NGO Focus: Corruption Weaknesses in Kosovo Pinpointed Now 24 pages

July 2 - 15, 2010 Issue No. 43 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1

NEWS EU Pulls Snoop Dogg Asks 15million for Modest Doggy Euro Boro Bag While in Kosovo > page 3 Ramizi Plan After a year of wrangling between the European Commission and the Municipality of Prishtina, the EC has withdrawn a 14.5mil- NEWS lion euro grant to rejuvenate Fight for Chamber the Palace of Youth and Sports, otherwise known as of Commerce Boro Ramizi, and instead will Hots Up spend it in Mitrovica. > page 3 See Pages 2 BUSINESS Tussle over Pension Ghost Workers, Dodgy Tenders Fund Future and a Fire-Engine: Audits Reveal > page 6 CITY Widespread Irregularities Questions Grow over Opera House Auditor General warns ‘poor financial management endangers reforms’ as annual audit reports are released municipalities looked at by reforms in public administration, together can take getting out of > page 8 By Lawrence Marzouk Prishtina Insight – Prishtina, Peja, such as decentralisation and the current situation. Gjakova, Mitrovica and Prizren - changes to public procurement. “In general I think it is impor- he Office of the Auditor FEATURE two had their accounts signed off, He said: “We have made public tant to create good examples and General has published its despite serious concerns, while all the reports on the municipali- best practice notes, but at the same Bekim Fehmiu Tfinancial assessments of the auditors were unable to do so ties and of course the opinions time practical assistance is also Kosovo’s municipalities, some with the others because a lack of given on the quality of the finan- needed.” Remembered publicly owned companies and information and control on spend- cial statements and the way public Prishtina Municpality’s in Kosovo government institutions for 2009, ing. financial management is carried accounts were given an revealing a worrying pattern of Auditor General Lage Olofsson through is a matter of concern. ‘Unqualified Opinion with an > page 12 serious irregularities in procure- told Prishtina Insight that the “The situation in fact endangers Emphasis of Matter’, which means ment, breached contracts, spend- management of funds by munici- the reform under implementation. they were deemed to give a true ing that is unaccounted for and palities in Kosovo was a matter of I will have a discussion with the and fair view despite problems. ignored procedures. concern and warned that the situ- government and other concerned Out of the five biggest city ation was so poor it could derail parties on which measures we continues page 2

Kosovo Pulls Off Its First Mladic Diaries May Sway Balkan Presidential Summit Several Hague Trials

Kosovo’s first attempt to host a regional If accepted as evidence, the notebooks ECOSOVO summit is widely seen as a diplomatic suc- written by Ratko Mladic will have a bear- cess, though most analysts describe its sig- ing on seven of the nine trials ongoing When Plastic is nificance more in symbolic than practical before the ICTY, starting with that of terms. Heads of state of four Balkan coun- Mladic’s wartime colleague, Radovan Not Fantastic tries gathered ... Karadzic. news page 4 news page 10-11 > page 18

Y M is supported by: C K 2 July 2 - 15, 2010 news Auditor General: “Poor Financial Management Endangers Reforms” from page 1 who called for an investigation. of irregularities in tenders, includ- The report also found that there Auditors found that the supplier The audit also reveals a series of ing contracts not being awarded to was a ‘lack of transparency, during of fuel had provided it at a higher These problems included the fact irregularities in tenders, from the lowest bidder. the compilation of closed list can- price than other firms in the field, that no funds raised from the one missing documents to overpaid In the case of a road construc- didates, which is mainly made by contrary to the contract, leading to euro entrance fee to Germia Park contractors. It concludes: “The tion project in the Bajram Curri one evaluation member’. a loss of more than 300,000 euro for had been deposited in the munici- noticed deficiencies regarding the neighbourhood of Prizren, the Regarding procurement, it has 2009. Termokos’ arguments that pality’s account and the amount of internal controls in terms of pro- auditor found that a lower bid by emerged that PAK cancelled tender this was due to the rise of oil glob- property tax collected fell in 2009 curements are extremely serious 50,000 euro was not accepted. lots, blaming it an insufficient ally were rejected by the auditor. compared to 2008, despite the and they increase the risk of MoP The auditors concluded: number of bidders, even though Mr Olofsson told Prishtina already low collection rate and [Municipality of Prishtina] pro- “Deficiencies noticed regarding there were enough bidders, and Insight: “PAK task is unique, growing number of properties. curements against fraud, loss and the internal controls in terms of favoured one bidder in a multiple- while Termokos is one of several It also emerged that municipal misuse.” procurement are extremely seri- lot tender by allowing him to with- providers of service to the citizens. assembly members saw their wage In a statement, the municipality ous and in a large scale increase draw from three lots even though In both cases transparency is of bill rise more than three-fold from argued that the audit gives a ‘posi- the risk of municipality procure- he was the cheapest, while award- utmost importance. As are good 64,000 euro to 281,000 euro from tive’ assessment of its accounts. ment to fraud, loss and misuse.” ing three others to him. business management and what 2008 to 2009, and that despite there It added: “The municipality will Ymer Berisha, spokesperson for Auditors concluded that the can be called good governance. being 51 members, wages were soon come with its comments the municipality, said the munici- management of procurement at “In these cases I think it is being paid to 53 people. The audit regarding the recommendations pality is analysing the report and PAK has ‘serious deficiencies’. important to strengthen checks called for an investigation, saying and remarks presented in the will consider the recommenda- In a statement, PAK stated that it and balances between the ones that that the payments to two people report.” tions. was pleased with the ‘unqualified have delegated a responsibility, the were illegal. Prizren’s accounts were also Mayor Ramadan Muja told opinion’. Spokesman Ylli Kaloshi ones who shall have the overview, Perhaps the most striking exam- given an ‘Unqualified Opinion Prishtina Insight: “There is no said he did not want to comment the ones who shall execute the ple of an alleged irregularity was with an Emphasis of Matter’. misuse of the budget in this on the issue of staff recruitment mandate and the independent the case of the fire engine pur- Among the problems found was municipality. I am here and I over- as each case needed to be looked at auditors who shall give an outside chased for 300,000 euro by the 82,000 euro paid in advance for see everything.” individually. perspective on the quality of the municipality, which has been esti- travel expenses. Of the nine cases At the Kosovo Privatisation Among the problems discovered external information and how the mated to be worth just 11,000 euro looked at by the auditor, no agenda Agency, PAK, auditors found that at Termokos, the publicly owned mandate is carried through.” by customs. The municipality for the visited country was staff were being employed without firm responsible for supplying Audits of more government argued that it believes the vehicle attached to prove the reason for the the necessary professional qualifi- heating to tens of thousands of departments, agencies and other to be worth the money, but the trip. cations, contrary to the ‘requests of homes in Prishtina, was the cost of publicly owned companies will be claim was dismissed by auditors The auditor also found a series PAK for that particular position’. the fuel purchased. published in the coming month. EU Pulls 15million Euro Boro Ramizi Plan After a year of wrangling between the European Commission and the Municipality of Prishtina, the EC has withdrawn a 14.5million euro grant to rejuvenate the Palace of Youth and Sports, otherwise known as Boro Ramizi, and instead will spend it in Mitrovica. New EULEX Plan for a new youth and sports centre. implement this project with He said: “This is the biggest IPA funding; it will be the gov- disappointment we have had ernment who will have to use Fighting Corruption By Muhamet so far with the implementa- their funding for Prishtina. September 2011 with the aim to free the Hajrullahu tion of IPA [Instrument for So, we swapped, and the government and private sector from Pre-Accession Assistance], so Commission is going to use corruption and that the plan would we decided, together with the the IPA funding only in soon be handed over to Kosovo’s justice 14.5 million euro plan to government that more efforts Mitrovica.” create a sports centre By Petrit Collaku system. are needed to help the youth of In a press release issued on Aworthy of international “This morning I finalised the plan Kosovo.” Wednesday, the ECLO said that events in Prishtina with the and I will submit it to my colleague, The IPA is a fund available discussions with Mitrovica landmark Boro Ramizi build- ohannes van Vreejswik, acting Ismet Kabashi, Kosovo’s chief prosecu- for countries aspiring to join had already started. ing has been dropped because chief prosecutor for the EU rule- tor,” Vreejswik said. the EU. The statement revealed that of wrangling between the Jof-law mission, EULEX, said that The EULEX chief prosecutor has pre- Bjornsson continued: “We it had spent ‘a great deal of the mission has an operational plan to donor, the European viously criticised Kosovo’s government wanted to create a framework internal resources as well as clean up corruption in Kosovo Commission Liaison Office, for interfering in the justice system. between now and September 2011. ECLO, and Prishtina for Kosovo to be able to organ- 200,000 euros in order to elabo- “My impression is that at least for the He spoke about the plan at the third Municipality, it has been ise international events, rate a concept for development last two months there has been no inter- debate on the European Commission’s claimed. sports events for instance, in and refurbishment [in ference from Kosovo’s government,” Progress Report for Kosovo at Kjartan Bjornsson, ECLO proper conditions. Prishtina] which would satisfy said Vreejswik, adding that competent Chargé d’Affaires, told Caglavica’s Media Centre. “These two can be combined all concerned parties’ but that people should be left alone and do their Prishtina Insight: “We have Kosovo Minister of Justice Haki in creating a multi-purpose this was not possible. work. been discussing this issue for Demolli, Kosovo Chief Prosecutor sports facility, or youth centre. Avdullah Hoti, the deputy Ismet Kabashi said that Kosovo’s a year with a concept which We had agreed to build two, mayor of the municipality of Ismet Kabashi, and Alessio Zuccarini, prosecution system has had poor per- was involved refurbishing and one in Prishtina and one in Prishtina, however, claims head of the EULEX Programme Office, formance in the fight against corrup- changing completely the exist- Mitrovica, and the agreement that it is not the municipali- also participated in the debate. tion. ing youth centre ‘Boro Ramizi’ was with the government that ty’s fault that the IPA fund has The debate was focused on the recent Kabashi claimed that the lack of leg- and the municipality said ‘no, we would finance Prishtina, been lost but the governments. activities of EULEX against corruption islation on the judiciary and prosecu- we cannot do this because it is with 14.5 million euro grant He said: “The municipality in Kosovo. tion is another weak spot in the fight a symbol’, and they said that from IPA, and the government is not responsible for the Vreejswik said that EULEX has a long against corruption. “The approval of we can have land behind the would have financed the youth centre, since it is a pub- list of people suspected of corruption this legislation is vital for the prosecu- centre to implement the proj- Mitrovica one for 10.5 mil- lic place and not only a proper- and organised crime, but he did not tion system, as it ensures the perma- ect. lion.” ty of the municipality. mention the exact number nor the posi- nence of prosecutors in their posi- “Unfortunately, until now But he said that the ECLO “And according to tion of those under suspicion. He added tions,” said Kabashi. we have not received any con- had been “negotiating and dis- Ahtisaari’s plan, it is very dif- that not only one political party will be Kosovo Minister of Justice Haki firmations from the munici- cussing, and debating and ficult for a social enterprise to affected. Demolli said that the Justice Ministry pality.” arguing” with the different be transformed into a public “Corruption is not only in Prishtina. is working on drafting the new neces- He added that to avoid hav- stakeholders, most notably the place. If the government It’s in municipalities, businesses, indi- sary legislation. ing to return the money to the municipality of Prishtina, showed more cooperation to viduals, and it’s not only related to the “The Ministry is working on complet- EU’s central coffers the money Y “for almost a year now”. do this, than it would have government,” Vreejswik told journal- ing the legal infrastructure, the law on needed to be reallocated else- M He added: “We have decided been possible for the munici- ists. Kosovo courts, which represents the where, and Mitrovica will be C to abandon the project in pality to change the status of He said that the plan foresees results fundamentals for reforming the judicial the beneficiary in the form of K Prishtina. We are not going to the youth and sports centre.” starting from July this year to system of Kosovo,” said Demolli. news July 2 - 15, 2010 3 Fight for Chamber of Editor’s Word Commerce Hots Up Rruga The battle to become head of Kosovo’s most important economic organisation, the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, is entering the final stages. Safet Gerxhaliu, acting president of the chamber, and Ramiz Patriotike Kelmendi, head of the Peja-based ELKOS Group, the main food distribution company in Kosovo, reveal why they should be voted into the top job. By Lawrence Marzouk

By BIRN s it wrong to want an ‘Economically Viable Highway’ rather than a ‘Patriotic IHighway’? That is my question for you. Last year I wrote about the Rruga Patrioke, or Question: Why have you applied for the Patriotic Highway in English, as it has been the position of head of Kosovo dubbed. Chamber of Commerce? In the run-up to Albania’s parliamentary Ramiz Kelmendi: Because I am aware election last summer the unfinished road, of the current economic situation in the which has cost more than one billion euro to country and the huge need of the people build, was opened a little too hastily. for new jobs, and, with this in mind, I It was clear to me that the principal drive was decided, with my thirty years of experi- Ramiz Kelmendi (Left) and Safet Gerxhaliu battle for the top job at the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce for Sali Berisha, the then and current prime ence, to apply to this significant institu- Kelmendi: After Besim Beqaj was and objectives and as one writer says “we tion, where the youth will be able to apply minister, to secure an excellent photo op at the appointed as minister, he had to make a cannot think only of the past because we their knowledge and become part of the Kalimash tunnel, not whether the highway was request, according to the 31st amendment lose the present, and cannot see the economic development, and help the fit for purpose. It wasn’t – it was a disgrace. of the chamber’s status. He had to offi- future,” so we have to make sure where existing small entrepreneurships. I was lambasted by readers for these com- cially announce the search for a new pres- we are and what we want. ments. They suggested that I should have seen ident, as foreseen in the amendment, and Question: Why haven’t you applied the old road, that I had somehow invented the afterwards to appoint the acting presi- Question: Mr Gerxhaliu, what is for the position before? time it took me to get between Prishtina and dent within a period of three months, and your question for Mr Kelmendi? Kelmendi: Now I have successfully during this period to accept the applica- Gerxhaliu: Seeing his Machiavellian Durres or that I was being snobbish. established my own business, I’m ready tions of other interested applicants for side, how would he be able to protect the I stand by my comments that the road was to establish a sustainable one for the the position. Furthermore, even Besim business community interests, where he unsafe, but would like to revise my overall country and help create a faster develop- Beqaj messed it up with the leading body, currently is creating a monopoly in the assessment of the project. ing economy. together with the other members of the field of small enterprises? To the Albanian patriots who were so riled by chamber’s assembly. [I know] because I Kelmendi: According to the 29th my previous opinion, I must now admit to you Question: After Besim Beqaj, for- have participated in the assembly’s meet- amendment, the president of the cham- that the highway is a truly stunning piece of mer president of the chamber, was ings and have been very critical, but we ber can be appointed from the members engineering and I have been greatly impressed announced minister of the newly cre- haven’t supported the appointment of the who have large businesses, and until now ated ministry of European integra- with the progress that is being made in finish- acting president. this hasn’t happened, so, the law-makers tion, Safet Gerxhaliu has been acting ing the remaining sections in Albania. Gerxhaliu: It’s so surprising to hear have foreseen that the chamber can be led president of the chamber, and now is I believe it a great addition to the country’s Mr Kelmendi saying so, because he has best by the existing business leaders and running for the elections for presi- growing infrastructure and have particularly been one of the members who voted for that it doesn’t represent any conflict of dent of the chamber. Why are you enjoyed how empty it is, which leads me to my my selection and from the total 21 mem- interests. applying for the position? next point. bers who were present in the process of Safet Gerxhaliu: My eight years of my appointment as acting president, only Question: Would you use the cham- It also appears to me that both the Albanian experience in Kosovo, after twenty years two voted against me, and after ten days, ber to increase the reputation and side and the soon be constructed Kosovo road, in the diaspora, encouraged me to in all the media, it was written that my other opportunities of your business, which will connect Vermice to Merdare, have become a ‘Chamber man’ and I have been election was only as acting president and Mr Kelmendi? been selected as projects with little regard to in this chamber for eight years now, first not as a president. I have been immediate- Kelmendi: No, I have developed a team their economic importance. as a senior official, then as external rela- ly involved in the newly appointed posi- at my business who can lead the company Do all government decisions need to be driv- tions director, and my third post was as tion in order to allow the chamber to con- even without me, and my knowledge of en by economics, I hear you say? No, obviously vice president of the chamber’s assembly. tinue with its work. I would have accept- business in general will apply at the there are a number of measures such as fair- Afterwards, the leading body of cham- ed the claim that my appointment was not chamber. bers assembly appointed me to be acting ness and yes, possibly, patriotism which can in accordance with the law only if a legal president, and now to run for president. also drive policy. expert would have said so, and not others. Question: What will be your first Most importantly, I have not proposed But I am just not convinced that it is in project if elected as president of the myself to run for this position, but, 21 Kosovo’s best interest to spend 700 million euro, Question: Mr Kelmendi, what will chamber? members of the chamber’s council have money it doesn’t have, on a road that it doesn’t be your question for your competitor, Kelmendi: The chamber needs more proposed me to run for this position. know it needs. Is a patriotic gesture and fast Mr Gerxhaliu? practical management, not only theoreti- Having worked closely with the two for- route to the beach worth the cost when the high- Kelmendi: How would you make sure cal implementation of theories. By lobby- mer presidents of the chamber, who have that you will successfully replace a for- ing and talking to businesses and mayors, way will come at the expense of projects in all made the chamber the best economic mer manager of the chamber who now I have noted all their concerns and needs other fields for years to come? institution in the country, has helped me has a new position? and concluded that the chamber should I am not sure what is so patriotic about con- gain new skills, and together with their Gerxhaliu: It is important for us to see take an initiative to overcome their prob- centrating so much of a country’s money in tar- enthusiasm and charisma, we managed where we have been, where we are now, lems. Many businesses in Kosovo do not mac when the health service remains crippled to convert the chamber into the highest and where we want to go, and be grateful have good working environments. So, I and the education sector overburdened. economic institution in the country. for having a person like Besim Beqaj who will create a business space for all enter- If you wanted a new road, would it have not has visited the best world universities prises, from 100 hectares in small munic- Question: Mr Kelmendi, you have made more sense to have built the road to and most importantly brought all this ipalities and up to 500 hectares of work- said to the media that the leading Skopje? The route involves no towering moun- knowledge to Kosovo. And now, we don’t ing environment in big municipalities. body of the chamber has not respect- tain ranges, is shorter and would have connect- have to find a person that is like him, Without offering these working environ- ed the status of the chamber, because ed Kosovo to the European network of high- because it will be very hard to do so, but ments to existing small or big businesses of the appointment of Mr Gerxhaliu ways for less money and in less time. we have to look after our general aims we cannot expect economic growth. as acting president, why? It would also have improved connections to Gerxhaliu: According to all European Thessaloniki which is, and will remain, and worldwide developing strategies we Kosovo Chamber of Commerce should “think small”, support small- and Kosovo’s most important port for many years to medium-sized enterprises, empower come. The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce was established in 1962 by the Assembly of them by internationalising and invest- Don’t get me wrong, I see the importance of Kosovo. ments in professional capacities. So, the the patriotic highway and I want to see it built. It is the legal representative of the interests of the business community in future objectives of the chamber will be I just don’t think Kosovo can afford it at the Kosovo. The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit, independent organi- to empower small and medium enterpris- moment and do not want to see the country Y sation with no political affiliation. es, fight against corruption, promote the crippled by debt. If I were Albanian, would this M The election of the president is made by the 95 members of the assembly. values of Kosovo, and afterwards the val- opinion make me unpatriotic or shrewd? I will C A date has yet to be set for the election of a new head. ues for foreign investments in Kosovo. leave you to decide K 4 July 2 - 15, 2010 news Kosovo Pulls Off Its First Balkan Presidential Summit The outcome was little more than warm words – but the fact that four heads of state met in Prizren at all dealt a blow to Serbia’s campaign of isolation. “greater aim” of joining the European Union, Beqaj added: “If there is disagreement among the By Petrit Collaku countries, it will delay the process of EU integration.” Those areas of contention start osovo’s first attempt to host with Serbia’s refusal to recognise a regional summit is widely Kosovo and the demarcation of the Kseen as a diplomatic suc- Kosovo-Montenegro border. cess, though most analysts Albania's Topi said Tirana describe its significance more in encouraged dialogue between symbolic than practical terms. Kosovo and Serbia - but on the Heads of state of four Balkan basis of Belgrade respecting countries gathered last weekend Kosovo’s sovereignty. in a hotel a 20-minute drive from “It is unacceptable to take part the southern city of Prizren. in underground diplomacy and The three-day meeting united lobby for Kosovo to be left out of Kosovo’s President, Fatmir Sejdiu, regional meetings, as was the case Albania’s Bamir Topi, recently for the meeting of south- Macedonia’s Gjorge Ivanov and east European countries,” Topi Montenegro’s Filip Vujanovic. said, referring to the meeting in The leaders met bilaterally on Istanbul last month. June 25 and then held a joint meet- Macedonia and Montenegro, ing. At the subsequent press con- both of which faced harsh criti- ference, the quartet declared that Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, Albanian President Bamir Topi, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov and Montenegrin President Filip cism from Serbia when they recog- their countries had “deepened Vujanovic met in Prizren last weekend nised Kosovo’s independence in relations” and they talked of “big Macedonia’s Ivanov said his sent a signal that the countries in tance of the meeting. Speaking to October 2008, said they also improvements in the last ten country’s diplomatic relations the region can organise them- Belgrade’s Tanjug news agency, he encouraged discussions between years”. with Kosovo had improved since selves and start initiatives,” questioned the significance of a Kosovo and Serbia. President Sejdiu emphasised the the former Serbian province Limani told Prishtina Insight. regional summit organised with- “Dialogue should start by importance of such meetings, declared its independence in 2008. Limani added that the meeting out the presence of President respecting the sovereignty of each which have previously taken place “We have closed the issue of bor- also sent an important message to Tadic. independent country and its right in Albania and Macedonia, saying der demarcation and established the region, “contesting Serbia’s Ivanovic suggested the meeting to an independent foreign policy,” they should occur more regularly. diplomatic ties with Kosovo,” he idea of being the dominant coun- was more about “internal political Vujanovic said. Vujanovic of Montenegro was recalled. try in the region”. issues” and strengthening Sejdiu’s The Montenegrin leader said more concrete, announcing plans “We have exchanged ambassa- Serbia’s President, Boris Tadic, position “before the domestic pub- any discussion between Kosovo to create a mini-Schengen zone in dors, and we have signed some was not asked to the regional meet- lic”. and Serbia had to be based on two the Balkans, to speed up the move- seven documents and there are ing, as Serbia strongly disputes Behlul Beqaj, another political realities: “The first is that 69 coun- ment of goods and people. five other documents to be Kosovo’s independence and Tadic commentator from Prishtina, said tries have recognised Kosovo’s “Montenegro and Albania signed,” Ivanov added. would have been highly unlikely to the absence of Serbia was regret- independence and the second is [already] have joint customs at the Mufail Limani, a political com- attend, even had he received an table and Serbia’s leaders ought to that 123 countries have not recog- border crossing between Ulcinj mentator from Prishtina, suggest- invitation. be invited to future meetings, nised it.” Vujanovic added that and Shkoder for people to cross ed that the Prizren meeting was However, President Sejdiu whether or not they choose to acknowledging both facts would the border faster,” Vujanovic more symbolic than of practical insisted the quartet did not see attend. yield results. noted. importance. itself as a coalition against Serbia “We all know the Serbian presi- Macedonia’s president echoed Moves to create a mini- but as a good model for regional dent would not have come to this the importance of dialogue. “We Schengen zone in the region would cooperation. “This is a practical meeting but Kosovo’s president would be happy to see Tadic and not be a huge step forward, he approach that we hope to expand should have sent an invitation,” [Greek president] Papoulias at the said, as people from the four coun- to other countries in the region, Beqaj said. next regional meeting,” he said. www.prishtinainsight.com tries can already travel to each even to Serbia,” Sejdiu said. Regional countries had to be Ivanov said he had invited the other’s countries without visas. Belgrade’s State Secretary for seen to be making more efforts to same four leaders to attend the next such summit, to be held in Publisher: “I don’t want to underestimate Kosovo and Metohija, Oliver overcome their disagreements in the regional meeting because it Ivanovic, downplayed the impor- order to pursue their common Ohrid next year. BIRN Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

Mensa e Studenteve, first floor 10000, Prishtina CoE Kosovo Report: Kosovo Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 Fax: +381 (0) 38 22 44 98 Standards Over Status [email protected] he Parliamentary Assembly focuses on standards. ed a change in terminology in the its public image in Kosovo through of the Council of Europe, “Standards in Kosovo are not resolution from Kosovo govern- a more developed and inclusive Editor-in-Chief: TPACE, adopted last week a just low, they are extremely low ment to “Kosovo authorities”. communication policy, and rein- Lawrence Marzouk report on the situation in Kosovo and they could have increased The assembly, the report notes, forcing its presence and role in the that points to poor respect for the without looking at the status,” Von should call on the EU rule-of-law north of Kosovo. [email protected] rule of law as one of the main Sydow said. mission, EULEX, the UN mission Kosovo government spokesper- Editorial Team: problems facing Kosovo. One of the amendments added in Kosovo, UNMIK, and the local son Memli Krasniqi told Prishtina Ana Petruseva, Gordana Igric, The report, which was prepared in the adopted resolution concerns authorities in Kosovo to take con- Insight that PACE is a respected by the CoE rapporteur for the Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, the possibility of Kosovo citizens crete action to address the poor institution and has drafted a well- political affairs committee, Bjorn to access the European Court of respect for the rule of law in meaning resolution on Kosovo. Petrit Collaku, Shengjyl Osmani and Von Sydow, stresses that the focus Human Rights despite the fact that Kosovo. “As for the priorities set out in Belinda Vrapi of the Council of Europe in not all members of the Council of Actions recommended involve this resolution, the majority of Kosovo should be on standards, Europe have recognised Kosovo. taking public stances to condemn them are already a priority for Marketing, Sales & Distribution: rather than status, a point that “As long as we don’t know the corruption including in the politi- Kosovo’s government,” Krasniqi was repeated by several speakers [email protected] status the people are left without cal system and introducing with- said. “These are the main areas during the debate on the report in ultimate remedy,” Von Sidow said out further delay comprehensive that the government and many of Strasbourg. Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” in his presentation. legislation on procurement which its institutions are working on, Von Sydow, who presented the Y One change that was made to the addresses the present legal and such as fighting corruption, report at the beginning of the ses- M adopted resolution concerned the practical weaknesses. improving rule of law and particu- Printing: Lindi Printing Center sion, reiterated that the resolution C reference to the authorities in The EU is asked to strengthen larly reforms in procurement leg- Copyright © BIRN is “status-neutral” and that it K Prishtina. The Assembly support- its EULEX mission by improving islation.” news July 2 - 15, 2010 5

Kosovo Minister of Education Assaulted Snoop Dogg Asks osovo’s Minister of Education Enver Hoxhaj Kwas assaulted on Tuesday by one person near the new gov- ernment building in the centre for Modest Doggy in brief News of Pristina. Kosovo police said they had arrested a suspect and officials from the Ministry confirmed the assault against Minister Bag While in Kosovo Hoxhaj. Hoxhaj was participating in the ceremony of an NGO when a One of the world’s best known rappers arrives in Kosovo person tried to attack the minis- Snoop Dogg’s Tale ter but was stopped by other on Saturday, July 10, but, unlike previous big-name stars attendees. to visit Prishtina, his requests for fast food are not set to ordozar Calvin “While the majority of partic- Broadus (born ipants were at the cocktail, one break the bank. C October 20, person tried to physically 1971), better known by his assault Minister Enver Hoxhaj stage name Snoop Dogg, is accordance with his requests.” and he was kept away by those best known as an MC in the He added that, unlike other present,” the Ministry of West Coast hip hop scene, artists, Snoop Dogg had been flexi- Education said in a press By Hana Limani ble and had accepted to dine on and for being one of Dr Dre’s most notable protégés. release. Prishtina fast food. “The motives for this act are This event is to promote the rela- Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high unknown, while Kosovo police ip hop superstar Snoop tively new mobile phone company are dealing with the investiga- Dogg arrives in Prishtina Z Mobile. Tickets for the concert school. Shortly after gradua- tion, he was arrested for tion into the case,” the press Hnext Saturday to perform in are 25euro, which include a new Z release adds. cocaine possession and sen- the capital’s stadium. Mobile sim card with 25 euro cred- Kosovo police announced But despite the artist’s elevated it. Asked why Snoop Dogg was cho- tenced to three years in prison. His music career around 2pm that they had status in the pantheon of rap, his sen ahead of other artists, Lluka began in 1992 after his arrested a suspect. demands have been modest, said: “We considered many singers release when he was discov- Ministry of Public according to organisers Z Mobile. and contacted quite a few, but we ered by Dr. Dre. He collabo- Administration spokesperson This is in contrast to reports sur- got the best offer from Snoop Dogg, rated on several tracks on Majlinda Lulaj said: “One per- rounding the 50 Cent visit in considering his quality as a singer, Dre’s solo debut, The son from the Ministry of Public December 2007. as well as for the time and price he Chronic and on the titular Administration has been sus- According to organisers, offered.” theme song to the film pended for breaking the code of Snoop’s list of requests was “long The rapper is also currently on Deep Cover. conduct,” but she refused to pro- but there were no requests impos- tour in Europe. Snoop’s debut album, vide the name of the official. sible to be satisfied”. When asked about Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, was released in Valdrin Lluka, the director of response to the invitation to per- 1993 under Death Row Serbs Celebrate marketing and sales at Z Mobile, form in Kosovo and whether he Records. Doggystyle went told Prishtina Insight: “There were knew where Prishtina is located, Vidovdan in Kosovo quadruple platinum. some things here and there that Lluka said: “We do not know His tenth studio album, you can’t find in Kosovo, like whether he knew where Prishtina erbs from Kosovo and Malice n Wonderland was McDonalds or KFC, but all were is located, but we believe that he Serbia celebrated released December 8, 2009. Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) at negotiable and will be fulfilled in knows now.” S the Gracanica monastery on Monday, commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 when the Serbian Macedonian Border Guards Demand kingdom was defeated by the Ottoman Empire. Kosovo police said that some Bribes From Kosovo Festival Goers 11 delegations from Serbia were granted permission to enter The Alarm Festival, held last weekend in Ohrid, ended on a blue note for dozens of Kosovo music lovers and one of Kosovo and celebrate. the performing bands, Prishtina-based The Dizzies, after a Macedonia border guard demanded large bribes to allow Serbian minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic and the min- them to return home. ister of religion were present at “He didn’t want to give us a the ceremony held Sunday night fine of 300 euro, he wanted us to that was conducted by the treat him to lunch or with ‘what- Orthodox Church Patriarch By Shengjyl Osmani ever we got from Ohrid’ or travel Irinej. back to Ohrid. “The battle that Serbia is fac- “The same Mr Blond stopped ing at the moment in Kosovo is ock band The Dizzies were many of our friends on their way different from what Prince among at least three back and asked for money, some Lazar did with his fighters,” RKosovo cars, all returning of them paid and some didn’t. Bogdanovic said in Gracanica. from a music festival in Ohrid, “A few of our friends ended up Macedonia, who were ask to pay “Today, it is time for unity, emptying their pockets and pay- bribes to Macedonian border patience and reconciliation ing their last 50 euro. Mr Blond guards to be allowed home. between us.” did not want 30 euro he got The guard, described as ‘Mr Some 1,500 participants gath- offered, he wanted more. ‘Empty Blond’ by the group, stopped ered at the Gracanica monastery your pockets and collect all the three cars and illegally demand- at 10am on Monday, continuing money you got please,’ he said.” ed a 300 euro fine each for not reg- on at 12 pm to Gazimestan mon- Hana Zeqa, one of those who istering with police during a stay The Dizzies playing at Alarm Festival in Ohrid, Macedonia, before their ordeal ument, located near Prishtina. paid the 50euro, said: “I do in Macedonia of more than 24 “No incidents were reported for an ‘illegal stay’ in Macedonia. trip and the heavy partying in remember very well his face and hours. The official then offered during this time,” Baki Kelani, “Neither a police man nor the Macedonia and there he was, Mr the face of two other policemen ‘discounts’ to the travellers. Kosovo police spokesperson, border police can ask for fees to Blond himself, more proud than who were playing with me, and At least five of those stopped in told Prishtina Insight, despite be paid to them without having a ever and guess why. He ripped a weren’t letting me go out of the one car are known to have paid claims by Kosovo Police in north court decision,” he said. few youngsters who were trying office. the 50 euro ‘fine’ after one of the Mitrovica that part of the In a comment on the group’s to have fun at the Alarm Fest “They were just saying ‘ask the passengers, a young woman, was motorcade was stoned. Facebook site, Guitarist Guri “Mr Blond asked us for money other police officer’, and the held in the office for an hour. He added that around 200 Shkodra wrote: “Strange thing to go back to Kosovo. It took him other one was saying, ‘do not ask Ivo Kotevski, from the motorcyclists from Serbia happened on our way back and 10 minutes of indirect conversa- me, ask him!’. Macedonian Ministry of Internal arrived in Gazimestan under for some of us it was not the first tion. This was all for staying “Between them were talking in Affairs, told Prishtina Insight the escort of Kosovo police time. We finally arrived at the longer than 24 hours in Macedonian, despite the fact that Y that the matter was being looked motorbike units. Some 900 Kosovo-Macedonia Hani i Elezit Macedonia and not getting per- they were Albanians, and were M at, but admitted that only the motor bikers entered Kosovo on border point on Sunday night, mission for it from the Ministry talking to us in Albanian.” C courts can issue the 300 euro fine Saturday in a separate event. completely tired from the long of Internal Affairs. K 6 July 2 - 15, 2010 business ICO and MEF Tussle over Pension Fund Future Kosovo’s Ministry of Economy and Finance wants to return the 310 million euro pension fund to the coun- try to free up money for the cash-strapped Ministry of Transport, but the ICO is blocking the move

Last month, Finance Minister invested prudently and solely in Ahmet Shala sent a letter to the the interest of its beneficiaries. head of the ICO, Pieter Feith, ask- “These principles are binding, By Besiana Xharra ing for the funds to be returned, as they directly refer to well-estab- but the request was denied by lished governance standards and Kosovo’s top foreign diplomat. investment criteria on the man- The MEF, he said, has begun with the ICO’s decision to block inistry of Economy and Under the Comprehensive agement of pension funds. preparations for this process to be the return of the funds as there Finance, MEF, and the Settlement Proposal, known as the “The translation of such crite- completed as soon as possible and was not enough security yet in MInternational Civilian Ahtisaari plan, the ICO is respon- ria into an investment strategy is in September or October Kosovo Kosovo to invest the funds. Office,ICO, are at loggerheads over sible for the pension fund. left to the independent judgment will be given an international Myzejene Selmani, of the oppo- the future of Kosovo’s 310 million An ICO source told Prishtina of the KPST board.” credit rating by Standards and sition New Kosovo Alliance and euro pension fund. Insight that Feith would not allow He added that ICO has always Poor and Moody’s, two of the head of the committee for econo- The cash is currently invested the money to be returned to underlined that the CSP requires world’s largest credit-rating firms. my in Kosovo’s parliament, said: in a range of foreign funds but the Kosovo because it would be ‘dan- that the funds must be invested “After this assessment we will “Kosovo’s government shouldn’t MEF wants the money returned to gerous to play with it’. safely, in instruments rated highly know if Kosovo’s rating level will initiate projects hoping to get this Kosovo. If Kosovo receives an “There is no security in invest- by international rating agencies. enable the return of these funds. money. These funds are citizens’ international credit rating, the ing this money in Kosovo,” the “Such securities do not current- “So, after this assessment, we contribution and I must urge them MEF will then be able to issue gov- source said. “The ICO will not ly exist in Kosovo, at least not at an will know if there is a risk to not to invest without assurances ernment bonds to fund projects of allow the return [of the funds] appropriate level, and it is not for invest this money in Kosovo. If the that they will be safe.” the Ministry of Post- because they are safer where they the ICO to speculate on whether evaluation is acceptable then the On top of the 309 million euro Telecommunications and are.” this may change in the future,” money can come back to Kosovo,” from Kosovo’s pension fund out- Transport. Andy McGuffie, chief McGuffie said. said Hamza. side of the country in financial The MEF would not specify spokesperson at the ICO, said in a The MEF, however, maintains On the other hand, economy institutions such as Fortis, which scheme would require fund- statement: “With regards to the that this money will be returned to experts say that Kosovo should be Vanguard, Diversified European ing, but the money would likely be Kosovo Pensions Savings Trust, Kosovo. Deputy Minister Bedri very careful with the pension Credit and European Credit destined to plug the huge hole in the Comprehensive Settlement Hamza said that by the end of this fund. Luxemburg, another 99 million the financing of the 700 million Proposal (CSP) sets out two key year, the pension money will be Muhamet Sadiku, from the euro kept in the Kosovo Central euro Vermice-to-Merdare highway. principles: the fund must be returned to Kosovo. Riinvest Institute, said he agreed Bank. US Ambassador: Kosovo Economy Dominated By Government “While its overly large role in the one billion euro due to the disrup- tomers is wearing out and requires den for Kosovo’s Consolidated economy suffocates private enter- tion of the electricity supply in hundreds of millions of euros of Budget, are against the country’s prise, the state also suffers by being Kosovo, Dell noted. crucial new investment,” Dell told interest,” Thaci said. By Petrit Collaku distracted from its primary task – The ambassador made his participants at the forum. The plan to build the New governance, as well as by opening remarks at a high-level public Dell said that the privatisation of Kosovo power plant, whose size itself up to the greed and corrup- forum held in Prishtina on the pri- KEK is necessary and it is the only was reduced from 1000 MW to 600 tion which are inevitably associat- vatisation of the Kosovo Energy solution to secure long-term stable MW, pre-qualified four bidders in ed with large, cash-generating pub- Corporation’s electricity distribu- and sustainable energy for Kosovo. March and the project should be he US ambassador to Kosovo lic enterprises,” Dell said. tion and supply. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim completed in early in 2011. Christopher Dell said on He added that Kosovo’s govern- He said that due to political inter- Thaci, who spoke at the forum, told Monday that Kosovo’s econo- Monday’s forum on the privatisa- T ment has to work on one of its ference in the Kosovo Energy participants that the privatisation my is “heavily and needlessly domi- biggest challenges - resolving the Corporation, KEK, it is almost of KEK is crucial in order to stop tion of KEK was organised and nated by the government”. country’s energy problems, saying impossible to fire employees for subsidising KEK from the govern- sponsored by the US Agency for He said that the government that reliable energy in Kosovo is poor performance, and noted the ment’s budget. International Development, USAID inherited this situation from the vital for economic growth. need for new investment. “Continued obligations in the and National Association of UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, According to a recent estimate, “The network of wires and trans- energy sector covered by the gov- Regulatory Utility Commissioners and Yugoslavia. there are losses totalling more than formers that delivers power to cus- ernment, as well as the high bur- from the US. 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 2 - 15, 2010 7

Albania Secures Soft Loans will Boost Serbian Short-Term Financing lbania Ministry of Finance managed to get 25 million Aeuro in nine-month treasury Construction Sector bills from local banks, after an Nevertheless, Rodic says the attempt to issue Eurobonds in the drastic drop in investment, international market failed in May. which has halted a slew of infra- Officials from the Ministry of Finance said that the nine-month By Vera Ovanin structure projects in the resi- dential and business markets, maturity bills were bought by local won’t be reversed in the near banks with an average interest rate of 5.8 per cent. future.

he government’s new in brief Business news This is the second time that the soft loan programme “Our estimate is that this cri- Taimed at boosting sis will take longer to wane and government has issued treasury Serbia’s sluggish construc- that we are unlikely to return to bills in euro in the domestic market. tion industry is expected to pre-crisis levels any time soon.” In May, the government tried to at least partly offset the dam- According to the advisor to issue 350-400 million euro in age caused by the global Prime Minister Mirko Eurobonds with an interest rate of financial crisis, analysts say. Cvetkovic, Jurij Bajec, the soft up to 8.5 per cent, however it was Serbian banks will disburse loan programme is a move in the Soft loans to boost construction industry forced to halt the move because of about 30 billion dinars ( 290 mil- right direction. the deteriorating debt market situa- interest rate of between 2.3 per centres, sports halls, stadiums, lion euro) over the next 18 “It would certainly appear tion in the region. cent and 2.6 per cent on the soft hospitals, culture centres and months in support of local con- that it is a sincere effort to help According to ministry officials, loan. other institutions of civil impor- struction firms under a govern- the current situation,” he said. the government demand was satis- Buyers pay a 5.0 per cent tance, Economy Minister ment-backed programme adopt- This is the second time the fied from local banks that had expe- deposit from their own funds, Mladjan Dinkic said in a state- ed on June 3. Only local firms government has launched a pro- the government foots 20 per cent ment after the programme was rienced a strong increase in will be able to qualify for the soft gramme aimed at prompting of the loan, and 75 per cent is adopted on June 3. deposits during the last few months loans. recovery in the declining con- covered by commercial bank The loans will be disbursed and scarce demand for loans from The government in Belgrade struction industry since the loans. without a foreign currency the wider public. Albania’s Central will fund 3 billion dinars, onset of the global crisis, after Development in Serbia’s con- clause, a repayment period of Bank, which manages the sale of municipal governments will its earlier plans to do so proved struction sector stalled follow- five years and a grace period of treasury bills, has not yet published fork out another 3 billion, while less than successful. ing the violent break-up of the one year. The annual interest the results of the auction. banks will lend the remainder. The government unveiled an former Yugoslavia and has rate of the loans will be set at The sale comes while the govern- “[This programme] will, in ambitious plan in autumn of never fully recovered. the central bank’s key repo rate ment is facing lower tax revenues some part, help use up stocks of last year to distribute 2 billion According to the local unit of plus 2.5 per cent. The repo rate this year and the deficit looks construction material currently dinars in soft loans to house- Swiss cement producer Holcim, currently stands at 8.0 per cent. poised to deteriorate. The ministry estimated at five months’ supply, holds for the purchase of new Serbia’s construction sector lags The banks are expected to of finance needs to borrow at least boost the liquidity of small and housing units this year, in addi- behind its neighbours by about start disbursing the loans in the 40 billion lek ( 300 million euro) to medium-sized companies and tion to the 750 million dinars it five years. The sector was also summer, Dinkic said in the cover the projected deficit this year hire about 15,000 workers,” the handed out last year. Under the among Serbia’s first casualties statement, adding that the gov- and according to some experts it secretary of the association of plan, the government would foot of the global downturn. ernment has spent some 814 could face a liquidity crisis. construction at Serbia’s mortgage interest rates until the The soft loans will be used million dinars in support of Chamber of Commerce, Goran end of October 2012, after which towards the construction and Serbia’s crisis-hit economy Rodic, said. homebuyers will pay an annual renovation of schools, day-care since the beginning of the year. Romania to Review Questions Raised Over Skopje’s Possible Taxation System fter announcing plans on June 26 to raise the VAT to 24 Aper cent, Romania’s 16 per Participation in South Stream cent flat tax level could be revised in The announcement that Macedonia may join the Russian-led South Stream gas pipeline project has been general- the 2011 budget as well, finance min- ister Sebastian Vladescu said on ly welcomed by local energy experts but political analysts warn that such a move could have an unwanted impact Tuesday. on Macedonia’s EU and NATO aspirations. A progressive taxation on income may also be introduced as the gov- like that of Greece, it is slowly Russia. visit Macedonia in the autumn to ernment moves to adopt cost-saving losing the Balkans,” Casule said, Macedonian finance minister boost this process. measures after Romania’s top court hinting at the ongoing Athens- Zoran Stavreski, who was part of Konstantin Dimitrov, the head on June 25 rejected some parts of a By Sinisa Jakov Skopje name spat that has been the delegation that travelled to of the Macedonian Centre for Marusic key austerity package related to stalling Macedonian EU and Russia, noted that the construc- Energy Efficiency, sounded a cau- pensions and public spending. NATO accession progress since tion of a South Stream section in tious note in response, because, Although Romania hasn’t met the 2008. Macedonia would put the coun- as he explained, many technical first half-year performance criteria uring his visit to Russia Political analyst Merselj Bilali try on the international map of last month, Macedonian details about possible in the sector of general government said that by agreeing with Russia energy corridors. DPresident Georgi Ivanov Macedonian participation are arrears and could ask the on South Stream, Macedonia is He said that part of the money and his host Russian President still unknown. International Monetary Fund for a trying to send a political signal to needed to connect his country to Dmitry Medvedev agreed in St new waiver of non-observance, the the EU that it has an alternative. the pipeline would come from the “It is still an open question as Petersburg that both countries country is set to receive the next However, he warns that “these agreement under which Russia to whether the section would be should work more closely on tranche of its IMF bailout deal. are childish games that can be agrees to pay back its clearing designed to satisfy the needs of energy cooperation, especially “I believe the entire taxation sys- spotted from the moon” and that debt to Macedonia, worth some Macedonia alone or if it would concerning the gas corridor. tem must be re-thought for 2011,” Ivanov also met the CEO of at best the country could get a $60 million. continue to Albania and Kosovo, the finance minister said. Gazprom, Alexey Miller, to dis- consumption gas route and not On its website, Gazprom in which case it would have to be The wage cuts and tax rise should cuss the project. the main transit corridor which announced that Macedonia had double in capacity,” Dimitrov told help Romania meet a 2010 target for “The issue of small Balkan is set to to pass elsewhere, expressed interest in joining local media. a budget deficit of 6.8 percent of countries like Macedonia joining through neighbouring Bulgaria South Stream, and noted that He revealed estimates saying gross domestic product. Vladescu South Stream is more of a politi- and Serbia. Gazprom would consider “the that Macedonia would need some also said the IMF board will discuss cal than economic issue for South Stream is a proposed gas opportunity of constructing a 300 million euro to build up its Romania’s situation on July 2. Russia,” journalist and former pipeline that will transport gas lateral from the trans-nation- gas infrastructure for such a proj- Macedonian foreign minister The finance minister also Russian natural gas through the al South Stream system to ect. According to official esti- Slobodan Casule told Prishtina Black Sea to Bulgaria and further Macedonia”. announced that the 2011 budget will mates Macedonia would need Insight. to Italy and Austria, transiting If the project is deemed eco- most likely be drafted in August, fol- several billion cubic meters of He argued that this should several Balkan countries on its nomically feasible both states lowing discussions with IMF offi- gas each year. The partially com- sound the alarm in Brussels to way. The completion of the proj- would start the procedure for cials. speed up its project for the full ect is scheduled for 2015. signing agreements that would pleted gas pipeline that supplies An IMF mission will be in EU integration of the Balkan The Russian-led pipeline is cover the specifics of the deal, only a small portion of the indus- Bucharest between July 20 and July region and the construction of its seen as rival to the planned such as the purchasing of gas try has a capacity of 800 million 23 for a fifth review of Romania’s own alternative to South Stream, Nabucco project, backed by the and the formation of a joint com- cubic meters. The 1.2 billion performance under a 20 billion Y the Nabucco gas pipeline. European Union and the United pany that would manage the proj- cubic meters that are missing euro aid package which includes M “The EU must realise that by States as a way of reducing ect. The Russian gas supplier could be covered by this project, funds from the EU, the World Bank C supporting irrational policies Europe’s energy dependence on said that its head Miller would energy experts say. and other foreign lenders. K 8 July 2 - 15, 2010 city

Elena Behrouzi Miller, a Human Questions Grow over Resources Consultant at Management and Development Kosovo’s First Opera House Associates in Kosovo The construction of Kosovo’s first opera house has received wholesome praise from some in the Arts, but questions remain over whether 20 million euro is too high a price for Europe’s poorest country and where the money will come from to finish the stalled project. ported first by former minister euro price tag has baffled others, Astrit Haraqija, and is now strong- given Kosovo’s economic and social ly supported by the current minis- conditions. Currently, around half ter, Lutfi Haziri. It is unrealistic of the population is believed to be By Shega A’Mula for Kosovo to not have a function- unemployed and the GDP per capita ing opera house,” he said. puts the country as the poorest in However, the ministry’s handling Europe. nlike neighbouring of the building process has been Arif Muharremi, cultural analyst of: the Eyes through Prishtina capitals, Prishtina met with disapproval. Baki and former television presenter U does not boast an Jashari, the head of Kosovo’s with BIRN’s Life in Kosovo show, opera house. But Kosovo’s Philharmonic Orchestra and said that opera doesn’t have wide government plans to remedy Opera, told Prishtina Insight that appeal in Kosovo. the absence of such a presti- he has been left out of the entire He added: “Over half of the phil- geous b u i l ding in its recent- project. harmonic opera aren’t even from ly independent capital with “I have not been informed of any Kosovo, but from Macedonia,” What surprised you most about Prishtina? a 20 million euro opera The people. They are very friendly and open. The house and ballet theatre. of the project details. We are the adding that the opera house should majority are young and speak a second language While some quibble over the need people the building is being con- only be built when local staff and which is impressive to me. for the new building, others claim structed for, and yet we have been performers outnumber foreigners. the space will be invaluable for all omitted completely,” he said. Muharremi believes the money What’s your favorite hangout? forms of arts. Independently of Although his view of the project could be better spent elsewhere. “I these concerns, many in the arts is unenthusiastic, Jashari admits believe that this money must go Amelie and Italian Park. world question how the scheme will that Kosovo is in need of a new towards funding educational proj- be funded. Five million euro have space to perform. ects, so that people can join and Do you do anything cultural? already been put into the process. “We need it because of the fact enjoy the philharmonic opera, and Not really, there aren’t cultural activities that inter- Construction of the opera house, that it will be a hall which will the need for a building can then be est me here. There aren’t many options either for to be named after former president encompass all elements of culture, justified,” he said. internationals as the language becomes a barrier. and independence leader Ibrahim and we need it to capitalise on On the other hand, Dardan Rugova, began in late 2009, with an Kosovo’s culture,” he said. Selimaj, director of the Dam What is the most annoying thing about inaugural ceremony attended by According to Jashari, Kosovo’s Festival, a yearly event which gath- Prishtina? Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera ers international young musicians The pollution, the traffic and the smoke. The power President Fatmir Sejdiu, and other currently perform at the Red Hall, in Kosovo, told Prishtina Insight plant and the car fumes (containing lead) create the political, and cultural figures. a building adjoining Prishtina’s that the number of Macedonians in pollution (plus burning wood in the houses in the win- According to Salih Morina, the Youth and Sports Palace. Kosovo’s philharmonic orchestra ter makes it worse). Also, too many people smoke here Ministry of Culture’s Permanent However, Jashari added that the and opera is actually dropping. and they are allowed to do so in restaurants, parks or Secretary, the first phase of con- hall’s acoustics and other architec- “More people are already study- anywhere they want to. This annoys me as it is such struction has been completed. tural elements are not fit for opera. ing music with an interest in an unhealthy habit and people drop their cigarette Kosovo’s National Theatre has “The building is expected to be orchestra. Since this is the case, the butts everywhere on the streets, not caring about also been a venue for past opera completed later this year, but as the absence of an adequate space to cleanliness either. The traffic...well, generally people performances. Nevertheless, final phases of construction have perform is a big problem,” he said. just don’t follow rules and the police doesn’t enforce Burbuqe Deva, head of Kosovo’s not been commissioned yet, the Selimaj points out that the space them either. exact date could possibly be moved National Theatre, agrees that there will also be used for other artistic is a desperate need for proper phil- into the New Year,” he said. purposes, increasing its benefit to If you were mayor of Prishtina for the day harmonic infrastructure. Currently, the ministry is relying Kosovo’s art and culture scene. what would you change? “The theatre is just too small for on donors for funds for the project. “We were never offered better Oh, so many things, to start with, educate every per- “If we finance the project our- a proper opera performance. As conditions for developing art so it’s long as the philharmonic opera is son about usage of water. It surprises me that people selves, the opera house will take not a bad idea, but I am against “water” the sidewalks and streets every day and do five years to be built,” said Morina, in service and selling tickets, they calling it an opera house since it need to have their own home and not care about the amount of water that is wasted, adding that a donors’ conference to can definitely be used for other per- artistic space,” she said. even though there is a shortage of water in town, and be held in September would assist formances,” he said. Deva added that the investment daily water cuts from 11pm to 6am. Also, I would in gathering money for construc- While support for the project has is essential and one of the most implement a recycling project in the city. It hurts me tion, he said. outshone scepticism, the Ministry logical infrastructure projects the to throw away plastic, glass, paper, cans and regular He insists that the project is of Culture’s lack of transparency trash all together. A recycling project would have to essential, as, he believes, every government has come up with, as, surrounding the next phases of include educating the population to separate their country should have an opera she said, “every country in the construction has dented confidence trash and would create job opportunities for a lot of house. world has an opera house”. in the government’s handling of people who could create businesses that recycle these “The project was strongly sup- But the opera house’s 20 million the project. materials and re-sell them for production of recycled Permanent secretary Morina goods either here in Kosovo or by exporting them Pariis Sydney insists that national and interna- overseas. tional companies will be taken into Additionally, I would invest in building and opening consideration for phases of con- a real mall, modern and large, with shops, recreation struction, despite a total lack of businesses, and brand new movie theatres. information surrounding the rest I feel there aren’t many options for entertainment in of the building process and a Prishtina, especially in the winter, when everyone refusal by the ministry to release needs to stay indoors. A mall would be beneficial as it images of the new building. would allow new businesses to open as well as keep the Sami Piraj, head of the min- money circulating within Kosovo. Currently, locals istry’s department of culture, and internationals go to Skopje or Tirana for that. insists that the problem lies in the absence of adequate funds, which How many macchiatos do you drink a day? Viienna Priishttiina? have essentially halted construc- None, I am pregnant and have dramatically reduced tion work. my caffeine intake. Before that, I used to have three a “We are waiting upon possible week. financial resources in order to con- tinue the project. A large amount of What’s the tastiest Kosovar food? resources are needed, and until we I haven’t tried too many, but from what I have tried, can secure those, the project and its I like flia. details cannot be developed,” he Y said. What landmark do you use to tell taxi drivers M “The construction of the opera where you live? C house remains a top priority for the Bistro Bar in Pejton. No idea what the name of my K Ministry of Culture,” added Piraj. street is! neighbourhood news July 2 - 15, 2010 9 World Bank ‘Mishandled’ Staff Disciplined in Albania Project The World Bank’s own tribunal criticises the bank’s treatment of staff members penalised in connection with controversial demolition of village homes, and awards thousands in damages and legal fees.

police from Tirana aided by Ministry of Interior Special Forces descended on the village By Besar Likmeta and demolished 15 buildings on the instigation of the then Project Unit Coordinator, Jamamber Malltezi, who is wo decisions of the March Berisha’s son-in-law. The home- session of the World Bank’s less villagers to this day live TAdministrative Tribunal among the rubble of their homes have raised serious questions and in those parts of their houses about how the international that remain. financial institution’s Department of Institutional Following publication of the Integrity, INT, handled an investi- Inspection Panel’s report, the vil- gation into staff involved in a lagers sued the government. controversial coastal zones man- Their cases, whose legal assis- agement project in southern tance has been financed by the Albania. bank, are before Tirana’s District The project resulted in the Court. The beach at Jale, one of the Albania Rivieria’s most beautiful locations demolition of homes in the vil- The village, situated by the took Supplementary Performance the probe, because the targets of ect from their personnel files. lage of Jale, contravening the Ionian Sea on the coast road link- Evaluations “to amend their per- the investigation were never One of the staff members, who bank’s policies concerning forced ing the port of Vlora to the resort formance records for the periods given proper counsel, while the are indentified in the ruling only displacement. of Saranda, is considered one the concerned regarding their per- department exceeded its authori- by initials, was awarded $120,000 The accountability review by most beautiful spots on the formance on the project.” ty by recommending possible dis- in damages and $75,000 in attor- the INT was launched in Albanian “Riviera”. In the review, the INT stated it ciplinary measures. ney’s fees, while the other won February 2009 after a probe by the In addition to the project’s fail- had found evidence of poor per- The tribunal acknowledges that $35,000 in legal fees. bank’s inspection panel, which ure to comply with World Bank formance on the part of at least the demolitions in April 2007 were When contacted by Prishtina was leaked to Prishtina Insight, policies, the report from the eight staff members and man- serious matters with the potential Insight, a spokesperson for the found that management failed to Inspection Panel noted allega- agers. to harm the bank’s reputation but INT said the World Bank “does comply with the bank’s policies tions of corruption and com- One staff member who lost her underlines that “attributing indi- not comment on internal person- in respect to the design, appraisal plaints that the demolitions in managerial rank and another who vidual responsibility must be car- nel issues”. and implementation of the proj- Jale formed part of a bigger was transferred to corporate ried out with respect for the prin- Meanwhile, the six cases ect, harming local people. scheme to develop the area as a responsibilities rather than proj- ciples of due process, transparen- brought against the government Over the past two years, this tourist resort. ect operations filed appeals cy, and fairness”. by the villagers whose houses project has become a source of Both the government and respectively in July and August Arguing that the two staff were bulldozed more than three controversy in Albania. While Malltezi have denied wrongdoing 2009. members who appealed were not years ago remain in the initial the right-wing Prime Minister, and have insisted the demolitions The appeals, filed with the given proper notice of the allega- stages. Sali Berisha, has accused the were lawful. bank’s Administrative Tribunal, tions or of the imminent adverse The World Bank says it has inspection panel of being tied to As a result of the accountabili- contested the management’s deci- actions about to be taken against received assurances that the gov- an unidentified land mafia, the ty review, launched by the INT, six sions, based on the INT review, them - nor an adequate opportuni- ernment will ensure fair trials. opposition has repeatedly bank employees connected to the seeking damages of hundreds of ty to be heard before an adverse But one thing is certain: it will accused Berisha of corruption project were reassigned to techni- thousands of dollars. decision was taken in their case - take the local courts much longer over the affair. cal or non-managerial positions. In both cases reviewed, num- the tribunal ordered the bank to to issue a verdict on the villagers’ The controversy dates back to Eight employees, including the bered 430 and 431, the tribunal rescind the negative references to appeals compared with those April 17, 2007, when construction six that were reassigned, under- found that the INT mishandled their performance tied to the proj- brought by the bank’s own staff. Police Arrest Suspected Mastermind Behind Deadly Blast Police in Bosnia and Herzegovina have arrested a sixth suspect after a bomb blast in Bugojno town killed a police officer on Sunday He is also reportedly married to the sister of Rijad Rustempasic, a Bosnian Islamist who was arrest- ed last year and charged by By Prishtina Insight Bosnia’s top court with terrorism and illegal weapons trafficking. Media said that Palislamovic olice have arrested another was believed to be the master- suspect believed to be behind mind behind the weekend’s blast PSunday’s explosion at the in Bugojno. police station in the central town The prosecutor’s office said of Bugojno, Bosnia and that three more people were Herzegovina, which killed one arrested in Sarajevo on Tuesday police officer and injured several for hiding him after the attack. others. This brings to six the total num- The Bosnian prosecutor’s office ber of suspects arrested in rela- revealed only the suspect’s ini- tion to the attack. tials - NP - but local media identi- Prosecutors said that one of the fied him as Naser Palislamovic two men arrested previously, who The scene of Sunday’s explosion at a police station in Bugojno, Bosnia from the central town of Kljuc. was named by local media as According to media reports explosion was caused by between arrested as he was attempting to site. Adnan Haracic, was released Palislamovic is a known criminal 14 and 15 kilograms of explosives flee the crime scene. Meanwhile, Bugojno authorities after questioning and is not con- who has served time in prison in left in a bag placed on the back The blast left a large crater in declared Tuesday a day of mourn- Y sidered a suspect. wall of the police station. The the building’s wall and caused ing for police officer Tarik the past in Bosnia and Germany M Following a preliminary inves- explosive device was allegedly set serious damage in an area Ljubuskic, 41, who was killed in for forgery, domestic violence and C tigation, police said that the off by Haris Causevic, who was stretching as far as 300m from the the attack. threats to public safety. K 10 July 2 - 15, 2010 Neighbourhood

Clinton Speaks Out Against Homophobia in Albania Mladic Diaries May Sway s part of a speech made in celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) month US ASecretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke in sup- If accepted as evidence, the notebooks writ- port of an Albanian gay man who came out publicly during a popular reality show. ten by Ratko Mladic will have a bearing on “In Albania, a young man named Klodian Cela recent- seven of the nine trials ongoing before the ly came out on a popular television program called Big Brother and soon after, our ambassador, John Withers, ICTY, starting with that of Mladic’s wartime went on television to publicly express support for this colleague, Radovan Karadzic. man,” said Clinton during her speech. “He visited his hometown and he invited him to an event at our embassy, conveying to all Albanians that the United States supports his rights and respects his courage,” Clinton added. By Nidzara Ahmetasevic Cela’s expression of his sexual orientation on the show in February provoked a series of small protests in his hometown of Lezha, in northern Albania, which in brief Neighbourhood news he discovery of General Ratko Mladic’s wartime were condemned by Ambassador Withers and various notebooks could have a potential impact on seven rights groups. Tof the nine trials currently taking place before The Albanian parliament approved in February a the International Criminal Tribunal for former sweeping anti-discrimination law that includes protec- Yugoslavia, ICTY, Hague prosecutors say. tion of the rights of sexual minorities, winning praise They have said they believe the 18 notebooks found from activists. in the apartment of Mladic’s wife, Bosiljka, in Although the new anti-discrimination law did not Belgrade, contain highly valuable information. include a provision legalising same-sex unions, as pre- Source close to the ICTY prosecution told Prishtina viously proposed by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Insight that while the information discovered in the activists applauded it as a step forward for the gay com- notebooks is not entirely novel, it is valuable because it munity. offers further proof of certain claims that have been While the Albanian parliament decriminalised homo- widely accepted in the past but not proven. sexual relations in 1995, more than a decade later gays The prosecution believes the notes will have a bear- and lesbians are still heavily stigmatised, and a majori- ing on the trial of the former Bosnian Serb leader, ty hide their sexual orientation, fearing that if it is dis- Radovan Karadzic, and on those of the Serbian Radical covered their safety will be endangered. Party leader, Vojislav Seselj, the former Serbian secret service chiefs Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, and the former Bosnian Serb police officials, Mico Stanisic and Stojan Zupljanin. Prosecutors will also try to reopen the case against six former Bosnian Croats leaders that finished in May on the basis of Mladic’s written recordings of conver- sations with them. The prosecution says the notebooks were among 169 items found last December and February in Mladic’s wife’s apartment. Beside the notes, audiotapes, video recordings, a computer memory stick, medical records and mobile phone SIM cards were seized and handed over to The Hague. Dusan Ignjatovic, from the Serbian government’s National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY, told Prishtina Insight that “whatever was found [there] was given to the Tribunal”. Bulgarian Resorts Should Profit From He said the defence teams would probably query the authenticity of the notebooks. “I believe some defence Israel-Turkey Row teams will even deny it. But that’s only what I sup- pose… our obligation was to deliver what we found and ulgaria’s tourism industry may be one of the bene- we’ve done that,” he said. ficiaries of Israel’s increasingly strained relations Bwith Turkey following the Israeli raid on an aid ship Olga Kavran, Hague prosecution spokeperson, told bound for Gaza in which nine Turks were killed. Prishtina Insight they had no doubts about the diaries’ The prosecution asked Milovanovic if VRS officers Isaac Herzog, Israel’s Minister of Welfare and Social authenticity. “The prosecution believes the notebooks were required to keep diaries or journals during the Services, said in Sofia that his country was ready to are contemporaneous notes taken by General Ratko war. “Such a thing was not ordered specifically but this encourage the 400,000 Israelis who normally holiday in Mladic,” she said in a statement. is the training we received in military schools, that we Turkey to switch to Bulgaria. “Their authenticity has also been corroborrated by were supposed to keep notes in notebooks,” he said. “After our deteriorating relations with Turkey, which General Manojlo Milovanovic, the former chief-of-staff “We did what basically anyone else would have in around 400,000 Israeli tourists visit every year, it’s only and deputy commander of the Army of Republika terms of keeping notes,” he added. “Each officer was natural that Bulgaria would be the preferred alterna- Srpska, VRS, Main Staff, and a close associate of issued with one notebook. When you opened it, on the tive,” he told journalists during his visit to Bulgaria two General Ratko Mladic… He has recognised the hand- front page you would probably find… the officer’s first weeks ago. writing to be that of Ratko Mladic,” the statement and last name, and a registry number. Herzog, who was a former tourism minister, urged added. Bulgarian authorities to launch a marketing campaign While some media and NGOs are sceptical about the General Manojlo Milovanovic, the former chief-of- to attract more Israeli tourists. notebooks, mainly because they say nothing about the mass killings that Mladic directed in Srebrenica, east- staff of the Army of Republika Srpska’recognised Jerusalem-Ankara ties plunged dramatically at the the handwriting to be that of Ratko Mladic’. end of May after an Israeli attack on a flotilla carrying ern Bosnia, in 1995, others say there is no doubt of their aid to Gaza ended in carnage. Israel said it needed to authenticity. maintain a land and sea blockade on Gaza to put pres- Faida Rahmanovic, reporter for the news agency “When the notebook was used up you were supposed sure on the local Hamas authorities, whom they view as SENSE, which covers the ICTY trials, dismisses the to return it to the office that issued it.” terrorists. allegations made about them. “There is no room for He went to say that Mladic used to take notes during But the activists’ deaths outraged public opinion in doubts,” she said. “Firstly their authenticity was con- every meeting he attended. “When he was not speak- Turkey, where the government has become ever more firmed in Milovanovic’s testimony; he knew Mladic for ing, he was constantly writing down what the others vocal in its disapproval of Israel’s continued occupation more than three decades and who had more than one were saying.” of Palestinian territory. chance to see his handwriting.” The prosecution is still translating the notebooks. Earlier this month, amid growing tension between Further proof is to be found in the audio recordings, However, parts of the material have been made public the two countries, Israel’s National Security Council also available to the prosecution, she added; these also and published in Serbia in the last couple of weeks. issued a travel warning for Turkey, advising Israelis to confirmed the authenticity of the notebooks. The prosecution has said that the materials they stay away. Milovanovic testified before the ICTY on April 23 obtained include notes from October 1992 on Mladic’s after being subpoenaed in the case against Stanisic and meeting in Hungary “with the delegation of Croatia Y Direct flights to Turkish resorts have already been Simatovic. On being shown the notebooks in court, he and Herceg Bosnia”. The Bosnian Croatian delegation M cancelled and thousands of Israelis have tried to cancel said he recognised both the covers and Mladic’s hand- consisted of Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic and C planned vacations there, the daily Jerusalem Post writing. Slobodan Praljak. K reported. 11 Neighbourhood July 2 - 15, 2010

No Snap Polls, Macedonian PM Says

here will not be any snap polls in the country after Several Hague Trials November’s NATO summit, Macedonian Prime Minister TNikola Gruevski told local media in response to opposition calls for early elections. The prime minister and head of the ruling centre-right VMRO- DPMNE party said on Monday that “such a thing was not planned”. Gruevski is currently in his second term in office after winning the 2008 snap polls. His party holds about half of the seats in parliament. At a protest rally on Sunday, the opposition Social Democrats called for the parliament to be dissolved directly following the NATO summit scheduled for November. They said that elections before that date could harm the country’s chances of joining the alliance and progress in its EU bid if there is a breakthrough in the name talks with Greece. Speaking about the Athens-Skopje name row, Gruevski main- tained an optimistic tone, saying that a solution to the long

Neighbourhood news in brief Neighbourhood news standing spat is “probably possible, if there is will, understand- ing and respect by the other side for what is considered [Macedonia’s] state and national interest”. He reiterated that the UN mediator in the dispute, Matthew Nimetz, had intensified his contacts with both sides, but that there was still no clear signal as to whether he would present a fresh and concrete proposal soon. Gruevski noted two major issues that have been taking up most of his time: “The global economic crisis and its impact in Macedonia as well as the issues arising with the name dispute which obstruct our plans for NATO and EU integration. These are the two major issues and we will remain committed in the future to seeking solutions”.

Son of Late Bosnia President Izetbegovic to Run for Presidency

osnia’s largest Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) party announced over the weekend it has picked Bakir BIzetbegovic, the son of its late founder and undisputed Bosniak leader Alija Izetbegovic, as its presidential candidate for the October general elections. Bakir Izetbegovic, 54, will represent the party in the race for Fugitive Ratko Mladic (Centre) kept war diaries which could affect ongoing cases at The Hague Bosniak seat in the country’s tripartite presidency, the Party of Democratic Action, the SDA, announced after a meeting of its Mladic attributed to Praljak the statement that A note from 9 May 1992 from the meeting of the main board on Saturday. their goal was “the Banovina of 1939; if not we command of the 2nd Military District of the “Bakir Izetbegovic is a man who has political experience and will continue the war”. Yugoslav National Army, JNA, is found in which who will respect the policy of the party and its founder Alija The Banovina was the autonomous Croatian participants acknowledged that General Momcilo Izetbegovic,” SDA president Sulejman Tihic said. entity inside Yugoslavia, created in 1939, which Perisic is “destroying Mostar”. “We are convinced that he will win the elections because that included most of present-day Croatia, a small A note from 13 and 14 December 1993 is about a would be the best for the country,” he added. slice of the northern Serbian province of meeting between a group of senior military and Izetbegovic lost a bid in May last year to become the SDA pres- Vojvodina and a significant portion of Bosnia and civilian officials on the implementation of strate- ident and was widely critical of Tihic for a period. However, the Herzegovina. gic objectives where the importance of Sarajevo two men appeared to have buried the hatchet shortly after the According to Mladic, Praljak also said: “The as a key to the war was discussed along with plans elections for the SDA president to avoid weakening the party. Muslims do not have any ammunition, and we are for its division. Izetbegovic told Oslobodjenje daily that he was “honored” by not going to give them any”. Judge Patrick Robertson, in his latest report the SDA’s decision. At the end of October 1992, Mladic again met about completion strategy of the ICTY, delivered He said that being the son of Alija Izetbegovic has always been with Prlic, Petkovic, Prljak and Stojic and dis- last week in the front of the UN Security Council, a burden for him but that “this burden has not gotten heavier cussed worsening “Croat-Muslim tensions”, quot- stated that if they were accepted as evidence, the with my candidacy (for the state presidency)”. ing Praljak as saying: “We are on the road to com- notebooks could affect ongoing trials. “My chances of wining are the same as the SDA’s chances of pelling [President of Bosnia and Herzegovina “The possible impact of this development on winning…the SDA and its presidential candidate will win the during war] Alija [Izetbegovic] to divide Bosnia”. the length of the affected trials cannot yet be October elections,” he said. Mladic’s note from July 1993 is from a meeting assessed and the current assessments of the Although a spitting image of his father, Bakir Izetbegovic has with Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic. length of trials must be read with this factor in so far failed to win much popular support, in part due to allega- According to the note, Karadzic said: “Help the mind,” Robinson said, referring to the notebooks. tions of corruption and links with Sarajevo criminals. Croats in order to force the Muslims on division Under current plans, the ICTY is expected to He has always strongly denied the allegations by Bosnian and of Bosnia”. finish work by 2014. some international media, sometimes describing them as anti- During a meeting in February 1994, according Defence teams involved in those cases in which Bosniak propaganda. to the Mladic notes, Prlic said: “The Muslims are the notebooks could be taken into evidence are During Bosnia’s 1992-95 war, Bakir Izetbegovic, who is a our common enemies”. reluctant to comment in this moment. As well as trained architect, served as personal secretary to his father and Mladic made notes also about a meeting on 7 the prosecution, they are still in a process of in the immediate post-war years he was the director of May 1992 with Momcilo Krajisnik, the former reviewing the “new evidence”. Sarajevo’s Urban Development Institute. Bosnian Serb assembly speaker, sentenced in 2009 The final decision on the notebooks, and on He is currently a deputy in Bosnia’s central parliament and a to 20 years’ prison, at which the strategic objec- whether the court will accept them as evidence, member of the country’s delegation to the Council of Europe’s tives of the Bosnian Serbs were discussed. will be made by the Tribunal judges. Parliamentary Assembly. 12 July 2 - 15, 2010 Feature Culture in brief Culture

Morgan Freeman Guest of Honour at Sarajevo Film Festival

enowned Hollywood actor and Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman will be the guest of hon- Rour at the 16th Sarajevo Film Festival, which is to be held in the Bosnian capital from July 23-31, 2010. As a tribute to the celebrated actor the Festival will close with the screening of Freeman’s latest movie, Bekim Fehmiu “Invictus”, in which he plays South Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela. For his portrayal of Mandela, Freeman was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010. Freeman has starred in movies including Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, and Million Dollar Baby, for which he won an Academy Award. Remembered During his stay in Sarajevo, the actor is also sched- uled to meet with the young film professionals partici- pating in Sarajevo Talent Campus, a programme which originated at the Berlin Film Festival and has since been brought to Sarajevo, where it provides an opportu- nity for young people to learn from experts in the film in Kosovo industry. As previously announced, the Festival will open with “For some sceptics here, I want to say that Bekim the world premier of the movie Cirkus Columbia by the Fehmiu was always interested in working in Prishtina,” Bosnian director Danis Tanovic. Starring in the drama, Salihu said. which takes place in a small city in Herzegovina, are the He added that Fehmiu was in contact with some artists actors Miki Manojlovic, Mira Furlan and Boris Ler. By Petrit Collaku in Prishtina but potential projects lacked seriousness and professionalism. Macedonia Busts Artefacts He remembers when Fehmiu was selected by a British Smuggling Ring ilazim Salihu was shocked to hear on the news theatre director to play Hamlet in Prishtina in 1982. on June 15 that his best friend, renowned actor Fehmiu decided to withdraw from the piece because the ver 50 people, including museum directors, MBekim Fehmiu, had died at the age of 74 after director humiliated Fehmiu’s partner. municipal councillors, university professors, committing suicide in his apartment in Belgrade. “The director humiliated Melihate Ajeti and then Opolice officers and businessmen, were arrested Salihu recalls his shock and disbelief when he heard Bekim had an argument with him over the way the direc- on Thursday in a massive police operation aimed at the news. He said he called Bekim’s brother Fatmir in tor spoke with her,” Salihu said. busting an archaeological artefacts smuggling ring. Prishtina but could not bear to ask him if Fehmiu had He said that the Prishtina’s theatre director at the The action, dubbed “Phalanx”, which began on died. time, Hazir Miftari, expelled Bekim from the theatre. Thursday, also resulted in the seizure of large quanti- “Fatmir hadn't yet heard. I asked him when Bekim was “Bekim was angered by the decision.” ties of ancient coins, valuable pottery and ceramics, coming to Prishtina,” Salihu explained. “He told me Salihu added that Fehmiu was against injustice wher- bronze jewellery, icons, old weapons and various other Bekim was coming soon.” ever he saw it. pieces, Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska told Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed the “He abandoned the theatre in Belgrade in 1982 because media. death of the star that day, saying that the actor was found he did not agree with what was happening in Kosovo,” The police said the value of the pieces seized cannot shot in his apartment in Belgrade. Salihu explained, adding that Fehmiu was against the be disclosed at the moment. Dacic said that is was assumed the death was suicide Yugoslav policies towards the Albanians. Some 60 locations where the smugglers were believed because the shots were fired from a gun which is regis- In Salihu's words, Bekim Fehmiu's legacy is immortal. to be hiding the artefacts intended for illegal trade were tered to Fehmiu's name. “His legacy will never die. He has left a rich legacy in cin- searched during the operation, which took place in sev- Salihu, the owner of the ABC cinema in Pristina, ematography,” Salihu said. eral towns across the country and in the capital Skopje. remembers the first time he met his idol in Pula, Croatia He added that Fehmiu was the first Albanian actor to Police raided suspects' homes and offices in Prilep, in 1982, during the Pula film festival. rise to the top of the acting world in Yugoslavia and Stip, Negotino, Demir Kapija, Strumica and Krusevo. “Everyone was trying to have a minute to talk with helped raise the standards for cinematography. The suspects will be brought before an investigative Bekim,” Salihu told Prishtina Insight. “He was on the top Salihu said that no matter what people say about judge who is to determine whether they should be kept but he always had a minute for everyone.” Fehmiu, he was aware that he was an Albanian. in custody or released. Salihu said that Fehmiu came to Prishtina every year. Western directors and managers tried to give Fehmiu Initial reports indicate that the group was well pre- He visited his family and stayed for longer periods. an artistic nickname but he refused such an idea, Salihu pared, with archaeologists who estimated the value of “He was in the cinema every day and had coffee right explained. the artefacts, smugglers who transported them and there,” Salihu said, pointing to a table in the cinema’s “He never wanted a nickname. Once, I remember he policemen who turned a blind eye. lobby. said ‘I don’t need a second name’,” Salihu said. Most of the artefacts originated from the archeologi- Today, a big picture of Fehmiu stands near the table Fehmiu’s profile in western countries rose following cally rich dig sites in Macedonia such as Isar Marvinci, where he once sat. Nearby, on another table, there is a his performance in Aleksandar Petrovic's 1967 movie I Vrance, Mariovo, Cipigovo and others. They were cup of coffee, a cigarette in an ash tray, and newspaper Even Met Happy Gypsies (Skupljaci perja). intended for smuggling to Greece, Italy and Austria articles on Fehmiu covering the right wall where Fehmiu He won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in through well-organised routes, police sources revealed. met his fans. 1967 for his role as Bora in the movie. Y During the operation, the police also caught several Salihu said even though Fehmiu lived in Belgrade he He starred mostly in European productions, particu- M illegal diggers red-handed as they were excavating valu- thought all the time about his family in Kosovo, about larly in Italy and also in the US, collaborating with direc- C ables at the dig sites. Prishtina, his beloved town of Prizren, and above all tor Dean de Laurentiis and John Huston, Olivia de K about his people. Feature July 2 - 15, 2010 13

Serbia Shown Without Kosovo on World Cup Map

he world football federation FIFA has published a map of Serbia without Kosovo in the official bulletin for this Tyear's World Cup in South Africa. The authors of the brochure, Nikolaus Eberl and Herman Schoonbee, wrote that Serbia has a population of 7.38 million, which corresponds to the number of people living in the country

Culture in brief Culture without Kosovo. The map comes as a surprise for some because FIFA, football's global governing body, has refused to recognise the Football Association of Kosovo because Kosovo is not recognised by the United Nations. After Kosovo declared unilateral independence in February 2008, Serbia, which bitterly opposes the independence declara- tion, took the case to the International Court of Justice. The Court's public hearings lasted from December 1 to 11, with judges expected to deliver an opinion this summer. Meanwhile, Kosovo has been recognised by 69 out of 192 UN member states, 22 out of 27 EU member states and 24 out of 28 NATO member states. Official maps of Europe, however, still present Serbia includ- ing Kosovo. Representatives of Kosovo’s Football Association and FIFA and UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) met last November to negotiate the country’s footballing future on the international stage but no progress was made on Kosovo’s key demand – membership in the international football community. The rest of the text on Serbia in the brochure describes the footballing results of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia in previ- ous events, customs of the country, favourite dishes and drinks. According to the brochure, pointing a finger at someone is not recommended in Serbia, while hanging around on public squares when drunk is considered distasteful behaviour. The death of Kosovo’s best known actor has been lamented by Belgrade, the country's capital, is cited as the capital of fun in many, but some have used Bekim Fehmiu’s passing away to ques- the region. tion his life in Belgrade, his alleged indifference towards the plight Albania Actor Nets Top Award at Moscow Fest of fellow Albanians and his lack of visits to Prishtina. In an inter- lbanian actor Nik Xhelilaj has been awarded the best view with Prishtina Insight, his best friend, Milazim Salihu, sets actor prize at the Moscow film festival for his role in the AGerman-Albanian co-production The Albanian. the record straight. The Albanian is the fourth feature film starring the 27-year-old Xhelilaj. Following his feature-film role in Pirro Milkani’s 2008 autobiographical drama, The Sorrow of Mrs Schneider, he Hevilend, Ava Gardner, Dirk Bogart, Charles death to fulfill the actor's wish for his ashes to be scat- attained local critical and public acclaim. Aznavour and other world stars. tered in Prizren’s river, where Fehmiu spent his hap- The festival, which closed its 32nd edition late Saturday after a In late 1980s Fehmiu, who was also considered one piest childhood years. 10-day run, awarded The Albanian, directed by Johannes Naber, of the most handsome actors in the region, His funeral was held in Belgrade, in front of the with a special jury prize. Best director went to Poland's Jan announced he was retiring from public life after roles great and good of the Serbian capital. Kidawa-Blonski for Little Rose. in some 45 films. His wife stood calmly next to his urn with their two Best actress went to Czech Republic's Vilma Cibulkova for her Salihu said that Fehmiu had broken the ice in the sons and granddaughter. There was no speech, but role in Irena Pavlaskova's An Earthly Paradise for the Eyes. cinematography world between Eastern and Western Petric sang their song "Sail, sail our little craft." In the Perspectives competition Polish director Borys Lankosz Europe. In a tribute to the actor Kosovo’s Ministry of picked up best film for Reverse. “He worked 15 hours per day. Everyone admired his Culture recently established a prize for the best cine- A special prize for outstanding contribution to world cinema energy. He was shining at that time.” matography, naming the award “Bekim Fehmiu”. went to French director Claude Lelouch and French actress The art community in Kosovo has organised many Bekim Fehmiu was born on June 1, 1936 in Emmanuelle Beart was given the honorary prize for actors who events to remember Fehmiu’s life and biography. Sarajevo. He studied theatre arts in Belgrade and display outstanding achievement using Method Acting. Salihu himself organised a commemorative meet- went on to play in more then 50 movies. ing in Prishtina in which Fehmiu’s wife Branka He has recorded in Europe, the US, South America, Petric, also an actress, and his son Uliks Fehmiu par- Africa and Asia. He acted in many languages, includ- ticipated. ing Albanian, Serbian, Macedonian, Roma, Turkish, Fehmiu's close family travelled to Prizren after his Spanish, English, French and Italian.

Y M C K If you would like your NGO to appear in 14 July 2 - 15, 2010 our Making a Difference feature, please Guide email [email protected] By Belinda Vrapi Cool off in Kosovo’s Hot Summer Ok, so it has hardly been a scorcher of a summer yet. But when it finally gets hot in Prishtina, it will also get sticky, polluted and altogether unpleas- ant. To help remedy this situation, Prishtina Insight has drawn up a list of destinations where you can escape the oppressive heat with the refreshing coolness of water.

Gracanica Hacienda Batlava Lake

Pool atlava Lake is an artificial lake originally built to sup- eave Prishtina on hot sum- Bply Prishtina and its sur- mer days to go to the out- roundings with water. It’s now also Lskirts of Gracanica and used for swimming by many and is a you will find Hacienda Pool sur- beautiful spot at all times of the rounded by nature. For the modest year, unless the hordes have price of 1.5 euro you can enjoy the descended with their rubbish. open-air pool. Drinks and fast food There are plenty of kebab stalls are offered. Hacienda Pool is on around and the woods and some the right side of the road going decent restaurants. right from the roundabout of You can also rent a small boat or Gracanica. pedalo to enjoy the water. To reach Hacienda drive past Batlava is a 30-minute-drive the monastery in Gracanica and from Prishtina. Turn off the take the first right. Podujevo road where it is signpost- ed to Orllan. Mirusha Waterfalls Badovc Lake

irusha is one of the adovc Lake is situated in best places to cool off in the Gollak Mountains, to MKosovo, thanks to the Bthe south-east of cool mountain water and stunning Prishtina on the road to Gjilan. scenery. It can get a bit busy The lake has an area of 2.57 km² around the lower pools at the and is used as one of the main weekends, but if you are willing to sources of water for the territory take a hike to one of the dozens of of Prishtina. water falls up stream, you can Because of its surrounding pic- escape the crowds. turesque environment, it has To get there from Prishtina, take become a popular tourist destina- the road to Peja and turn off at the tion during spring and summer for Gjakova road. Around 8km further picnickers and fishermen. along you’ll see a sign for Mirusha Swimmers give it mixed reports, in Albanian. Park by the restau- as it can get quite muddy. rant and follow the river for 20min- utes until you reach the falls.

Dhermi, Albania

k, it is a bit more of a drive to southern Germia Pool OAlbania, but it has to be one of the best choices for a week- ermia pool is a few min- end’s watery relaxation. Don’t utes outside of Prishtina, bother with busy Dhermi itself, Gon the edge of Germia but pick the next door beach of Park. The large pool is absolutely Drymades, with its couple of bars heaving on hot summer days with and hotels, or one of the neigh- an entrance fee of only 1.5 euro. bouring deserted options. Surrounded by high trees of It’s about an eight-hour drive Germia Park, the large pool is a from Prishtina along the new high- relaxing place in the week, fre- way, so its worth making a long quented by all ages. There are a weekend of it. bar and restaurants within walk- Rooms book up in August, so it’s ing distance. best to reserve in advance.

Ohrid, Macedonia

hrid and the Lake of Ohrid have been declared Swiss Wellness Centre Oa World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Lake of Ohrid is the n the road from Prishtina jewel of the Macedonian crown to Mitrovica, around 20 and the lake itself is one of the old- Ominutes outside the capi- est in the world. There are 365 tal, you will find the Swiss churches, many monastaries, holy Wellness Centre on the right. sites, castles and museums to visit, Apart from the indoor swimming apart from swimming in the lake. pool, sauna, steam bath and other The Balkan Folklore Festival takes services, the centre also has an place from July 4 to 10, providing open-air swimming pool in the the perfect opportunity to take in Y summer, where you can enjoy a some culture and enjoy the water. M swim away from the noise of the Ohrid is a four- to five-hour drive C city. from Prishtina. K 15 Culture July 2 - 15, 2010 A Man of ‘Outrageous Personal Courage’

Book Review: Shkelzen Gashi – Adem Demaci’s Biography

By Alexandra Channer

hkelzen Gashi has written a biogra- country; and who encourages him to phy which tells the story of a man carry on his work regardless of her, Sdistinguished by the most outra- because as she says, one day she will die, geous personal courage. but not Albania. The book describes the life of Adem Despite having founded an illegal Demaci, the most well-known of the movement, quite often, Demaci comes Albanians of Kosovo, who was impris- across as a loner, operating with one or oned for his political beliefs and activi- two people, outside the institutional and ties in Yugoslavia after the Second mental framework in which most other World War. people functioned. Oddly, little has been written about Demaci’s determination not ever to be Demaci, apart from accounts by other humiliated is expressed as an often witnesses of the time, and as Gashi breathtaking foolhardiness. points out, today Kosovo’s school pupils During his first trial, Demaci shocks learn almost nothing about the signifi- the court by not only accepting all of the cant role he played in the national move- charges against him, but launching into ment. This biography is therefore a very a political speech in which he forcefully timely and important addition to the attacked the injustices of the Yugoslav body of academic literature about regime. Kosovo’s recent history. Later, as spokesman for the Kosovo Demaci is presented above all as a Liberation Army, KLA, he was living an political character in this book. His life exceptional life, walking the streets of and actions are set against the backdrop Prishtina each day during the bombing, of a colonial relationship between the and driving through Serb cordons into Serbian state and the majority Albanian KLA zones in the countryside, without population of Kosovo. The reader fol- thought for his own personal safety. In lows him across a wide span of history, fact, quite often, Gashi quotes him fear- as Demaci starts school during the lessly daring a Serb soldier or police- Italian occupation in the Second World man to shoot him. War, and the book ends at the present The Demaci whom Gashi describes is day. Experience of collective repression, a man who simply refuses to submit to particularly in the 1950s and the 1990s, physical or political oppression, and provides the context for the formation of whose understanding of freedom is Demaci’s political beliefs. Gashi cleverly something that has to be lived every day weaves in many intriguing scenes from in order to be freedom. It is this person- Demaci’s life to illustrate this, all of al conviction and grasp of his human which manage to convey to us the man’s dignity which, Gashi’s book implies, unique character. make Demaci so fearless in the face of Gashi describes the young boy listen- power. of Hoxha was an exception among nity for Kosovo. ing to his mother explaining how her A word should be said about Gashi’s Albanian nationalists in Kosovo after the He is released, after twenty-eight years four uncles were executed in front of approach. His goal is to write a straight- war. in prison, and is visited by thousands of her by Serb forces in 1912 in their front forward and objective biography, which The book brings to light the rather sur- people, but is hesitant to seek any posi- yard; his parents in desperation plan- serves as a source for all those doing fur- prising switches in method that Demaci tion of command, and initially support- ning to emigrate to Turkey in the inter- ther research into this intriguing period made. ing the work of the Democratic League of war period; his teacher explaining how of Kosovo’s history, and he does indeed Thus we come across him in different Kosovo, LDK. Later, as Gashi tells us, as a little boy he burst into tears in provide a wealth of very useful informa- periods organising an illegal movement, Demaci and Ibrahim Rugova, leader of class, when he suddenly understood that tion for future scholars. working for a newspaper, leading a the LDK, develop a strikingly adversarial the axes on the Albanian flag meant it The absence, however, of a strong human rights organisation, engaging in relationship, although the reasons for was under occupation. authorial voice occasionally leaves the a political party, and acting as the politi- this remain unclear in the book. Gashi also brings out the importance reader lacking explanation for some of cal spokesman for the KLA. Demaci remains a powerful voice, but of education and teachers in Demaci’s the puzzling changes in Demaci’s politi- Demaci makes some puzzling leaps the central ground is taken over by other life. It was his teacher Kole Nikaj from cal life, as well as creating uncertainty between methods of resistance, covering characters, and in explaining his reluc- Shkodra who first inspired him; and the about how to assess whether the presen- the entire spectrum from pacifism to tance to lead, Demaci argues that it is the ranks of activists in the movement tation of facts is balanced. This is trou- guerrilla warfare. Finally, his political idea which is vital, not the man. Demaci founded in November 1963, were, bling in particular with regard to Gashi’s goals also change, shifting from national This is, in a sense, the message of like him, the first generation of treatment of the role of communist unification, to the rather unexpected Demaci’s life and this book is thus not Albanians educated in their own lan- Albania in Kosovo. On this issue, he ‘Balkania’, a confederation of Serbia, only a powerful story of his life, but also guage in Kosovo. clearly betrays his preferences. Montenegro and Kosovo and finally, the the story of a powerful idea. It is through These glimpses of Demaci’s life also Without producing convincing evi- independence of Kosovo. While Gashi Demaci’s actions and long imprisonment suggest that some of his characteristic dence, Gashi unjustly accuses Enver presents these transitions in Demaci’s for this idea, that he keeps it alive. and dogged determination derives from Hoxha and his partisans of being com- life, he does not offer his view of why Y his mother, who tells him during deten- plicit in the Tivar massacre, and of a Demaci made these decisions. The book is available in English from M tion before his first trial that she is not total abandonment of Kosovo. Nor does At the end of the book, one is left mus- all good bookstores in Prishtina, includ- C worried if he hangs, because it is for his he explain that Demaci’s strong criticism ing whether Demaci was a lost opportu- ing Dukagjini, Dit e Nat and Ginger. K 16 July 2 - 15, 2010 Food & Drink The Old Man and the Sea Food – Hemingway Restaurant appreciation for this specific type of fare. His kitchen takes up a considerable amount of the small dining area, yet its open concept is most appreciated. Skender shows By Maneater off ingredients while preparing meals, and regularly converses with guests. There is no menu at Hemingway. Although rishtina chefs rarely receive direct praise a series of regular options are available daily for their culinary work, and almost never such as shellfish and bass, the types of fish in Psocialise with diners. Even so, there is an exception to this norm, which is Hemingway store for ordering varying from day to day. Restaurant, a family-run business which has “Today I may have a beautiful bass, and in steadily maintained popularity for the past 10 another 15 days I might have something even years. more special. It depends on the day, but this Aside from its homely atmosphere, way everything is fresh”, he said. Hemingway also possesses another uncom- I let the family take care of my order that mon trait – first-rate seafood preparation. In late afternoon. After quite pleasant small- fact, fish and other ocean delicacies are the talk amidst the sizzling sounds of Skender’s only meal options available, paving the way cooking, my meal quickly arrived, and with for a focus on interesting ingredient place- much anticipation. ment and guaranteed freshness. The first entrée is Hemingway’s fish stew, Head Chef Skender Topallaj and his wife which is a secret family recipe. Over the The rustic interior of Hemingway Restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy fresh sea food and two young-adult children take turns years, every member of the family has added soft white colour which corresponds to its large-scale wooden tables, benches and serving up dishes, while simultaneously a hint of flavour to the dish. delicate yet refreshing taste. chairs occupy the space, while rhythmic jazz mingling with guests. There are no waiters – The copper-red stew is rustic, and deli- The fish is served with a series of simple music plays in the background. the designated cook brings your meal direct- ciously aromatic. Chunks of flaky fish swim garnishes which do not outshine the main ly to your table. in a zesty soup-like consistency, which is sim- element of the dish. Shredded green lettuce, Hemingway Restaurant works daily from Skender, a Hemingway buff, began work- ple yet fulfilling, served with a basket of carrots and beetroot join a scoop of cold 9am to 11pm. ing as a chef in Turkey and picked up grill-charred bread and fresh lemon. mashed potatoes, sliced zucchini, and lemon. 044/049 145 637 seafood cooking techniques during his time Satisfaction carried on to the main dish – a The interior of the venue mimics the rus- Rr. Ilaz Kodra, across from FINCA there. Although Kosovars have little experi- beautiful flatfish turbot from the seas of tic qualities of its dining options. Soft taupe- ence with the cuisine, Skender believes that neighbouring Albania. While the skin devel- coloured walls, stained-glass lighting, and the landlocked country is developing an oped a crunchy texture, the flesh retains a 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 2 - 15, 2010 in Prishtina Timeout Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

Prishtina Diary Stacion Art Centre Monday, July 5 Cinema Hotel Pashtriku, Gjakova, Evil Eddie Richards. Britain's Godfather of House & Techno brought to you by Spray people on June 5 in Gjakova.

Saturday, July 10 Prishtina’s Stadium, from 5 pm – Snoop Dogg, presented by Z Mobile By buying a sim card Monday, June 28 – Saturday July 24 from the fourth mobile operator in Kosovo, Z The Mobile Archive - Centre for Contemporary Art Prishtina Mobile which costs only will present the Mobile Archive, an international collection of 25 euro, with 25 euro more than 1000 video artworks assembled by the Israeli Centre credit on it, you get a for Digital Art, from Holon. ticket for the concert. See page 5 for details. With the goal of facilitating research and cultural exchange, much of the archive of The Israeli Centre for Digital Art in Holon focuses on issues of identity, nationalism, and mili- Friday, July 16, 7 pm tarism. Works in the archive also offer alternative narratives Skopje Burning Festival to historical tropes of Israeli society as well as other socio- 2010 with Massive Attack political issues relevant to the Near East region. at “Skopsko Kale.” The Mobile Archive includes video art works, sound works, The festival will be held films, and documentation of performances and installations on July 16 on Skopsko that were exhibited at the centre as well as other works by Kale starting with leading Israeli artists in the field of media art. Every day, at 6 and 8 pm the cinema ABC, the Belgrade-based group ‘Svi na pod’, probably the The Mobile Archive is based on the Video Archive of the final chapter of Shrek, It Ain’t Ogre... Till It’s most talented new Israeli Centre for Digital Art, Holon. The Mobile Archive takes Ogre, is being shown. ABC cinema also contin- Serbian band. the Israeli Centre for Digital Art’s Video Archive on the road. ues to screen the movie Robin Hood at 10 pm. Afterwards you can hear In order to make the Archive dynamic and valuable to local Croatian-based audiences abroad, original project curators, Eyal Danon and The cinema will also screen the movie It’s ‘Lolobrigida’, last year's Galit Eilat (The Israeli Centre for Digital Art), and Eva Complicated, Divorced...with Benefits with winners of the MTV Birkenstock (Kunstverein, Hamburg) decided to open the Adria region, who are Archive to local art contributions to be collected by each host Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin coming to Skopje for the institute. in the main roles. first time. For ticket reservations and further information Then follows ‘Edo Maajka’, also in Macedonia for the The Mobile Archive has been travelling the world since its first time, accompanied by a live band. Edo will pres- first stop at the Kunstverein in Hamburg in 2007. visit www.kinabc.info or call 038 243 117 ent his spectacular Edo album, soon to be released.

The Massive Attack show will be introduced with a 30- minute presentation of the fantastic singer and cur- rently the world's leading trip hop vocalist, Martina Topley Bird. She's known for her vocals on the last two albums of Tricky. After Marina's 90-minute show, the Pristina In Your stars of the night - Massive Attack - will kick off their groundbreaking performance. They will perform only a few tracks from their last album and the rest of the Pocket city guide evening will be devoted to their new material.

On this tour Massive Attack bring an unprecedented visual spectacle. Among other singers performing with them is the legendary Horace Andy.

Finally, the after party - though still on the main stage - you can hear will see Bei The Fish with their late night show.

The tickets for seven hours of this musical extrava- ganza cost 1000 MKD and are already on sale today in the usual box offices across Macedonia. Also on sale are only 500 fan pit tickets for the price of 1500 MKD. For more information visit www.avalon.com.mk

Thursday, June 24 – July 10 New issue for sale at Art Gallery, personal exhibition of the artist Zef Toçi. Dukagjini and Dit e Nat Born in Mitrovica, Zef Toçi graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels (Belgium) in 1972, Y at the class of Professor Georgina Iserbut. He received For more info tel. +38 649 173 447 M masters degree in Belgrade in 1981, at the class of C Professor Zoran Petrovic. http://pristina.inyourpocket.com K 18 July 2 - 15, 2010 Inside Prishtina

Ecosovo Bar Review: When Plastic is Offside Sports Bar

ubstitute goods weren’t Not Fantastic always available in Kosovo, Sbut have now hit every indus- try imaginable – even the sports Macedonia - I wonder how long it bar. For those of you not reaching will be before a large Kosovo your full utility within the numer- supermarket will follow this lead. ous downtown sports bars, Offside By Elizabeth Gowing has room for you in its new loca- REUSE tion in Sunny Hill. The space can best be described am told that it was a Because when you go to the as a Filikaqa impersonator. While Kosovar who designed the supermarket, of course you do the Pejton bar has earned a raving Ioriginal ‘I (heart) NY’ need something to carry the shop- clientele, Offside has yet to reach image. That makes me feel less ping home with. It’s not easy to that type of allegiance, despite its weird about being a non- find large reusable fabric bags for copycat sports bar furniture, end- Kosovar writing a column this purpose in Kosovo, though less high-definition televisions, based on ‘I (heart) KS’. This they were once commonplace. Last projectors, and happy hour prices. new column takes as its start- month a shopkeeper gestured at Even the name mimics ing point that there are millions my cloth bag ‘Hey, my granny used Filikaqa’s branding style (Filikaqa of people - visitors and to have a bag just like that’. I think means referee whistle in I would have liked his granny. A Kosovars, resident and abroad - Albanian). Kosovan friend in his thirties tells who love Kosovo and desire it to As far as food goes, Offside me, ‘when I was a kid and we went be the best possible environ- offers a series of burgers and shopping, you always had to ment to live in. sandwiches, as well as predictable along with expected footballs, and construction project spoils the remember to take the big bag with This week I am wondering about Prishtina options – pizza, pasta, other memorabilia. Although pos- front terrace view, seating is also you.’ Kosovo’s national flower. No, not salads, chicken and steak entrées, sessing only one bar area, seating positioned outside for those pre- A project is due to start in a vil- the bozhur peony, I mean the and risotto – all encompassing is plentiful, with many leather ferring a view of the block. splashes of colour you see in the lage here this autumn where a expected ingredients and styles of sofas smartly sectioned off from Taking into account World Cup fields here that turn out to be plas- newly trained group will be mak- preparation. each other for more private gather- fever, Peja Beer only costs one euro tic bags. ing such bags - simple, sturdy, European football club flags are ings. per glass bottle. For reservations Plastic takes 400 years to biode- reusable. The plan is that these displayed on every wall surface, Although a current roadside call 044 744 442. grade. After 400 years the pieces of cloth bags will be available at a low a bag taken home from the mini- price at the checkouts of the market yesterday will finally be biggest supermarkets. too small to be seen. Until then, The supermarkets know that Shop Review: that bag stays here, snagged on a something has to be done. Recently branch, buried in a field or caught Maxi and Viva started printing on in a river, wrapping up the their bags a reminder about reduc- unlucky fish. ing and reusing, and the environ- Flex Protein Shop This is not how anyone would mental costs of plastic. A ministry choose Kosovo to be. It angers the of the environment directive hile most of us strive to people who live in the country and ordered supermarkets to charge 2 create a toned figure for depend on it for their livelihood - cents for plastic bags at the check- Wthe summer, many are farmers and fishermen. It’s often out; it was suggested that this unaware of the vast amount of the first thing that tourists to the money should contribute to an supplements available to assist in country comment on; it embar- EcoFund. the body’s transformation into rasses Kosovan patriots. But what What happened? Some embar- beach-readiness. Egzon Hyseni, can be done? rassing scenes at the checkout owner of Flex Protein Shop has when outraged customers dumped the answers, and the goods suited REDUCE their shopping, refusing to pay if for every body-type. they were not going to get free The shelves of his shop are If you’re buying just one bar of bags. In one such argument the packed with vivid containers, chocolate at a minimarket, does it police had to be called. The min- varying in sizes, and complex ref- need any carrier at all? Every bag istry directive has now lapsed, erences. Although overwhelming we decline is one less piece of biodegrading far faster than the for those new to the protein game, plastic blooming in Kosovo’s polythene it was aimed to save. Egzon’s experience in the field fields. However, from my experi- This story is an important one. proves very helpful. ence, declining bags in Kosovo is It shows that it’s not just about Egzon began bodybuilding at not always easy. “Take it - it’s calling on supermarkets to take the age of 15, and has studied the free,” I’m urged. Following too the lead; in this case, they did. It’s field extensively ever since. He many shopping trips which had not enough to ask government to told Prishtina Insight that the degenerated into halting bilin- do their bit; in this case, they did. majority of people that hit the gual environmental science In the end, we are the only people gym are unaware of the need to debates I’ve had some cards print- who can decide what Kosovo’s bulk up on proteins, in order to ed to hand over at the counter. fields, and trees and rivers will protect that body, and maintain Their slogan is simple, and writ- look like for the next four hundred appropriate muscle growth. ten in Albanian, ‘Say NO to plas- years. “You need at least three times tic bags. Plastic bags become In a future column I want to more protein a day if you hit the garbage in Kosovo’s fields, trees announce Kosovo’s Green Offices - gym regularly, and most people are and rivers’ (the accompanying the organisations and businesses unable to obtain it,” he said. Facebook group has the same slo- here who have made changes to Basic protein options include gan, ‘Thuaj JO qeseve të plas- the way they work to make them- whey, and other amino acid compi- tikës.’ Join the group if you’re selves more earth-friendly. Do you lations, which are derived from interested, or contact me if you’d natural substances. Prices for think your office deserves a men- For those hoping to shake off your personal fitness goals, Egzon like some cards). individual brands vary, and so do tion? Get in touch. the weight, varieties of products can provide a detailed food regime An elite few shops in Kosovo the effects, which can thoroughly directed to both sexes and specifi- for any client. don’t offer plastic bags at all. The Elizabeth Gowing is a founder be explained by Egzon. cally towards women are avail- Prices mimic those in the rest of Dit e Nat and Dukagjini book- member of The Ideas Partnership, The next selection of products able. Nevertheless, the effects are the region, beginning at 13 euro shops both offer their customers a Kosovan NGO working on educa- at Flex are gainers, which are used most profoundly felt when the for a basic whey shake, to well over strong paper bags. They’re tional, cultural and environmental to augment body weight in shorter products are combined with exer- 100 euro for more comprehensive Y biodegradable, with a low carbon periods of time. Gainers comprise projects. Responses or suggestions cise. products. M cost. I’d love there to be more mostly of sugars and fats, and for inclusion in future columns Egzon also emphasises a rigor- Rr. Ilaz Kodra, no number C paper bag heroes like these busi- obviously directed to men more will find her at ous diet for faster results. Based on 044 768 888 K nesses. It’s happened in [email protected] than to women. By Shega A’Mula 19 in Prishtina Inside Prishtina July 2 - 15, 2010

The panoramic view from the newly constructed Donika building

Building Review Donika Apartment Building and Office Space

rishtina’s Ulpiana neigh- capable of doing the same thing,” ment models, from 64 to 115 square bourhood, mostly compris- she said. metres. Each space is bare canvas, Ping Yugoslav-era apartment The structure’s key feature is a ready for any design and function- blocks, is now home to an eye- diagonal glass section protruding ality features requests by the catching eight-storey building cor- from the side of the building. The owner. responding to current architectur- first three levels enjoy most of the However, the leading light of the al trends and standards. Since its benefits, particularly floor to ceil- building is the penthouse suit, completion in May 2010, over 70 ing windows, with immaculate which fully exemplifies the poten- per cent of the building’s living view of the city, and abundant tial of Donika’s apartments. The and office space have already been sources of natural light. owner of the two-storey suit, sold. The lobby, comprising a large- equipped with outdoor full-length The building has been dubbed scale entrance, has two separate pool, jacuzzi, and lounging area, Donika by owners Olti Trasing, a elevators – one for the office area, has created a stunning contempo- national construction company. and the other for residential living rary space using furniture and The commissioned architects were quarters. High ceilings and bright design elements all purchased also a national company, along white walls meet more industrial from national vendors. with every worker that con- elements such as metal, glass and “I believe that this building and tributed to the realisation of the raw materials, defining the ulti- its architecture elements reflect project. mate look of the interior which is that we have learned how to prop- Fitore Beqiri, an architect and maintained throughout the rest of erly build spaces that reflect cur- employee of Olti Trasing, told the building. rent trends around the world,” Prishtina Insight that the fact that During a tour of the residential said Beqiri. the entire project was completed area, Beqiri points to the wide Olti Trasing’s next large-scale by Kosovars emphasises positive hallways which spaciously divide project is another business and achievements within the country’s separate apartments, and fire safe- residential building complex locat- architecture design and engineer- ty precaution such as hoses and ed in the neighbourhood of ing arena. detectors – elements missing from Lakrishte, also incorporating “There are foreign companies the majority of Prishtina apart- glass facades and modern indus- Y constructing great buildings here, ments, including post-conflict trial elements of design. M which we learn from, but at least projects. For more information call C we have shown that we are also There are five different apart- 044/049 502 880 The modern Donika building is wholly Kosovar-designed and constructed K If you would like your NGO to appear in 20 July 2 - 15, 2010 our Making a Difference feature, please NGO Focus email [email protected] Balkan Sunflowers: Raising Educational Standards alkan Sunflowers opened in to three hours per day, from 1999, right after the Kosovo Monday to Friday. Bconflict ended. At the begin- There are a couple of pro- ning, the NGO was working in grammes that are being run in the Kosovo and neighbouring coun- centres. The first is for the tries on refugee relief work, pri- youngest children, the pre-school marily for the Roma, Ashkali and programme. Egyptian communities in camps It is designed to prepare kids to for internally displaced persons. enter school with the necessary As 11 years passed, the focus of language and maths skills. the organisation’s work has also The preschool programme is changed from immediate relief, to particularly important in the playground construction, scouting Roma communities, where Roma, programmes and most recently an not Serbian is spoken at home. educational outreach programme School, on the other hand, is in Joanna Brucker, the educational Serbian. coordinator, told Prishtina Insight This programme also assists in that it has been introducing ‘learn- registering children in schools. ing centres’ to towns in Kosovo in The staff of Balkan Sunflowers go the past two years. Currently four from home to home to provide the locations are served: Shtime, help for children to register. Fushe Kosova, Gracanica and Balkan Sunflowers also runs a Plemetina, near Obiliq. peer-tutoring programme, where “The learning centres’ network older high school students come to was developed with the aim of sup- the centres to help the younger way to promote this idea. Children and hygiene, managing classes, erment, and caring for children. porting the education of the chil- children and also do outreach sit in circles and this encourages conflict resolution in classrooms Balkan Sunflowers Kosovo has dren in the community,” said towards parents. communication with the tutors. and more. more than 90 staff and serves Bruckers. “The centres support Parents are encouraged to visit Bruckers said they strive to pro- Balkan Sunflowers also has a more than 500 kids on a daily the education that the Roma, the centres to see what the chil- vide a safe place for children to ask project on documentary films basis. Ashkali and Egyptian children are dren are doing and get engaged in questions and to provide them all about Roma, Ashkali, and getting at school.” their education. the support they need. Egyptian life in Kosovo. The organisation receives fund- She added: “All of the children The staff of Balkan Sunflowers At the end of every session is a Another programme of the ing from organisations such as who attend centres have to be reg- are local from the community. hot meal. NGO, which currently runs in the Sunshine Lady Foundation, istered in schools and that’s some- They are Roma, Ashkali and The tutors themselves are pro- centres of Fushe Kosova and UNICEF, KFOS, Royal Norwegian thing we track. Egyptian, depending on the area vided with additional academic Shtime, is for young women, called Embassy, UNDP, local municipali- “For half of the day they have to they are working in. support. They are supplied with Women’s Literacy Programme. ties, Luxemburg Office and the be in regular schools and the rest The philosophy of Balkan the material they need for school Women come to the centres for Austrian Development Agency. of the day they spend in the cen- Sunflowers’ centres is to make the and scholarships to attend univer- two to three hours per day to learn tres receiving homework help and environment child-focused rather sity. They receive continuous a female-centred curriculum extra educational support.” than teacher-focused. monthly training by Balkan which looks at reading and writ- For more information visit The centres work two-and-a-half The classrooms are also set in a Sunflowers on leadership, health ing, motherhood, women empow- www.balkansunflowerss.org. Corruption Weaknesses in Kosovo Pinpointed A report by a leading Kosovo think-tank has identified what it believes to be the key weaknesses in Kosovo which have allowed corruption to flourish. he weakness of public procure- appointed a new committee, which award- these companies might use their financial ment officers, politically motivat- ed the contract to the first company, only muscle for political, rather than commer- Ted appointments to the boards of for the PRB to again intervene and ask for cial purposes”. publicly owned companies, the lack of the bids to be looked at again. The daily Express, for example, received funding and support for anti-corrup- The same process was again repeated, 25 per cent of its revenue from KEK adver- tion authorities, and the struggling with the same firm winning. This time the tising over a two-week period, IKS found. judicial system are pinpointed as the PRB sacked and fined the procurement KEK, however, argued its advertising strat- key areas of concern in the fight officer. Contrary to the law, he was not egy was based on a ‘rotation policy’. against graft, according to a new given the right to appeal. The report also found that key institu- report. The report reads that this example tions in the fight against corruption were Procurement officers, responsible for demonstrates the vulnerability of procure- underfunded and did not receive political the spending of around 20 per cent of ment officers “vis-à-vis senior officials and backing. Kosovo’s GDP through public institutions’ politicians who might want to interfere The Kosovo Anticorruption Agency did tenders, are particularly vulnerable to with the procedure of awarding a tender”. not have its annual report approved by the political pressure, according to a report by IKS says it believes that major contracts assembly, as required by law, in 2007 as so Kosovo Stability Institute, IKS. would be better managed centrally by the many deputies left the chamber during the The analysis, Untying the Knot, pub- Public Procurement Agency, rather than presentation by its head, Hasan Preteni, lished on Tuesday, reveals that procure- by the contracting authority. that there was not a quorum. In 2008, ment officers have been physically intimi- The politicisation of the boards of pub- Preteni was not allowed to address the dated by politicians and that their precari- licly owned companies is another area of assembly. ous position within institutions means concern, according to the report. The judicial system is also at fault for they are easily swayed by pressure. IKS cites the case of KEK, Kosovo allowing corruption, according to the The report reveals the case of a procure- Energy Corporation, and PTK, Post report. Key legislative planks, such as the ment officer for Rahovec. An evaluation Telecommunications of Kosovo, as exam- Law on Money Laundering, have not been committee, appointment by the officer, ples of where boards have been taken over approved, and some laws which have been awarded a 900,000 euro contract to a firm by political appointees. passed do not go far enough. For example, based on the offer being the most economi- In the case of PTK, the report suggests, failure by an official to declare a gift can cally attractive. However, there were irreg- this may have resulted in the dramatic result in a maximum fine of 1,500 euro. ularities in the process, and the central increase in staffing levels, for 2,500 to 3,200 IKS calls on the EU rule of law mission, Procurement Review Board, PRB, ordered Y between 2008 and 2009, despite the firm’s EULEX, to take a lead in fighting corrup- tions and EULEX will need to rise above that the bids be re-evaluated after one of M falling profits. tion, given it has an executive mandate to themselves to present a coordinated and the losing firms complained. It is also suggested that the politicisa- fight graft at senior levels. united front against corruption and its C The procurement officer in charge K tion of the boards “raises concern that But the report adds: “Kosovo institu- enabling environment.” opinion July 2 - 15, 2010 21 Corruption: Time to Reduce Dear Teta Mia... the Political Influence of Teta Mia solves your problems

Public Enterprises What to do? required political support and the neces- enue if newspapers fear that this will lead Everyone, Prishtina sary funding and investigative powers to to a withdrawal of advertising. hat to do indeed? By far the most work effectively, support a permissive envi- Free and robust investigative journal- popular choice, implied already in ronment for corruption. ism is one of the most important sources of By Birte Gippert Wthis deceptively simple question, is In addition, many processes in which accountability and transparency, and to to do nothing. corruption is ripe, such as public procure- date Kosovo’s media have made an impor- The Marxian will sit back at 7.55am in her ment, are characterised by a lack of trans- tant contribution to this. The financial ebates about corruption have domi- parency and accountability, which across influence of politicised POEs increases the air-conditioned sixth-floor apartment, com- nated the front pages of the newspa- the world constitute the most fundamental danger that such an environment of trans- placently watching the workers dodging pot- Dpers with local politicians and inter- safeguards against institutional corrup- parency and public accountability will be holes in the road and cars on the pavement nationals alike pledging their support to tion. increasingly constrained. This would fur- and suffering ever sharper alienation from fight corruption in Kosovo. An example of the consequences of such ther undermine the fight against corrup- the product of their labour until the pain is EULEX, after almost two years of inac- a lack of transparency is the governance of tion. too intense and the forces of history inex- tion, has started to exercise its executive Kosovo’s major publicly owned enterprises To reduce the politicisation of the POEs, orably move the proletariat upwards to a responsibilities with regard to corruption (POEs), such as KEK and PTK. The opaque to counter allegations of corruption in the more equal society. and has initiated investigations into cor- process of appointing the board members POEs, and to address the danger of politi- The Capitalist, sipping Italian wine in his ruption allegations at the Ministry Post- of these companies by the government, cal influence on the print media, the inde- weekend cottage in Hajvali , will wring his Telecommunications and Transport. including appointments that seem to pendence of the boards of the POEs from hands at the 18 per cent extra he must pay on Corruption has also become an important breach the law, has resulted in widespread the government needs to be strengthened. his latest winning tender bid, forced to part of the internal political discourse of concerns about the politicisation of these One way to achieve this is a more transpar- absorb the cost in lower-quality services and Kosovo with politicians accusing each enterprises. It has fuelled allegations that ent selection process for board members. lower wages for his staff, but thankful that at other of being corrupt to gain popular sup- decisions are taken for political rather Candidates for POE boards should be sub- least he won the tender and hopeful that port and standing. than business reasons, but there are also jected to a public hearing in which they things will sometime get better. While such debates are often strong on concerns that such politicisation could need to attest their professional qualifica- The Politician, back in his ministerial personal allegations, they rarely spell out have wider political consequences. tions for the post. Additionally, a stronger why corruption is harmful to Kosovo. seat again, will look forward to retirement at One example of this is the financial oversight mechanism for POE boards is Apart from the fact that it deters foreign 50 on 70 per cent pension and bemoan the influence of the POEs over parts of the required which could be vested in the POE direct investment and reduces economic laziness of his civil service and the incompe- media, in particular the print media in Monitoring Units, established in each rele- growth, it has a direct effect on the citizens tence of the other ministers, while wonder- Kosovo. Kosovo’s newspapers derive much vant ministry. of Kosovo. Corruption limits the provision ing how to pay for the replacement of the of their revenue from advertising. In a Such structural changes would go a long of public services as money which is need- jewels stolen from his mistress. their new study on ‘The Political Economy way in supporting an environment of ed for new schools, better healthcare, or The International Community will take of Corruption and Accountability in accountability and transparency in the more roads is diverted into the pockets of time out from long weekends in Kosovo’, the Kosovar Stability Initiative governance of the POEs, and would allevi- individuals. It perverts the proper conduct Thessaloniki to blame the Politician for “the (IKS) has estimated that some newspapers ate concerns about the financial influence of government and decreases the legitima- state we’re in”, grumble about this sum- depend on advertising for almost 80% of of POEs on the media, whose independ- cy of elected representatives in the eyes of mer’s traffic chaos, worry about unrest, dis- their revenue, and KEK and PTK are the ence is equally important to contain the the citizens, who see their tax money van- content and Instability, and drink another second and third largest advertisers, after seed of evil that is corruption. ish and see decisions taken in the private the government. Express, for example macchiato. rather than the public interest. received a quarter of its advertising rev- Birte Gippert is a researcher at the The Young Revolutionary, thinking that To effectively address corruption, how- enue from one source only: KEK. Kosovar Stability Initiative, IKS, which the Marxian ought to force the hand of his- ever, it is also necessary to understand the The danger of such financial dependen- this week published the paper ‘Untying the tory a bit, will rail against the Capitalist, the conditions that allow corruption to flour- cy on one or two companies is that the Knot: The Political Economy of Corruption Politician and the International Community, ish. In Kosovo, weak institutions handling media might start to exercise self-censor- and Accountability in Kosovo’. It is avail- overturning the odd car to demonstrate her large amounts of public money, a fragile ship, and stop reporting critically on the able at www.iksweb.org. unrest, discontent and Instability and fanta- and overloaded judiciary and an anti-cor- activities of their major sources of rev- sising about how occupying that ministerial ruption agency which lacks both the seat could really make things better. The Farmer will fertilise his land with the latest Chinese chemicals and watch in bewil- Outside In derment when his crops do not grow. The Chef will serve up ancient Brazilian chicken and hope his customers don’t notice. The The Albanian Bragging Gene Parent will send his child to school for three hours each day, the Patient will pay 30 euros for a bread pill and revert to eggs and raki narrator’s own endeavour. the issue. It was their attitude Albanian gene. The gene alerts when his illness isn’t cured, the Police Telling people that you are that introduced me to the con- you to outdo your “opponent” Officer will hang her head when her latest good at one particular thing or cept of modesty, which clearly by describing in infinitesimal arrested suspect walks free the next day. that you have travelled a lot are doesn’t work with Albanians in detail the triumph-over- By Kreshnik Hoxha things you wouldn’t try to keep most cases, with their special tragedy history of your The Politician will blame Belgrade, the low-profile if you are an gene. father’s business venture - International Community will blame the Albanian. On the contrary, you When I first moved to the UK which basically is not your Politician, the Young Revolutionary will would keep impressing people and met people that used to achievement anyway. blame the International Community, and the y being an Albanian, we with the same story and brag- rate themselves “moderately The conversation is guaran- Marxian will wait. possess a special gene The Farmer, the Chef, the Parent, the that allows us to brag ging as if you invented the okay” at cricket, I never teed to go completely off tan- B Patient and the Police Officer will blame about almost everything that Moon. realised they were actually gent if you include the achieve- “our mentality”, sigh, and ask, “What to surrounds us. This phenome- This good impression others national champions at high ments of your distant relatives non is observed across other acquire from your story-telling school. I soon came to realise in Germany, who you might do?” Balkan nations, but it is espe- gives you such a pleasure you that if a Brit claims that they never even have met. Over the past year, I have written about cially prevalent among cannot describe to anyone lack- are “sort-of alright” at sailing, Now, the issue could be corruption, electoral fraud, Alice-in- Albanians, as many interna- ing this special gene. it’s quite possible that they resolved if Albanians would Wonderland politics, inaction, the need for tionals in Kosovo would have And if you have just bought have sailed across the Atlantic agree voluntarily to swap this action, “stability”, Jerusalem, Big Fish bar- found out. a brand new car, then you don’t twice already. gene for a genetic transplant of becues, buildings burning down, where to It might be the achievement need to do the talking because The problem is exacerbated some modesty. find pork, aircraft carriers, the strength of of the second cousin once- you let the loudspeakers do the when our special Albanian But, let’s face it, how many Kosovar society, the ingenuity of Kosovar removed of your son-in-law, job while you tour around gene kicks in while having a Albanians would agree to do mechanics, and Brazilian chicken. but it will still be subject to a Prishtina blasting music into conversation with an English this and relinquish the comfort It strikes me that things are getting worse. conversation across cafes and the city air. person. They are gently talking of bragging, especially when “What to do?” is asked more and more plain- the achievement will be narrat- But, things play out quite dif- about their modest success in you live in the Balkans and you tively, more and more desperately. The rising ed with a mixture of pride and ferently when you take into the small business they have panic is painful. have so many opponents you Y enthusiasm as if it were the account the British attitude on set up, which activates the need to outdo? To be honest, I don’t know what to do. But M while I think about it, I’ll have another mac- C chiato, please. To send a letter to Prishtina Insight, email [email protected]. K 22 July 2 - 15, 2010 interview Health Minister Bujar Bukoshi: “Six Hectares Missing from Hospital”

Alban Selimi interviews Health Minister Bujar Bukoshi about the recent dismissal of the head of the University Central Clinic of Kosovo and the ministry’s action on how to deal with the Clinic’s administrative problems

uestion - Alban Selimi: procedure of sacking started a official announcement, the per- being said that Sadriu has dis- taken away, and it is said that This week the director week before. manent secretary of the min- covered that many executive LDK officials become landown- Qof University Central istry of health, Haxhi officials have manipulated the ers of those places. Do you Clinic of Kosovo, UCCK, Ali Question: Has this decision Kamberi, had a meeting with centre’s tenders, have you know the names of those offi- Sadrija was sacked from his been taken with agreement of the president, so does that heard of similar talking? cials? Did the former director position of director of UCCK. the president [Sejdiu] of mean that meanwhile there has Answer: I have heard even more of UCCK mention those names? Why did this happen? Kosovo, who seems to have had been some kind of an agree- than you, because words circulate Answer: This has been also an Answer - Bujar Bukoshi: This an influence on the process of ment? around. Therefore, for all the Assembly [of Kosovo] question happened because the situation at Ali Sadriu’s appointment as Answer: It might be possible, words, facts are needed, there are asked to me. I don’t know names, UCCK hasn’t been managed as it director of UCCK seven months but I don’t know of any meeting procedures, we claim to have a leg- but I know that those six hectares should have been. Because this ago? between them, and even if they islative state, and there are sched- are missing. And if those names centre is the pillar of medicine in Answer: No, coordination with have met, it does not mean that uled legal procedures on how are found and prosecuted by the Kosovo, despite our efforts to have the president hasn’t occurred, any agreement has occurred. The those words, if supported with courts, I will support totally the a synchronised team working in since the president has no obliga- permanent secretary is doing facts, can be acted on further at process of returning back the this institution, we didn’t manage tion to participate in appointing a great work in the ministry, so it is suitable institutions. It’s not my properties to UCCK. to have the desired situation, so director of UCCK. On the other not of high importance who has role to play a prosecutor, we do the procedure of sacking the hand, the hierarchy of our institu- met with whom. have prosecutors and judges, and Question: Can you tell us director of UCCK began. tions has to be respected for nomi- we have domestic and internation- what laws have not been nating, appointing, electing or Question: Did they meet to al ones who are responsible for respected by the former direc- Question: Why did it take you sacking any official from any posi- discuss this issue? such actions. tor who has been sacked from so long to make this decision? tion. Answer: I don’t know! the position? Answer: The suspension has Question: Six hectares of Answer: The problem was the just been officially issued, but the Question: Before issuing the Question: At UCCK, it is UCCK properties have been general mismanagement of the centre. The UCCK is not a small business or a private entrepre- neurship, but a much more sensi- tive institution which deals with patients, and thus needs better management and more proficient work.

Question: Ali Sadriu has said that the process of decentrali- sation with the clinical centre will start. Will his sacking stop the process or not? Answer: I’m convinced that the gap will be very short, because always, when there are such changes, time is needed for things to continue in normal flow.

Question: Who will become an acting president of UCCK? Answer: One will be appointed soon, and after many consulta- tions, the decision will be made by the minister [of health].

Question: Is he going to be a doctor? Answer: He can also be a very skilful economist, a good manager, taking into a consideration the suggestions and recommenda- tions of the doctors. We do have many experts within UCCK and in Kosovo in general, and it’s not a Y big deal if a director or a minister M is sacked from their position, C because even a prime minister K Six hectares of land have gone missing from the University Central Clinic of Kosovo can be in the same position. July 2 - 15, 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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