Prishtina Insight #118
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September 13-26, 2013 l #118 l Price 1€. Why show up at all? Kosovo 2.0 attack: Prishtina Debate isn’t part Suspect claimed of the job for he had duty to ‘ruin’ Insight some MPs. PAGE 2 launch. PAGE 4 Dark past echoes in troubled tenure of Kosovo Serb leader. PAGE 10 THE RAPIST WHO BECAME MAYOR l PI Guide: The creators of Creme Mufti insists that open a beach bar. PAGES 14-15 extremists are not gaining l Opinion: Gaff-prone ministry shows ground in Kosovo. PAGE 6 promise in online initiative. PAGE 13 2 n September 13-26, 2013 n Prishtina Insight September 12-26, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 3 MOST ACTIVE/ PASSIVE MP’s PageTwoTen years after parliament was established in Kosovo, “parliamentarianism in Kosovo remains at the beginner’s level,” Driton Selmanaj, from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, KDI, told Prishtina Insight. He spoke after the KDI last month published a report providing detailed analy- 10 MOST ACTIVE MP’S sis of the performance of all 120 MPs from January to July. MPs were rated based on an array of activities—and lost points for not showing up. 3.97% 3.92% 3.10% 2.86% 2.51% 2.30% 2.26% 2.26% 2.13% 2.00% VISAR YMERI HALIT KRASNIQI ALMA LAMA MYZEJENE SELMANI ALBULENA HAXHIU ARDIAN GJINI TEUTA HAXHIU TIME KADRIAJ ARBEN GASHI MUHAMET MUSTAFA TEUTA SAHATQIJA 10 MOST PASSIVE MP’S -0.33% -0.26% -0.24% -0.22% -0.20% -0.15% -0.15% -0.11% -0.11% -0.09% RADA TRAJKOVIC FLORIN KRASNIQI SRETEN IVANOVIC SKENDER HYSENI SASHA GJOKIC VESIMIR SAVI UKË RUGOVA VESNA MIKIC BALI MUHARREMAJ AZEM SYLA ’S TY P 34 PDK I 27,31% V from the editor I 27 OF M A cure worse than the disease R LDK 26,99% T ACT E N I wasn’t thrilled at first about the giant The oil spill is a not-so-subtle exam- B hole being dug on Rexhep Luci Street. It ple of a cure being worse than the disease, seemed that nothing could come from which seems to happen a lot in Kosovo. 12 UM the addition of construction equipment Nenad Cvetkovic, the mayor of LVV 19,42% AME N on a one-block stretch of Prishtina that Partes, is another such example. I L has a tendency to clog up with peo- This edition of the newspaper de- R ple and cars, which have little interest votes a large amount of its space [Pages in those around them. But I was elated 10-11] to Cvetkovic and his small Serb mu- 12 AAK A P 12,47% to learn that the intentions were good: nicipality near Gjilan. In a country where 120 Total MP’s the Tito-era dumpsters that are almost more than 25 per cent of the mayors are always overflowing with all things rot- either being investigated or prosecuted, TY ten were to be re- Cvetkovic stands out as a particularly 28 R Kosovo MPs did 11 SLS A 2,90% placed with an un- egregious case. For starters, he was con- not participate in a derground waste victed in 1997 of leading the gang-rape single debate. P facility, perhaps of two teenagers. And in the past year sparing hundreds alone, he’s been accused of beatings and of nearby resi- Nate. intimidation. Prosecutors also are look- 09 KKR 5,51% dents and those Tabak ing at a suspect tender. who frequent the @birn.eu.com But because Cvetkovic has embraced cafes and bars of Editor-in-Chief the Republic of Kosovo and shunned a truly sickening Serbian institutions, it seems that power- 06 stench. ful people have embraced him, too. He’s 6+ 2,54% While it seemed more than likely that been photographed with top Kosovo and the waste facility’s construction would far international officials and touted in press from trouble-free, it had not occurred to releases, thus solidifying his position. me that it could also result in a small-scale While having someone who can pre- 09 NO GROUP 2,86% environmental disaster. The surprise side over a Serb municipality that is fully discovery of an enormous heating-oil integrated into the Republic of Kosovo is tank and its subsequent removal came important, it also undermines the inte- with the spill of a considerable amount of gration effort when the person is a con- Prishtina Balkan Investigative Reporting Network black gold, equally as old as those Tito-era victed rapist who continues to have trou- Insight Mensa e Studenteve, first floor, 10000, Prishtina, Kosovo dumpsters. While the contamination is bling criminal allegations dog him. Quite • PHONE: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nate Tabak not yet known, it’s a safe bet that it has al- simply, people like Cvetkovic do more • EDITORIAL STAFF: Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, Petrit Collaku, Parim Olluri and ready caused more environmental dam- harm than whatever they contribute to a Flutura Kursari • DESIGN: Trembelat • Prishtina Insight is supported by the Norwegian age than the rotting garbage ever did. healthy, thriving Kosovo. Embassy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. 4 n September 13-26, 2013 n Prishtina Insight September 12-26, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 5 JUSTICE SUSPECT UNDER Nation PRESSURE Briefly Following a court order, Kosovo HOW Police intercepted calls from and Talks start on ending Kosovo- HAppY IS to the mobile phone of Albert Kas- Macedonia trade war. As Mace- KOSOVO? A volatile J J trati, the head of the Plisat basket- donian truckers blockade the KOSOVO J MONTENEGRO ball fan club who is now charged in Kosovo border for a third day, a GREECE the Kosovo 2.0 case. The following meeting of senior officials in Sko- ROMANIA is a transcript of a conversation pje raises hopes of resolving the bi- J mix of ignorance between Kastrati and an unidenti- lateral trade war. Kosovo’s Deputy No. 83 fied person. It was released as part Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuci, was J SERBIA Kosovo is the 83rd happiest of the indictment against Kastrati expected to arrive in Skopje on country in the world, according and others. It occurred on June Thursday to meet Macedonian BOSNIA AND A to the World Happiness report 13, 2013, shortly after prosecutors officials for talks on ending the J HERZEGOVINA released this week by the UN. In and intolerance interviewed Kastrati. trade war. Macedonian Economy J MACEDONIA the region, only Greece (70) and Minister Valon Saraqini sounded Montenegro (80) are in better Indictment says two charged with Unidentified: Speak! optimistic before the meeting, say- Albert Kastrati: Hello J BULGARIA spirits. Other Balkan countries attack at last December’s Kosovo 2.0 sex ing: “Dialogue has already started... ranked lower: Romania (90), U: Where the f---- you are, for God’s on a process that would result in Serbia (106), Bosnia and Herze- magazine launch felt an obligation to sake you annoyed me, for God’s sake a mutually acceptable solution.” govina (107), Macedonia (118) what have youdone? Kosovo imposed an embargo Kastrati: A [sic] and Bulgaria (144). prevent homosexual sex that offended on Macedonian food imports in U: What did you do today? response to Macedonia’s imposi- their Islamic beliefs. Kastrati: f- them all, do you know that tion of protectionist measures they have displayed all my messages since 2012, they burnt me out on wheat and flour imports from Prishtina Report By Edona Peci insulting terms, obviously aimed at the Kosovo. The row escalated on Sun- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender U: No, not burn out all, f--- it. day when Macedonia started to Kastrati: Yes, I swear to my family. A farmer charged with taking part in the community in Kosovo,” the indictment impose charges on Kosovo citizens attack on Kosovo 2.0 magazine’s launch continues. U: Where are you now? entering Macedonia of two euro party in December wanted to “ruin the The trio are the first to be charged in Kastrati: I’m going to a lawyer, hey my per person, five per car and 20 per meeting” because as a Muslim he felt the eight months since the attack. The friend I’ll finish it on Saturday night. bus or truck. As a result, Kosovo obliged to stop the homosexual sex indictment reveals an exhaustive in- U: Albert, listen to me, I am telling you, imposed total embargo on Mace- that he believed would take place at the vestigation by police and prosecutors, and issue is becoming rubbish. donian products. event, according to an indictment filed including analysis of video and photo- Kastrati: No it will not become like that, but please don’t speak further, last week. graphs from the attack, as well as phone more. Procurement oversight board “God allows sex but only between taps, text-message captures and mobile on ice. The EU Office in Prishtina different genders,” Gani Latifi told pros- phone location data. U: F--- it, I have my own problems. and a prominent civil society Kastrati: if you need something, then ecutors in April, adding that he had no The attack occurred as Kosovo organisation are strongly urg- we’ll have to meet as I am not going to intention of hurting anyone. 2.0 prepared for a launch event for a speak on the phone any more, I’ll get ing the government to fill vacant The statement reflects the volatile magazine devoted to the topic of sex, rid of this number. posts on Kosovo’s Procurement atdhe MULLA convergence of ignorance and intol- including a significant focus on LGBT Review Body, PRB, which has not erance that occurred on December 14, community.