village of Treasures include national dress, liturgical esty, while working on our inner richness. It’s Ragale, who for 15 years has run a small pro- objects made by medieval craftsmen, mining up to individual how much can he achieve in duction line in domestic cheese, whose recipes tools, minerals, jewellery, and other objects doing so,” Pasalic says, pointing to the white she constantly upgrades by attending semi- connected to the lives of the friars. empty walls of the mosque and the few objects nars and workshops. There are also paintings from various peri- inside. “I always had the same cause over the years, ods, some from famous artists and of value. The Carsijska dzamija mosque, he adds, to legally protect my products. My mother Central Mosque in Fojnica The coin collection is one of the richest in contains only verses from the Koran, a green made this cheese and I simply continued it,” along tracks, some of which are 33 kilometres the Balkans and includes coins from Philip of flag with a white star and crescent and a she says. “I make full-fat smoked cheese, and a long, and bird watching. Other attractions are Macedonia’s era to modern times. Sadly, the mihrab, from which the cleric leads prayers. full-fat smoked cheese in olive oil with herbs”. the gold mine in Bakovici, Prokosko Lake, collection is not on display because they lack “Both East and the West belong to the dear For a decent price, visitors can stay in some and the Kozica waterfalls. the money to sort it out and exhibit it. God, and wherever you turn, God is there,“ he of these households and get to know the life Fojnica is yet to become a tourist hotspot. The archive also includes a rich collection translates from the wall. and cooking of the locals, using them as a Pieces of the puzzle are still being fitted in of documents written in Arabic and However, Pasalic says that Muslim spiritual starting place for hiking tours on the many here and there. When every detail finds its Bosancica the medieval Bosnian script, as centres called tekija could be of greater inter- paths that wind through the municipality. place it will be a fine destination for trav- well as ancient charts and maps. est to visitors because they present the con- The whole area offers magnificent land- ellers, scholars, medicinal tourists, and A circular gallery in the museum houses cept of Islamic love of nature, and their spiri- scapes and the high altitudes are suitable for sportsman alike - a place where both body the oldest armorial in the Balkans, apparent- tual teachers, called sejh are “specific, interest- winter sports, while summer visitors can and spirit can meet, relax and grow. ly composed from the 14th century but, in the ing people… they always live in beautiful enjoy horse riding, mountain biking, hiking view of scientists, probably dating from the places. It is something we could call Islamic 17th century, an early product of the pan- hedonism. Enjoyment in life. Slavic (later Illyrian) movement. “We have two tekijas on two hills, Vukelici marketing The exhibition contains 139 coats of arms, and Oglavak,” he adds. “Both have wonderful ten of which belong to medieval realms of the views and people have held religious medita- region: Macedonia, Illyria, Bosnia, Dalmatia, tions there from long ago. Croatia, Slavonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Rascia – “Once there were exotic dervishes who used as Serbia was sometimes called in the past. even to stab themselves, but luckily that was The last is “Primordia”, supposed to repre- forbidden by the Islamic Community in 1984,” sent the lands on what is now the Bosnian Pasalic explains. coast. Besides the Carsijska Dzamija mosque, Fra Vujica recalls that Macedonian and founded in 1666, whose modern appearance Bulgarian government delegations both dates from the late 20th century, there is the came to take a look at the coats of arms. small but significant Atik mosque, founded in “When I showed the Bulgarian delegation 1551, which contains some rare editions of the that the Macedonian alms had a crown while Koran. It is also, unusually, called the “Maiden the Bulgarian doesn’t, they didn’t look too mosque”. happy,” he laughs. (Bulgarian nationalists This is because, according to legend, three traditionally claim Macedonia is part of their sisters in their later years, after failing to get own patrimony - not the other way round.) prince charmings, sold off the robes prepared The museum is much visited by scholars for their weddings to finish the mosque. and students researching on topics like tradi- Turning back to the guiding principles of tional medicines, which were much used here Islam, the Chief Imam says that being a good by female healers known as ljekaruse. Muslim means believing in one God, praying “The priory has existed for more than 650 five times a day, fasting daily, giving charity years,” Fra Vujica concludes. and performing pilgrimage. “We have been here at this site for more “We have a very demanding fast because it

Y M Ivanka Milicic from the village of Ragale for 15 years has run a small production line in domestic cheese Photo by C Nemanja Cabric K 14 March 29 - April 11, 2013 culture Partisans Set to Lose Their Memorial As Kosovo dismantles its remaining Yugoslav-era heritage, the memorial to WW2 fighters is to make way for a complex dedicated to independence leader . replace it. While it will form part of the Rugova complex, this por- tion will still be dedicated to By Petrit Collaku Partisan fighters. A joint memorial would be iron- ic as the Partisans executed Rugova’s father and grandfather. monument in Prishtina to The Ministry of the Partisans who fought in Environment initially denied that AWorld War Two faces demo- lition as a new memorial complex the Partisan monument was slat- arises to Kosovo’s first president, ed for destruction. Its officials Ibrahim Rugova. have since declined to answer The monument, a platform sup- Prishtina Insight’s questions, A monument to Partisans who fought in World War Two, as seen from the grave of Kosovo’s first president, Ibrahim Rugova. porting a metal globe surrounded after the newspaper viewed the by several concrete shells, situated ministry’s official plans for the ment would be to the detriment of on Cultural Heritage, the Ministry feel much interest in preserving in the Velania neighbourhood, complex, which foresee the Kosovo, not just to the detriment of Culture, whose authority cov- the Yugoslav era’s architectural dates back to 1960. Rugova, who destruction of the Partisan monu- of the fighters,” Shita said. “I ers architectural heritage issues, legacy, some suggest they have died in 2006, is buried some 50 ment. don’t believe the ministry has the has to approve the destruction of value. metres away. Muharrem Elshani, owner of right to topple the monument,” he old memorials. In 2012, the Prishtina artist Work on the long-planned com- the construction company UNI- added. “Any works of alteration to, or Albert Heta embarked on a proj- plex dedicated to Rugova is slated COM, one of two firms contracted Agim Gerguri, director of the demolition of, an architectural ect to fix the lighting in the to begin this year. When complete, to begin the first phase of the proj- institute for protection of monument, or any conservation Brotherhood and Unity monu- the 3.5-million-euro complex will ect, confirmed to Prishtina Kosovo’s monuments, who was or restoration activities that may ment. Heta told Deutsche Welle include an amphitheatre, a ceme- Insight that the monument would part of the government committee affect the values attributed to the radio that he hoped to provoke a tery for Kosovo Liberation Army be destroyed. that approved the initial design of monument, will require written discussion about fast-disappear- fighters and a small lake. Vehap Shita, vice-president of the Rugova memorial, said he consent from the competent insti- ing markers of Kosovo’s history. According to documents from the Association of Veterans of the wasn’t aware that the new com- tution,” the law states. “Nowadays, we are erasing the Ministry of Environment, Anti-Fascist National Liberation plex would usurp the old monu- Vjollca Aliu, director of the [memories of] when we were part which is leading the project, the War, which represents Partisan ment. ministry’s cultural heritage of Yugoslavia - but erasing us war monument will be torn down veterans, is troubled by the plans. “There was no mention at all department, said she wasn’t being part of Yugoslavia also and a circle of granite stones will “The destruction of the monu- about destroying it,” Gerguri told informed about the memorial’s erases what Kosovo was,” Heta Prishtina Insight. impending destruction. said. However, he noted that no World Last week she told Prishtina Rugova row in Tirana: War Two monuments are on the Insight that she would look into In the Albanian capital, Tirana, state’s protection list. the matter. But she did not World War II veterans are fighting Gerguri said that as long as the respond to the newspaper’s subse- the decision to rename a street Rugova complex contained a por- quent telephone calls and emails. after the late Kosovo president. tion dedicated to Partisan fight- Kosovo’s Yugoslav-era monu- The street’s former name, ers, the destruction of the original ments have largely been forgotten Martyrs of February 4, commem- monument would not be a serious in independent Kosovo, often torn orated 84 people killed during problem. “The important thing is down with little notice. Many in World War II. that it should not vanish,” he said. the Albanian community associ- Rugova, seen as the father of The Institute for Monuments ate them with years of repressive the nation by many Kosovo and Regional Museum of Serbian rule. Albanians, died in 2006 after lead- Prishtina said it was also left in Another Yugoslav monument, ing a non-violent struggle against the dark about the monument’s the Brotherhood and Unity Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. fate. “We are not aware of this Square in Prishtina, is due to be He became Kosovo’s first presi- project. Nobody has sought an replaced by a monument dedicat- dent, but his power was eventually opinion from us,” Haxhi ed to Kosovo Liberation Army eclipsed by leaders of the KLA, The Yugoslav-era memorial is set to be destroyed as part of an expansive complex dedi- Mehmetaj, the director, said. war hero Adem Jashari. including Kosovo’s current Prime cated to Rugova. According to Kosovo’s 2006 Law While few Kosovo Albanians Minister, Hashim Thaci. Kosovo Red-faced Over Rock n’ Roll ‘Crime’ Row Ministry vows to correct school textbook that calls pop music a crime – after it makes embarrassing world headlines.

Although it has been there for itself and is the product of the years, the controversial passage 20th century. It is the best only came to light in March, describer of this age. To say rock By Donjeta Demolli when Kosovo’s public broadcast- music is criminal or associate it er Radio Television of Kosovo with pornography is outra- aired a report on it. geous.” The story made international The Ministry of Education has or the past nine years, high headlines in media outlets sent a letter to schools and educa- school students taking citi- including The Independent, the tions explaining the error, noting Fzenship classes in Kosovo have learned that rock music is Huffington Post and South China that new corrected textbooks “criminal.” Morning Post. should arrive soon. born in 1760, not in 1769. raphy textbooks refer to Bosniaks According to the 2004 textbook, The report drew rebukes from It isn’t the first error to be dis- - The same book states that “the who live in Bosnia as simply “Civil Education,” written by Kosovo’s rock community, too. covered in Kosovo textbooks. first trip around the world (1519- Muslims. Bajram Shatri and Erlehta Meto, “These are outrageous remarks Analyses by Prishtina Insight in 1522) was completed by the Ramush Lekaj, from the “rock music, pornography, vio- and absolutely unacceptable,” 2010 and 2013 found numerous Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan.” Quality Assurance Division in Y lence on television – all not good Naser Gjinovci, front man of the errors and inconsistencies Magellan was Portuguese and the Ministry of Education and M acts – have been proven to be band Minatori, told Klan Kosova including: died before his fleet circumnavi- Science, told Prishtina Insight C totally criminal.” TV. - A seventh-grade history text- gated the globe. that most of the errors previous- K “Rock ’n’ roll is a culture onto book that says Napoleon was - Seventh and ninth-grade geog- ly identified have been corrected. international March 29 - April 11, 2013 15 Cash, Cars and Contracts: IBM, HP and Oracle in the Crosshairs of Overseas Corruption Investigation of a splash. A report last week by $500 million may have been tainted. Robert Socha of Poland’s TVN tele- Poland does not publish details of its By Stephen Engelberg, vision network brought to light new government contracts. and Robert Socha, details. The former Netline official said Special to ProPublica The TVN report included footage the technology systems bought by of a Polish business executive Machnacz were too expensive and describing the elaborate steps sophisticated for the country’s n the buttoned-down world of Machnacz would often take in order needs. "Because of the rapid pace of government officials who over- to do business in secret. The execu- change in the technology field, the Isee computer contracts, tive, whose face was obscured on technology Machnacz had pur- Poland’s Andrzej Machnacz cut a camera, was not identified by name chased still needed to be updated colorful figure. He enjoyed fine but was described as a former every several years. cigars and tooled around Warsaw employee of Netline, the Polish com- "It was like we built brand new on a motorcycle. Salesmen beat a pany implicated in the case. highways and rode horse carts on path to his office, where the big- "I followed him in my car," the them," the former Netline executive screen television was usually tuned to the fashion channel. executive said of Machnacz. said. "It was money wasting.” "Andrzej liked to look at pretty "Sometimes, he would go to great IBM went some lengths to tout its girls," one frequent visitor lengths to show how ingenious and successful collaboration with recalled. "There always had to be great he was, and how he could lead Machnacz, featuring a Polish project cigars and good alcohol in his all the agencies by the nose. We in a glossy 2009 brochure that spot- office, mainly well-aged whisky." would meet, I would follow him by lighted 16 innovative technology Andrzej Machnacz (Poland's Interior Ministry) car, he would ride a motorcycle, efforts around the world. The Computer sales executives for The U.S. anti-bribery statute holds in South Korea and China to secure local companies and global giants making a show to check that we brochure included a glowing were not followed. I got to know all account of how IBM had worked companies legally liable for bribes computer contracts. The S.E.C. con- like IBM and Hewlett-Packard had or payments by foreign employees, tended that "despite its extensive good reason to cultivate the underground stations, as very with Machnacz to create a network often we would meet at a different of handheld computers that gave even if they acted without authori- international operations, IBM Machnacz. As senior technology zation from their employers in the lacked sufficient internal controls officer for Poland’s national police one." Poland’s police instant access to a The employee said he first met vast array of data. With a few key U.S., according to Mike Koehler, a designed to prevent or detect these and, later, the nation’s Interior professor at Southern Illinois violations of the F.C.P.A.," the anti- Ministry, he set the terms for hun- Machnacz at a conference in the strokes, cops could learn whether United States that he’d been invited they were dealing with a stolen car University School of Law and bribery law. dreds of millions of dollars in author of the blog FCPA professor. "During the period 1998 to 2009,” technology contracts and decided to by an IBM executive in Poland. or a wanted man, the brochure said. A spokesman for Poland’s Anti- The portable computers "practi- IBM, Oracle and Hewlett-Packard the complaint said, "IBM had corpo- which ones should be awarded have not publicly disclosed the case rate policies prohibiting bribery and without competitive bidding. Corruption Bureau, which has been cally eliminates errors and incor- investigating the case, told TVN and rect information," the brochure in their filings to the Securities and procedures relating to compliance Today, Polish prosecutors have Exchange Commission. That deci- with the FCPA; however, deficient painted a damning portrait of the ProPublica his agency had so far quoted Machnacz as saying. Marcin been less than impressed with level Figiel, the IBM sales executive in sion likely reflects a judgment that internal controls allowed employees partnership between the colorful the Polish inquiry will not affect of IBM's subsidiaries and joint ven- Machnacz and the eager salesmen, of cooperation from the three Poland with whom Machnacz American companies. worked, proudly asserted that no the companies’ bottom lines or ture to use local business partners one that could have legal conse- change investors’ views of their and travel agencies as conduits for quences for the American compa- In an email to ProPublica, Jacek other country in Europe had Dobrzynski said the companies had deployed such an advanced network. stock, experts said. bribes or other improper payments nies, including IBM, Hewlett- Hewlett-Packard and IBM have to South Korean and Chinese gov- Packard and Oracle, the Redwood responded to requests for docu- Prosecutors said that Figiel gave ments. But asked directly about the Machnacz nearly $60,000 in brand- been investigated for bribery in gov- ernment officials over long periods City, Calif. software company. ernment contracts in other coun- of time." Machnacz, prosecutors say, attitude displayed by HP, IBM and name consumer products. Figiel no Oracle, he said had not seen "any ini- longer works for IBM; his lawyer did tries. The complaint accused the com- received more than a $1 million in In April, 2010, Hewlett-Packard pany of violating the provision of cash and brand-name gifts in tiative, any willingness" from them not respond to requests for com- to "solve this case completely.” ment. disclosed that the Department of overseas bribery the law requiring exchange for steering government Justice, the S.E.C. and German pros- it to keep accurate records and contracts to the three American "I think they should be the parties Tomasz Ziolkowski, a salesman most interested in that," Dobrzynski for HP, was alleged to have given ecutors were investigating nearly maintain "internal controls” to pre- companies, as well as to a Polish $10 million in suspect payments vent payment of bribes. company called Netline. According said. Machnacz more than $600,000 in Machnacz’s lawyer did not cash gifts "in exchange for helping related to a $45 million contract for a The S.E.C. and IBM had agreed to to prosecutors, the gifts included a computer system bought by Russia’s settle the case for $10 million, but BMW motorcycle, a Nissan SUV, a respond to a request for comment. Hewlett Packard Poland and Oracle Prosecutors have announced that obtain public contracts with the chief public prosecutor. U.S. author- Richard Leon, the federal judge Harmon Kardon home theater, a ities were also looking at separate overseeing the S.E.C.’s action, Sony 50 inch television, 12 HP lap- Machnacz has been released from police and Interior Ministry." prison and has agreed to cooperate According to his profile on transactions in Serbia, Austria, recently refused to approve that tops, several iPads and a refrigera- Germany, Austria and the deal. The case is still pending. tor. and testify against others involved LinkedIn, Ziolkowski left HP in in the scheme. February 2010 for a job with Oracle’s Netherlands, the company said. Robert Socha is a reporter with The bribing of overseas officials A year later, the S.E.C. sued IBM Poland TVN network. is barred under the U.S. Foreign Prosecutors have not specified Polish operation as a "consulting which exact contracts were influ- sales director." The profile says he in federal court in Washington, D.C., This article is published courtesy Corrupt Practices Act, and as alleging that the company had pro- of ProPublica, ProPublica has previously reported, enced by the alleged bribery. Polish left Oracle in July, 2011; his lawyer officials say as many as 140 comput- also did not reply to a request for vided shopping bags full of cash, http://www.propublica.org, under the Justice Department and gifts and travel expenses to officials Creative Commons license. Securities and Exchange er deals amounting to more than comment. Commission have stepped up enforcement of that statute in recent years. It is unclear whether federal Photo News: French Conservatives Protest Gay Marriage investigators in the U.S. have begun looking at the circumstances of the Polish technology contracts. IBM and Hewlett-Packard said in Thousands of French conserva- statements that they were cooperat- ing with Polish authorities. Hewlett- tives, families and activists have Packard noted that "no current HP converged on Paris to try to employees are suspects in this case," while IBM pointed out that "press stop the country from allowing reports” on the case referred to a same-sex couples to marry and "former IBM employee." The compa- adopt children. The lower house ny said in its statement that it "believes in the highest ethical stan- of France's parliament approved dards for its employees and is com- the "marriage for everyone" bill mitted to the principles of business ethics and lawful conduct." last month with a large majority, Oracle, whose possible entangle- and it's facing a vote in the ment in the investigation had not been publicly known before today, Senate next month. (AP would not comment for this article. Photo/Thibault Camus) The first reports about the investi- Y gation by Polish news outfits sur- M faced more than a year ago, named C IBM and HP, and did not make much K 16 March 29 - April 11, 2013 Guide

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

town. Select a booth, ask the amiable staff to seat, if you intend to make a night of it. Next opening in Kosovo. tune into your match and grab a 'double to A&A restaurant and has round windows. decker' or 'triple burger', which look like Opens: 8pm-to late. Shut on Sundays. Restaurants: community of Kosovo. If you are acquaint- American fast-food classics but taste better. ed with Thai food, you're not in for any sur- Friday night Karaoke is a must-see, must- prises here, with the typical assortment of Fastfood: Liburnia 1 and 2 sing event. curries, salads and deep fried treats, deliv- Rr Meto Bajraktar, tel. +381 (0)38 222 719. Hard Rockers Club ered to decent standards. At 7 or 8 euro for a There are actually two Liburnias opposite Road Ilaz Kodra, contact: vraja_fatos@ hot- Bel Ami main course, it's relatively pricey compared each other, both very similar in style and mail.com. It's one of the few places in Rr Luan Haradinaj, Tel: +377 (0)44 133 848, to its neighbours. Open Monday-Thursday food. Housed in a fine Ottoman abode and Prishtina where you can catch regular live +386 49 133 848. The ideal town-centre stop 11:00-14:00 and 17:45-22:30; Friday-Sunday surrounded by pleasant walled gardens, acts and the only place which caters for for a quick lunch or takeaway snack, Bel 11:00-23:00. Liburnia oozes atmosphere, whether in win- those who like their rock served up heavy, or Ami unceremoniously serves some of the ter or summer. The food is a roll call of hard. On a quiet night, it's quite a comfort- best chicken doner in Prishtina in a surpris- Renaissance II decent traditional Albanian food, including able venue to grab a beer, even if you are not ingly un-greasy, smoke-free environment. Rr. George Bush (behind the Pro Credit Bank the usual stews (tave) and grilled meat. It’s being entertained by hirsute musicians . Ask for a “komplet” to get the classic doner HQ), tel. +377 (0)44 118 796. Renaissance not the best place in town to sample local packed with salad and sauces and wrapped offers arguably the best overall dining expe- delicacies, but a good choice given the set- The Cuban in tin foil. Monday-Friday 9 am - 7.30 pm; rience in Prishtina. It's quite an experience ting. Open 8 am - 11 pm Road Luan Haradinaj Tel: +377(0) 45 620 620. Saturday 9 am - 8 pm. just to find the place. Tucked away along a This is a decent addition to the city's drink- tiny alleyway, you enter the homely, stone Country House ing scene, even if the place can be full of building through heavy wooden doors. It's Clubs: Off road to Podujevo from Pristina, right spivs and tarts who aren't going to a fancy- 15 euro per head, and for that you will be after the Muciqi Mercedes-Benz garage, tel. dress party. The Cuban-themed décor is kept fed, watered and supplied with booze P1 +377 (0)44 656 054. This rustic restaurant is decadent Havana, the food is average, and for at least a three course meal, including a Fehmi Agani, +377 (0)44 608 669. If you’re a 15-minute drive outside Pristina (on a not very Caribbean, but the cocktails are wonderful meze starter and a delicious looking for cool, then P1 is probably not good day) and provides glorious views good. 8 am - 1 am. main course cooked on embers. Open 11 am the spot for you. The decor is pretty unin- across rolling, verdant hills and is especial- spiring, the music is bog standard and the - 11 pm. Xhoni’s Bar ly pleasant place in the summer to watch atmosphere reminiscent of a cattle mar- Rexhep Mala, Pristina, tel. +377 (0)44 750 720. the sunset. The overall food quality is ket. But if your thing is scantily clad Bars: Xhoni’s is, without doubt, a Prishtina insti- decent, with special marks for the fresh young women or packs of amorous boys, tution. It’s small, friendly and smoky, plays bread, straight from the wood stove, and than it’s an excellent choice. And, in the excellent soul, disco and classic rock music speca me maze (peppers in cream). 10 am - Tapë venue’s defence, it does have a pleasant from vinyl and is open until the last man or 11 pm. Hajdar Dushi Street Nr. 2 (next to Zani Bar, outdoor area for summer dancing. woman staggers out. Arrive by 11pm at the Kada Books, in front of the Radio Working hours Wednesday, Friday, weekend to secure a corner, or even better a Princesha Gresa Dukagjini). Tapë — which means “cork” in Saturday from 9 pm to 3 am. 23 Rr. Fehmi Agani, tel. +381 (0) 38 24 58 41. If Albanian but is often used to denote you have a horse-size hole in your stomach extreme drunkenness — is a bar with a to fill, this is the place to come. The meal warm atmosphere in Prishtina’s centre. It starts with some free bread and dips and is serves homemade rakia, as well as a variety followed by gargantuan portions of salad, of beers and other liquors, and, of course, meat, fish, or anything else on this varied Stone Castle wine - all at reasonable prices. menu. The food is sometimes great, some- times average but always served in massive Crème de la Crème portions. Open 10 am - 11 pm. Rr Robert Doll, tel. +377(0)44259912. Crème is probably the best all-round bar in the city. Hemingway It's run for the amusement of the young, Rr Ilaz Kodra, tel. +386 (0)49 145 637. Yes, you arty owners and not for profit, which can get fresh sea fish in landlocked Kosovo. explains the more-than-generous pricing Hemingway is tucked away in an unappeal- arrangements, especially for the perfectly ing end of the city but worth a trip if you executed cocktails. Its five tiny floors heave are craving food of the piscine variety. It's a on Fridays and Sundays with Pristina's cool pretty basic sort of set-up and relatively to the variety of beats. Every Wednesday, expensive for the setting, but undoubtedly Friday and Saturday from 8pm to 3am. one of the best places in town for fish. Open 9 am - 11 pm Filikaqa Rr Mujo Ulqinaku BL 4/1, Pejton, website Le Siam Thai www.filikaqa.com; 038 244 288. Whistle, as it Rr Fehmi Agani, tel. +377 (0)45 243 588. translates from Albanian, offers a dizzying Stylishly designed and smoke-free, Le Siam array of televisions on which to watch your has become a real hit for the international sport of choice and eat the best burgers in Hot Food: VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (ABOVE), Rruga Garibaldi, Behind Metro Caffe. Tingell-Tengell’s short-lived but much loved vegetarian menu gets a restaurant of its own. It doesn’t have a name, and it’s delicious. There’s falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj and more. The stew is also luxurious. All the food is under 5 euro. The bar also fea- tures a few whiskies you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere in Prishtina, as well as an allegedly 36-year-old rakia. The space also feels like home, in that down-to-earth hipster sort of way. The only quibble is the bread, which is a rather basic white bread that’s toasted and garnished with herbs. It doesn’t do justice to the otherwise spectac- ular fare. Don’t miss the poppyseed cake, either. - Gravlax

FRESCO (LEFT). Rr. Fehmi Agani. The newest eatery to hit Prishtina’s fine-dining scene, Fresco has designs on being one of its best. Forgive the excessive interior design - the food is is elegant and simple, with a gastronomic sense that in-step with the times. The salmon filet (11.50 euro) is a standout: succulent and flavorful, appear- ing alongside a sweet potato puree and tempura-fried zucchini. The steaks are perfect, too. +377 (0) 44 333 772.

PAPIRUN Tel. 045 26 23 23. Papirun has seating at two perpendicular counters 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 sandwiches are Y the stars, though. Every component is handled with care. The bread alone is good M enough to make just about any sandwich into a glorious feast. It’s freshly baked and seasoned with rosemary. C K March 29 - April 11, 2013 17 Guide Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

Where to pick up Prishtina Insight?

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 , Te Komiteti Sunny Hill, Prishtina Qamil Hoxha Street +381 38/225 226 Prishtina www. hotelafa. com +381 38 24 96 63

Paddy O’Brien’s Papillon Bistro Bar

The staff at This newly reopened bar in Prishtina, If you live in Kosovo and would like to Paddy O’Brien’s Papillon, offers more than 60 types of wines receive the hardcopy of the newspaper have a saying: “It’s from France, Italy, Spain, and Kosovo with easy to walk in, but great prices and delicious dishes. delivered to your door, you can also sub- very hard to leave.” They serve pasta, sandwiches, salads and And with its different appetizers. scribe for 13 editions, the equivalent of warm atmosphere, You can also try different types of local or six months, for 13 euro, including deliv- fantastic range of international beers. drinks and excel- The bar, with it’s stunning new design, is ery, or for 26 euro for the whole year. lent food, it is easy located in the centre of Prishtina, near Please note, deliveries outside of to see why. ProCredit Bank headquarter, RTK radio There have been centre, and the Mother Teresa cathedral. Prishtina may be refused due to trans- many attempts to port costs. establish a proper Papillon Irish pub in Mother Teresa Str. Nr. 51 A You can pay through an international Prishtina, but this [email protected] bank transfer or in cash at a Kosovo is the only one to 044 103 310 hit the spot. branch of Raiffeisen bank. From classic coffees to cocktails, via, of course, Guinness, you really wont find it difficult to select the perfect drink. If you are interested in subscribing please A mouth-watering menu of Irish specialties is also on offer, spanning from all-day breakfasts to Irish stews at night. email us at [email protected] Options include shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, fish ‘n with the subject "subscription", listing chips, and whopping great burgers. Thursday is pub quiz night, but there is always something what type of subscription you require. We going on at the pub, whether it is sport screenings or just a good will then provide you with an invoice and shindig. Paddy O’Brien’s bank details. Tringe Smajli Street, by the Illyria Hotel Y Prishtina: 045-420900 M C K 18 March 29 - April 11, 2013 timeout

BarCamp Prishtina

29 March, 17:30pm Theatre at the Youth Centre – Prishtina “Hitchcock” Barcamp Prishtina organises the eleventh edition, which Every day at 5pm will include the prominent figures of Kosovo’s culture and HITCHCOCK is a art scene. This event is supported by community which is love story about one of increasingly focused on debate and interaction between the the most influential speakers and audience. filmmakers of the last The Barcamp is already a traditional event. At the end century, Alfred of every month it includes participants from various Hitchcock and his wife industries to listen and share their experiences. and partner Alma This time, among other speakers there is expected to Reville. The film takes be some prominent names of cultural scene, who have place during the mak- done a tremendous job in this regard and who have ing of Hitchcock's sem- photos on his Facebook page called “Explore Kosovo”. grabbed attention of worldwide media. inal movie Psycho. Bujar has attracted many tourists by his photos. He is the Nita Deda, one of the most active figures behind one of Genres: Drama, winner on Wiki Academy Kosovo 2013 for the best pic- the biggest cultural event in Kosovo, DokuFest. She will Adaptation, Biopic, ture. talk about her experience chronological flow of festival. Horror There will also be played a short documentary selected Nita will also present two documentaries; one produced Running time: 1 hr 38 min by Dokufest – more details of this documentary will be by the participant of DokuKids and one other which has Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, announced during the event. been considered most successful documentary. Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy, etc. Medial sponsor of Barcamp event is telegrafi.com as Behind the scene, Kosovo has another figure that is not Directed by: Sacha Gervasi well as digjitale.com. It is important to notice that those visible in media. This is Bujar who posts a lot of who arrive on time there will be drinks for free. Silver Linings Playbook Every day at 7pm Turkish Jazz Week 2013 Pat Solatano has lost everything — his April 2 at 10:30pm until April 7 at 1:30am house, his job, and his wife. He now finds him- After the concerts, joint jam sessions will be performed self living back with his and DJs from Turkey will also take the stage at Hamam Jazz mother and father after Bar. spending eight months 2 April 2013 Tuesday: Kerem Görsev Chamber Jazz cial meaning for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, as is a state institution on (National Theatre) well. Thanks to his sons known as “Ertegun Brothers”, H.E. 3 April 2013 Wednesday: Maden Öktem-Ersönmez (Oda a plea bargain. Mehmet Münir Ertegün, first Turkish Ambassador to the Pat is determined to Theatre) U.S. (1934-1944), was hosting jazz concerts in the ball room of rebuild his life, remain 4 April 2013 Thursday: Alp Ersönmez “Cereyanli” feat Elif the Embassy in Washington in order to support talented positive and reunite Çaglar (Oda Theatre) jazz musicians who did not have the financial means or the with his wife, despite 5 April 2013 Friday: Selen Gülün Quintet (Sheshi 21) networks. Later, one of the Ertegun Brothers became the the challenging circum- 6 April 2013 Saturday: Burhan Öcal & Istanbul Oriental legendary record producer and founder of Atlantic stances of their separation. All Pat’s parents want Ensemble (National Theatre) Records, Ahmet Ertegun, who discovered artists like is for him to get back on his feet – and to share Jazz it up for 2-6 April 2013 by attending the second Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and Led their family’s obsession with the Philadelphia Turkish Jazz Week to be held in Pristina! Workshops will Eagles football team. also be held in order to bring top jazz musicians from Turkey Zepplin. Genres: Comedy, Romance with their Kosovar counterparts. This legacy and the power of music blended in diverse Running time: 2 hrs 2 min Why jazz? influences were reflected in the marvelous performances of Starring: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, As the universal language of mankind, music has been musicians from Turkey during the first Turkish Jazz Week Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver, bridging the cultural divides and going beyond the borders. in Kosovo in 2012. Julia Stiles, etc. Anatolia and the Balkans have been gathering musicians Turkey, as a Balkan country itself, and Kosovo have excel- Directed by: David O. Russell from different cultural backgrounds together for centuries. lent relations in every field stemming from shared histroy, Istanbul, as a unique cultural hub at the crossroads of his- common culture and brotherhood ties. The first Turkish tory and culture, is going to host UNESCO’s International Jazz Week has already added a new dimension to the exist- “Lincoln” Jazz Day in 29-30 April 2013 with the support of Ministry of ing wonderful relations in the field of culture and also deep- Every day at 7pm Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the ened the common cultural heritage between two countries. As the Civil War Republic of Turkey, to celebrate jazz music not only as a glob- As the Turkish Embassy, once again we are proud to continues to rage, al language of the human soul but also as a force for peace, bring together the allied and cordial Turkish and Kosovar America's president unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. people together this year, through the power and universal struggles with contin- Jazz has been performed by orchestras and broadcasted language of music, which symbolizes one of the peaks that uing carnage on the battlefield and as he by the radio stations in Turkey since 1930s. Jazz has a spe- human creativity can reach. fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to National Theatre The Kosova Art Gallery emancipate the slaves. - in cooperation with Artpolis presents: Upcoming Exhibition - Engjëll – Befre Director: Steven David Lindsay – Abaire Retrospective Spielberg “Rabbit Hole” 27.03.2013 – 27.04.2013 Writers: Tony Kushner (screenplay), Doris Directed by: Zana Curated by Miran Mohar & Erzen Shkololli Kearns Goodwin (book) Hoxha – Krasniqi The National Gallery of Kosovo cordially invites you Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Cast: to the opening of the retrospective exhibition of Engjëll Starthaim. Ilire Vinca – Çelaj Berisha - Befre on Wednesday 27th March 2013. The Lirak Çelaj opening ceremony will take place at the National Gallery Shengyl Ismajli of Kosovo at 19:00h. Igballe Qena For any further questions or reservations call at 038 243 Alban Zogaj 238 or visit them at www.kinoabc.com Production Assistant: Dardana Mehmeti FLAT FOR RENT Scene and costume: Nora Qerreti Translation: Shkelzen Berisha Prishtina Diary Flat for rent for international employ- Rabbit Hole is a play written by David Lindsay-Abaire. It ees in Prishtina. The flat is situated in Punkt was the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The 11pm Saturday, 30 March play was originally commissioned by South Coast a very quiet neighborhood - Sunny Hill. Reggae Night Repertory and first presented at its Pacific Playwrights Depo Club The flat is well equipped, first floor, 60 Albanian Reggae Festival reading series in 2005. 11pm Friday, 29 March Ambassador The play deals with the ways family members survive a m2; a kitchen, a living room and a bed- Gheto Phunk w/ Funky major loss, and includes comedy as well as drama. Villainz (IT/AL) room with a balcony. You may contact Hamam Jazz Bar Although less theatrical than King Lear and less political 11pm Saturday, 30 March 10pm Friday, 29 March than Radio, Abaire is no less eloquent in depicting five between 17 hrs to 22 hrs at : House Fever w / DJ cool Bass Jazz characters dealing with the aftermath of this personal (Tirana) Y 10pm Saturday, 30 March tragedy played by Ilire Vinca- Çelaj/ Beka, Lirak Çelaj M Blues Night /Haui, Shengyl Ismaili /Izi, Igballe Qena/Neti and Alban 044 736 130 C Zogaj/Jason. K inside prishtina March 29 - April 11, 2013 19

One of the 81 designs for the central Mosque in Prishtina is shown in an exhibition held on March 27. City Threatens Mosque Over Shops Plan Prishtina official says Islamic Community is breaking its word by planning to include a commercial centre at its new mosque.

project, said the specifications looked odd. “The number of garages is enor- By Liridona Hyseni mous and they are not relevant to the functions of the mosque,” he said. “It’s the same with the chil- s the Islamic Community of dren’s nursery. We are dealing with Kosovo prepares to build its a confusion of functions that do not Along-awaited flagship belong to mosques,” he added. mosque in Prishtina, a fight is The Islamic Community says it looming over its plan to include just wanted to allocate parking shops and an apartment for an space for parents to leave their chil- imam. dren during prayers. The municipality, which set The Justice Party, a party that aside 81 acres in Ulpiana for the often supports Muslim interests, mosque, is vowing to stop construc- said it supported the additional tion and reclaim the land if the functions of the mosque complex. Islamic Community presses ahead Jeton Svirca, an MP, said the with its current plan. municipality should have made its “The municipality will not allow conditions for the mosque clearer, the land for a mosque to be trans- but he was confident that a settle- formed into a commercial centre,” ment would be reached. Asdren Osaj, a spokesman for “I believe we will find common Mayor Isa Mustafa, said. The future home of Prishina’s central mosque is presently a parking lot in Ulpiana. ground, since the request for a A jury of five architects and two mosque is in the interests of the representatives of the Islamic early in April. The cost of the pro- began staging protests, demanding tensions. Now that good will is in believers and the Islamic Community is to announce the posals ranges from about 40 to 80 the mosque’s construction. danger of coming apart. Community,” he said. winning design out of 81 proposals million euro. Bashkohu supporters said it was The secretary of the Islamic Specifications for the complex unfair that the Catholic Church Community of Kosovo, Resul call for separate prayer rooms for was building a large cathedral in Rexhepi, said they do not want a men and women to accommodate Prishtina while more numerous dispute with the municipality and 7,400 worshippers. In addition, the Muslims had to pray in a collection will respect the law. “Even if there guidelines call for up to 85 shops of smaller, sometimes overcrowded is a disagreement, we will solve it,” covering 2,900 metres and a 120- mosques. Rexhepi said. metre apartment for the imam. The issue over the mosque Nevertheless, he said he did not “The construction of shops and reflects broader tensions over see why the plan for the shops the apartment is unacceptable Islam in Kosovo. Secular Muslims, posed such a problem. because the land was given to the particularly in Prishtina, feel wary “We have planned floors for Islamic Community for a mosque, about the apparent rise in the num- garages and shops, a flat for guests, not for 85 shops and a flat for the ber of religious Muslims, as well as a computer room, a conference imam,” Osaj said. extremists. Religious Muslims, on room – but all this will be under- The Islamic Community had bro- the other hand, say they are being neath the floor of the mosque,” ken its agreement with municipali- marginalised in a predominately Rexhepi said. ty, he added. Muslim country, pointing to a ban Rexhepi said the Islamic For several years, the Islamic on headscarves in schools, among Community had not seen any need Community has been calling for a other issues. to inform the municipality of its new mosque to serve the growing Last year, the municipal agree- plans for a commercial area. The secretary of the Islamic Community number of observant Muslims. In ment with the Islamic Community But Ylber Vokshi, an architect, Architect Ylber Vokshi an architect, says, of Kosovo, Resul Rexhepi. “Even if there is 2011, the Islamic group, Bashkohu, about the mosque seemed to ease who is not connected to the mosque “We are dealing with a confusion of func- a disagreement, we will solve it.” tions that do not belong to mosques.” 20 March 29 - April 11, 2013 opinion Ecosovo Things Don’t Come Golden Oldies, Evergreen to Those Who Wait People in the Balkans place great faith in sayings that incorpo- rate traditional wisdom. Much good it has done them. By Elizabeth Gowing when their motivation is hindered by the belief that an external force is responsible for their lives. e may be in a time of spring newness - Eleonora Veninova This external force is not necessari- glossy new leaves, shy flower buds, wob- ly God or a spiritual force; for farmers Wbly-legged baby animals – but, as any it’s the weather, for students it’s their mother of a wobbly-legged animal will tell you, teachers and for citizen it’s the govern- newness comes with a certain amount of effort. What is mine shall come to me!” ment. Not just the animal and vegetable cost, but – This delusional, uninspiring People believe that these “higher more importantly for the planet – a mineral cost. “statement is often repeated in forces” somehow determine their suc- Macedonia and in neighboring coun- Every new product that’s created uses up have her trousseau raided just because you cess in life regardless of their person- tries. The more I hear it and sayings the world’s resources, including trees if want some old textiles. To buy old weaving al actions and, soon enough, they lose like it, the more I’m convinced that it’s wood, oil if it’s plastic, and probably and traditional costume, rugs and table- the motivation to act and change our collective mindset is the biggest some combination of both as fuel if there cloths, pots and spindles and jugs in things. The reasoning is: “It’s not up to problem among people in this part of is any heat needed in production. me, anyway.” Prishtina, the best place is the Delvina Europe. Everything else is fixable. Processes such as glass-making or mineral This contagious belief, transferred store on Bill Clinton Boulevard. You’ll see When I was at University in Skopje, extraction are very reliant on heat, and from generation to generation, creates it on the corner of the street with Swiss I had a great professor who taught thus take their toll on the world’s individuals who wait for things to hap- Casino and all the car washes; the shop is Sociology of Culture, and she was the resources, while other materials may be pen to them without taking a proactive on the first floor with large windows first to point out the negative influ- less energy-intensive in production but approach in life. The high levels of cor- through which the stock is visible from ence of traditional sayings on people’s still represent a high carbon cost in trans- ruption, nepotism and clientelism in Bill Clinton, though finding your way to mindsets. portation from the place where they’re Macedonia and the region, additional- the entrance is not straightforward and As an example, she often repeated made (often outside of Kosovo) to the place ly enhance these beliefs. you have to enter the rather dingy block, the much-loved traditional saying where we ultimately want to use them. This mindset is easy to understand. following signs painted on the concrete for which, translated literally, says: It is therefore rarely the most ethical Moreover, it’s just as easy to practice. ‘souvenirs’ to reach it. When you get there “Stretch your legs as far as your car- choice to buy something new. If the item If you actually believe that it’s only up you’ll find a treasure trove of traditional pet extends.” My teacher would pas- has to be bought at all (can it be borrowed? to you to achieve something in life, artifacts, and although they’re not always sionately exclaim: “Well, we can Shared? Avoided?) we need to be looking you’re left with a giant blank space to cheap, they’re authentic and handmade, always extend the carpet, no?” for antique or second-hand models wherev- fill by yourself. and environmentally impeccable. When I think of other popular tradi- er possible, so that no new resources or fos- You have to work hard with no guar- Delvina have another store in Prizren (in tional sayings, like “Fate will decide,” sil fuels are expended. antee of success, blame yourself for the centre of town on the north bank of the “From your mouth to God’s ears,” Like most of what’s good about Kosovo, every mistake, but also take credit for river), but Kosovo doesn’t have many other “What’s yours shall come to you” and the second-hand market generally operates everything gained. There’s no one else places to buy the really old and the hand- “If God gives,” I realize that the peo- unofficially; clothes and other goods are to blame. made, although there are similar rum- ple who use them probably believe passed between family and friends. And that’s just hard because it’s so magers’ delights in Skopje and in Kruja, them. They believe things will happen Although there are second-hand book- much easier to be angry at the political Albania. However, if you’re not particular- if they are “meant to be”, or if the shops, when I’ve been given old or out of party, the government or opposition, ly looking for old and just want to feel bet- stars are aligned favourably. print books as gifts I’ve discovered that parents or siblings, than to be angry ter about the environmental impact of Although people tend to use them almost always the volume has come with yourself. There’s no one to yell at. your purchases, you should head to one of mechanically, a very basic behavioral straight from someone’s bookshelf, in an So, to conclude, the carpet can be the many second hand clothes shops in analysis will show that people actual- act of literary generosity which requires extended, as my professor proposes, Prishtina. A full list is in the Kosovo Green ly abide by these sayings, too. far more from the giver than walking into a and things don’t come; we go towards Pages (kosovogreenpages.wordpress.com), Businessmen invite priests when they shop with your purse open. My little them. The only “things” that come to where you can also find information on start up businesses, for example, and library of Kosovar books becomes richer those who wait on the streets of Skopje second-hand retailers for bicycles and seem to believe their businesses will each birthday by exactly the amount that are stray dogs. They’re sometimes books. expand if they were meant to expand. my Kosovar friends’ shelves have become cute but they’re probably not what This spring as we celebrate the new, let’s In the same way, students believe poorer. The approach is similar for you’ve been waiting for your whole not throw out the old. that they’ll get good grades if they had antiques, so that some of my most treas- life. It’s best to give them a pat on the good fortune on the day of the exam ured old textiles were not bought for me head and follow their example – stop and everybody collectively believes but instead unfolded from cupboards, old Elizabeth Gowing is a founder of The Ideas waiting and start walking. wedding chests, and bundles in attics with that things will get better “if God Partnership, a Kosovan NGO working on educa- gives.” the blessing of granny who wove them. Eleonora Veninova is alumnus of tional, cultural and environmental projects. She It’s not a problem for people to be They are immeasurably more precious for the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic is also the author of “Travels in Blood and optimistic or believe in something it. Excellence. The programme is initiat- Honey; Becoming a Beekeeper in Kosovo” (Signal higher than their own consciousness Luckily there are alternatives in case ed and funded by the Robert Bosch Books, 2011). She can be reached at theideaspart- about the world. The problem arises your friend’s grandmother isn’t willing to [email protected] Stiftung and the ERSTE Foundation. marketing

Y M C K opinion March 29 - April 11, 2013 21 This Ethnic Coalition Will Deepen Macedonia’s Divide The decision of the two main Macedonian parties to field joint candidates in the west in the local elections can only set back hopes of post-ethnic politics. didate with the “fascists”, or submit Human rights activist Zarko two joint lists with them for candi- Trajanovski has used Facebook to dates for municipal councillors in label the deal a union between resist- By Sefer Tahiri Struga and Kicevo? ance fighters and dictators. Others The motives are clear; they are have called it a defeat for democracy, ethnically based - based on an ethnic cohesion and attempts to overcome psychology that still counts all ethnic prejudice. s local elections approach Balkan individuals as part of a Certainly, it looks like a victory in Macedonia on March 24, crowd. for those who think that politics people in the ethnically A When the ethnic flock is con- based on ethnic mobilization is the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski | Photo/vmro-dpmne mixed western towns of Struga cerned, it obviously doesn’t matter only real policy. It is a victory for eth- and Kicevo will not be voting on that one group around the social nocentrism and a defeat for the con- party proposes a list, it cannot then vote for the Albanian candidate". the individual qualities of the Democrats has leftist views while cept of integration in society. propose another one. The decisions While ethnic Macedonians feel mayoral candidates, or for their of the electoral municipal commis- optimistic about what they believe respective platforms. the other group around the VMRO This kind of ethnic disintegration DPMNE espouses rightist, Christian is the most dangerous thing that sions, not to allow new joint lists, will be an ethnic Macedonian win in Instead, they are being pushed were disregarded. Struga, Albanians there are discon- to make a choice based on ethnic Democrat beliefs. All become part of could happen to Macedonia. the collective when ethnic interests Previous attempts to form elec- But the agreement for coopera- tented that they will have to divide lines, depending on whether they tion remains valid only for Struga their votes between two ethnic are ethnic Macedonians or are at stake. tion coalitions disregarding the eth- There is another reason why the nic divide have, meanwhile, failed. and Kicevo. There, the two parties Albanian candidates. If they fail to Albanians. have started staging joint rallies. elect an Albanian mayor, they will On polling day, March 24, voters in Macedonian political parties are The ethnic factor in Struga and grouped on the basis of ethnicity in Kicevo was of key importance for Atypical photographs of mayoral blame their own political parties. Struga will choose between Zijadin candidates and council candidates They want local Albanian leaders to Sela, from the Democratic Party of these two towns. Geographically, the dissolution of the short-lived Struga and Kicevo are part of west- coalition between the two opposi- from the opposing blocs, hugging ally in the second round against the Albanians, DPA, Arben Labunishta each other, have appeared in the Macedonian parties. from the [ethnic Albanian] ern Macedonia, where the 2004 Law tion parties, the ethnic Macedonian on Territorial Organization has SDSM and the ethnic Albanian DPA. media. Thus the resistance to Meanwhile, the elections will pose Democratic Union for Integration, Albanian interests was formed! a strong threat to hopes of inter-eth- DUI, and Vlado Kocovski from the changed the municipal borders. Menduh Thaci’s DPA opposed the The municipalities of Drugovo, SDSM decision to propose its own The Albanian political bloc has nic coexistence. newly formed local coalition since responded. The DUI has visit- Albanians and Macedonians both between the ruling ethnic Zajas Oslomej and Vranestica were candidates in towns where annexed to Kicevo and, thanks to Albanians were dominant. They ed countries in Europe, United want victory at any cost. In a similar Macedonian, VMRO-DPMNE party States and Canada to convince atmosphere, in 2009, Albanian vot- and the opposition Social this demographic configuration, wanted the SDSM to back DPA can- Albanians then became the majori- didates in Albanian areas and vice- Albanian diaspora voters to vote for ers in the second round of the elec- Democrats, SDSM. their candidates. A Swiss organiza- tions mainly supported the DUI can- In Kicevo, voters will choose ty. versa. The deal broke off in Struga Although the law should have precisely because the DPA was tional committee says 3,000 people didate, Ramiz Merko. This is expect- between the DUI candidate, Fatmir originating from Kicevo have ed to happen again in the election in Dehari, who is supported by the been put in effect in 2009, under a aware that its political power in opposition ethnic Albanian parties, political agreement between VMRO- Kicevo was too low to win the elec- the DPA and the NDP, and the joint DPMNE and DUI, it was decided the tions alone. VMRO-DPMNE – SDSM candidate, law should apply from 2013. With the collapse of the multi-eth- Blagoja Despotovski. Under the same law, the munici- nic opposition coalition, all eyes In Struga, all three candidates are pality of Velesta was annexed to turned towards the moves of the medical doctors, with university Struga, thus ensuring that Struga is four main parties. The DPA in degrees, with authority and a per- dominated by ethnic Albanians as Kicevo then lent its support to the sonal reputation. Two of them, well. DUI, so that the Albanian candidate Arben Labunishta and Zijadin Sela, Back in 2004, adoption of this law could win in that municipality, are members of the national parlia- under the Social Democrats caused while in Struga three parties pro- ment. serious discord. Some ethnic posed their own candidates: VMRO- As medical practitioners they Macedonians claimed the applica- DPMNE, DPA and DUI. have never divided their patients on tion of the law had turned two towns At that time, the SDSM and the any lines, let alone ethnic ones. Nor into Albanian municipalities, thus opposition were out on the streets, is that allowed according to the moving Macedonia further down threatening to boycott the elections. An elderly ethnic Albanian sits while waiting to vote in local elections, at a polling station Hippocratic oath that they have the road towards federalization Most of the public expected the in Skopje | Photo/AP Boris Grdanoski An unsuccessful referendum was opposition to propose its own candi- taken. But people will still be decid- already booked plane tickets for Kicevo. At these elections, the DUI held against the new territorial dates for mayors in these two town, ing who should run the town hall March 24 to participate in the elec- also hopes to get the backing of organization. The situation heated taking into account the deep divide based on an ethnic dimension. tions. Given that victory in Kicevo is Macedonian Muslims. up on July 22, 2004 when 2,000 locals between the Macedonian right and What are the reasons for the eth- important for DUI head Ali Ahmeti, Looking at the local elections in in Struga set fire to the municipal left, and considering the events in nic divide of the electorate in these as he is from the region, he expects 2013 and back to those in 2009, we get committee of the SDSM, throwing parliament on December 24, when two towns? Probably one of the 7,000 immigrants to come and vote a clear picture of what will happen Molotov cocktails. opposition MPs were expelled from biggest reasons is the fact that the for Fatmir Dehari, the DUI candi- at the next local elections in 2017 in An attempt to defuse tensions by the assembly and the governing par- political system in the country is date. Struga and Kicevo. Votes will be itself ethnically fragmented. the then Minister of Defence, Vlado ties alone adopted the 2013 budget. This is not the first time that the split along ethnic lines, and the can- Historically, the two municipali- Buckovski, who was in Struga dur- Instead, the SDSM, through Igor Albanian parties have relied on didates who raise their voice to pro- ties were administered by ethnic ing the riots, bore no fruit. Police Ivanovski, a close associate of the expatriates. In Macedonia’s first mote collective ethnic values and fly Macedonian politicians, and today, special units intervened and around party leader, Branko Crvenkovski, multiparty elections in 1991, their ethnic flag highest will have Macedonian voters show no readi- 30 citizens and policemen were voiced readiness to support VMRO- Albanians flew in from Western the best chance. Those who ness to accept that their municipali- injured in clashes. Buckovski had to DPMNE in Struga and Kicevo. countries in large numbers to vote approach politics from a mythologi- ty can be run by an ethnic Albanian be evacuated by helicopter after There are indications that this for their political representatives. cal and ethno-psychological angle as well. being blockaded for seven hours in ethnic coalition was strongly And, as expected, the leader of the will win. Multiculturalism will Figuratively, it appears better to the party headquarters in Struga. requested by the local branches of opposition DPA, as compensation remain a theory, and society will be have a fascist and a dictator as Buckovski and SDSM were called both Macedonian parties. But it was still sharply split on ethnic, cultural mayor, as long as he or she is one of traitors. apparently also supported by the for the support offered to the DUI candidate in Kicevo, seeks support and linguistic lines. “us”, than an Albanian, whether or Nine years have passed, but the central presidencies of both parties Macedonia in 2017 will celebrate not the latter is a professional and a time lag has been insufficient for as well. for his party’s candidate in Struga, Zijadin Sela. 26 years of its independence, and the proven democrat. political parties and citizens to move VMRO-DPMNE not only accepted two parallel worlds formed within it But Ahmeti is not in a hurry in I use the term “fascist” with care beyond their old ethnic concepts. In the offer, but, through associates of will still be part of everyday life. In the first round. At one rally in the because the Macedonian opposition, 2013, only a few experts and non-gov- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Struga and Kicevo, meanwhile, we Struga region, he said: “Our work gathered around the slogan of ernmental activists have reacted sought cooperation with the SDSM can expect that in future people will for Struga and Kicevo is a mission, “resistance”, has repeatedly called against the establishment of the in the municipalities of Dolneni and be even more anxious ensure that given that in the second round our the rule of Nikola Gruevski’s VMRO new ethnic coalition in the west. Brvenica as well. “their” candidate has won. DPMNE party a fascist dictatorship. They have had to use social net- The Administrative Court opponent will be the coalition So, what is the motivation for the works to do so because of the virtual instantly ruled that both parties between VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM, Sefer Tahiri is a journalist and opposition’s sudden desire to call on censorship reigning in the main- could submit a new, joint list, when all Albanians regardless of research fellow at the Institute for its supporters to vote for a joint can- stream media. although by electoral law, if one their political colouration should Cultural Heritage of Albanians. If you would like your NGO to appear in our Making a Difference feature, please email [email protected] 22 March 29 - April 11, 2013 Life in Focus

Rite of Piercing A sheikh leader of Kosovo followers of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, pierces himself with a sword during a ceremony marking Nowruz in the prayer room in Gjakova on March 21. The Kosovo dervish community carries on cen- turies-old mystical practices, such as self-pierc- ing with needles and knives as a way to earn sal- vation and find the path to God. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Y M C K March 29 - April 11, 2013 23 Classified Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like to advertise Email [email protected]

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