Culture: Freedom Festival Challenges Kosovo’s Bleak Image Now 24 pages

July 16 - 29, 2010 Issue No. 44 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1

NEWS Morcheeba One in Five Infected Plays While in Hospital Prishtina > page 3 One of Britain’s coolest bands is coming to town in August as part of a new summer festival dedicat- ed to urban culture. Prishtina Insight is offer- ing VIP tickets to ten lucky NEWS readers for what will cer- Auditors Drop tainly be one of the Public Procurement hippest, hottest nights this summer. Test for Ministry

LIVEPICT.COM See Page 17 > page 3

NEWS Kosovo, Serbia Prepare PDK Municipalities Financially Favoured For Post-ICJ Battle > page 4 CITY As the International Court of Justice gets ready to pronounce on the legality of Kosovo’s independence, both sides are pondering their next move, which could range from pushing for land exchanges to fresh talks on status. Parks, Parking and By Petrit Collaku, Bojana ning very little support in any On the day the ICJ gives its Kosovo’s final status. They Pavements are Barlovac and Gjeraqina Tuhina quarter, a more nuanced option – non-binding opinion, EU sources regard this as settled. special status for Serb-held north- have told Prishtina Insight that However, their success will Prishtina’s Priority ver since Serbian forces ern Kosovo – looks a more likely they expect Catherine Ashton, depend also on Serbia, as pulled out from Kosovo compromise. EU High Representative for Belgrade will propose the UN res- > page 8 Ein 1999, an exchange of Observers expect a diplomatic Foreign Affairs, will issue a state- olution, just as it proposed the territory between Kosovo and push to follow the ICJ ruling, ment welcoming the court’s opin- UN resolution that initiated the GUIDE Serbia has been presented as when both sides will claim victo- ion and calling for dialogue ICJ case. one option for resolving the ry. This will be followed by new between Prishtina and Belgrade A territorial exchange would Hiking Dragash, Belgrade-Prishtina dispute. negotiations between Belgrade on practical issues. involve Kosovo ceding to Serbia With the International Court of and Prishtina, although the In September, at the UN northern Mitrovica and areas Kosovo: Brod to Justice, ICJ, expected to terms of these talks have yet to be General Assembly, the UN will north of the town, which have a announce its opinion on the set. most probably adopt a resolution Serbian majority and refuse to Mount Cule legality of Kosovo’s declaration Supporters of Kosovo’s inde- on Kosovo also calling for dia- accept rule from Prishtina. In of independence on Thursday, pendence are pushing for discus- logue. return, Serbia would cede to > page 12 July 22, the issue is again being sions to centre on an acceptable Several EU countries and the Kosovo the mainly Albanian nudged into the spotlight as a modus vivendi, while Serbia’s US are working to ensure that the Presevo Valley, on the Kosovo bor- potential compromise. backers want to see status negoti- text of the UN resolution does not der. However, with land swaps win- ations back on the table. include any call for talks on continues page 2

Kosovo Depends on Serbia Shame Shields Srebrenica for Bread Rapists from Justice

Kosovo’s wheat harvest this July will Among the more than 3,500 body parts yield 250,000 tonnes of the cereal, or three buried so far in Potocari, near Srebrenica - FEATURE quarters of what is required to meet the victims of the 1995 genocide in the eastern country’s demand for bread. Bosnian town - 30 belong to women. Tough Times for The deficit is mostly made up from Some of these women were killed by Serbian imports, despite thousands of members of army and police of Republika Albanian Culture hectares of agricultural... Srpska after they... business page 6 news page 10-11 > page 14

Y M is supported by: C K 2 July 16 - 29, 2010 news Kosovo, Serbia Prepare For Post-ICJ Battle from page 1 the so-called Ahtisaari plan for opinion because the club Kosovo’s independence, which remained divided about Kosovo’s The international community already contains provisions for independence, five of the 22 mem- does not favour talk of land swaps, Serb-majority districts to run ber states having withheld recog- however, fearing it will open a many of their own affairs. nition. Pandora’s Box. An ethnic-based On Tuesday, Prime Minister, “Brussels should use the ICJ land exchange between Serbia and Hashim Thaci dismissed territori- opinion to secure the other five Kosovo would raise fresh ques- al exchanges as a Serbian idea, recognitions so that it can have a tions about the future status of maintaining any such exchange clear perspective on Kosovo’s and mainly Albanian parts of would be “dangerous for the whole Serbia’s EU integration,” Hoti Macedonia, for example. region”. said. EU diplomats have told “The idea is unacceptable [also] Prishtina Insight that they would to Brussels and Washington,” he An Opinion Is Not a Verdict prefer to encourage talk of extra added. “For Prishtina, such an autonomy for northern Kosovo idea is unthinkable now and forev- Vojin Dimitrijevic, director of within Kosovo. er. Kosovo is a sovereign state and the Belgrade Centre for Human While officials in both Prishtina its territorial integrity would not Rights, an expert on international and Belgrade reject this idea, too, be compromised,” he continued. law, also cautions against unrealis- there are some signs that both Analysts in Kosovo also dismiss tic expectations of the ICJ opin- sides might eventually accept this talk of territorial exchanges. ion. “An advisory opinion is not a as part of a compromise. Political commentator Mufail verdict,” he told Prishtina Insight. “We would be ready to discuss Limani said it was unacceptable, “Therefore, there can be no win- special status for the northern because it would revive specula- ner and no loser in the case.” part [of Kosovo] if we had guaran- tion about the position of the The UN General Assembly will tees that Serbia would be construc- Albanian community in neigh- take the advisory opinion as an aid tive about Kosovo’s participation bouring Macedonia. “Such an before further deciding on the in regional initiatives and its pos- exchange would bring the ‘nation- issue, “but it has no obligation to sible membership of various al issue’ to the fore for all obey it,” he added. international organisations,” one Albanians,” he said. “Of course, due to the authority EU diplomat said. Limani said there was no need of the court, it [the advisory opin- “The north would get a certain for special status for the north, ion] will have an influence, espe- degree of autonomy, which would either. “Kosovo already has the cially if it gets adopted by a signif- be sufficient for Belgrade not to Ahtisaari plan, which foresees all icant majority,” he continued. try and destabilise Kosovo in minority rights, including for the But decisions on whether to future, because it would have to north,” he said. It was high time recognise Kosovo would ultimate- guarantee this autonomy,” the Serbia stopped playing a “destruc- ly remain a bilateral issue for the diplomat added. tive role in Kosovo”, he continued. countries concerned. “The court However, an official from the Afrim Hoti, an expert in inter- cannot punish a country for recog- Anti-Italian slogan in South Tyrol, Northern Italy EU’s Council of Ministers cau- national law in Prishtina, agreed. nising Kosovo independence,” he formed based on the majority of tion. tioned that such an idea was only a If Kosovo agreed to exchange assessed. their votes. “The Serbian media cite the par- proposal, not an agreed EU strate- land, “the arguments would not Dusan Janjic, director for the Oliver Ivanovic, State Secretary tition of Kosovo as one of the gy. “I would call this an idea of stop and Albanians in Macedonia Forum for Ethnic Relations, of Serbia’s ministry for Kosovo options from time to time and say some individual EU member would ask for [a land swap to believes the ICJ opinion on and Metohija, said Belgrade was the EU would support such a solu- states,” the official said. include] western Macedonia,” he Kosovo’s independence will bring ready for any outcome, though he tion, but it’s simply not true,” “I would call this ‘an old idea said. the question “back to the field declined to reveal what its strategy Kacin said. with new packaging’,” he added, Offering northern Kosovo more where it belongs – the field of poli- would be. Kacin explained that a strict referring to the fact that majority- autonomy was unnecessary. “I tics and international law. “I can only confirm that the division of territory between Serb areas of Kosovo are already don’t know anywhere in the region “I don’t expect the opinion to country’s stance on the issue Serbia and Kosovo on ethnic lines entitled to significant autonomy. or abroad where minorities have bring anything compelling; the remains the same – to keep its ter- had never been an option because Ulrike Lunacek, EU Rapporteur more rights than they do in ICJ judges will only present opin- ritorial integrity,” he told it would undermine all the efforts for Kosovo in the European Kosovo,” Hoti said. ions and arguments and will Prishtina Insight. made to preserve and restore the Parliament, said everyone needed Together with the EU rule-of- refrain from recommendations,” Ivanovic said there was a good multi-ethnic and multi-religious first to see what the ICJ said before law mission, EULEX, the Kosovo Janjic told Prishtina Insight. chance that the ICJ would favour nature of societies in the Balkans. they reacted. Serbia and Kosovo government has been working on a In the light of the EU’s recent Serbia’s viewpoint. If the judges Partition “would greatly weak- needed to keep their emotions strategy for the north, including resolution on Kosovo, he expects upheld international law and prac- en the position and importance of under control and react rationally. attempts to expand the rule of law further recognitions in the coming tice, he insisted, “the court will the Serbian minority in Kosovo,” “Later, dialogue should start on there. months, starting with Slovakia. have to declare a negative opinion Kacin added. On the other hand, enhancing regional cooperation But a recent attempt merely to “Romania and Spain will follow on the declaration of independ- decentralisation was key aspects and on clarifying technical issues, open an office in the area drew while Greece will recognise it in a ence”. of the Ahtisaari plan. border management, and the de- harsh criticism from Serbia as package with other things… Ivanovic poured cold water on “The outbursts of violence we blocking of CEFTA and so on, well as sparking popular protests including a compromise over the the idea that Serbia-Kosovo talks have recently seen in north mediated by the European Union,” in which one person died and 11 name dispute with Macedonia,” he could be limited to technical Mitrovica must stop as this leads Lunacek said. were injured. suggested. issues. “If both sides try to solve nowhere except to the conflicts of Kosovo’s involvement with the Two days later, a gunman shot Janjic said Belgrade would natu- issues on electricity, which is a the past,” Kacin continued. Central European Free Trade and wounded Petar Miletic, a rally fight for any future talks to technical question, we will still European institutions want to Agreement, CEFTA, is currently Kosovo Serb parliamentarian, include the question of Kosovo’s come to talks on [Kosovo’s final] see drastic improvements in rela- being blocked by Serbia and while he was leaving his home in status, which Prishtina would status in the end,” he said. tions between Serbia and Kosovo, Bosnia. Mitrovica. Attempts to return eth- want kept off the table. Serbia’s foreign minister, Vuk he said. “The current stalemate is She suggested that Serbia and nic Albanian and Serb officials to Prishtina will want any talks Jeremic, told the Serbian daily a huge, unnecessary brake on the Kosovo might draw inspiration the district court in the north have confined to technical issues “but Blic that all the country’s efforts European integration of both from the resolution of conflict also stalled, for fear of provoking in the end, the Kosovo authorities were directed at securing new countries,” Kacin concluded. between Austria and Italy over the further violence. will do what they are told by negotiations on Kosovo’s status, Milivoje Mihajlovic, head of the mainly German-speaking region The rioting, shooting and the London and Washington while although “several extremely pow- Serbian government’s Bureau for of South Tyrol, where the devolu- stalemate over the courthouse Serbia will have to deal with fact erful states still strongly oppose Information, believes the idea of tion of substantial autonomy had serve as reminders that the situa- that EU [membership] and [con- that”. giving northern Kosovo special defused nationalist tensions. tion in the north of Kosovo flict with] Kosovo do not go togeth- “The [September] debate in the status, like that of South Tyrol, “There is no way that the EU remains volatile. er,” he said. UN General Assembly will be the had been floated mainly to test would agree to new status negotia- Afrim Hoti said the EU needed Not everyone accepts that the moment of truth and probably the public reaction. tions or to partition and swapping to tell Serbia that if it wished to ICJ opinion is likely to be open to most crucial episode in our diplo- But the situation in Kosovo was territories,” Lunacek added, not- join the European club, it needed wide interpretation. Tibor Varadi, matic strategy,” he suggested. too complex to be solved in such a ing the European Parliament vote to have good relations with all its professor of international law and “Its outcome will decide the manner, he opined. “The Serbian on July 8, which called on the last neighbours. former head of Serbia’s legal team future path of the Kosovo process. government has a clear policy and five EU states not to have recog- Concerning the ICJ opinion, for the ICJ case, told the Belgrade It will certainly be much harder this policy is based on the fact that nised Kosovo to change their poli- Hoti said he doubted it would have daily Vecernje Novosti that as the than last time, but we have no Kosovo is under the UN,” he said. cy. as big an impact as some believed. question put before the ICJ was choice - we must secure a majori- “The government wants open “I expect the ICJ to adopt a bal- quite specific, it is hard to imagine ty,” the daily quoted the foreign talks to begin between the two Don’t Talk About Changing anced stance, which the involved that the answer would not also be minister as saying. sides on all the issues, so that dia- parties will then interpret as they Y Borders specific. Meanwhile, Jelko Kacin, the logue and a fair solution that wish,” Hoti said. Varadi said some judges might M European Parliament’s rapporteur would provide stability in the He added that the EU stood to have different opinions on the C The Kosovo government, mean- for Serbia, said talk of partition of region would be achieved,” he benefit most from the advisory issue, but a joint opinion would be K while, has rejected any changes to Kosovo remained pure specula- said. news July 16 - 29, 2010 3 One in Five Infected While in Editor’s Word Hospital Shembull A leaked report by the National Institute for Public Health of By Lawrence Marzouk Kosovo has revealed high levels of here is a patch of Europe which has been infections in hospitals across the tussled over for decades between two eth- country, but particularly at the Tnicities, who look to each other with suspi- cion and speak in different tongues. At the buffer country’s biggest, the University zone between two mighty empires, this small Clinical Centre of Kosovo patch of land is still today the subject of fierce debate on its future status. The dispute has been put to bilateral negotia- tions, to the UN and even to the International Court of Justice. By Alban Selimi In living memory, terrorists, or freedom fight- Newborn babies at the UCCK have a one-in-five chance of leaving the hospital with an infection ers if you prefer, have killed scores, the attacks targeting mostly policemen. Still today, most Following the revelations on BIRN’s National Institute for Public Health Zef inhabitants of this mountainous zone want free- wo newborn babies at University Life in Kosovo show, UCCK has intro- Komani says that the reports he has dom, or to be reunited with their ethnic brothers. Clinical Centre of Kosovo, UCCK, duced restrictions on visits in a bid to cut written on this issue have not been taken Kosovo? The Balkans? No, Italy, actually, and Tare among the latest to become infections. into account by the UCCK management. northern, sensible Italy to boot. victims of Kosovo’s high rate of hospi- The clinics have official hours for fam- Treatment at UCCK often fails in the I refer you to the area of South Tyrol, which tal-related infections, it emerged. ily visits. But, the set hours are rarely stage after the surgery because of infec- finds itself in Italy despite being home to mostly A confidential report by the National respected. tions, Avdyl Krasniqi, head of the sur- German-speaking Austrians. Institute for Public Health of Kosovo, Shemsi Haxholli, head of operations gery department claims. This little patch of Alps is interesting for two NIPHK, obtained by BIRN, and addressed for the firm charged with security at the “Despite the not-so-good opinion of reasons. First, it demonstrates that the Balkans to the management of the University hospital, said that it was difficult to stop the UCCK, very complex surgeries are and Kosovo are not the unique basket case of Clinical Centre of Kosovo, has called on people entering the building. He said: being conducted there, but the high per- Europe that some have tried to make out in the hospital to undertake a series of “Often what happens is that our workers centage of infections within the hospi- recent years. measures to cut the infection rate, which are being assaulted by the people who tals means complications and increases Many of the long-running ethnically related stands at a staggering 17 per cent people. have not been allowed to enter.” the price of health care services,” he disputes of Western and Central Europe were But the committee reports that in the The company ‘Krasniqi’, which is said. dealt with by mass ethnic cleansing during and public hospitals in Albania, the situation responsible for maintaining hygiene at Doctor Rexhep Gjyliqi, who works at after the Second World War, but not all of them. is even worse than in Kosovo, with 19 per UCCK, said conditions are not as bad as the hospital, says that basic deficiencies South Tyrol and Derry are but two examples in cent of patients contracting infections. presented in the report by NIHPK. put medical staff and patients at risk. so-called ‘civilised Europe’. One of the recommendations was to “We cannot say that the hygiene it is “Urinary bags, after usage by patients, So, when a grenade goes off killing one and a crack down on the uncontrolled number up to its best level, but it is not so bad,” are emptied in the toilets, and put to use politician is shot in Mitrovica in one week, this of visits of family members and relatives said Krasniqi. again, rather than being thrown away,” should be seen in the context of what else is of the patient. Chief inspector of health for the said Gjyliqi. going on in Europe and, most importantly, the history of such disputes in Europe. We should take a step back and weigh up just how serious the security situation is and learn Auditors Drop Public from the successes and failures of others. Secondly, South Tyrol is, according to an increasing number of diplomats, the answer to Kosovo’s problem. By reproducing the model Procurement Test for agreed between Italy and Austria in north Kosovo, we can appease the Serb hardliners, give Belgrade enough cover to start working with Prishtina, and give Prishtina the space to claim Ministry of Transport victory. Everyone is happy. I do not claim to be an expert in the Italo- Austrian pact of 1971, but what I do know from a little research is that it took years of failed talks and false dawns to reach an enduring agreement By Lawrence Marzouk on how to govern this area. It seems that some Austrians of South Tyrol would still like to give Rome the old two fingers and he Ministry of Transport and jump back into bed with Vienna, or even go it alone. Post-Telecommunications’s 2009 So, while Kosovo is being asked to look at South Taudit, published earlier this Tyrol, South Tyrol is also looking at Kosovo’s month, did not include an assessment of model of unilaterally declaring independence. its performance in public procurement This left me a little perplexed at who should be because of ongoing EULEX investiga- teaching who lessons, so I thought it best to con- tion, Prishtina Insight has learnt. clude that they could probably teach each other a The report was used by the ministry, trick or two. and its minister Fatmir Limaj, to What does this tell us? That these types of eth- demonstrate how successful it had been nic difficulties are not easy to resolve and that a in handling taxpayers’ money. fudged solution remains that even years after a The decision to hold a press confer- peace deal is found. But it’s not all doom and ence marking the report followed gloom, as South Tyrol is now the richest area of months of bad headlines. EULEX Italy and there have been no major incidents Minister of Transport and Post-Telecommunications Fatmir Limaj launched raids on the ministry and on there for decades. So the people of that area have minister Limaj in April on suspicion the citizens of our country, respective- that that chapter had been deliberately prosperity and peace, which isn’t a bad aim for that road tenders had been issued cor- ly.” removed. Kosovo and its troublesome north. ruptly, although this has been denied by He added that the audit had found a She said: “When it comes to procure- I don’t know if the South Tyrol model is right the minister and no arrests have been high level of management in ‘public ment management we did not want to for northern Kosovo, although it is certainly made. procurement procedures’. say anything due to the ongoing investi- worth thorough investigation, but it does demon- In a statement given by Limaj follow- However, the report, in fact, did not gations.” strate a path can be plotted through ethnic strife ing the release of the report he said: “I include the usual section on public pro- She added, “Perhaps we should have to decent living standards. am extremely pleased that during these curement, which can be found in stuck to the standard reporting prac- Take that example, or shembull in Albanian, two years we have had a positive per- almost all other audits carried out on tice.” or take another from other cities or lands which ministries. Endrit Shala, political advisor for the have overcome this thorniest of issues, but don’t formance if not excellent in managing Y public finances and the implementation Ilire Daija-Buza, Head of Public Minstiry of Transport, said: “All I can forget to look beyond the parameters of this M of the recommendations in the manage- Relations at the office of the Auditor say is that the ministry has received high small diamond-shaped country and remember C ment of public money from taxpayers, General, confirmed to Prishtina Insight praise for its performance.” that ethnic strife was not invented in Kosovo. K 4 July 16 - 29, 2010 news PDK Municipalities Financially Favoured Government grants to municipalities: By Besiana Xharra Municipalities led by 50,000 72 euro per person 3,834,444 euro Suhareka (22) PDK: 76 euro per person 72,000 Istog (06) 8,056,926 euro unicipalities run by the Municipality (number governing Democratic 65,000 111 euro on map) 5,323,074 euro AAK 86 euro MParty of Kosovo, PDK, have Population received more money in the 2010 81 euro per person Budget budget than those run by other Obilic (13) Budget/per person Municipalities led by parties. 30,000 3,140,463,104 euro per per- other parties According to statistics com- Dragash (05) son piled by Prishtina Insight PDK- 40,000 Podujeva (16) Štrpce (SLS) (21) run areas received 91 euro per 4,105,086 euro 131, 300 13,633 municipal resident on average, 102 euro per person 11,993,886 euro 2, 059,152 euro. its government partners the Drenas (03) 91 euro per person 151 euro per person Democratic League of Kosovo, 75,000 Prishtina, (17) Hani i Elezit LDK, were handed 82 euro per 7,104,288 euro 600,000 (Independent) (33) person for their municipalities 94 euro per person 32,716,026 euro 10,065 while the opposition Alliance Ferizaj (23) 54 euro per person 1,159,757 euro for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, 170,000 Average LDK munici- 115 euro per person were given 86 euro per person 13,130,010 euros pality: 82 euro per per- on average. 77 euro per person Mitrovica (31) Viti (24) son Northern Kosovo While some in the opposition Gjilan (04) 140,310 59, 810 claim the allocation demon- 133,724 11,644,209 euro 5,793,677 euro Leposavic (11) strates that PDK has its eye on 12,892,482 euro 82 euro per person 97 euro per person Municipalities led by 18,500 next year’s general elections, 96 euro per person Prizren (18) Vushtrri (25) AAK 2,218,160 euro the government says funds are Kacanik (33) 220,000 citizens 102,600 119 euro per person distributed fairly. 53,000 2,449,846 euro 8,339, 397 euro Decan (01) Zubin Potok (26) The budget for municipalities 3, 981,099 euro 97 euro per person 79 euro per person 50,000 14, 900 was approved by the Kosovo 75 euro per person Rahovec (14) Average PDK munici- 4,428,131 euro 1,649,437 euro Assembly by a majority vote Klina (08) 76, 577 pality: 91 euro per per- 88 euro per person 111 euro earlier this month, but the allo- 54,000 7,309,101 euro son Gjakova (02) Zvecan (27) cation of funds has been criti- 5,239,136 95 euro per person 154,000 16, 600 cised by opposition politicians. 97 euro per person Shtime (20) Municipalities led by 12,450,336 euro 1,518,956 euro Despite receiving less than Lipjan (12) 35,000 LDK 80 euro per person 92 euro per person both AAK and PDK run munici- 76,000 3,438, 280 euro Junik (32) pality, LDK officials contacted by 98 euro New municipalities: 7,810,683 euro Kamenica (10) 12, 500 Prishtina Insight refused to crit- Skenderaj (19) Novo Brdo (29), North 102 euro per person 63,000 997, 746 euro icise their coalition partners. 70,000 Mitrovica (30), Gracanica Malisheva (28) 5,453,963 million euro 79 euro per person The LDK average is skewed 6,878,335 euro (35), Mamusha (34), 65,520 86 euro per person Peja (15) because it includes Prishtina 98 euro Ranillug (36), Kllokot (37), 6,944,255 euro Fushë Kosove (09) 170,000 Municiplity, home to the capital 105 euro per person 12,244,700 euro Partesh (38). city, where the average is only 54 euro per person. not run by the government.” such as Skenderaj, Drenas and towards streets where the PDK not even want to address the Ardian Gjini, a member of He said that this division of Malisheve, where the PDK domi- llives,” said Makolli. criticism from the opposition. the Assembly for the AAK, said: public funds could “destroy the nates. According to Lulzim Zeneli, The minister of economy and “Per person, the municipalities solidarity between people, create “Not only in the allocation of vice president of the opposition finance Ahmet Shala said: “We run by the government receive poverty and destroy the coun- grants, but also in other invest- Democratic League of have shared the budget in the much more funds than per per- try”. ments that this government Dardania, LDD, the unequal best way.” son in municipalities that are Ibrahim Makolli, vice chair- makes, we see discrimination. allocation is being made to help According to him the most man of the opposition New This year’s budget shows that swing votes at general elections important aspect of the assem- Kosovo Alliance, AKR, said that capital projects are being scheduled for next year. bly’s budget decision was that this government is focused on financed on a party basis. Government officials told Kosovo’s budget has increased building roads in municipalities “The government is building Prishtina Insight that they did by 7.5 per cent. www.prishtinainsight.com

Publisher: BIRN EULEX Continues Corruption Raids Balkan Investigative Reporting Network PTK is the latest target for EULEX’s anti-corruption action Mensa e Studenteve, first floor (PTK). The transfer is suspected to 10000, Prishtina have taken place under fradulent Kosovo circumstances. Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 By Petrit Collaku The offices of Dardafon LLC, Devolli and Z Mobile company and Fax: +381 (0) 38 22 44 98 the private residences of represen- [email protected] tatives of those companies are also xecutive police from the EU being searched. Editor-in-Chief: rule-of-law mission, EULEX, in Some PTK offices, in particular Lawrence Marzouk Ecooperation with the Anti- the office of the Chief Executive Corruption Task Force of the Kosovo Officer Shyqyri Haxha and his pri- [email protected] police, carried out corruption-related vate residence, are the target of Editorial Team: raids at eight locations in Kosovo on raids. Ana Petruseva, Gordana Igric, Thursday. “These searches are also related Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, “Three of these are in Prishtina to a second investigation into cor- Petrit Collaku, Shengjyl Osmani and and the other five are in Peja. The ruption,” EULEX said. searches relate to financial and cor- On Tuesday, advisor to the Belinda Vrapi ruption matters in connection to a Minister of Health, Ilir Tolaj, was 50,000 euro. Prishtina. It’s in municipalities, telecommunications licence,” the arrested on suspicion of tax avoid- In the announcement, Vreejswik businesses, individuals, and it’s not Marketing, Sales & Distribution: EULEX press release reads. ance. said that EULEX has a long list of only related to the government,” [email protected] Police are investigating the The recent investigations into people suspected of corruption and Vreejswik told journalists when transfer of a Mobile Virtual corruption in Kosovo are part of organised crime and the plan aims announcing the plan. Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” Network Operator (MVNO) the EULEX operational plan that to clean up corruption in Kosovo by EULEX hopes to see results Y telecommunications licence in 2007 was announced on June 30 by September 2011; he added that the between July and September 2011, M Printing: Lindi Printing Center and 2008 between Dardafon LLC, EULEX chief prosecutor Johhanes proposal would soon be handed with the final goal to free the gov- C Dardafon. NET.LLC, and Post and van Vreejswik. over to Kosovo’s justice system. ernment and private sector from Copyright © BIRN K Telecommunications of Kosovo He was bailed on Wednesday for “Corruption is not only in corruption. news July 16 - 29, 2010 5

Ramush Haradinaj’s Retrial Kosovo’s Biggest Taxpayer Decision Next Week decision on whether to retry Ramush Haradinaj, leader of Alliance for the AFuture of Kosovo and former KLA Revealed…No, Not the One leader, over war crime charges will be made in The Hague next week. News in brief News The International Criminal Tribunal for for- mer Yugoslavia, ICTY, has announced it will decide on appeals for a retrial of Haradinaj, in the Middle Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, three former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, At 20 million euro, Xhevat Jusufi, owner of food dis- on July 21. tribution firm Bucaj, has emerged as Kosovo’s In April 2008, Haradinaj and Balaj were biggest taxpayer acquitted of all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity following a three-year business community,” he trial. added. Brahimaj was sentenced to six years’ impris- The selection for best tax- onment for cruel treatment and torture. On By Petrit Collaku payer is organised by May 25, 2009, Brahimaj was granted provision- Ministry of Trade, Ministry al release pending the hearing of his appeal. He of Economy, Kosovo’s will return to The Hague under armed guard. Chamber of Commerce, The prosecution has asked for a retrial “to osovo’s government, in Kosovo’s Tax hear direct evidence of witnesses regarding the an attempt to encour- Administration, TAK, and participation of the three accused in a joint Kage Kosovo’s compa- Kosovo’s Customs. criminal enterprise and their individual nies to pay more taxes, has Director of Kosovo’s Tax honoured the Bucaj responsibility” in relation to a number of Administration Behxhet Company from Prishtina as crimes. Haliti said that being select- the best taxpayer of 2009. ed as the best taxpayer of the Prime Minister Hashim year means “you respect Blair: NATO Intervention in Thaci visited the premises of your family, your people and PM Hashim Thaci with Xhevat Jusufi (left) the company and praised the Kosovo Was Necessary your country”. amount of money it raises in the tax cash registers, TAK firm for its 20 million euro Bucaj is the Kosovo repre- taxes through a variety of can take legal action. contribution to the state cof- ormer British Prime Minister Tony Blair sentative for goods from methods, including Equipment for small firms has said that NATO intervention in fers. eight EU companies and has installing fiscal cash regis- costs 400 euro, while large FKosovo was necessary and that the exis- “It’s an extraordinarily more then 200 employees. ters but this scheme has so businesses are required to tence of an independent state of Kosovo is successful business. The best The owner, Xhevat Jusufi, far failed to make a large pay 1,000 euro. proof of that. example [of tax paying] con- said that the company was impact. Economic experts believe “It would have been a terrible thing if the tinues to remain Bucaj just following the law. Almost all businesses in the low take-up rate is due to Company,” said Thaci. West had allowed the situation to continue “For 2009, Bucaj has paid Kosovo were asked to start the number of businesses “I want to thank you in the unchecked,” Blair said in a press conference more then 21 million euro using these cash registers by which operate in the infor- name of the Kosovo’s govern- with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci taxes,” Jusufi said. June 30, but most have failed mal economy, worth an esti- ment and I will continue to last Thursday. Blair is in Kosovo on a much Kosovo’s government is to do so. mated 1 billion euro a year be the closest partner for the anticipated two-day visit to meet with officials attempting to increase the If firms fail to introduce in Kosovo. there.

Y M C K 6 July 16 - 29, 2010 business Thaci Forgets Promise of

Opening Agricultural Bank Lufthansa plans Three years after promising to open an agricultural bank during the last parliamentary election campaign, the govern- to fly Prishtina ment led by Hashim Thaci has not yet discussed the issue. epresentatives of n’t establish banks; such a thing is done by pri- Lufthansa, the vate shareholders,” Sadiku told Prishtina Rlargest airline in Insight. Europe, have met with the He claims that interest rates for agricultural

By Lavdim Hamidi in brief Business news management of Pristina loans offered by Kosovo’s commercial banks International Airport, are very high, regardless of the fact that this PIA, to discuss the possi- sector needs specific support from the loans bility of starting flights hree years after an election pledge to with lower rates. from Germany to Kosovo. open an agricultural bank and spur on According to Sadiku, even the direct subsi- TKosovo’s agro-economy, Prime Minister The flights from several dies to the agricultural sector from Kosovo’s Hashim Thaci has yet to even discuss the mat- German cities to Prishtina budget are not in accordance with the rules of ter. would be starting from the World Trade Organization. Instead, he sug- Government’s spokesperson Memli Krasniqi January next year. gests the government support the sector in dif- confirmed to Prishtina Insight that the govern- the opposition party, the Alliance for the “The interest of this air- ferent ways. ment has never discussed opening such a bank, Future of Kosovo, AAK, in Kosovo’s Assembly, line indicates the growing “During the summer period the government but added that the agricultural sector is a gov- said that the establishment of such a bank capabilities of our air- can place tariffs for importing specific agricul- ernmental priority. would have had helped the agricultural sector a port,” said Managing tural products and aim to protect domestic “Until now, there has been no government great deal Director of PIA, Agron products,” said Sadiku. decision for opening an agricultural bank and “With a small investment in the agricultural Mustafa. Opposition political parties often have criti- as far as I know there has been even no discus- sector, we could have ensured more domestic According to him, cised Kosovo’s government of lacking will to sion for something like this to happen in the products and not been so reliant on imports,” Lufthansa flights to and develop the agricultural sector. near future,” said Krasniqi. He did not want to claimed Shatri. from Prishtina would Mimoza Kusari-Lila, vice president of anoth- comment on why the prime minister had not Shatri said that a new agricultural bank increase the competition er opposition party, New Kosovo Alliance, AKR, fulfilled his pledge of November 2007. would need a legal basis and claims that there and would contribute to said that there should be a greater focus on Krasniqi added that the government had con- is nothing wrong with the state subsidising price reduction for inter- making available funds for the agricultural sec- sulted on establishing a fund through which agriculture in this way. national flights. tor, and that this year’s budget review process the agricultural sector would be given loans “There is nothing wrong if the state estab- British Airways, did not see any reallocation of funds for the with lower interest rates. lishes an agricultural bank in order to sub- Austrian Airlines, Swiss, agricultural sector. According to economic experts, interest sidise this sector and almost every country EasyJet, Airberlin and Kusari-Lila said that unemployment can be rates for the agricultural sector in Kosovo are already has similar banks, which subsidise the other major airlines have reduced by investing in the agricultural sector. higher than for other sectors, which are agricultural sector with low interest rates,” he already included Prishtina “I don’t know how the government aims to between 16 and 25 per cent. said. as their destination. reduce unemployment when the agricultural Reminding Prime Minister Thaci of his However, economic expert Muhamet Sadiku PIA is the only interna- sector is the sector where many new jobs can be unfulfilled promise, former minister of econo- disagrees. tional airport in Kosovo created [and it is not a priority],” she said. my and finance, Haki Shatri, who represents “In the modern world the government does- and processes over 1.2 mil- lion passengers annually. The Turkish-French consortium Limak- Kosovo Depends on Serbia for Bread Aeroport de Lyon has recently won the 20-year Serbia continues to be Kosovo’s biggest external source by far of wheat and flour as local farmers continue to supply concession bid for PIA. just three quarters of the country’s demand osovo’s wheat harvest this “This year we have 4.7 million July will yield 250,000 euro for grants for subsidies for Ktonnes of the cereal, or farmers and this is much higher three quarters of what is required than in the previous years,” to meet the country’s demand for Stavileci said. bread. The last report of the World Bank The deficit is mostly made up for Kosovo revealed that the agri- from Serbian imports, despite cultural sector in the country thousands of hectares of agricul- employs around 35 per cent of the PTK worth up to tural land not being used in total labour force, but said that it’s 600 Million Euro Kosovo and a number of cam- The farmers don’t work at a loss, imported from Serbia and 1.7 mil- not an dynamic sector as Kosovo paigns in the countrying not to thus they should be subsidised,” lion kilograms from Austria. farmers receive lower subsidies ost Telecommuni- buy products from Serbia. said Muhamet Farizi, the execu- In 2009, 112 million kilograms of than their neighbours. cations of Kosovo The area sown with wheat in tive director of the millers’ associ- wheat were imported into the coun- Imer Rusinovci, an expert in Pwill be sold for Kosovo is around 73 thousand ation in Kosovo. try, of which 100 million kilograms agriculture, said that the agricul- between 300 million and hectares. “In Macedonia, one hectare of were imported from Serbia. tural sector should be one of the 600 million euro, accord- Officials at the Ministry of wheat is subsidised by the state In the first five months of this government’s main priorities. ing to the Minister of Agriculture say that subsidies for with 150 euro, while the Kosovo year, some 12.4 million kilograms He said that regional countries Finance and Economy, agriculture are rising each year, farmers are subsidised with 80 flour have been imported, of which set aside around eight per cent of Ahmet Shala. but farmers claim that Kosovo is euro,” added Farizi. 11 million have been imported from the total budget for agriculture, He made the assessment the worst country in the region for In 2009, Kosovo imported more Serbia. Kosovo’s allocation is not even one during a session of the agriculture subsidies and that this than 39 million kilograms of flour. The Minister of Agriculture, per cent. committee for economy at is affecting wheat production. Of this, according to the Blerand Stavileci, told Prishtina From the total budget of around the Assembly of Kosovo. “In Kosovo, the whole area of spokesperson of Kosovo Customs, Insight that this year’s budget 1.4 billion euro, the budget for agri- The value is currently fertile surface is not sown with Adriatik Stavileci, around 36 mil- included increased subsidies and culture in Kosovo is around 10 mil- being assessed by transac- wheat due to the lack of subsidy. lion kilograms of flour were grants for farmers. lion euro. tion advisors Telco AG. Rental of simultaneous translation equipment. Services for conferences, presentations and trainings. Y  M For prices and booking call: +381 38 602042, [email protected] C +377 44 243376 [email protected] K neighbourhood business July 16 - 29, 2010 7

Chevron to Drill for Gas in Bulgaria he US ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick gave Privatisation Fails to Solve an official presentation on Tuesday of American Tcompany Chevron, which has expressed interest in drilling for shale gas in the country. Chevron representatives, headed by company vice- Albania’s Power Failures president Ian MacDonald, are in Sofia for talks with PM Boyko Borisov and other high-ranking officials in order Since purchasing the state electric company last year, the Czech power giant CEZ has been strug- to present their offers, Novinite reports. gling in vain to cut massive levels of electricity theft and unpaid bills in Albania. “Bulgaria has the opportunity to diversify its energy sources. I hope that a prospecting licence will swiftly be granted to Chevron, who are going to invest a lot of money in Bulgaria,” said the American diplomat. Shale gas extraction involves a novel technique of tap-

By Gjergj Erebara in brief Business news ping deposits in the earth’s crust that were not reachable before. It is considered by some to be the alternative to conventional natural gas extraction that has the best out- ne year after the privatisation look. of Albania’s electricity distri- Chevron’s MacDonald concurred that shale gas might Obution grid to the Czech compa- provide great opportunities for energy diversification in ny CEZ, while the government seems Europe, but added that shale gas would be much more pleased with the outcome, the regula- expensive. The latter was omitted by the event’s transla- tory authority that supervises the tor, according to Dnevnik.bg. electricity market reports mixed Chevron has already filed a prospecting request and results and enduring problems. awaits confirmation from the Ministry of Environment Albania sold 76 per cent of its and the Council of Ministers. Prospecting has been con- shares in the Operatori i Sistemit te ducted in Poland and Romania, but no shale gas has ever Shperndarjes, OSSH, a company that been extracted in Europe up to this point. managed the electricity distribution The shale gas deposit of interest for Chevron is locat- of up to 1 million consumers, with ed in northeastern Bulgaria near the Romanian border. revenues of over 300 million euro per There have been constant reports in the past that the year. American company has expressed interest in buying a OSSH was sold to CEZ for 102 mil- share of projected Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, lion euro but the government helped whose prospects for completion are still not very bright. smooth the sale by transferring new assets to OSSH and taking responsibil- ity for 60 million euro of the compa- Power lines in Albania ny’s debts. he added. Insight refused a request for an inter- “I want to congratulate you for your “The new owners have worked in view. achievements during this year,” other countries where massive theft Notified of the irregularities at Dritan Prifti, the Minister of Energy, [of electricity] at these levels is OSSH, the ERE recently accepted a said at a recent event marking the unknown and this has created a lot of higher level of electricity loss on a transfer of OSSH to CEZ. “Your task difficulties,” Nepravishta underlined. has been very difficult because you par with 33.92 per cent, a 1.22 per cent According to Nepravishta, electrici- took responsibility for a very problem- increase on the previous level. ty theft is not a problem for the com- atic company,” Prifti added. The privatisation agreement mean- pany to resolve alone but a problem The minister’s remarks about what while allows CEZ to transfer the bur- that the whole the country, including the Czech company had got itself into den of electricity theft to consumers, its citizens and authorities, needs to were later confirmed by Bujar by counting these losses as a cost. Nepravishta, chair of the Energy tackle. Thus, honest consumers have to pay Regulatory Authority, ERE, the Electricity theft is a criminal for those who steal electricity. This is Tenders for Hydropower on Serbia’s offence by law and liable to be pun- watchdog that regulates the electrici- on condition that company losses fall Ibar Stretch ty market in Albania on behalf of cus- ished by jail terms. However, by at least four per cent every year. although the company filed charges tomers. However, although losses are being eneral Director of Serbian Electric Power against thousands of customers over “They faced a very difficult envi- estimated higher this year, Industry (EPS) Dragomir Markovic has revealed ronment which they hadn’t come the last year, only a small fraction of Nepravishta believes this year’s Gthat the first tenders for the construction of across in other markets,” offenders have been prosecuted. abundant rainfall and other factors hydropower plants on the Ibar River are scheduled for Nepravishta told Prishtina Insight, During the last decade, the govern- that impact on the cost of electricity the second half of the 2011. recalling CEZ’s experience over the ment has been under constant pres- could save Albanians from a possible EPS and the Italian company Seci signed, at the begin- last year. “Electricity theft and the sure from international donors such price rise in 2011. ning of July, an agreement about establishing a joint as the World Bank to improve its habit of not paying bills on this scale “We have not yet counted all the company, Ibar Hydropower Plant, which will build a record in this field. are not something they would have factors but we know that electricity hydroelectric power plant on the Ibar River. The Bank gave Albania several encountered elsewhere,” he added. production this year from hydropow- It is estimated that the total value of this investment is hundred million dollars in loans for The efficiency of the electricity er plants until June 30 reached 4.5 bil- 285 million euro. the electricity sector. In return it market in today’s Albania is compara- lion kWh and the dams will produce EPS plans to build ten hydropower plants on the Ibar ble with that of Bosnia after the 1992- demanded a significant reduction in at least 1.4 billion more by the end of River, with a total power of 103 megawatts. 1995 civil war - with the difference non-technical electricity losses in the the year,” said Nepravishta. that Albania has not been at war for grid. Locally produced electricity from Romanians Deeply Pessimistic on more than half a century. However, instead of leading to hydropower plants is much cheaper Almost one year after the sale of reforms that cut levels of electricity Economy than imported power, he explained. the utility company to CEZ, little has theft, the only result of this pressure Therefore, when it is abundant, the lmost 65 per cent of Romanians think their finan- changed in the right direction. was an increase in false reporting of average cost of electricity sold in the cial situation will worsen in the next 12 months, a From January to April 2009, when financial data by the OSSH. country falls. Anew survey suggests. the company was still managed by the Since privatisation, the new own- Electricity produced in Albania Only six per cent of Romanians think they will be bet- government, 37.5 per cent of the elec- ers have uncovered irregularities in ter off financially in 2011 and 23 per cent expect no tricity was lost to theft and technical the company’s balance sheet worth costs less than 1.8 cents per kWh, while the average imported unit is changes in the near future, according to the Consumer problems. millions of euro. Confidence Barometer, a survey co-financed by the about 5 cents, which means that the Of the electricity billed to cus- One scheme employed by govern- European Commission and conducted monthly by GfK average cost should fall enough to off- tomers, 21.5 per cent was never paid ment administrators to disguise the Romania. set the cost incurred by theft and loss- for. For the same period this year, loss- company’s level of losses was to over- Romanians are also pessimistic about the future, as 78 es in the grid. es were cut to 35.9 per cent but the bill itself. In 2008, OSSH declared that per cent of them don’t expect to see an upward econom- Experts believe 2010 could be a percentage of unpaid electricity its consumed electricity was 67 mil- ic trend. In addition, 85 per cent of respondents think an increased to 24.6 per cent. lion kWh, with a market value of 4.6 record year for electricity production increase in the jobless rate is likely and only four per “These indicators are unsatisfacto- million euro. in Albania. The highest electricity cent are optimistic this won’t happen. ry but we have to add that over the “We knew that this figure was production in the country in a year According to the survey, Romanians’ pessimism about last 18 years that we managed the sys- exaggerated, but we didn’t know by until now was 5.7 billion kWh in 1996, the country’s financial situation is largely due to recent tem, we never found a successful way how much,” Nepravishta said. while this year’s production is esti- austerity measures imposed by the government, which to decrease losses and the efficiency In the end, the real internal con- mated at 6 billion kWh. some feel have worsened the overall economic situation of the grid has been always very low,” sumption of the company was discov- Albania consumes roughly 6.5 bil- and affected over 90 per cent of the country’s population. Nepravishta said. ered to be just 13 million kWh. lion kWh of electricity per year, and Recession-hit Romania, which is relying on a 20 billion “On the one hand, a proportion of However, CEZ never filed any com- the net import of 0.5 billion kWh pro- euro IMF-led loan, has pledged drastic public spending Y customers simply don’t pay their plaints over the financial irregulari- jected for this year is only a quarter of cuts in pensions and public spending to rein in its deficit, M bills, and on the other we have people ties discovered at OSSH. An OSSH the amount of power imported last which this year stands at 6.8 per cent, and restart its econ- C connecting to the network illegally,” spokesperson contacted by Prishtina year. omy, which continued to contract in the first quarter. K 8 July 16 - 29, 2010 city

Birte Gippert, Researcher Judge took Cash and Car at think tank IKS to Clear Murder Suspect judge at Prishtina District lenient sentence, in a murder Afrim Alshiqi and/or Besim Alshiqi’, Court has been found guilty trial. who were each charged with murder, Aof accepting accepting at Elez Hoxha, who committed the or, if convicted, hand them a lenient least 53,000 euro and a Volkswagen crime while working in Prishtina sentence. Caddy car for his son, as well as between 2005 and 2007, accepted the Hoxha has been sentenced to four further sums of money, to help backhanders from Vesel Alshiqi, in years in prison and handed a fine of clear a defendant, or issue a order to ‘either obtain the acquittal of 10,000 euro. Parks, Parking and Pavements are Prishtina’s Priority of: the Eyes through Prishtina Prishtina Municipality’s director of urban planning speaks to Prishtina Insight

What surprised you most about Prishtina? That so few people get electrocuted despite the By Belinda Vrapi chaos of cables going everywhere.

arks, pavements and parking What’s your favorite hangout? spaces are among Prishtina’s Tirona PMunicpality’s priorities in its bid to make the city more people- Do you do anything cultural? friendly, its director of urban planning I am learning Albanian has said. In an interview with Prishtina What is the most annoying thing about Insight, Luljeta Ceku said that work on Prishtina? the independence plaza by the former The open bins everywhere. Union Hotel would begin soon, as well as the refurbishment of parks and cre- If you were mayor of Prishtina for the day ation of new ‘green zones’. a few remaining neighbourhoods in permits issued to some buildings ini- what would you change? She said: “Pavements and pedestrian Prishtina that are not included in reg- tially built without permission. Make Pejton a car-free zone areas are a priority for the municipali- ulatory plans. The cut-off point for this will be ty.” “Building without permits might be decided based on aerial photos of How many macchiatos do you drink a day? Ceka admitted that the fact that not taking place in those areas, but the Prishtina. None, I stick to tea all areas were covered with urban inspection team is pretty active and is Prishtina Municipality will soon plans meant that illegal building was monitoring the situation and thus name a ‘Day Zero’, after which it will What’s the tastiest Kosovar food? still taking place, but said that the keeping it under control.” monitor all new illegal buildings from Tavë Elbansan municipality was working to tackle the She added that finishing plans for the air. issue. those areas are being treated as a pri- Thousands of illegal buildings have What landmark do you use to tell taxi drivers She said that a whole raft of plans ority. appeared in Prishtina since the end of were nearing completion or at the ten- The municipality is also to begin a the conflict in 1999 and to date little where you live? dering process. She added: “There are ‘legalisation’ process, which will see action has been taken against them. The Raiffeisen Bank Young Artists Ramazzotti Asks For High Needed for Security For Prishtina Gig talian singer Eros Ramazzotti, who will perform live in Prishtina Festival IPrishtina Stadium on July 30, has asked for top security for his he eight ‘Skena Up International year it brought together around 40 trip to Kosovo. Film and Theatre Festival’ is film and theatre academies from all As part of his world tour, 2009- Tcalling for young artists to apply around the world. 2010, Eros Lucioano Waleter to take part. In 2009, more than 10,000 viewers Ramazzotti, known usually as Skena Up will take place from saw its 105 films and 15 plays. Eros Ramazzotti, will perform in December 3 to 10 this year and is Arben Zharku, one of the organ- Prishtina too after a late looking for film and theatre stu- isers, said: “We accept films (fic- announcement which has riled dents from all around the world to tion, documentary, animation) no some in Serbia. submit their films or theatre per- longer than 30 minutes. Films must The organizing company of formances. be a production of film schools, the Eros Ramazzotti’s concert, Founded in October 2003 by a same for theatre performances. The UBBOSS, told Prishtina Insight group of students and young year of production (film or theatre that they needed only three weeks artists, Skena UP produces this piece) must be 2009 or 2010.” of negotiations in order to sched- unique festival, dedicated to film Submission forms and complete ule the date of the concert. and theatre students. information regarding eligibility Armenda Filipaj, the manager Having started as a small, hum- are available at www.skenaup.com. of UBBOSS, said that tickets have ble national festival in 2003, last The deadline is September 15. been on sale since Wednesday, July Kosovo.” in Prishtina, despite the fact that 09, in all cities in Kosovo, Albania Ramazotti performed in they had him in Belgrade, they can and Macedonia. Belgrade last November. After con- come here too. Kosovars couldn’t “As one of his conditions to firmation of the Prishtina date, go in Belgrade so we are bringing accept the offer of the concert in UBBOSS said it was contacted by Eros to Kosovo.” Prishtina,” added Filipaj, many journalists in Serbia who Ticket prices range from 12 to “Ramazzotti has asked for high queried by the Kosovo date was 50euro. security, for which we, together announced towards the end of his Y with the government, have made tour. For more information regarding M sure that we will have the neces- Filipaj said: “All fans from Eros’s concerts visit C sary security during his stay in Serbia are welcome at his concert www.ramazzotti.com. K neighbourhood news July 16 - 29, 2010 9 EU Outlines Visa Liberalisation Progress Bosnia to Join White Schengen Soon, Albania Faces Delays, Kosovo Making Progress

certain technical criteria to be ful- filled and once those criteria have been fulfilled, they should have the By Gjergj Erebara liberalised visa regime, otherwise the rest is politics and not correct,” he added. osnia and Herzegovina will be According to Kukan, Bosnia has awarded visa liberalisation fulfilled most of the visa roadmap Bwith the EU by the end of this and there are only two or three year, but the situation in Albania is details to be finalised. more complicated, Member of the European Parliament, MEP, Eduard “Bosnia has fulfilled the techni- Kukan has said, adding that Kosovo’s cal criteria but because of the leg- negotiations for visa liberalisation islative process, I do not think that can begin despite existing issues. it will be possible to take the deci- Kukan, a Slovakian MEP, is the sion in July. My prediction is that chair of the Delegation of the Bosnia will be granted visa liberal- European Parliament for relations isation by the end of this year,” with Albania, Bosnia and Kukan explained. Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro According to him, Albania’s situ- and Kosovo. ation is similar, but more compli- In a meeting with a group of cated because of the opposition journalists from the Western boycott of the parliament and the Balkans, Kukan stressed that even political crisis that has gripped Kosovo is on its way toward visa that country for the past year due liberalisation, while the political to the contested results of the 2009 Kosovo citizens must still apply for a visa before travelling to the EU, but the country is making progress, according to MEP Kukan crisis in Albania is undermining parliamentary elections. the achievements made on techni- “Given the situation in Albania country that is missing some- without a chance at visa liberalisa- Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and cal criteria. that we could call a stalemate, or thing,” Kukan said. tion, but that it would face an uphill Herzegovina are the only remain- “The sensitive issue in the dis- crisis… it’s complicated in the Speaking about the situation in battle to achieve it because Kosovo ing Western Balkan countries that cussion on Bosnia and sense that a country that has ful- Kosovo, Kukan said that there has is not recognised by all EU member still must apply for and obtain Herzegovina was whether we have filled technical criteria should have been progress, and the European states. visas to travel in the Schengen area to grant visa liberalisation before visa liberalisation but a country Commission has authorised the “It is going to develop but I can’t of the European Union. Serbia, the election or after the election,” that does not enjoy the regular start of negotiations, while adding tell you how much time it will take; Macedonia and Montenegro were said Kukan. functioning of all democratic insti- that Europe’s newest country the status problem does exist,” said granted a liberalised regime last “The European Commission set tutions has always been looked as a would not remain the only one Kukan. year. European Court Rules in Favour of Slovenia’s ‘Erased’ People citizenship by January 2009, while around 3,600 received per- manent residency status. By BIRN There are no data on the status of more than 13,000 people affect- ed by the erasure. The deletion of thousands of he European Court of people from the country’s perma- Human Rights has ruled nent residence registery is con- Tthat Slovenia did not sidered one of the gravest human effectively implement two rights violations in independent Constitutional Court decisions concerning the rights of the Slovenia. country’s so-called ‘erased’ resi- The Constitutional Court ruled dents. the erasure illegal twice, once in In its decision issued on 1999 and again in 2003, and said Tuesday, the court found that “the that that those affected should Slovenian authorities had persist- have their status of permanent ently refused to regulate the resident reinstated retroactively applicants’ situation in line with from the day the records were the Constitutional Court’s deci- deleted. sions”. A 2003 law which aimed to allow “In particular, they had failed the retroactive reinstatement of to pass appropriate legislation status to the erased was rejected and to issue permanent residence in a 2004 referendum called by the permits to individual applicants opposition. The interior ministry and had thus interfered with their then started reinstating the status rights to respect for their private to the erased based directly on the and/or family life, especially The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg Constitutional Court ruling and where the applicants were state- managed to issue some 4,000 deci- less,” the decision read. who were living as permanent measures, it noted that Slovenia registry in 1992. Many of the sions. In their application filed in residents in Slovenia at the time it must adopt general and individ- erased, including people who had In its ruling yesterday the court 2006, the initial 11 applicants declared its independence in 1991. ual measures to remedy the viola- lived in the country for years, noted that in March 2010 the argued that they had been The applicants either did not file tions, in particular by issuing either left Slovenia after their Slovenian parliament adopted deprived the right to acquire citi- for permanent resident status or retroactive residence permits. records were erased or were amendments on the law on the zenship or preserve their perma- citizenship within the deadline, In its press release, the court deported. ‘erased’, which aimed to enable nent residence status in 1991, and or their requests were denied. noted that several thousand peo- Official data show that the thousands of people whose have suffered serious and nega- As a result, their names were ple are still believed to be in the erased include 14,775 males n and records were deleted in 1992 to tive consequences since that time. ‘erased’ from the Slovenian category of the ‘erased’. 10,896 females, 5,360 of whom apply for permanent resident sta- The applicants, like thousands Register of Permanent Residents Almost 26,000 people, mainly were children. tus. However, at the time the court Y of others who faced similar situa- in 1992. nationals of other Yugoslav According to the Slovenian considered this judgment, the M tions, were mainly citizens of While the court said that it republics, were deleted from Interior Ministry, about 7,300 of amendments had not yet entered C other former Yugoslav republics would not determine remedial Slovenia’s permanent residence these people acquired Slovenian into force. K 10 July 16 - 29, 2010 Neighbourhood Silence and Shame Srebrenica Rapists Macedonia Survey Raises Euroscepticism Concern The reluctance of women survivors from the town to talk about their own sufferings – and the stigma that he vast majority of Macedonian cit- Neighbourhood in brief izens want to see their country still surrounds rape – has allowed a grave crime to go unpunished, 15 years on Tbecome a member of the European Union, EU ambassador Erwan Fouere told years with victims from Srebrenica say it Srebrenica, adding that “not only men but media in Skopje in reaction to a recent is rare to hear women speaking about also women are targeted. opinion poll showing support for the EU is falling in the country. rape, mainly because of the stigma that “Some are shot and wounded, others “I don’t think that scepticism pre- By Nidzara Ahmetasevic surrounds rape and because even now, have had their ears cut off and some vails,” Fouere told media on Tuesday in they are too overwhelmed by everything women have been raped,” the same sol- the country’s capital. “The huge support else that happened to them and their fam- dier said. ilies to talk about their own personal Another member of the UN Dutch bat- for the EU and the will to be part of that mong the more than 3,500 body family of nations is felt everywhere. If experiences. talion, who testified during the Krstic parts buried so far in Potocari, trial, said much the same. “We saw two such scepticism exists, then it is an Anear Srebrenica - victims of the Serb soldiers, one of them was standing insignificant minority.” 1995 genocide in the eastern Bosnian Rape as well as murder: guard and the other one was lying on the A survey released earlier this month town - 30 belong to women. The United Nations proclaimed girl, with his pants off,” he said. by the Macedonian Secretariat for Some of these women were killed by Srebrenica and the nearby enclave of “And we saw a girl lying on the ground European Affairs, SEA, reveals a seven members of army and police of Zepa “Safe Areas” in 1993. on some kind of mattress. There was per cent drop in support for Macedonia’s Republika Srpska after they stormed the blood on the mattress and she was cov- EU membership bid among respondents. UN Safe Area where mostly Bosniaks After the Army of Republika Srpska, ered with blood. She had bruises on her 82.1 per cent of ethnic Macedonians (Bosnian Muslims) lived, and proceeded VRS, swept through the Drina valley of queried said that for them the preserva- to put to death thousands of men and eastern Bosnia in 1992, tens of thousands legs. There was even blood coming down tion of the name Republic of Macedonia boys. Others committed suicide. Some of Bosniak refugees fled to the two her legs. She was in total shock.” was more important than the EU and died of grief and trauma after seeing enclaves. Surrounded by the VRS they The trial chamber in the Krstic case NATO accession of their country. In con- their men and children taken away. lived in appalling conditions, desperately concluded that many people witnessed trast, 77.8 per cent of the ethnic Most of the 30,000 civilians expelled short of food, water and medicines. rapes in Srebrenica on July 12 but “could Albanian respondents opted for EU and from the town after the Serbian takeover Conditions were overcrowded. Before do nothing about it because of Serb sol- NATO membership before the name. were women. Piled onto buses and trucks the war started, Srebrenica was a relative- diers standing nearby”. “We’re still reviewing these reports, that took them away from their homes, ly small town of about 10,000. By the time “Other people heard women screaming, but I have to say that they are contrary many left alone, wondering what fate lay it was proclaimed a UN Safe Area, the or saw women being dragged away… to earlier polls demonstrating huge sup- in store for their children, fathers, broth- number had more than tripled. Throughout the night and early the next port of the citizens for the EU integra- ers, husbands and cousins. In March 1995, Radovan Karadzic, pres- morning, stories about the rapes and tion process. I believe this is still the pri- For the last 15 years these women sur- ident and supreme commander of killings spread through the crowd and the mary objective of citizens because they vivors have been retelling their stories Republika Srpska issued a chilling direc- terror in the camp escalated,” the judg- see the EU integration as a guarantee about Srebrenica and about what they tive concerning the long-term strategy of ment added. for a better future, more jobs and lower lost, fighting for the truth to emerge and the VRS as regards Srebrenica. Kadir Habibovic, one of the witnesses unemployment rate,” Fouere said. for the memory of what the town experi- Directive 7 specified that “by planned at the Krstic trial, said he saw at least one enced not to die. and well-thought out combat operations”, bus full of women “being driven away”. Albania Secret Service But while they talk about their lost chil- the VRS was to “create an unbearable sit- He remembered hearing one of the Serb Crippled by Cuts dren and family members, few speak uation of total insecurity with no hope of soldiers complaining that they were not about themselves and about the rape and further survival or life for the inhabitants getting a good choice of the women from peaking in front of the committee murder of women in Srebrenica in July of Srebrenica”. Srebrenica. for legal issues in the Albanian par- 1995. On July 11, 1995, the VRS, headed by The Human Rights Watch, HRW, report Sliament the deputy head of the The exact number of rapes that General Ratko Mladic, indicted 15 years mentions rape, while noticing that women Secret Service, SHISH, told MPs that the occurred in the town in 1995 is hard to ago by the Hague war crimes tribunal, rarely speak about it. However, they regis- small budget allocated to his agency this establish. “Women were raped and sexual- entered Srebrenica. Thousands of men tered one case, adding that journalists year put the country’s national security ly abused during the fall of Srebrenica, fled towards the woods in the hope of who met refugees from the town in Tuzla at risk. although the extent of such abuse reaching territory under the control of recorded others. “The duty of SHISH is to collect infor- remains unclear,” Human Rights Watch the government in Sarajevo. Thousands of One journalist wrote that the women mation in order to protect national secu- concluded in its October 1995 report The others left towards the UN base at had said they saw Bosnian Serb soldiers rity. If there is no money to pay per Fall of Srebrenica and the Failure of UN Potocari, expecting protection from the taking two girls, aged 12 and 14, and diems for our employees on the ground, Peacekeeping. UN Dutch battalion. another woman, away from Potocari. how will we fulfill this mission?” said In the judgment of Radoslav Krstic, They did not get it. Instead, mass When the girls returned, they were naked, Ylli Alushi, the deputy head of SHISH. sentenced in 2004 to 35 years’ prison for killings began on the morning of July 12. covered with scratches and bruises and “I understand the country’s economic complicity in genocide, it was concluded In just over seven days, about 8,000 people bleeding from the assault. difficulties, but you should understand that “sexual assaults were likely” after were killed. “Reportedly, there was no water to wash that is impossible to sidestep our needs,” the fall of Srebrenica – but no figure was the blood off themselves, so they tried to Alushi told the MPs present at the com- According to the first-instance judg- given. mittee meeting. ment pronounced in The Hague on June wipe it off with clothes that people gave Experts who have worked over many As part of a set of deep austerity 10, 2010 in the case of seven former high- them,” wrote the journalist cited in the measures the Ministry of Finance has ranking military and police officers from HRW report. asked parliament to approve a further Republika Srpska, 5,336 bodies have since Another reporter cited in the HRW cut to the Secret Service budget of 27.7 been identified. report wrote about a woman who said she million lek (197,000 euro) or 4.1 per cent “The final number could be much more watched with other women in Potocari of its total budget. that 7,826,” the chamber added, while with “half-closed eyes, pretending to be Alushi called on MPs not to reduce issuing the second genocide verdict since asleep, and hoping not to be next”, as four further the budget, which is already less 1993, the year when International Serb soldiers raped a woman nearby. than SHISH had originally requested at Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, Other witnesses recalled observing the beginning of the year. ICTY, was established. The first, in the rapes in silence. They said two soldiers The Ministry of Finance has present- Krstic case, came six years ago. took hold of the woman’s legs, raising ed parliament with an austerity plan to But the fate of the women left behind in them up in the air “while the third [man] cut expenses by 27 billion lek (198 mil- Srebrenica still contains many began raping her. Four of them were tak- lion euro) in order to keep the deficit unknowns. According to the UN ing turns on her. People were silent, no under control in 2010, while faced with Secretary General’s Report on the fall of one moved. She was screaming and Y low revenues. Other state institutions Srebrenica of November 1995, a UN sol- yelling and begging them to stop. They M will seen their budgets cut by an average dier, on arriving in Zagreb from put a rag into her mouth and then we just C of 24 per cent. Srebrenica, told the media there that “the heard silent sobs coming from her closed K hunting season is in full swing” in lips.” 11 Neighbourhood July 16 - 29, 2010 Shield from Justice

Ganic Extradition Hearings Draw to Close

By Nidzara Ahmetasevic

he last hearing in the extradition case of wartime Bosnian leader Ejup Ganic was held Ton July 14 before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. However, Ganic’s defence team does not expect the decision on Serbia’s request for his extradition to be delivered soon. “It is very unlikely that we will get a decision for at least a week - possibly two,” defence attorney Stephen Gentle told Prishtina Insight on the last day of the hearings. Ganic was arrested on March 1 in London on an arrest warrant from Serbia, where he is considered a suspect in a war crimes case. Serbia has requested his extradition to face trial in Belgrade. Serbia suspects Ganic of war crimes related to his alleged involvement in an attack on a convoy of the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA, as it was leaving Sarajevo on May 3, 1992. The Serbian prosecution claims that 18 soldiers were killed and 22 wounded in the attack, but the number is contested. Ejup Ganic was the head of the Bosnian Presidency for 48 hours at the time of the incident, taking the place of the late Alija Izetbegovic who had been kidnapped by the JNA and was being held hostage. Ganic’s defence team claims that the extradition request is politically motivated, a claim that that was echoed by Christian Schwarz-Schilling, a for- Women mourn their loved ones at the 15th anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica, Bosnia mer High Representative in Bosnia who also testi- fied as a witness in the Ganic hearings. Memisevic recalled. Bosnia have been lobbying for the rights Over the two weeks of hearings, the court heard a “It is one of specifics of Srebrenica of wartime rape victims, encouraging Few will speak out: number of witnesses from both sides, including that women do not talk about rape,” them to not only testify but also to speak politicians, human rights activists, and prosecutors. Though rape has been recognised as a Teufika Ibrahimefendic, a psychologist out in public and identify those who James Lewis, who is representing the prosecution factor in Srebrenica by one of the judg- from Vive Zene, a women’s organisation committed the crime against them. on behalf of Serbia, argued that Ganic ordered ments, the ICTY has never actually in Tuzla, told Prishtina Insight. But Memisevic said that the stigma attacks on a column of soldiers, on a military ambu- indicted anybody for rape in Srebrenica. Ibrahimefendic has worked with surrounding this crime still existed and lance and on an officers’ club of the JNA. Recently, however, the Court of Bosnia women victims of the war since the war was strong among people from a town The prosecution invited Serbian deputy war and Herzegovina indicted three former ended. Many of her patients were and like Srebrenica. “Life in that area was crimes prosecutor Milan Petrovic to testify as a wit- members of the Republika Srpska are women from Srebrenica who sur- different during the war. They were ness at the hearings. Petrovic claimed that Ganic, if police, Dusko Jevic, Nedjo Ikonic and vived highly traumatic experiences. totally separated from the rest of the extradited, would face a fair trial since the court is Goran Markovic, for rape in Srebrenica, “But they did not talk about rape even world and suffered a lot,” she said. “objective and independent”. among other things. in 1995, when they arrived in Tuzla,” she “They do not even talk much among According to the BBC, Petrovic said that there is One victim testified at their trial this said. “They were focused on the family themselves about what happened. That spring, under the pseudonym “113”, say- members they had lost and since then extreme experience… makes people no political influence over the court in Belgrade, ing that she was raped on July 13 by one they have been focusing on finding from Srebrenica not that close to each claims the defence dismissed. The defence said that soldier, while the others were watching. them,” she added. “It’s as if their person- other in many ways,” Memisevic sug- they can cite NGOs from Serbia who question the “I begged them to let me go,” she told the al traumas are less important, because gested. court’s independence. judges. they survived.” Ibrahimefendic agreed, adding that Serbia submitted to the court in London some 200 Witness 113 first told her story to mem- Bakira Hasecic, director of the the trauma suffered by the people of pages of documentation and two video tapes, clam- bers of the association Women Victims Women Victims of War association, Srebrenica still continued, 15 years on. ing that the documentation included new evidence of War in 2007. Asked in court why it had agreed that women were reluctant to “So many people just disappeared in about Ganic. taken her so long to talk about the rape, talk, but said some did talk in the end. couple of days,” she said. “Now they For its part the defence called a number of wit- she answered that she had felt ashamed. “We managed to identify about 20 have to find a way to live without all they nesses, including the former international prosecu- Fadila Memisevic, president of the women from Srebrenica who told us they left behind and to search for traces of tor in the Office of the Prosecutor in Bosnia and Society of Endangered People in Bosnia were raped in July 1995,” Hasecic said. their loved ones.” Herzegovina, Philippe Alcock. and Herzegovina, told Prishtina Insight The first ICTY judgment recognising Many survivors had also since left the During his 2005-2009 mandate, Alcock led the that few women from Srebrenica are rape was in 2001 in a case about Foca, in country, becoming physically separated investigation into the incident for which Ganic is willing to talk about rape. eastern Bosnia, where thousands of girls from what remained of their families. accused. According to Alcock, no evidence of “We work closely with the associations and women had been sexually abused “Many of them are living on just to be crimes committed by Ganic was found during his of women of Srebrenica and the ICTY… during the war. This decision encour- able to attend the events in Potocari on investigation. Alcock also said that Serbia’s actions and many stories were told to us by aged many to start talking more openly July 11 when the slaughter is commemo- against Ganic are politically motivated. women, but I can remember only one about this crime. rated and mass burial is held for those Bosnia is still investigating the May 1992 incident, woman using explicitly the word ‘rape’,” For years, several organisations in whose bodies were identified,” she said. and Ganic is considered as one of the suspects. 12 July 16 - 29, 2010 Guide Hiking Dragash, Kosovo:

Mountain shepherds, enor- mous Sharri Dogs, free roaming horses, pristine babbling streams and dra- matic mountains are just a small taste of what awaits you in Dragash.

By Todd Wassel

I’ve lived in Kosovo for nine months and I had no idea “there was anything this beau- tiful,” said a friend as we stood in the middle of a windswept moun- tain pass barely an hour’s walk from the road. Unfortunately, com- ments like this are all too common. This one was made by a woman who lived just 30 minutes’ drive from where I led a small group on a hike through the sharp green Sharri Mountains in Dragash Municipality. Located in the southern end of

Kosovo, Dragash is an oasis of Wassel Todd by Photo untouched natural beauty and tra- The idyllic village of Brod in Dragash Municipality ditional villages sandwiched Unbelievably, over a decade after lated mostly by the Gorani), the hardly any information on where love, hiking the mountains with between the borders of Macedonia the NATO bombs ceased, the magical grass-filled mountains to hike, trail maps to plan your day, only a GPS to guide the way and and Albania. Ignored by the region is still relatively unknown and the traditional way of life. and markers to keep you on track. writing about it later, but hopeful- Yugoslav government, the area as persistent rumours of crum- This is a region where cross-bor- To help remedy this I’m working ly it will increase the level of visi- never received development bling roads and violent Sharri der trade still takes place on the with the municipality and the var- tors to the region and improve the money for tourism despite its dogs have conspired to keep the back of pack horses along old ious towns to develop an Eco- livelihood opportunities of the wealth of flora, fauna and cultural area isolated, mentally if not phys- mountain trails. tourism Guide to Dragash, funded locals. traditions. ically. Dragash is easy to reach and and produced by the United To promote the area and help Luckily, this also spared the I have spent the past few months accessible to all levels of hikers as Nation’s Development Program people get out hiking before the region the communist-era con- hiking the mountains and valleys the mountain trails are well worn (UNDP). guide is available I am hosting a crete hotels and restaurants that that make up Dragash and have from centuries of use. Not only will this great project portion of my hikes on my website, mar other regions in Kosovo. fallen in love with the locals (popu- The difficulty is that there is enable me to keep doing what I www.toddswanderings.com.

Belgrade’sBelgrade’s RiverRiver ClubsClubs -- SplavsSplavs constructed in nearby boatyards, Crash music this season will be alter- Joker others put together from oil drums native electronic music that and scrap metal. But it is these bridges the gap between main- By Laura Wolfs Not quite as classy as some of Going towards Zemun, you will splavs that have helped Belgrade its neighbours, Crash is the brain- stream hits and some more find one of the only other splavs to earn its reputation as one of the child of the owners of Fransuska underground tunes. The season that makes Povetarac look mod- best places for a night out in sobarica (French Maid) and opener saw two of the most pop- ern. Since the start of the season, long the banks of the New Europe. Batler (Butler) two popular ular Belgrade Djs, Brka and the popular D’n’B and dubstep Belgrade side of the Sava, At the time of writing the Sava clubs in town, so is sure to keep Tijana T, play and we can expect crews have been holding parties Astretching from the Sava River was in flood and most of the to hear some good electronic a good following. The walkway there along with some of Centar along the river and round splavs along the river have extend- beats for the rest of the season onto the banks of the Danube are leading up to the splav is neither Belgrade’s underground bands. ed their access walkways to the too. Y the ‘splav’s – literally rafts. heel nor drunkenness friendly It’s not a classy place but the upper banks by means of some M They range from the plush and and will be a surprise to all of prices are fairly modest – at least pretty precarious scaffolding and Right next to the Tram-Bridge, C well-maintained through to the those who are used to western compared to some of the others on plank constructions – be careful! New Belgrade Side of the Sava K frankly dangerous-looking, some health and safety standards. The the river. If it is a busy night, you Guide July 16 - 29, 2010 13 Brod to Mount Cule A word of caution about Sharri dogs Mt. Cule Hiking Details (Illyrian Shepherd) If you want to follow in my footsteps These beautiful dogs are only found in They hardly ever bite humans, but you this hike is steep but easy enough. this area of the world. should keep your distance as they are pro- They are large and are very protective of tective of the sheep and their territory. STARTING POINT: The town of Brod the sheep they guard. It is their job after When you are passing by just give them DURATION: 4 hours’ round trip all. enough distance. They will bark, but don’t ALTITUDE: Brod - 1,384 m; Mt. Cule - If you come across a flock of sheep or a be afraid. Sharri dogs are the best.” 2,220 shepherd’s hut, most likely there will also I’ve followed this advice and have not had DIFFICULTY: Steep, but you can go as be Sharri dogs around. A local shepherd any problems to date - although I have had slow as you want. There gave me this advice: plenty of the dogs bark at me to their is nothing technically “Don’t worry too much about the dogs. hearts’ content. difficult about this hike Visit www.toddswanderings.com for more tips on travel in Kosovo and beyond. other than the steep- ness.

The path starts from the southern edge of Brod town in Dragash, across the river and up the hill from the community cen- Getting There tre. The town is not very big so just ask any- Driving from Prishtina to Brod takes one in town for Cule (pronounced about two and a half hours. “Chule”) and they should be able to point Drive to Prizren and follow the one- you in the right direction. way roads through the city taking a You will find a lot of shepherds’ trails sharp left at the city centre and follow- but follow the main one up the mountain ing signs for Kukes and Dragash where and towards the rock peak to the south- you will take a right turn to leave the east - that’s Cule. There are no markers city. here so print out the map above and fol- Continue on the road to Kukes for low it the best you can. about 10km until you come to an inter- The good news is that there are no trees section with signs pointing left to and it is easy to navigate by sight alone. Dragash. After about an hour of steep hiking you Turn left and follow this road into the will come to a stream. Cross it and follow valley for about 30km until you come to it up the mountain. You will see Cule up the town of Dragash itself. on your left. Yes, it’s that easy. Continue through Dragash centre fol- Water, food, snacks can all be bought in lowing signs for Brod. The road after Brod or the town of Dragash. Dragash winds its way through the Don’t forget to buy sharri cheese as it is mountains for another 20 minutes until a local delicacy, just watch out as it is very you come to Brod, the last town on the salty. road. Photo by Todd Wassel Todd by Photo

can be sure to see people dancing next to its fancy neighbours but we and are some of the most expen- the very few to have a picky door nowhere near as large in size as and having fun. And don’t worry - guess this is part of the club’s sive places to spend your evening policy. That’s picky by local stan- its famous brothers and sisters even though Joker, like many of appeal. No other boat club man- by the river. Good sound systems, dards you understand – a nice pair ‘Sound’ and ‘Povetarac’ but as we the other splavs, looks like it ages to mix 80s hits with modern classy environment and beautiful of jeans and some proper shoes all know, size is not everything. might sink, this has not happened dance and electronic artists quite people. You get what you pay for should help spirit you past the Modest prices - it serves some of as yet - at least not to our knowl- as well as Povetarac (and believe we suppose. ‘face control’. These days few of the nicest Medovaca (rakija edge. us many of them try!). the more famous resident DJs play made with honey) in town - good Plastic Light there but they still tempt in the music and a great view back over Povetarac close to Crash occasional good foreign act. to the Kalemegdan Fortress Plastic was once the hippest make it one of the nicest places Actually a boat and not a splav, Sound and Freestyler club in town. These days it tends to 20/44 to dance the night away on the not much has changed since be a little too popular with the Sava. Y Povetarac stopped being a These are perhaps the most younger generation in our opin- This splav became one of the M freighter turned into a riverclub. It famous splavs in Belgrade, at least ion. Plastic Light is the summer most popular places to go to near Branko’s Bridge on the New C looks like it landed by accident according to most guide books, version of the club that’s one of when it opened last summer. It is Belgrade side of the Sava K If you would like your NGO to appear in 14 July 16 - 29, 2010 our Making a Difference feature, please Feature email [email protected] By Belinda Vrapi Tough Times for Custodians of Albanian Culture Some at Kosovo’s Institute of Albanology have told Prishtina Insight that the organisation, surpris- ingly, had received more money and autonomy in Yugoslav times than today

By Shengjyl Osmani

s custodians of more than 100,000 artifacts of importance to Albanian Aculture as well as a wealth of semi- nal books, you would expect Kosovo’s Institute of Albanology to be flourishing in a post-war, post-independence Prishtina. But while this august institution contin- ues to produce important work on culture, linguistics and other elements of Albanian life, some complain that it has rarely been so starved of funds and that the decade-long political failure to grant it autonomy is sti- fling its work. The institute has been waiting for more than ten years now for its remit and powers to be clarified, leaving it in a legal limbo. Arben Hoxha, one of the linguist experts at the institute, told Prishtina Insight that without an adequate legal framework, the institute cannot function properly. And he The Institute of Albanology in Prishtina is struggling to find funds because of its unclear status believes that the centre is being held back because of the international community’s points during the Yugoslav era, the final Montenegro, Macedonia, and Albania, straints. Each year they produce a consid- fears of Albanian cultural dominance in years were far more difficult. which have successfully kept the old, tradi- erable number of publications, all of which Kosovo. On March 8, 1994, the institute’s entire tional spirit of their ancestors,” Matoshi contain worthy information regarding the “We do not have to fear how others see staff was ousted from the building by the said. Albanian language, literature, culture, his- our past, that’s our identity and cultural Yugoslav military, as ethnic Albanian work- “We are lucky to have even a few of the tory et cetera. heritage,” he said. “The institute should ers were in many institutions across original pieces untouched by the Serb mili- “The majority of the researchers and have autonomy and act independently, Kosovo. But they retreated into a private tary. These play a crucial role in our cultur- professors hold doctorates in related fields without any governmental interventions homes in order to maintain their studies. and are well-qualified experts in their areas and international influence.” It was only after the end of the 1999 con- “We are lucky to have even a few of of focus.” “While operating under Yugoslavian flict that the institute moved back into the In 2009, the institute published 49 era,” Hoxha added, “the Institute of building in central Prishtina, which is cur- the original pieces untouched by the research papers regarding linguistic, his- rently being renovated. Serb military. These play a crucial torical and ethnological issues. The Serbian military is believed to have Kolgjini called on the government to pro- “We do not have to fear how others used the institute as a base during NATO’s role in our cultural heritage and vide the institute with political autonomy see our past, that’s our identity and bombing campaign in 1999, and has been national identity” but more funds. She said: “The main source accused of destroying artifacts before its of funding should be the government, [but] cultural heritage” withdrawal. al heritage and national identity,” he said. the government and the various political Hysen Matoshi, director of the Institute The institute has a considerable number parties should not be able to influence the Albanology, just as the Serbian-language of Albanology, says that despite the finan- of exhibits, mainly folklore clothing, old stances that are taken at the institute; it Institute of Pristina, had total autonomy of cial constraints, the organisation continues work tools, and a rich collection of linguis- should be apolitical in nature, not only in work, and had great financial support from to research Albanian linguistics, history tic papers and research into the Albanian regards to the positions that are taken with- the government investments into research and ethnology. language. in, but also in terms of the hiring of its and cultural identifications.” “The pieces that we have today have been But Matoshi admits that the small budget employees.” But while the institute had more finan- collected during research by our scientists, is holding the institute’s work back. But Nuri Bexheti, political adviser to the cial means and greater autonomy at some from the mountainous areas in Kosovo, He said: “The institute is having difficul- Minister of Education, Science and ties recruiting new staff because of the lim- Technology, which is responsible for the ited budget. institute, said that the cooperation and the “The failure to implement extra projects and cultural research on albanological studies, and difficulties buying new cultur- “The main source of funding should al artifacts, are a result of not having be the government, [but] the govern- enough funds [from government] and not being able to pursue any other available ment and the various political parties funds because of the unregulated status of should not be able to influence the the institute. stances that are taken at the insti- “But having limited funds for research has not stopped us, and we have not seen it tute” as a reason to withdraw from the work we love to do, continuing to enrich our culture support given to the Institute of and linguistic heritage.” Albanology was ‘enormous’. He said the Julie Kolgjini, a professor at the ministry will continue to invest in cultural American University in Kosovo who holds heritage and Albanian language. a doctorate in Albanian linguistics, praised “We are currently funding the recon- for Institute of Albanology for the work it structions of institute’s building, which is does in difficult circumnstances. one of the biggest investments done for this “The staff, researchers, and professors institute and we will always stay close to Y who are employed at this institution have a the institute,” said Bexheti. He added that M very important job, which they do quite he expects the law on the institute to be C well, especially given the financial con- placed on the Assembly’s agenda very soon. K Skanderbeg statue at the Institute of Albanology 15 Culture July 16 - 29, 2010 Photo by Muamer Niksic by Photo Freedom Festival Challenges Kosovo’s Bleak Image Laura Wolf, reporter for Prishtina Insight’s sister newspaper in Belgrade, visited Kosovo for the first time to revel at Freedom Festival, discovering a welcom- ing atmosphere and mixture of foreign and local bands, as well as a country which has a lot more to offer than its image of poverty and ethnic tension. FM. or rather do not exclude, Serbia At one point, Dreadzone’s front- more mainstream radio stations. This June, the station organised and/or a Serbian audience. man, Tom Bran, who had a broken According to Abdyli, their cover- for the second time the “Freedom Abdyli says they took the U2 con- leg, was jumping up and down on age of the last general election was By Laura Wolfs Festival”, with financial support cert 1997 in Sarajevo, which was one leg and shaking his arms in the one their greatest successes so far. from several sponsors. The Kosovo attended by all of Bosnia’s ethnic air with every line that BimBimma “We had the best coverage… [and] government also supported it - on communities, as a source of inspi- was spitting into the mike. The even TV stations used our network condition that the festival took ration on how to connect people Stereo MCs apparently regretted in their coverage,” he recalled. he pictures that Western place on June 12 and 13, to match through music, no matter what not having come as their whole for- “B92 [based in Belgrade] is a Europeans or North TAmericans associate with the anniversary of the date in 1999 their ethnic background may be. mation. It did not matter – their set great inspiration for me personally, Kosovo tend to be of bombed-out when adoption of UN Security The unfinished buildings every- was welcomed with a massive erup- along with a small radio in buildings, mass graves, refugees, Council Resolution 1244 and the where in Prishtina highlight the tion of dancing, despite it being Ljubljana [Radio Student] both of poverty, conflict and protests gone arrival of KFOR troops terminated fact that Kosovo remains an unfin- 3am on a Monday morning. which did their bit for their soci- violent. Perhaps, if they have Serbian rule. ished country. Years of internation- “A few years ago, it wouldn’t have eties,” Abdyli added. seen ‘Kosovo: The Young The radio station is part of al involvement are one of the most been possible to have such a varied There are parallels between Europeans’, the TV advert pro- Urban Team, a consulting and striking impressions that most for- line-up of local bands playing here these stations. Both recognised the duced by Saatchi & Saatchi, event-organising agency made up eign visitors to the city will take and people actually turning up to need to target young people with which aired in late 2009, their of young people who work together away with them. see them,” one of the concert-goers music that was not heard any- image will be of Europe’s to promote Kosovo as a European Mainstream American culture said excitedly. where else, and with reporting that youngest country with an average destination for cultural events. plays a great part in everyday real- Jericho in particular had a large was not there to please one political age of about 26. They are also engaged in other ity among children growing up local following, ranging from side but which reached out to the The poorest part of the old projects, aimed at increasing the here and this year’s Freedom teenagers to young parents in their kind of young people who would Yugoslav Federation, Kosovo has participation of particularly young Festival attracted many of them by thirties. When the band, which normally dismiss news and politics an estimated unemployment rate people in political and societal dis- getting the US hip hop star plays a mix of rock and traditional on conventional radio stations. of 45 per cent, making it a sad course. They started operating a Chamillionaire to come. music, played “The Song about the The annual EXIT festival in European champion in that decade ago and have remained We “continue to fulfil our motto, Missing” everyone sang along, and Vojvodina, in northern Serbia, and respect. independent of the government. ‘Listen to alternative music, so you the atmosphere became over- the Freedom Festival also have par Yet, those arriving in Prishtina “Music knows no boundaries can think alternatively’”, Abdyli whelming even for those who did allels. This year’s tickets for the immediately notice the plenitude and this we proved with … the 2002 says. In recent years, a diverse not understand the lyrics. Freedom Festival, for instance, con- of bars, cafés and restaurants, Road of Peace and with Freedom music scene has developed in The song is about those who died sisted of “passports”. The idea was filled mainly with young and beau- Fest 2009,” recalls Arientin Abdyli, Kosovo and the Freedom Festival during the Kosovo war and whose in line with this year’s aim of pro- tiful people. As in many Balkan head of the Urban FM crew. The confirms that in the tiny country of bodies have not been found. Despite moting Kosovo as Europe’s newest countries, one can only wonder “Road to Peace” project was the only around 2 million, it doesn’t the dark subject, there was an all- European state, connecting the fes- how so many people can afford to first of its kind in the area to try only thrive on mainstream imports encompassing message of hope tival to Kosovo’s campaign to the sit in cafés all day, every day. and reach out across ethnic bor- but on local artists too. that while these people are still gain an easier visa regime with the Since Kosovo’s declaration of ders, using music as the uniting Local bands like Jericho, The missing, not forgetting them does EU - similar to EXIT’s own cam- independence, culture has not feature. Glasses, The Transformers and not mean society must be filled paigns in 2004 and 2006. been a top priority of the govern- It consisted of a train running BimBimma, all coming from differ- with hatred. While most young people would ment or of the omnipresent inter- from the Kosovo capital, Prishtina, ent musical spectrums, were no Urban FM is also one of the regret it if Kosovo’s Freedom national organisations. Along with to the Macedonian border as well less popular than the hip hop star founding members of the Festival turned into a fully blown the majority of the other Balkan as to the divided northern town of who arrived backstage in a stretch Independent News Centre, support- commercial event, as EXIT has states, “cheap and cheerful” shows Mitrovica, with dj-ing coming from limousine; keeping up appearances ed by the Dutch-based organisation become, it would nevertheless at dominate local TV and radio sta- the Serbians. counts even when you play in Press Now. This network of around least mean Kosovo was not only tions. In this mishmash of This is only one of many exam- Kosovo. 100 Serbian and Albanian radio sta- identified with poverty and war but Y American mainstream culture and ples in which Urban FM has It wasn’t just the crowd but also tions throughout Kosovo aims to with a vibrant cultural scene, visit- M Balkan Turbofolk, there is one engaged in what some call contro- the foreign artists that were increase the flow of information on ed by thousands of foreigners C exception, the radio station Urban versial projects, since they include, impressed by the local musicians. topics insufficiently covered by every year. K 16 July 16 - 29, 2010 Food & Drink Pukka Food at Bukka Restaurant radiating through floor-to-ceiling windows. A private dining area is located at the back of the interior, for intimate gatherings and feasts. By Maneater The menu thankfully comprises assorted options situated on a single sheet of paper, allowing for effortless ordering. Common dyllic décor has always cushioned this salads, pastas, sandwiches and chicken venue’s transfer of ownership and con- entrées are joined by a short list of slightly Icept. Now operating as a restaurant, the more infrequent options, which I decided to former Kaqa and then Outback bar and café has retained a large part of its original inte- test out for lunch. rior and terrace flair that have kept people My dining partner and I went with a coming back for years. mixed salad, potato skins, and leqenik Tucked away from the buzzing café and (national cornbread specialty) as starters, foot traffic of the downtown area known as and risotto fiorentina and sarma (stuffed Kafet e Vogla, Bukka Restaurant serves up vine leaves) for our mains – all reasonably dishes that are a great alternative for those priced at less than five euro. tired of the area’s staple eateries. Also, their The mixed salad arrived plated to show off menu is altered daily, providing further every ingredient – a serving of shredded car- Bukka’s outdoor area has a calming Bohemian atmosphere rots, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and options for loyal diners. and grease-free. Served with tangy marina the most flavourful. Small bundles of sea- A flowing water fountain forms the cen- red cabbage, surrounding a bed of soft green sauce and herby sour cream, this starter is soned minced beef and onion tightly trepiece of the outdoor terrace, which hosts lettuce. No dressing is including, making it a both pleasantly filling and well accompanied. wrapped in vine leaves arrived served in a a series of dining tables and lounge seating healthy fat-free plateful of veggies. Risotto is an Italian specialty so often traditional clay saucer, immersed in a spicy for visitors. Tall trees and an abundant The leqenik also offered a healthy compo- inaccurately prepared in local restaurants, broth, used for hours of aromatic boiling amount of greenery add further tranquility sition, avoiding oily cooking methods usual- and preparation of the meal. to Bukka’s surroundings. ly used to make this dish. Wholesome and but Bukka does meet most of its intended qualities. Spinach, soft tomatoes and a The indoor dining area is situated around comforting, the cornbread and spinach mix- Bukka is open from 11:00 to 23:00 every creamy consistency create a delectable a small bar area only inflated by large chan- ture arrived sliced up into bite-sized day risotto experience; however this dish’s deliers and intricate ceiling beams. squares, avoiding any dryness. It was com- Near Tiffany’s Neutrals are the palette of choice for the plemented with a portion of sharp feta and essential call for parmesan cheese is 045 422 703 interior, including furniture and table set- conserved olives and chili peppers. missed, generating a void hard to miss. tings, which are given life from natural light The potato wedges followed, oven-baked The sarma was by far our favourite, and ining Kosovo Economy e Cronyism is Underm News: Firms Alleg st Expensive in Region? News: Kosovo’s New Highway – The Mo ers on Kosovo Border erbia Villag nnerve South S ws: Tensions U Ne t.com Free c opy No.33 www.prishtinainsigh ary12 - 25,2010 Issue y Febru t.com Free cop w.prishtinainsigh GUIDE sue No.32 ww ebruary11,2010 Is Kosovo’s January29 - F FEATURE s ative’ Ski Season Free copy Kosovo Become ‘Altern .com ants ort Gets off Home to Migr Outdoor Sp . 31 www.prishtinainsightFinally oge 2010 Issue No TURE sylum- Destination - B January 15 - 28, to FlyingFEA Start s and A p Ten Prishtina orstInsight’ Seekers > page 7 To After one of the w e Year s Review ofs, th Destination starts in 30 year Brezovica's ski season > page 7 010 ed off. for 2 has finally kick wboarders ARTE With your diaries look- Skiers and sno ’s New or orce last Tim Judah ing decidedly empty f were out in f end, enjoying the Book the next 12 months, week s. > pagew and blue 7 skie Prishtina Insight has fresh sno > page 9 FEATURE ormation on compiled its top ten For m oINSIDEre inf PRISHTINA arch For d events in E Son’s Se destinations for 2010 inthe weatherThe Ancientan City ofGUID vers the region, ranging visit Father Unco

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ed by: is support Prishtina’s best sports bar offers the perfect setting to watch a You can almost transport yourself to the Mexican coast, with game on over a dozen HDTV screens, guzzle down a metre of beer soaring palm trees and an immaculate five star resort, while dining and tuck in to some delicious food. There is enough space to at Cavallero Mexican Cantina. Mouth-watering appetizers and accommodate large crowds and still maintain enough legroom savoury main dishes are nicely washed down with countless cock- It could be you? and breathing space between rival supporters, or those wanting tail options and even imported Mexican beer. Gather you’re friends Prishtina Insight is looking to watch different games, whether it is a Liverpool match, NFL and bring on the fiesta. Cavallero has a great terrace where you can game, or cycling race. Filikaqa’s menu includes spicy chicken enjoy the summer breeze. For for a small number of addition- wings, beef nachos, cheese-stuffed pizza, fried chicken, burgers more information, visit their al partners to offer complimen- and fries. Every Friday, join facebook page, or contact them. tary copies of the newspaper. Filikaqa for karaoke nights. Cavallero, And for a small fee, you will Filikaqa Located next to the ex-UNMIK also be included in our listings Rr. Mujo Ulqinaku BL 4/1 building ‘where to pick up Prishtina Pejton, Prishtina Prishtina Insight’. Contact Prishtina www.filikaqa.com +377 44 508 980 Insight on +381 38 24 33 58 for +381 38 244 288 Facebook page more information. Prishtina Insight

Cantina am-pm Restaurant Hotel AFA Te Komiteti Prishtina Insight is Kosovo’s only English-language newspa- Cantina AM-PM, formerly known as Located in a quiet neighbourhood just Te Komiteti’s large trees and a beauti- per. It is available: Mexican Cantina, recently went through a outside the city centre, Hotel Afa can guar- fully garden, which surround the small transfer to new management, and although antee guests a peaceful night while being outdoor terrace, give you an impression On its publication date, hardly noticeable from a distance, the new within walking distance of all the action. of an exclusive place for ordinary peo- every other Friday, delivered to owners have transformed the venue into a The venue has won a host of awards for its ple. And this is exactly what it is. From your door or your inbox for as more grown-up affair with good, cheap food. excellent service to customers and offers a brunch to lunch-time snacks and special little as 10euro for six months. Cantina offers Mexican dishes at reasonable good range of facilities, from an exclusive evening meals, this restaurant offers Visit www. prishtinain- prices, starting from less than 5 euro. Although restaurant and VIP dishes comprising quality, varied ingre- sight.com for more details. the majority of the food is Mexican-influenced, bar to pretty, tranquil dients, combined to perfection. Cesar salad and pizza have been included too. garden. Rooms start at Alongside one of Prishtina’s best ‘mod- From news-stands in Mexican favourites 45 euro for a single, ern European’ Prishtina, Prizren, Peja, served up at Cantina and luxury rooms and style menus, Mitrovica, Gjakova, Gjilan and include tortilla, thicker apartments are avail- you’ll also find a Ferizaj on Saturdays for just pan-friend tortilla, able. The hotel’s rooms good selection of one euro. nacho chips and burri- are well appointed and wine, and great to. Cantina’s also offers comfortable. sangria and cock- From one of our partner a very pleasant area for 15, Rr Ali Kelmendi, tails . organisations (see above). al fresco dining. Sunny Hill, Te Komiteti Grab a drink, meal or a bed for Cantina AM-PM Prishtina Qamil Hoxha the night and enjoy a compli- Rr Qamil Hoxha +381 38/225 226 Street Y mentary copy from Mondays Prishtina www.hotelafa.com Prishtina after publication. M +377 49 710 710 +381 38 24 96 63 C K By Shengjyl Osmani July 16 - 29, 2010 17 in Prishtina Timeout Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

Prishtina Diary

Friday, July 16 Tuesday, July 20 July 28 – Roma in Europe Full House, 10pm: Progressive Cinema Lumbardhi Prizren, July 29 - RomArt InterZone Cinema is my Wife vol.VII / hosted by 8.30 pm to 10 pm: Solo concert of For more info visit Uran B. will present TASH Petrit Ceku - Kosovo’s most www.zonesimageinair.org very day at 6pm (Greece) Movement Rec, renowned guitar player. This is and 8pm, ABC will Tribalvision, Baroque. Free his first concert in native Prizren, Friday, July 30 Escreen the final entrance for ladies until mid- within Summer Urban Festival. Eros Ramazzotti, Prishtina chapter of Shrek, It night. Free entrance. Free bus ride to Stadium Ain’t Ogre...Till It’s Ogre. ABC cinema also Prizren from Grand Hotel, with Doors open at 6pm, while the continues to screen the Saturday, July 17 departure at 6 pm. concert will start at8 pm. Tickets Square (Sheshi) 21, 10pm: movie Robin Hood at can be reserved at tickets- 10pm. The cinema will Hernan Cattaneo, the famous Saturday, July 24, to [email protected], or buy ticket also screen the movie Argentinean Renaissance and Thursday, July 29 sin: Square Nena Tereze, NEW It’s Complicated, Bedrock musician will perform The second edition of BORN, Gagi Café & Foto Gagi, Divorced...with Benefits this Saturday. Tickets cost 5euro IMAGeIN’AIR Film Festival will Stripdepot, Babel, Te Komiteti, with Merly Streep, Steve for women and 7euro for men if take place in Gjilan. Over six Lips, People’s, Gizzi Grill, Marin, and Alec bought 24 hours before, and 6euro nights (July 24 and 29), this Papillon, Publicco, Rron’s Bar, Baldwin in the main for women and 8euro for men year’s IMAGeIN’AIR Film Bamboo, Annex, Paper, Cantina roles. after that. Doors open at 10 pm. Festival will showcase 20 films For ticket reservations Am Pm, and 91. www.hernancattaneo.com made by young European film- and further information makers. The festival aims to pro- visit Summer Urban Festival Tuesday, July 20 mote the voices and the creativi- www.kinoabc.info or Summer Urban Festival, SURF, Stripdepot, 8.30 pm to 10 pm: ty of this young generation of call 038 243 117 Comics Exhibition of Gani European artists. The pro- a new concept for an annual Jakupi, a multimedia-artist gramme will focus on social and series of events will be organised residing in Spain, one of cultural issues and is built in in both major cities in Kosovo, Kosovo’s foremost comic book partnership with different Prizren and Prishtina, as axis of Win a VIP Ticket for Morcheeba authors and jazz composers. He organisations from Kosovo, urban culture in Kosovo, run by has published books in France France and Germany. The Gani Bobi Centre, GBC. and Spain, and is coming to Opening Ceremony will take Wednesday, August 11, 2010 orcheeba concert will be the highlight from a month-long Kosovo with originals of his place at 8.30pm on Saturday, July Morcheeba concert, together with series of cultural events dubbed Summer Urban Festival, drawings, for an exhibition to be 24, in front of the theatre of Genc Salihu and Shpat Deda to MSURF. held in Stripdepot. The exhibi- Gjilan/Gnjilane. perform in Prishtina. The first ten people to send an email to [email protected] tion is a part of a series of urban The programme: Saturday, August 21- 22, urban will get free VIP tickets to see one of the best bands ever to visit cultural events named SURF – July 24 – Crossing Europe graffiti workshop, Prizren Kosovo. Summer Urban Festival. The July 25 – Food & Cinema Saturday, August 28 – 30, MM Morcheeba is a British band that mixes influences from trip hop, Festival is organised by Gani July 26 – Crossing...Kosovo regional literary workshop, rock, rhythm and blues and pop. Their most popular albums include Bobi Centre, GBC. July 27 – Urban Culture Prizren debut Who Can You Trust? and Big Calm.

Y M C K 18 July 16 - 29, 2010 Inside Prishtina

Ecosovo Bar Review: Kosovo; Making Star Sun Coffee here’s nothing remotely spectacular about this a Meal of it TSunny Hill spot, especially when compared to the decked out cafés of the city centre. deals with foreign companies, Even so, the mere fact that this that’s an issue for the water pro- non-downtown cafe is frequented ducers of Kosovo to tackle. By Elizabeth Gowing by savvy city dwellers justifies its But when the reason given was long life. repeatedly ‘customer preference: Star Sun is located at the customers prefer the imported entrance of the Sunny Hill he setting was a cafe in brands’, then it’s a situation that Shopping Centre, a two-storey pre- Prishtina. The conver- only the customers can change. conflict structure mostly occupied Tsation was about Kosovo Is imported really what we cus- by tacky retailers and office and its halting economic tomers prefer? A glass of San development, its environ- dwellers. Although a series of Pellegrino laced with the fumes mental deterioration. We sat cafes are located within the shop- of all the lorry exhausts that sipping our mineral water, ping centre, Star Sun’s terrace have hauled it across Europe to our orange juice, our maki- proves the most appealing. our table in Pejton? Not to men- atos - all contributing to the Classic cushioned wicker tables tion the nasty aftertaste of problem. occupy the terrace, which is conve- coffee shop decor, and to some or less. Kosovo’s unemployment because According to official figures niently located on a higher level extent, Starbucks branding. The young and old frequent this the local equivalents can’t find last year, Kosovo imported more away from the dusty street. Coffee options are basic – mac- place, choosing to support neigh- their market? than 110 million euro of drinks Umbrellas and tall plants add chiato, Nescafe, and espresso – but bourhood businesses as oppose to Filikaqa sports bar makes the and tobacco. The figures for bev- needed shade and seclusion, along join a range of beer options the big guys located in the centre. choice quite clear to its patrons. erages alone aren’t available, but with residential charm and sim- including Italian favourite Peroni, Sometimes residential serenity The menu there offers ‘Kosovan even if it was only one per cent plicity. priced at only one euro a bottle. surpasses downtown boasting. water’ or ‘Imported water’. It of this, it would still represent The interior’s high ceilings and Typical Prishtina dining an enormous haemorrhage of makes you think before you options such as omelettes, sand- Star Sun Coffee decide what to order. In May, the visible second level provide much Kosovo’s money going outside needed space for the otherwise wiches, salads, soups, pancakes, 038 550 681 the country. Every sip my friends chain of Amelie restaurants cel- chicken assortments, pizzas and Rr. Hyzri Talla, Sunny Hill ebrated the opening of their crammed first level. Mahogany and I took of our imported coffee tables, and forest green pastas are available for ordering. Shopping Centre newest cafe, and announced a Everything is priced at four euro Slovenian milk, our imported upholstered chairs mimic classic Serbian water, our imported change in their policy. Macedonian fruit juice, was spit- If you ask for it, you will now ting in the face of the Kosovar find Kosovan water available in Shop Review: farmers and factory workers Amelie. General Manager of the who produce the local equiva- Amelie Group Erez Abiri says “If lents. we keep importing, this coun- Not everything Made In try’s economy will not grow, so we see our decision as an invest- Lush Cosmetics Kosovo can compete with its imported equivalent, but Rugova ment in progress for this coun- water can, so can Vita milk, try. It’s a small contribution by Stone Castle wine, not to men- us but as a business in Kosovo we tion the food to go with it - honey want to help Kosovo.” or all the fresh fruit and vegeta- So we should all start asking. bles; glossy heaps of spinach, Cards are available which say ‘I sleek peppers, the pumpkins. only drink Kosovan water’; I give Last time I went to buy fruit them to the owners of cafes and vegetables I started by ask- where I’m ordering (contact thei- ing ‘what do you have that was [email protected] if grown in Kosovo?’ The resulting you want some yourself). meal was a strange but delicious There’s a Facebook group one - cabbage, cucumber and (‘Could I have a glass of Kosovan cherries. The guy serving me water please’). And there is your was bemused, amused, then hor- custom to be given to all those rified. cafes who give you what you He had bent down to check want. boxes and labels, shaking his Before a meal, the Albanians head at the passports of his would wish you ‘ju bëftë mirë’ - mounds of produce. ‘may it do you good’. As we sit down to eat and drink, I wish the

The final insult was what he Rrahmani Petrit by Photo brought up between outstretched same thing for the fields and thumb and forefinger - a little skies of Kosovo. Živeli, ‘here’s to roduct junkies and environ- begin with. looked after by Lush’s products. bag of garlic which had travelled life.’ And cheers! mentalists will be equally Large blocks of colourful soaps, From hand creams, foot masks, to Pristina all the way from Some international aid organi- Phappy to hear that Lush varying in texture and smell are deodorants, henna hair dyes, shav- Cosmetics has landed in Prishtina. China. sations have a principle of only displayed in the front window, ing creams, shampoo bars, glitter With its eccentric product develop- Washing down my meal was locally-produced drinks at their ready to be cut precisely into the bars, massage bars and dusting ment and insistence on using only mineral water, which should be workshops, seminars and confer- size you desire. Every soap consists powders, each has a personalised organic ingredients free of preser- an easy way to buy local because ences. Does your workplace have of a unique composition of natural label presenting the person who vatives, this shop is a one-stop there is such a huge range a Green Office policy - about ingredients in order to achieve the made the product, and its shorter- solution for retail therapy and sus- sourced in Kosovo: Dea, Bonita, local sourcing or any other cosmetic effect one desires. than-usual shelf-life due to the tainable living. Kllokot, Rugova, Aqua Heba, aspect of your work? Tell us so Karma soap, an in-store avoidance of artificial preserva- From the mid-1990s, England- Akull... we can include it in the article favourite, is designed to thoroughly tives. based Lush Cosmetics began stir- But when Ashok Tamby of The about Kosovo’s Green Offices in cleanse and leave behind a spicy The Prishtina shop is similar to ring up a storm of publicity sur- Ideas Partnership conducted a this column next month. scent of orange oil and lemongrass. other branches in the region. rounding their untreated, all-natu- small survey in central Prishtina I Should Coco, on the other hand, Products are conveniently placed ral products, varying from soaps to last month he found that of 26 Elizabeth Gowing is a founder utilises luscious bits of coconut to for consumer testing, and staff skincare ointments. Since then, the cafes or bars who were inter- member of The Ideas scrub away dead skin cells and members are fully informed of all viewed, 14 - more than half - did- Partnership, a Kosovan NGO company has opened stores and reveal brighter skin. ingredients, methods for use, and n’t stock Kosovan water of one working on educational, cultural factories in more than 40 countries. Lush’s product range only begins the benefits they present for the kind or another. and environmental projects. The Lush experience is definite- with soap. The breadth of bath skin. Y When we asked the reason, Responses or suggestions for ly a unique one. Fancy packaging is products is endless, from bath Lush Cosmetics M they gave a range of responses. If inclusion in future columns will disregarded in order to minimise bombs, shower gels, body smooth- Sports and Youth Centre, C it’s to do with better sponsorship find her at theideaspartner- resource use, and about half of the ies and more. First Floor K [email protected] products aren’t even packaged to Every part of the body can be 038 726 005 By Shega A’Mula 19 in Prishtina Inside Prishtina July 16 - 29, 2010

Outside In Can Thaci be one third of Tony Blair?

By Kreshnik Hoxha

he fact that Tony Blair’s visit to Kosovo was a historic moment is Tabsolutely indisputable, but the underlying question is: “How many Thaci’s does it take to make a Tony Blair?” It was a display of spectacular hospitality by cheering crowds, the same ones that eleven years ago welcomed this man with sombre faces in refugee camps in Macedonia. The reporting in the Kosovo media and the ceremony of the University of Prishtina must have ignited nostalgia of Blair’s Salad Days of 1997 when he assumed power as the new Prime Minister of the UK. As I was watching the coverage of Blair’s visit, I remembered the conversation with my history teacher in England Mr Phillips, who, back in 2007, said to me that he expects Tony Blair to pay a visit to Kosovo very soon. Those were the days when Blair was preparing to step down as the PM. With his popularity at an all-time low and a tar- Building Review nished reputation after the war in Iraq, Mr Phillips believed that Blair would shortly pay visit to one of the few places in the world where people still adored him and respected him as a hero. Ulpiana Fountain and One of these few places is Kosovo for sure. Tony Blair’s visit took place three years later compared to the initial predic- tion of Mr Phillips, instead he visited another bastion of Blair-loving, Sierra Roundabout Leone, but, Mr Phillips hit the nail on the head when he stated that Blair will be wel- comed to Kosovo as a national hero. As Prishtina Municipality reveals plans to repair the city’s water features, Shega A’Mula visits one that is still Eleven years is a long time for change to drawing in the crowds, despite running dry take place and I am certain Blair would have noticed the transformations Kosovo t might not be on par with a Parisian late afternoon. They get to run around doesn’t have other aesthetic issues. has gone through during this period of ‘place’ or a Roman piazza, but residents and play in an open space, while I get to For one, there’s has been no real effort time. But, we must acknowledge that for Iof Ulpiana still gather there every sit and unwind,” said Saranda, an at landscaping the roundabout, shrub- these transformations credit should be evening to play, chat and shoot the breeze. Ulpiana resident and mother of three. bery is sporadically located across the given to the Kosovar citizens collectively. I Ulpiana’s fountain doesn’t qualify as a While children run around the out- surface, and weeds sprout up, unabated, would quite begrudgingly give credit to all decorative feature, let alone a source of skirts of the fountain area, parents, everywhere. Kosovo governments, especially the current clean drinking water. grandparents, and others occupy the Also, benches are heavily damaged, one. Instead, this motionless disk-shaped numerous benches surrounding the idle with either missing wooden planks or Mr Blair’s visit introduced us to a hand- accumulation of cement, which sits in water source, chewing on sunflower splintering edges. ful of Toniblers, who were named in respect the middle of the neighbourhood’s large seeds and basking in the summer sun. Lighting is also minimal, making way of the tough decision Mr Blair made to roundabout, is utilised as a popular Tree shade is exploited for chess-play- for perilous activities during the hours change the life of a whole nation back in meeting point for residents, and a relax- ing by eldery men, who assemble in of darkness. late 1990s. What struck me most was the ing retreat for the elderly. their crews around one of the few tables According to municipality spokesper- reporting on RTK News about the Sahiti This particular roundabout is one of present on the roundabout. Games usu- son Muhamet Gashi, the roundabout is family. Their eleven-year-old son, Tonibler, the largest in the city, unifying busy ally run well into the early evening. regularly maintained, despite current expressed his desire to meet the real Blair. Agim Ramadani Street with the residen- By nightfall, the same tables are occu- deficiencies. But the conversation’s most poignant sec- tial lanes of Ulpiana. pied by residential teenagers and their Nevertheless, he does admit that tion saw Tonibler’s mother wholeheartedly Three of the neighbourhood’s tallest city comrades, seeking a quiet area to investment is needed to repair the hope that her son will become like Mr Blair block apartments surround the struc- smoke cigarettes and scheme rebellions. roundabout’s fountain, but also other one day. “If not full Blair, at least one third ture, providing the majority of the daily Other benches are reserved for young water-based city landmarks. of Blair,” she said. consumers at this roundabout-meeting lovers, also seeking seclusion. “We have accumulated a budget which Now, I could not help but wish the same place. Although the roundabout and foun- will repair and maintain the city’s foun- for our current Prime Minister Hashim The fountain may be currently out of tain area are heavily used by many age tains, and a company is expected to be Thaci. This may sound very cynical, but if a order, but large green patches of grass groups, litter is surprisingly not an commissioned this month,” he said. third of Blair’s legacy and leadership skills and dozens of tall pine and fruit trees issue. Waste bins installed all over the In the meantime, Ulpiana residents, were employed by Thaci, Kosovo would be provide enough of a natural environ- area effectively evade the problem who suffer from water shortages every Y much further down the road towards the EU ment to offset the tonnes of cold cement which is so persistent in other areas of evening after 10 pm, seem not to mind door, a door which Blair pointed out was M which make up the neighbourhood. the city. lazing around an inactive puddle, espe- already open to us. C “I bring my kids to the fountain in the That’s not to say that the roundabout cially in the heat of summer. K If you would like your NGO to appear in 20 July 16 - 29, 2010 our Making a Difference feature, please NGO Focus email [email protected]

A Foreign Policy Club press conference (above) and their newsletter Periskopi (below) Thinking Outside of the Diamond - Foreign Policy Club

researcher for the club. The club aims to push this debate until By Shengjyl Osmani Kosovo reaches recognition by the majority of the world’s countries. “One of the distinguished achievements of the research department was to address he Foreign Policy Club is the only policy issues that were ignored by both gov- think tank which aims to help form ernmental institutions and think-tank sec- TKosovo’s foreign policy, often bringing tor in Kosova,” said Luci. together well know diplomats and politi- Through its researches, papers and con- cians to discuss the future of the world’s ferences on Kosovo’s presence on the inter- youngest country. net, internationalisation of Kosovar sports, The Foreign Policy Club was established visa liberalisation and a trade agreement by its board members, Veton Surroi, with EU, and KFOR’s troop reduction, the Zejnullah Gruda, Venera Hajrullahu, FPC has brought a new quality to civil soci- Leonora Kryeziu, Valon Murati, Xhabir ety’s contribution on policy discussions and Hamiti and Ylli Hoxha. processes, it claims. Through its activities, the club is generat- The Foreign Policy Club has also tackled ing recommendations and programmes on sensitive political issues through its regional, European and global integration newsletter Periscope. process, and EU and NATO integration “Currently, the research department is processes in particular. capable of carrying out researches and pro- “A special focus of the organisation is to ducing policy documents even in highly develop debates on immediate actions complex and sensitive issues concerning which Kosovo’s institutions should under- domestic and international affairs,” said take in the diplomatic agenda in relation to Luci. “Under such conditions and research the recognition of Kosovo by UN member capacities, the FPC is becoming one of the states, and the admission of Kosovo to inter- most influential think-tank organisations continue to implement its annual pro- public agenda.” Y national organisations, such as UN, EC, vis-à-vis shaping public policy formulation gramme and focus its attention to some of Its next area of research and debating will M OSCE, International Olympic Committee, and implementation.” the most interesting political issues of the focus on Kosovo and Palestine. C and many more,” claimed Besa Luci, a Luci added: “The Foreign Policy Club will K For more information visit www.eklubi.com or contact them at + 381 38 221881 opinion July 16 - 29, 2010 21 Only Integrating Bosnia Will Dear Teta Mia...

Complete the Balkan Mosaic Teta Mia solves your problems break of the war there, Bosnia One should not dismiss some of remains Europe’s unresolved moral those arrangements. What one What’s a “shatzi”? issue. Bosnia cannot be rebuilt sole- should dismiss, however, is the plati- By Sonja Biserko ly on ethnic principles, while tude that Belgrade often repeats, Belgrade’s insistence on the status which is that Bosnia is “a miniature A little treasure, Prishtina quo, and on the immutability of the Yugoslavia” and therefore unviable. chatz, as I’m sure you know, means variously treasure, 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, testi- A “Europe of Citizens” cannot sup- wealth, darling, sweetheart and love (and, according to ifteen years on, the world fies more to Europe’s impotence port this argument. It is important has yet to define itself SGoogle Translate, poppet, natural resources and passion than to Serbia’s strength. Having to define clearly the points of inte- flower...). Fclearly in relation to the rallied since then, with support from grating Bosnia (a common army and Srebrenica crime – and unfortu- But in local parlance, “shatzi” refers to those migratory the EU and the United States, Serbia police, foreign policy, education and nately, this ambiguity encourages creatures which every July make the ten-hour journey across is able to pursue a policy of black- an Assembly whose work cannot be Serbia to continue obstructing the Alps heading for their place of birth, attracted from a thou- mail over Bosnia because the West efforts to rebuild Bosnia. blocked by an entity). sand kilometres away by the smells of home cooking and appears powerless to solve a number The Srebrenica genocide is and The international community has promises of finding a mate. of substantial, non-local issues. will remain an enduring trauma. so far done a lot towards establish- They can be spotted in urban settings such as Prishtina Meanwhile, the opening up of a Each new judgment passed by the ing institutions, a state of law and town centre, with the screeches of Mercedes sports tyres and European perspective for all Balkan Hague tribunal reveals new details standards; what is needed now is an hums of Swiss-plated Audi A6 engines, or in rural idylls leap- countries has mobilized the political and lays bare the enormity of the economic strategy, coupled with sub- elites in the region, with agreements ing to Balkan beats in traditional marriage rituals and regal- crime. But 15 years since the atroci- stantial financial support, not only on association and NATO partner- ing friends and families with tales of the German Work Ethic. ty, people’s consciousness in Serbia for Bosnia but the region as a whole. ship (or, for some, membership) The shatzi bring money, new babies, wedding proposals, remains largely unchanged, blocked So far, a considerable portion of the establishing a security-political presents and photographs. They bring washing machines, by organized amnesia and relativiza- huge sums directed to the region has framework. sofas and Ikea flat-paks. Lowered suspension, drilled exhausts tion. ended up in the West, through the The fact of the establishment of and bright headlights. Schengen visas and fresh ideas. Notwithstanding the Declaration maintenance of numerous missions. this framework is very important, Bemoaned by Prishtinali for their conspicuous consump- on Srebrenica adopted by Serbia’s Nation-building in Bosnia must be especially because it also encom- tion and revealing clothes, shatzi are in fact an essential part parliament, attitudes to the genocide put on a new footing with the citizen passes Serbia. The framework forti- of the local economy and Kosovo’s own educational and busi- and to what happened in the 1990s in at its centre. The Bosnian Serbs fies the European perspective of the ness development. general remain an obstacle to nor- should be helped to absolve them- Balkan countries. However, the next Remittances from this sub-species account for an essential malization both in the region and in selves of sole responsibility for phase will be slow and will depend 15 per cent of Kosovo’s GDP (CIA World Fact Book, 2010), and Serbia. genocide (which Belgrade imputes on the internal potential of each in an unfriendly investment climate, diaspora financing is one In spite of the intensification of to them) in order to clear the gulf country as well as on its horizontal of the few capital investment sources for Kosovo’s dilapidated relations in the region, true normal- between themselves and the Europeanization, that is, its soci- business sector. ization will not be possible without a Bosniaks. After all, reconciliation is ety’s involvement in changing value Estimates of the numbers of Kosovar Albanians living precise diagnosis of what happened possible only by acknowledging the systems. abroad vary wildly from 200,000 to 800,000. Much of the dis- in the former Yugoslavia. truth, not by holding all three sides In order to accelerate the second crepancy is down to the lack of a recent census (the last one in Such a diagnosis is lacking, not equally responsible. phase, it is essential to close the ter- which Albanians participated was held in 1981), the fact that because it cannot be made but Bosnia is the final stage of putting ritorial and/or state issues of many from Albania claimed to be from Kosovo to qualify for because, in its relations with the the Balkan mosaic together. It is also Kosovo and Bosnia and fast-track refugee status abroad as they fled their collapsing region, the international communi- the part in which the gravest error Herzegovina. Most obstruction in ty has adopted a neutral stance, was committed. Europe too would do state in the 1990s, and that Kosovars who have left tend not to this connection comes from Serbia, believing this is the best way to well to admit some of its fallacies register as such with the Kosovo authorities (only 1,790 citi- whose unwillingness to give up its make Serbia integrate into Europe. and blunders. Such an admission zens of Kosovo are registered to vote abroad). ambitions against other countries The younger generations in would help the region to adopt a Even if we take the low estimate, this means that around 10 harms both those countries and Serbia need to know the truth about more responsible attitude to the per cent of Kosovo’s Albanian population lives abroad; the real Serbia itself. As regards Kosovo, its the 1990s, even though they them- recent past. figure is likely much higher. full independence will be hastened selves are not responsible for the Yugoslavia was a paradigm of a So what is the government doing to nurture this financial after the International Court of crimes committed during the period. state incorporating the ideals and lifeline? Justice delivers its opinion. A wave These generations must progress contradictions of modern times. In 2009, the Alliance for New Kosovo party advocated setting of recognitions will follow, acceler- beyond the interpretation that Serbs This is why it is so difficult to write up a Ministry of Diaspora and allocating reserved seats for ating Kosovo’s territorial consolida- were only victims. Only the creation it off as a model. After all, it was members of parliament living abroad. tion. of a lasting peace will prevent repe- The government responded in April 2010 by passing the Law However, the problem of Bosnia Yugoslavia that gave statehood to tition of those crimes, which on Diaspora of Kosovo, which establishes the Kosovo Diaspora remains, because there is no politi- most of them. Today, the area is involves remembering and telling Agency attached to the Office of the Prime Minister, and cal will to address it from a moral characterized by archaic attitudes, the truth about the wars of the Kosovo Cultural Centres on Diaspora (KCCDs) in countries point of view. Bosnia has been and absence of ideals and lack of a sense 1990s. hosting large numbers of Kosovars. remains Europe’s moral issue and it of common interest and a common The attitude of the international The KCCDs have a venerable list of tasks, including promot- is high time the international com- good. Devoid of authentic ideas and community has contributed to a ing investments in Kosovo, scientific, technological, sport and munity defined itself more clearly vigour, it needs EU help. strengthening sentiment of victim- economic co-operation, establishing youth programmes, and in relation to the crime committed The region in general and Serbia hood within each nation in the “shall provide information and instructions on investments in against Bosnia and the Bosniaks. in particular will have to make fur- region. Often, this attitude of Kosovo, fiscal exemptions, cultural and educational organiza- It is immoral that Srebrenica ther efforts towards adopting ambivalence has been fortified by tions, meetings with compatriots and leading structures in should be located in the Serb entity European values. The process is European elites’ ambiguous attitude and that those who murdered thou- going to be long and arduous. Kosovo and relevant host countries, support to political struc- towards NATO’s intervention in sands of Bosniaks there in 1995 Without the EU, the countries of the tures of respective countries for the development of democra- Kosovo, the generation of European should be free to walk the streets of Western Balkans (not counting cy and economy in Kosovo and public awareness campaigns “Sixty-Eight-ers” having developed that town. When the last of the Croatia) will hardly abandon their for Kosovo in host countries” (Article 9, 1.4). a guilt complex after initially sup- Women of Srebrenica has ied, almost feudal mentalities. The KCCDs will be funded by “the budget of Republic of porting the intervention. Srebrenica will not only be a town of Serbia’s elite may give up. Serbia’s Kosovo; membership; donations; and other sources in compli- Belgrade has capitalized on these the dead but also a dead town. President, Boris Tadic, has already ance with the law” (Article 11). doubts, skilfully imposing a guilt Therefore, the Declaration of the asked the EU to “state clearly Neither new institutional set-up will be within the Ministry complex on all foreigners who have European Parliament on Srebrenica whether it wants Serbia in its com- of Foreign Affairs, although what else this ministry is doing at visited the capital since 2000 that is an important document, designed munity”. It looks as though any the moment remains unclear – it failed to spend a whopping 83 obscures Serbia’s own responsibility to prevent the genocide from being blame for the failure of the per cent of its budget in 2009, and appears incapable of pre- for events in Kosovo. forgotten. At last, Europe has come European option is going to be shift- venting Behgjet Pacolli from taking credit for recognitions of Ten whole years have been lost in to treat the crime as its moral ed onto the EU itself. Kosovo’s independence. meandering between desires to “nor- responsibility. Fortunately, Serbia has no alter- Prime Minister Thaci has understood the immense poten- malize” Serbia and to incorporate Bosnia can be revitalized only by native but the EU. The question is tial of the diaspora for Kosovo, and by making the Kosovo the region in the European Union as marginalizing the ethnic principle, whether its political elite realise Diaspora Agency head report directly to him, and legally a whole. What is clear is that it is not which should remain active only that fact. instructing the KCCDs “to perform other duties assigned by possible to equate all the actors and where it serves to defend the funda- Sonja Biserko is a Serbian cam- the Prime Minister” (Article 9, 1.8), is stretching his institu- all the victims. mental interests of each nation, as paigner for human rights. She is the tional reach far beyond the borders of this small state. That this is so is borne out by the was the case with the chambers of founder and president of the The shatzi treasure has to date given vital income to poorer situation in Bosnia. Although near- nationalities in the Assembly of the Helsinki Committee for Human families struggling to cope on their tiny pensions and negligi- Y ly 20 years have passed since the out- former Yugoslavia. Rights in Serbia. ble social security provision. When the shatzis fly off to escape M Kosovo’s harsh winters and electoral seasons, what will this C law mean for those they leave behind? To send a letter to Prishtina Insight, email [email protected]. K 22 July 16 - 29, 2010 interview Gordan Georgiev: ‘Time to Break the Fear Gripping Macedonia’ types of pressure, such as threat- join EU and NATO [and] Greece [progress on] integration into the that could lead to complete block- ening phone calls, where they say: obviously does not care about that. EU and NATO they will seriously ade of EU and NATO integration ‘Listen, we know you were at the Therefore, it’s in our interest to reconsider their presence in the there is no other solution than By Sinisa Jakov Marusic rally. Watch out, your sister or search for some kind of solution government. We have said publicly early elections. and Andreas Bachmann daughter is working for this or that will unblock our EU and that after the [November] NATO that company!’ This government NATO integration. This is the summit, if we don’t make progress Q: What about polls showing also has a huge record in fining highest priority for us in terms of towards NATO integration, objec- little support for your party? he vice-president of people and smaller businesses; economy, social stability, security tively a situation will be created A: I am pretty confident in an Macedonia’s opposition they’re filling the budget with and in terms of preserving good that demands early elections. election victory because our opin- TSocial Democrats tells these activities. inter-ethnic relations. If the DUI leaves the govern- ion polls show that the gap Balkan Insight the party is ready Our main job for the time being, ment in November, if there is no between the government party to do battle against Nikola as an opposition, is to encourage Q: In 2001 Macedonia was progress on the name issue, if and the opposition is something Gruevski’s government, which has those people that actually would close to a civil war. Is there a there is no progress on EU and around 19 per cent [for the ruling led the country into a dead-end. like to come out or to say some- danger of a new ethnic conflict, NATO integration, we will imme- VMRO-DPMNE party] to 12 per thing to the government, who since the Albanians are diately have a political crisis, cent [for the Social Democrats]. Q: On Sunday you held big would like to come to the rally but demanding progress over EU in because in Macedonia you cannot This is a good number for us rally in front of the govern- were afraid to do so. This was one NATO integration? have a government without an because there is a huge pool of ment building. Why did it take of the main goals of our rally. We A: I believe there is no such dan- Albanian party for reasons of undecided voters. so long for the Social believe that there is a huge num- ger. Macedonia is pretty much on political stability. Thus, a situation In the next couple of months the Democrats to take action? ber of these people who are track regarding EU and NATO would be created requiring early opposition will show its teeth in A: Around 50,000 people were at depressed and in fear. The opinion integration. We have continuously elections. The Prime Minister the sense of offering solutions, the rally, despite all the pressures polls show that at least 40 to 50 per- received good signals from the could try to block these initiatives strengthening the opposition coming from the governing party cent of the people are not decided international community. We also but it will be a very dangerous front, building a big front made up and from the police, on people, or want to say who they are going have an Albanian party in the gov- political situation for him. not only of political parties but companies and businessmen. It’s a to vote for in the next election. ernment, which is very stable and Without an Albanian party in the also of various social groups and huge success for the opposition to rational. They are the corner- government, with the economy NGOs. This is a battle against a get such a huge crowd in front of The manipulation and propa- stone of this government because stalled, with regime. It’s not a normal political the government HQ. ganda of the government has been besides all the stupid things that political battle where one party goes Why now? Because we wit- very successful. They have spent this government is doing, and all crisis against the other. It is a matter nessed a fiasco for Macedonia at millions and millions of euros on these dangerous cards they are of getting everyone aboard in the EU summit two weeks ago. We propaganda in the media. Our task playing, like anti-Albanianism, order to topple this govern- saw the VMRO DPMNE rally is to make people understand that the ruling Albanian party is pur- ment. [marking their 20th anniversary behind the government’s rose- suing very rational and construc- on June 15] and the speech of the coloured picture of reality is a tive policies. I believe that they Q: The party leader, Prime Minister [Nikola Gruevski], shambles. If you take all the indi- will maintain their course. Crvenkovski, said he was which was very anti-European and cators, economic, social, health, returning to help reor- anti-NATO. It felt like Macedonia you will see that this country is Q: How can you force early ganize and strengthen was reaching a dead end, a com- going down. elections when you can count the party. After that, will plete blockade, and we felt that on the support of only 30 legis- he resign? there was a huge pool of people Q: When it comes to the lators in the 120-seat parlia- A: The only plan that we who are against this government, ‘name’ dispute with Greece, ment? have now is to strengthen our as was seen at the rally on Sunday. what are your ‘red lines’? A: One should look at the signals party base and to mobilize as This government has shown A: They are the same red lines coming from the Albanian many people as possible and win over the past years that they have that virtually every ethnic party in the govern- the next elections. been manipulating the sentiments Macedonian would have, which is ment, the DUI. of ethnic Macedonians on the that if we find a solution with They said open- ‘name’ issue [with Greece], and Greece, it must not jeopardize our ly after the with their very tough stance national identity and our lan- NATO summit towards [Macedonia’s ethnic guage, which is Macedonian. This that if there minority of] Albanians. Basically is not our red line; it’s a line no is no these are the only two remaining politician or citizen could cross. I cards the government can play believe it is pretty much clear to with, since they have achieved the Greek side that it’s unimagin- very poor results in the economy, able to cross that line. the health system and so on. If you see the whole dispute in terms of who is right and who is Q: What do you mean when wrong, it is obvious that Greece you talk about government does not have a constructive pressure? approach towards this question A: Wherever you go in and towards Macedonia. It’s Macedonia, the predominant sen- humiliating for us as citizens timent among people is fear. For of Macedonia [as]… you example, when we were filling our will see that it is busses for the rally, a person from Macedonia that the governing party was in front of wants to one of the buses, writing down the names of the people who got on. This is a huge form of pressure on people because they all know each other. They know that they can be fired if they have a local authority job and if the mayor is from Y the governing M party. They [the C government] can K apply many other July 16 - 29, 2010 23 By Shengjyl Osmani Classified Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like to advertise in Prishtina Email [email protected] Research and Embassies and Liaison Profiling Offices in

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