December 6-19, 2013 l #124 l Price 1€

Sleight of hand: Getting the boot: Prishtina Belgrade pushes south Failures in capital cost Insight in elections. page 2 LDK mayor’s office. page 4

Can he fix Prishtina? Mayor-elect discusses his vision and what stands in his way. Page 8

photo/majlinda hoxha

PRN loses No. 1 l PI Guide: At home at MIQT Taverna. PAGE 12 carrier as l Opinion: Voters stage goes under. page 10 a revolution. page 14 PageTwo2 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight LEPOSAVIC SERBIA

zvecan zubin potok

north mitrovica

novo brdo

gracanica klokot partes

ranilug from the editor Win-Win for Belgrade

If a Nobel prize were given for Machi- they please, it would be naive to view avellianism, the Serbian government these GIS victories as merely a reflec- would be a strong contender this year. tion of voters’ preferences. Belgrade ran The Serbian Citizens Initiative, GIS, a a hard, in some cases dirty, campaign -wide list of Belgrade-approved for these southern municipalities, candidates, appears to have won victo- which are likely home to more Serbs ries nearly everywhere it fielded can- than the north. strpce didates for mayor. It even managed to The initial impact will be a sudden, get someone elected to the Prishtina dramatic weakening of the Independ- municipal assembly. ent Liberal Party, SLS, which is part of In the course of one election, Serbia Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s national managed to let go of the Autonomous collation. Province of Kosovo and Metohija and The SLS has played an essential role Serbia’s expedite its ticket to the EU while gain- in integrating Serbs south of the Ibar, ing a foothold but has also been responsible for the across the Repub- rise of Nenad Cvetkovic, the soon-to- lic of Kosovo. Bel- be-former Mayor of Partes, who has a grade essentially rape conviction. It had its share of other push south traded in an old scandals, too. Zastava for a fleet Nate. The breaking of the SLS monopoly The Belgrade-backed , the of new Volkswa- Tabak over the south is in many ways refresh- Serbian Citizens’ Initiative, has claimed vic- gen Golfs. @birn.eu.com ing, evidence of the recalibration of lo- tories in all but one majority-Serb municipal-

Belgrade’s vic- Editor-in-Chief cal politics seen across Kosovo in the ity in the recent local elections. The Inde- tories in the north, recent elections. But the motives of the pendent Serbian Party, SLS, had dominated in places like new crop of leaders are suspect. Many Serb politics in Kosovo’s centre and south, North Mitrovica and Leposavic, were come from the Serbian-run “parallel in- and was instrumental in integrating these not all that impressive given that Serbia stitutions”, and there is reason to think communities into the Republic of Kosovo. has basically run the region for 13 years. that they will take orders coming from It claimed its real prizes south of the Ibar Belgrade. river, where GIS mayors will soon be If this trend is reflected in the na- running Novobrdo, Gracanica, Ranilug, tional elections in 2014, Belgrade may Partes and Klokot. Only in Strpce, where soon have its people in the Kosovo par- the Brezovica ski resort is located, did liament, and thus a possible say in who Prishtina Balkan Investigative Reporting Network • Mensa e Studenteve, the GIS fail to pull off a victory. becomes the next Prime Minister. That Insight first floor, 10000, Prishtina, Kosovo Pho• ne: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 These southern municipalities would be a stroke of cunning genius, as • Editor-in-chief: Nate Tabak • Staff: Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, have been integrated into the Republic Serbia will have managed to relieve it- Petrit Collaku, Parim Olluri, Flutura Kusari and Arijeta Lajka. • Design: Trembelat • of Kosovo for some time. While Serbs self of the burden of Kosovo, while dou- Prishtina Insight is supported by the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society, Norwegian have every right to vote for whomever bling its actual power in the country. Embassy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 3

E: [email protected] / T: +381 (0)38 60 40 70 / W: www.rikon-ks.com

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Në çmime janë të përfshira të gjitha taksat 4 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight Nation elections

CORRUPTION 2012

105 2013 111 Prishtina

Kosovo’s rank on Transparency 106 Mexico Niger International’s 2013 Corruption Per- ceptions Index - shared with Ethi- 111 Ethiopia Kosovo opia and Tanzania. Kosovo scored Tanzania 33 on the index, suggesting that tires of its 114 Egypt corruption has gotten slightly worse Indonesia than in 2012, when it scored 34 and was ranked 105. (Higher numbers on the index are better). In the region, only is ranked lower, at 116 and an index score of 31. old master Failure to deliver meaningful improvements On Your Side to Kosovo’s capital cost the LDK the mayor’s office, and opened the door to Fountain preservation Vetevendosje. remains unfinished Whether it’s a pothole that has not been filled in years By Edona Peci Traffic jams, public sanitation prob- or a street light that never lems, water shortages and illegal con- seems to turn on, we want Founded by the late Ibrahim Rugova, struction are part of daily life. to know about it. Send your champion of peaceful resistance to While Mustafa, and his predeces- tips to nate.tabak@birn. Serbian rule, the Democratic League sors, have made some headway, he eu.com, and we’ll get on the of Kosovo, LDK, has long thrived in the has not been transformative in the way case. Kosovo capital as the urbane alternative that Edi Rama was in , Albania. When Prishtina’s to the major parties run by former KLA Pointing to the lack of progress, the Of- municipality started to the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of commanders - the Democratic Party of fice of the Auditor in 2012 criticised the Culture says a revamp the former Mother What’s being done: The Kosovo, PDK, and the Alliance for the municipality for failing to fully utilize its special piece Teresa Boulevard (Now acting director of the Insti- of glass will Future of Kosovo, AAK. budget, especially for capital projects. called Ibrahim Rugova and tute for Monuments, Bur- complete the The LDK has held the mayor’s office The first round of voting on Novem- Zahir Pajaziti boulevards) buqe Bakija said fountain fountain’s preser- for 13 years. For six of them, ber 3 showed that enthusiasm in the vation. in the city center last year, will be covered over with has been in the post. city for Mustafa had waned considera- workers encountered a special glass from Turkey. On Sunday, Merita Krasniqi cast her bly. He received 43 per cent of the vote, fountain underground. The Institute and Prishtina’s ballot for Mustafa, just as she had done in well down on the 57.2 per cent he won Cultural heritage experts municipality reached an 2009 and 2007. “I thought Mustafa could in 2009. concluded that the fountain agreement in December make things better with a new staff,” she In the second round, voters over- was built between 16th and 2012. Mayor Isa Mustafa said. whelmingly shifted to Ahmeti who won 20th centuries and asked pledged 15,000 euro for the But most voters decided otherwise, 12,000 extra votes. for its protection of it. While fountain’s restoration and saying it was time for another econo- A bruised LDK said it was analyzing the boulevard is basically conservation. Bakija said mist, Shpend Ahmeti, of Lezvizia Vet- its performance in the elections and finished, the area where the that this money was not evendosje (Self-Determination Move- would soon produce an explanation fountain was discovered be enough to complete the ment), to have a go. for why it lost in Prishtina. remains open. project, so Ministry of Cul- He received 51.7 per cent of the vote An LDK official, Vjosa Osmani, What’s wrong: Manager ture pledged an additional compared to Mustafa’s 48.3 per cent in blamed the party’s defeat on “a coali- of the Teatro Cafe, near the 10,000 euro. She said the Sunday’s runoff election. tion between Vetevendosje and the National Theatre, continues Turkish International Coop- Political analyst Dukagjin Gorani de- PDK”. to wonder as why a huge eration and Coordination scribed Mustafa’s defeat as “a disastrous On Sunday, Prishtina Insight hole in front of his business Agency has committed for loss for the LDK,” which also lost 9 coun- viewed text messages received by PDK hasn’t been covered. “I help to bring the glass from cil seats and its majority in the municipal supporters, urging them to vote for Ah- cannot serve my guests their country. “We have the assembly. meti, but it could not be confirmed if freely due to this uncovered money. All we need is the “A party that is not able to run the this was part of a large-scale campaign. hole,” said the manager, glass.” It’s not clear when capital is going to be rejected,” Gorani The answer to the question of the who preferred to remain that will happen. said. party’s defeat might lie in people like anonymous. Whom to contact: Bur- Prishtina is struggling to handle its Jon Rugova, who does not count him- Who’s responsible: buqe Bakija, acting director 200,000 official residents as well as tens self as a Vetevendosje supporter. The old fountain falls under of the Institute for Monu- of thousands of others who come to the “I voted for Ahmeti because Prishti- the Institute for Monuments ments in Prishtina, +381 (0) country’s administrative and business na needs new governance and a new in Prishtina, which is under 38 244 501. — Petrit Collaku hub on any given day. generation,” he said. December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 5

Briefly

Ambassador’s wartime torture trial opens. ’s ambassador to Tirana, Sylejman Selimi, a former Kosovo Liberation Army command- er, went on trial for alleged war crimes against female prisoners during the 1990s conflict.A mbas- sador Selimi, who is also Kosovo’s former security forces commander, A appeared in court in the northern town of Mitrovica with three other defendants on November 27 but denied committing war crimes. Selimi is accused of repeatedly assaulting two ethnic Albanian women who were being held at a KLA detention centre in Likovc/ Likovac during the conflict at the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999. “The defendant in the capac- ity of a high-profile LAK member, in co-perpetration with some other unidentified LAK members, violat- ed the bodily integrity of witness A and witness B, two Albanian civil- ians, by continuously beating them LDK used the up,” the indictment said. However image of its re- Selimi’s lawyer denied the allega- cently deceased founder, Ibrahim tions, saying that “nothing could Rugova, to get have happened” to the women in votes during the Likovc/Likovac because they were during the 2007 “kidnapped by well-known people” campaign. in the village of Vaganica in the Photo/Shkumbin Saneja Mitrovica region, an area which fell outside Selimi’s command. - Edona Peci Prishtina’s new assembly +9 -4 +0 VV AKR PD -9 EU mulls Kosovo's role in Serbia talks. The EU and Serbia are still LDK +2 10 4 2 trying to find a proper model for ne- PDK gotiations on membership that will 18 address normalisation of relations 8 with Kosovo within the talks. Serbia PD and the EU have yet to decide on a negotiating framework despite the fact that negotiations on Serbia’s EU membership talks start in -2 +2 +1 +1 +2 B January. According to sources in LDK still has the most AAK-LDD LB PF GIS KDTP the European Commission, there seats, but it lost its are two proposed models – the majority in a big way. 4 2 1 1 1 first would include Kosovo only as part of Chapter 35 entitled "other issues" and the second, where New mayor faces uphill task: “We will present our concrete projects normalisation of relations with Mustafa’s ability to govern the city based on the promises of Shpend Ahmeti Pristina is part of Chapter 35, and of “A party that will in a large part hinge on whether he and we expect deputies from other parties every other related chapter. Serbia is not able obtains cooperation from the municipal to cooperate with us for the sake of Prishti- is currently lobbying in Brussels for to run the assembly. na and its people,” he said. But political an- the first solution, while a number of Vetevendosje will hold only 10 of alyst Gorani says Ahmeti may find getting capital is countries, led by and the 51 seats on the assembly. The LDK, al- the cooperation he needs a struggle. , are pushing for the going to be though much diminished, still has the “The obstacles will be hard… but if he second solution. The second model rejected.” largest number of seats, 18. succeeds, Ahmeti will set a new stand- will envisage each law adopted by One LDK member will be Mustafa, ard for politics, as a young, educated and Serbia as part of EU negotiations - Dukagjin Gorani, who has said he is willing to work with modern politician who is not part of the treating Kosovo as separate and political analyst. Ahmeti. big families and clans or a servant of busi- not including it in Serbian legisla- Dardan Sejdiu, one of Vetevendos- nesses,” he said. tion. The majority of laws that cur- je’s incoming assembly members, said “His success would be a risk for the rently apply in Serbia, including the the party would not seek a formal coa- current system of politics and parties in constitution, treat Kosovo as part of lition. Kosovo,” he said. Serbia. - Marija Ristic 6 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight Nation

The municipal government of Partes briefly Troubled used a former gas station as mayor faces its main office. defeat Your in Partes

Nenad Cvetkovic seems to have lost his bid for re-election in Partes, where a polling station and journalist were attacked in the polls. ad here By Zana Cimili

The administration of Partes Mayor Nenad Cvetkovic, a convicted rapist, has been rife with allegations of thuggery and intimidation. His apparent defeat in his bid for re-election has also been controversial. A polling station in the same build- Nenad Cvetkovic ing as the local administration in Pajsan village was broken into during Sunday’s Things will resolve themselves over runoff between Cvetkovic and Dragan time,” Cvetkovic said. Nikolic. Nikolic, for his part, said he was look- Ballot boxes were seized and dam- ing ahead to his administration. aged, according to the Central Election “I will pick up with things that were Commission, CEC. done wrong in the previous adminis- A municipal guard and others at- tration. Once this situation is solved, we tacked a cameraman from TV Puls who can start working on our concrete goals,” was attempting to report on the incident, Nikolic said. police said. As Prishtina Insight reported in Sep- The CEC said the compromised tember, the past year of Cvetkovic’s ad- votes would not be counted and that ministration was dogged by allegations there are no plans for a re-vote. of beating and intimidating people, Preliminary results showed Niko- which he has denied. lic, candidate of the Belgrade-backed In 1997 he was convicted of raping Serbian Citizens’ Initiative list, leading two young women from Gracanica. He Cvetkovic, of the Independent Liberal has called the conviction politically mo- Party, SLS, by 52.9 to 47.1 per cent. tivated. Nikolic claimed victory, but said Cvetkovic is a member of the Inde- “these violent tactics” concerned him. pendent Liberal Party, SLS, which is in a “Votes have been jeopardized. This national coalition with Prime Minister needs to be dealt with in order to protect Hashim Thaci’s Democratic Party of the rights of citizens,” he said. Kosovo, PDK. Cvetkovic and Nikolic blame each Cvetkovic’s apparent loss is among other’s supporters for the attack on the a series of SLS defeats in eight munic- polling station. Police arrested two sus- ipalities in Kosovo at the hands of the pects for questioning. Belgrade-supported Serbian Citizens Cvetkovic has claimed that he is the Initiative. real winner of the election, but would Cvetkovic was elected mayor in not say if he would contest the results if 2010 of the newly established munic- Nikolic is declared the winner. ipality, which was formed out of three “We’re a small municipality, and peo- Serbian villages that were formerly part ple should go about their daily chores. of the mainly Albanian town of Gjilan. December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 7 Your ad here Prishtina Write to [email protected] Insight or call +381 (0) 38 22 44 98. 8 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight Cover Ambitious goals, big obstacles for new mayor Shpend Ahmeti has a vision of a city that works better and treats its people more fairly - but can he deliver?

By Nate Tabak Its leaders were young and often Western educated, as was Ahmeti, who In the lobby of headquarters of Levizija had studied public administration at Vetevendosje!, photographs plastered Harvard. They, too, campaigned on over on one of the walls cover the var- a platform of good governance while ious protests they have held over the generating plenty of buzz in Kosovo years. and abroad. These demonstrations have punctu- But the party flopped at the polls, ated the party’s image, calling to mind failing to meet the 5-per-cent threshold the exclamation mark affixed to its needed to enter parliament in the 2010 name, which means “Self-Determina- elections. tion Movement!” In 2011, a battered New Spirit merged problem was not the municipality's re- Opposition, to the UN mission in with, or perhaps more accurately, was sponsibility, whereas Ahmeti contend- Kosovo, to “supervised” independence, absorbed by, Vetevendosje. The move ed that the municipality had an obliga- and lately to agreements with Serbia, rankled with some New Spirit support- tion to step in and help. has long defined Vetevendosje, from its ers and leaders, who felt betrayed by “When you see a family with chil- early days as a movement in the 2000s the union and disliked Vetevendosje’s dren, and their electricity is cut off be- to the bona fide party that it is today with firebrand leader, Albin Kurti. cause they have no money, and they seats in parliament. Three years later, the move has send their children to school with no But, in a few weeks, once Veteven- paid off handsomely for Ahmeti, now food, those for me are the biggest prob- dosje’s Shpend Ahmeti is sworn in as 35, however. While Ahmeti has held the lems that this city has,” he says. “I am a mayor of Prishtina, the party will have party line as its vice-president, he says little bit overwhelmed with the sheer real power for the first time. It is both a he has not changed his “centre-left” magnitude of the issue,” he adds. challenge and an opportunity ahead of views, nurtured as a graduate student Ahmeti sees local government as next year’s national elections. at Harvard’s Kennedy School. something that should be active, help- “Visible changes have to be seen in “I’m still fighting for equality, social Shpend Ahmeti ful and service-oriented. “The policies the first months, for people to see how change and progressive thought. These in place until now have made people Vetevendosje governs, because this is are the key things I believe in. This is the Age: 35 very private in their own apartments,” a real test,” Ahmeti, a soon-to-be former part of Vetevendosje where I fit in best, Hometown: Prishtina he says. lecturer at the American University of with these policies,” Ahmeti says. Education: American University of Changes in the governance of the Kosovo, says. During the single debate that Isa city will begin from day one, with im- Bulgaria, Harvard University Ahmeti staked his campaign on Mustafa agreed to in the campaign, provements to communication and Occupation: University lecturer good governance and on offering nuts- ahead of the run-off, very different phi- transparency, Ahmeti says. That prom- and-bolts solutions to Prishtina’s mani- losophies emerged between the incum- ise seems credible, as Vetevendosje is fold problems. bent mayor and Ahmeti when it came to the most financially transparent and Back in 2010, at a time when govern- social welfare. publicly accessible political party in ment in Kosovo was deadlocked and hit During an exchange about the un- Kosovo. by scandal, he co-founded the Fryma e paid employees of the municipal bus Ahmeti admits that providing Re, or . company, Mustafa insisted that the Prishtina with water for 24 hours day December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 9

What can internationals do?

“They should participate in neigh- borhoods. and I think many of them want to. … At the same time I see a lot of internationals live se- cluded. Only in their international settings do they meet with people. At the same time, they have the problems that the neighborhood has except they find the solutions because they have more money. Why not make them contribute more? They have the comparison with the city where they come from, which I assume is more developed. And they can take something good to the neighbor- hood level, as well, not just at the central level, where they tell our government what to do.”

On expectations … “Expectations are high. We have to show how we govern differently from all of the other political parties.” On the Prishtina’s development plan … “We’re going to change it. It doesn’t have legitimacy any more.” On cars … “Cars are not our priority. People are.” …

photos/majlinda hoxha within 24 months will be among his … Kosovo, LDK, has controlled Prishtina toughest challenges. for the past 14 years. Its influence ex- “This is an issue that it touches the tidbits tends into the ranks of the civil service, whole of Prishtina. More than 60 per which will have to execute Ahmeti’s cent of people face water restrictions, 20 n Used to own a sports bar, Filikaqa policies. per cent for up to 12 hours per day; that’s n Drinks coffee at Papillon But Ahmeti feels confident that he itive light. “It’s good that we don’t control ridiculous in 2013,” he says. can transform Prishtina’s municipal the municipal assembly… it’s good for de- Just about every candidate for may- n Hamam and Megahertz machine. mocracy,” he says. or promised to deliver 24-hour water. A are his preferred nightspots “We will see where the obstacles lie; I The mayor-elect warns that while project is also underway largely with n A fan of the New England Patriots, think a lot of the problems were in man- coalitions are out of the question, he German funding, and support from the and enjoys other American sports agement - cronyism - but we’ll deal with will work with anyone who is not under Kosovo government and municipality that once we see what we have in hand, investigation for corruption. “Then we of Prishtina, to build a new water plant n Has two children: A daughter, 7, and a son, 1 in terms of who works where and what have nothing to talk about,” he says. that will be in service by 2017. n Lives in Prishtina’s center terms of reference they have and how Ahmeti also faces the challenge of But Ahmeti says the project isn’t did they deliver.” Prishtina itself. Mass construction of enough. He says the real issue is that There will be zero-tolerance of cor- both legal and illegal builds has eaten too much water is being wasted, both ruption, Ahmeti says, while attempts away at remaining green space and through legitimate connections and will be made to remedy performance blighted the city with notorious land- losses in the system. “Cars are not our priority, people and competence issues through train- marks. Ahmeti pledges to snuff out ille- “We need to reduce water consump- are,” Ahmeti says. “Once we fix our pub- ing. gal construction but is realistic about the tion from 140 liters to 125 per day per per- lic transport then we get into restrictive Another personnel problem lies in damage that has been done. son, that’s one challenge, and secondly policies about cars in the city centre. It the city assembly, where Vetevendosje “The time has come to save whatev- we have to find out where the water is should be more expensive to get here holds only 10 of the 51 seats. The LDK has er we can save,” he says. going, which is easily doable,” he says. [by car]. People should find it cheaper lost its majority, but still has the largest “I’m not saying we’re going to Within a year, Ahmeti says a prop- and better to use public transport.” number of seats. achieve miracles in the way that Prishti- er public transport system will also be Ultimately, the success of Ahmeti’s Having apparently learned the art of na looks. But we should go into some in place with new buses and new lines. plans will come down to resources and political spin, Ahmeti paints his party’s long-term planning and deal with some Changes in traffic and parking will follow. execution. The Democratic League of small presence in the assembly in a pos- short-term problems,” he concludes. 10 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight

Mysterious Tito statue rises over Skopje

Authorities in the Mace- said. It was put up on November 29, the MK Region donian capital have been 70th anniversary of the formation of caught by surprise by the unan- the now defunct Socialist Federative nounced erection of a bronze statue Yugoslavia. Slobodan Ugrinovski, head For the latest news and analysis of the Yugoslav president, Josip Broz of the small non-parliamentary party, Tito. The bronze statue was erected in Tito’s Left Forces, who was present from around the Balkans, visit front of the Josip Broz Tito high school at the opening ceremony along with in Skopje. “Nobody asked us about other party members, said they did not www..balkaninsight.com. anything. The pedestal was erected put up the statue. “I do not know who two weeks ago and the statue was is behind this project… It was placed placed there all of a sudden… it is not on there by Skopje residents who respect our property, so it is not our problem,” the Marshal [Tito] and who are growing the school principal, Dragan Danev, in number each day,” he said. Albanian parties spar over Belle Air’s collapse Not for the first time in Albania, a major airline has gone bankrupt after losing the crucial political connections that got it airborne in the first What happens Passengers holding a valid Belle Air cess to political ties said the same factors place. ticket have been offered the chance to lay behind its demise. now? buy new tickets at special adjusted pric- Belle Air started up after the bank- es from Blue Panorama, which is also un- ruptcy of yet another politically con- By Besar Likmeta in Tirana Prishti- der bankruptcy reorganization, but still nected airline, , which na airport in operation. the authorities grounded on September After eight years of operations, Belle Air on No- spokeswoman The company also added that cus- 1, 2006, citing unpaid air traffic control ALB vember 25 announced that it was suspending Valentina Gara tomers wanting refunds should contact fees. flights, citing the economic crisis and a consequent fall in said airlines the bank that issued their credit cards The company, owned by the neph- demand for its services. Belle , a subsidiary of the that already and show the ticket reference and pay- ews of former Albanian president Alfred airline, operating out of Prishtina International Airport also serve Prishtna ment receipt. Moisiu, claimed it was being forced out suspended operations a day later. have added It is estimated that nearly 52,000 of the skies to make space for the en- The airline noted that, owing to its financial problems, the more flights. passengers had booked flights with trance of Belle Air. company’s accounts had been frozen for more than 18 days. So far no airline Belle Air and another 12,000 with Belle The company claimed that Belle Air “The above-mentioned situation impedes continued op- has taken Air Europe. was connected to the then transport erations,” the company said. over Belle The company, which began opera- minister Lulzim Basha, now chair of the “During this period, Belle Air will start a process of restruc- Air Europe’s tions in 2005, had a network of around current opposition Democratic Party. turing, aiming to return to the Albanian market with lower routes, though. 25 destinations, with the majority of Basha denied the allegations. Mean- prices and quality service,” it added. In the short routes flying to , home to a large Al- while, a secretly taped telephone call Records from the Tirana District Court obtained by Prishti- term, though, banian diaspora. between the head of civil aviation at na Insight show that the company filed for bankruptcy on No- passengers The bankruptcy of the company, the time and the owners of Albatros vember 22. will have fewer which accounted for 50 per cent of the Airways turned into a political scandal. Ard Kola, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, told options for traffic through Tirana airport, has sur- The tapes, first aired on the investi- PI the airline owed 5 million euro to the tax authorities, but de- nonstop flights prised many local observers, as until gative television program “Fiks Fare”, nied that its accounts had been frozen on their request. and face po- recently it was seen as a profitable mo- contained conversations between The airline operating out of Tirana’s Mother Teresa Airport tentially higher nopoly. Gazmend Dibra, head of the Civil Aer- has announced that its routes will be taken over by the Italian airfares. As the company closes its doors, onautical Aviation Agency, which is a low-cost carrier Blue Panorama. many who had earlier connected its suc- department of the Transport Ministry December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 11

French charge Dylan with Montenegro, Serbia top insulting Croats Strasbourg complaints list

French authorities have this day. "If you got a slave master or Montenegro and Serbia rights and freedoms. According to the CRO filed preliminary charges (Ku Klux) Klan in your blood, blacks MNE are at the top of the league report, the court has received 1,063 against Bob Dylan over a 2012 inter- can sense that ... just like Jews can in terms of the number of their citizens complaints filed against the state view in which he was quoted compar- sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can who have complained about them of Montenegro. As the country has ing Croatians to Nazis and the Ku Klux sense Croatian blood," Dylan said. The to the European Court of Human only about 600,000 inhabitants, this Klan. The lawsuit was initiated by the CRICCF said the statement violated Rights in Strasbourg. The figures are is roughly one complaint for every Council of Croats in France, CRICCF, French laws on hate speech, though according to the annual report of the 600 people, classifying it among the right after his interview was published they are not looking for money in the court, which was released on Monday. countries with the highest proportion in September. In the interview, Dylan case. "We are not seeking monetary Lawsuits to the court have become of complaints to inhabitants. Serbia is condemned racism as a force holding damages but only want the singer to increasingly common among citizens not far behind. The court has received back the progress of the US, and as a apologize to the Croatian people for the of Montenegro and Serbia, seeking 11,500 complaints filed against Serbia, force that black people can sense to comments," a lawyer for CRICCF said. justice over alleged violations of their a country of just over 7 million people.

Prishtina’s busiest airline had been the No. 1 airline operating out of Prishtina International Airport. It had regular service to Basel, Brussels, Dussel- dorf, Malmo, , Stuttgart, Ven- ice and , and also served Zurich and Geneva for Darwin Airlines. It flew 22 flights in and out of the airport each week - 15 under its own flag and seven for Darwin Airlines. Could Wizz Air come? Last week, Hungarian Budget car- rier Wizz Air, offered cheap flights from Skopje to ticketed Belle Air Europe customers affected by the shutdown. The carrier has a large European network and has been rumored to have had interest in flying out of Prishtina. Queried by Prishtina Insight, airline spokes- man Daniel de Carvalho said, regulating passenger and other non-mil- “You block bank accounts and bank- “While we do not comment on itary air activity, and Aleksander and rupt companies in order to allow the en- route speculations, I can confirm Valer Hoxha, Moisu’s nephews and the try of new operators, leaving thousands that Wizz Air’s could stimulate air you are owners of Albatros Airways of people stranded,” he said. traffic at NPR with our low fares, if HERE On the tapes, aired on September 11, However, Finance Minister Shkel- the costs were right for creating a 2006, Dibra could be heard urging the qim Cani said the government had low fare offer to consumers.” Gara brothers to use their influence with the done everything it could to work out a would not say if the airport had in- President to get him to fire former gener- solution with the company, which had teresting in Wizz Air. “All interested al prosecutor, Theodhori Sollaku. not paid taxes to air companies In return, Dibra could be heard offer- the state for the are … welcome ing to turn a blind eye to the debts that last five years. to operate in the airline owed the agency. “We asked this this airport. Basha backed Dibra to the hilt over company for two We have Albatros, insisting he was right to sus- months to abide demonstrated Ups and downs pend its flights and claiming the com- by the law and I must say that we have our flexibility offering the neces- Belle Air Europe ingratiated itself pany had indeed previously benefited been very much elastic with the law,” sary capacity and services of the to travelers going to and from improperly from its owners’ political Cani replied. “However, elasticity with airport,” said Gara, the airport Prishtina with cheap fares. Its connections. the law has its boundaries,” he added. spokeswoman. Wizz Air flights flights were favored by the dias- Just like Albatros’s demise, Belle Gjergj Erebara, an editor for the Tira- can be especially cheap. Its flights pora, who often faced astronomic Air’s bankruptcy provoked a war of na daily newspaper Shqip, says that the to London’s Luton airport start airfares for charter flights dur- words between the opposition and the Belle Air and Albatros sagas have much at about 24 euro. Budget airlines ing the summer. But the airline government on Tuesday in parliament. in common. like Wizz typically only operate at struggled with sticking to its own Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha “These were companies that exploit- airports that are willing to offer schedules. Traveling on Belle Air accused the centre-left government of ed political ties to make hefty profits,” he rock-bottom fees. No doubt, Belle Europe often meant fluctuations running the company into the ground said. Air Europe’s demise probably puts departure times and inexplicable in order to replace it with another com- “But once the political support disap- Wizz Air in a much better bargain- cancellations. Its onboard service pany with ties with the new ruling coa- pears so do the profits, and then they go ing position. also left a lot to be desired. lition. out of business,” he added. - Nate Tabak 12 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight

Four stars: Perfection Three stars: Superb Two Stars: Good One Star: Just OK No Star: Don’t Bother Good piguide « « « «

Newly opened Miqt Taverna a homey classic

By Sonia Roubini ubiquitous pleskavice (4.50 euro) and chicken filet (3.50 euro), all of which The newly opened Miqt Taverna is are served with some combination of tucked into a small alleyway right salad, rice, and grilled vegetable. off of Mother Teresa Boulevard, right The boozier options are exactly next to Photo Nesha. The restaurant what you’d find at Miqt, the bar. Some is an offshoot of the ever-popular Miqt less than fantastic boxed wine, a re- bar, and seems to rival the appeal of spectable beer selection, and an even its boozier relative. Advertised as a better selection of rakia, our choice “traditional” restaurant, Miqt Taverna for the night. Beer and the harder stuff feels less strictly traditional, and more seemed like the more appropriate cozy and homey, like eating in beverage options for the food someone’s very well decorated and the vibe of Miqt Taverna, so dining room. The red and white my friend and I opted for some checkered tablecloths, and eat rakia, which was quite good. themed red and green canned The highlights of the menu food items perched on shelves and are definitely the daily specials. Miqt dangling add to the walls add to this Taverna offers a daily hot main (2.5 feeling. euro), a daily soup (1.5 euro), and a daily Miqt Tavern feels just like the home you always wanted. The menu is still only available in stew (2 euro). These dishes are mostly Albanian, but English-speaking diners adapted from the one of the owners’ main (stewed cabbage and meat) should have no trouble deciphering mothers home recipes, and indeed which was more of a tomato-based Miqt Taverna the options, and the bartenders and they all taste like something that you’d soup than a stew, richly flavored by Right offM other Theresa Boule- waiters were more than happy to help be served at a friend’s home. the tender stewed beef, and full of vard, next to Photo Nesha, us pick our meals. We began our meal with the spin- tender chunks of cabbage that had Prishtina; Hours: Open daily The food is very reasonably priced, ach salad, which was intriguingly clearly been stewing for hours. It was For more information visit www. and the menu feels familiar for Prishti- served with roasted mushrooms and delicious. My friend tried the daily facebook.com/miqt.taverna na: a standard selection of salads and radishes. I found the combination a stew, also beef based, and full of spicy some bar food including chicken ten- bit strange at first, but it was ultimate- chunks of pepper and potato - perfect All in all, the dining experience at ders (3 euro), potato skins (2 euro) and ly pretty tasty. The mushrooms were for the frigid winter nights that we’re Miqt Taverna is as pleasant and friend- a particularly appetizing looking cold salty and flavorful, and paired nicely sadly stuck with for the season. Our ly as it is tasty. It’s small enough to work meze platter that I spied at the next with the house-made vinaigrette. dishes were all flavorful and placed a for a more intimate meal, but would table. Most of the main courses are I was curious about the daily spe- refreshing emphasis on simplicity and also be a good place to begin a week- meat-based standards, including the cials, and opted to try the daily hot home-style cooking. end night out with a group of friends.

EAT DRINK EDS SHOP

Xhoni’s Bar > Xhoni’s Bar is one of those Prishtina Furra Lumi > Furra Lumi is easily the best bakery institutions that people tend to forget about. The in town. It caters to all of your carb-cravings, whether A small, cozy bar is something right out of the 60s, with B you’re most in the mood for burek, mantilla, pastries, leather lining the walls, and an impressive collection rich cakes, or just a loaf of good bread to bring home of vinyls kept behind the bar. The bartenders rotate for dinner. The more traditional Albanian options are through their music options every night, but you won’t the best: Lumi serves up an impressive be disappointed by their selection of rock ’n’ roll, jazz, selection of burek (cheese, spinach, soul, and other classic favorites. In my experience, meat, and a few other spe- Xhoni’s is not the best way to start a night, but cials all 4.5 euro per kilo). heading there in the wee hours for one (or two, Furra Lumi has a café or three) is one of the better ways to end a long area, so that you can night out. The cozy bar is definitely more of a enjoy your choice with wintery spot, and it gets quite crowded, so expect a macchiato or a glass of to be overheated, and don’t expect to find a seat. ayran. Don’t make the mistake Xhoni’s serves the standard selection of Peja and a few of leaving without buying one of the other beers, some wine, and some liquor. excellent cookies, muffins, or croissants for Xhoni’s Bar, Rr. Rexhep Mala; Unmarked door next to dessert. Allegro Restaurant; 044 75 07 20; 20:00-3:00; Furra Lumi, 1 Anton Ceta; 038 22 97 52 Closed Sundays Monday-Saturday: 7am to 9pm Sunday: 7am to 6pm December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 13

Dokufest premieres year-round cinema Movie-goers now have a second option for visiting a proper cinema. On December 3, Dokufest opened a 150-seat theatre in Prizren, dubbed Dokukino. The first movie screened was the Hollywood blockbuster “Thor.” Until recently, Kino ABC in Prishtina’s centre was the only fully operational movie theatre in Kosovo. For more information, FYI visit www.facebook.com/dokufestkino.

WHERE Pallet Lounge 01 Pallet lounge is an newly opened, exquisite cafe restaurant that offers TO PICK UP a variety of multicultural dishes and drinks. It is located right across PRISHTINA the AUK University in the outskirts of the city, surrounded by nature. INSIGHT Gërmia Road (across AUK) +386 (0)49 880-777 palletlounge@ gmail.com facebook.com/Pallet

Hotel Prishtina Lounge Papillon Bistro Bar 02 06 Hotel Prishtina’s 43 charming guest Papillon offers more than 60 types rooms and suites are reminiscent of a of wines from France, Italy, Spain, small hotel in the European tradition. and Kosovo with great prices and The hotel offers free, fast wifi internet, delicious dishes. You can also try complimentary breakfast, conference different types of local or interna- room, swimming pool, sauna and laun- tional beers. Mother Teresa Str. Nr. dry service. Hotel Prishtina, St. Vaso 51 A [email protected] Pasha nr. 20, +381 38 / 22 32 84. 044 103 310

Hotel AFA Pizza Napoli 03 07 A taste of Napoli in Prishtina. After ten Located in a quiet neighbourhood years of making pizza in Napoli, and just outside the city centre, Hotel with only love to blame, Fatmir, the Afa can guarantee guests a peace- head chef, returned to Prishtina. His ful night while being within walking pizzas, made in a woodburn stove, are distance of all the action. Rooms definitely genuine napolitanas. Fatmir start at 45 euro for a single, and also has several delicious pastas on of- luxury rooms and apartments are fer, a true joy for the taste buds. Pizze- available. The hotel’s rooms are ria Napoli offL uan Haradinaj, opposite well appointed and comfortable. Newborn. 044/409-402402 15, Rr Ali Kelmendi, Sunny Hill, Prishtina +381 38/225 226 www. Hotel Gracanica hotelafa.com 04 A place to relax in the calm and clean air of the countryside, just 15 minute sfrom Prishtina city center, 500 m from the center of Gracanica and its UNESCO World Heritage monastery and a short walk to the archeological site of Ulpiana. The boutique hotel combines contemporary architecture with traditional elements to create a unique atmosphere that will make you feel at home. +381 (0)38 729 888 05 (landline) +386 (0)49 764 000 [email protected] www.hotelgracanica.com www.facebook.com/HotelGracanica EAT 07

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The Ninety One 05 The Ninety One (91-shi) is back A with its new location and old tradi- tion. The owners and the staff are the same. The breakfast is still served as usual while the coffee is served with delicious homemade almond biscotti. The new menu includes: roast fillet of beef served with spinach potatoes & wine, Chicken and confit garlic in bed of mash & thyme juice. The kitchen is open every day until 11:00 04 pm. Fehmi Agani str., 29/2 (Te kafet e vogla) - 044 91 91 91 14 n December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight Opinion Send us your thoughts to [email protected]. Kosovars have staged an election revolution

he recent local elections mulate support on the basis of inertia, in Kosovo were a remark- and on the basis of the promise of jobs able event. On the surface, and contracts and other services. But By Jeta Xharra it may look as if nothing fewer people are getting these privileg- has changed. This is be- es. Those Kosovars who do not depend cause,T ranked by party votes, the politi- on the current party structures for their These elections showed that the cal pecking order has roughly stayed the economic survival, and are in fact prob- failures of the past were about people, same, with the Democratic Party of Koso- ably suffering from them, have become not the system. Nevertheless, the push vo, PDK, getting the most votes, followed the new majority – and are more prone for electoral reform will likely continue by the Democratic League of Kosovo, to vote for the new kid on the block. ahead of the 2014 elections. But, if polit- LDK, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, ical parties, their leaders and election AAK, Vetevendosje and the AKR. Programs mattered: commissioners exercise the political Yet, Kosovars did more than deliver Individual candidates and their pro- will to agree that the forthcoming na- an unrigged election, which was not the grams mattered more than in any pre- tional elections will be clean, further case in 2010; they voted in a sophisticat- vious election. I have been moderating talk of reform will be wasted energy. Af- ed, strategic and tactical manner. They political debates since 2004 and the re- ter all, if there is a will to rig the vote, then broke the stereotype of the classic Koso- sults in an election have rarely reflected the election thieves will find ways to get vo voter: loyal to the party leader and the the performance of candidates in the around any reforms. family patriarch. They managed to stage public TV debates that we held at BIRN. something of a revolution. The old rule suggested that the Kosovar Sliding backwards in North: voter was led by the mystical aura of the As far as the data go, the Belgrade Dramatic shift in power: leaders of the party, and loyalty to them backed-party, the Serbian Citizens Ini- More than 50 per cent of munici- would overcome any questions about tiative, has won in nine municipalities, palities voted out their old mayors, re- programs, individual talents, or about the same as the LDK, and only one less gardless of which political party they the level of professionalism and compe- than the PDK. The dialogue with Serbia belonged to. This was a smart move. The tence that they showed in a debate. This led in Brussels has made Belgrade the public decided not to use their votes to time, even the candidates themselves third largest player in local governance get jobs or contracts, or establish a clien- felt that the bar had risen along with the in Kosovo. So, the promise that northern telistic relationship with those elected. demands of voters for serious presenta- Kosovo will integrate after this election Instead they used their votes to keep tions. That is why for the first time in the is starting to look like a myth. Reality the powerful on edge, and rotate them. political history of Kosovo, and probably looks more like the rest of the formerly The message is: if the vote is not rigged of the Balkans, 95 per cent of candidates integrated southern-Serb municipalities and if the dead don’t turn up to vote, no who ran in the second round presented coming under pressure to look more victory can be taken for granted any incredibly detailed political programs like those in the north - not the other longer in Kosovo. Nowhere was that using Power Point presentations. They way around. This makes all the invest- more apparent than in my hometown used realistic budgets and even includ- ment in the Independent Liberals, SLS, of Prishtina, where voters evicted the ed before-and-after photographs of the party that many Serbs call “Thaci’s LDK from the mayor’s office after 13 who proposed projects. Such widespread Serbs”, a poor investment on the part of years. technocratic attitudes and attention to the government, as it was only able to detail are unprecedented, and will make hold on to Sterpce. Last July, to convince The rise of the urbanites: it much easier to evaluate their perfor- the public that dialogue with Serbia Big municipalities set the trend in mance over the next four years. would benefit Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, ousting the established parties. Prishti- the Foreign Minister, told me on “Life na, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Peja, Gjakova and Mi- The myth of reform: in Kosovo” that the north would be so trovica all voted to kick out incumbent Ironically, two key areas of focus by integrated after the local elections that, mayors who took their positions for the international community produced “on November 10, we will be doing an in- granted. The PDK thought Ferizaj and the least in terms of results in this elec- terview in North Mitrovica, Leposavic or Mitrovica required no effort to win, and tion. Despite the aggressive - but unsuc- in Zubin Potok.” Surprise, surprise, the that is why the Prime Minister, Hashim cessful - push from the International minister has so far not agreed to do that Thaci, spent most of his time visiting Community, and certain members of interview yet. Prizren with no worry for these other the political elite and civil society, for For the moment, we have a right to two just as important towns. The same electoral reform in the wake of the 2010 feel pleased with our election, but we goes for the LDK in Prishtina. Isa Mustafa polls debacle, these recent polls man- have allowed the international com- shunned debates and once claimed he aged to be free by and large, and free munity to twist our arm into giving away could “win Prishtina with my hands in from rigging although there was no re- half the country. Will we be too euphoric my pockets”. The parties used to accu- form. to notice? Let’s wait and see. December 6-19, 2013 n Prishtina Insight n 15 f If you go SKENA UP International Students’ Film and Theater Festival culture December 5 to 11 Prishtina. For more information, visit www.skenaup.com SKENA UP puts Prishtina on international stage

By Sonia Roubini artistic network invaluable for their future careers” by bringing together The SKENA UP International Students’ students and leaders in the field from Film and Theater Festival was found- all over the world. ed in 2003 by a group of young artists The organizers of SKENA UP say and performers. The ninth edition of they strongly believe in the importance the festival runs from December 5 to 11, of promoting the contemporary art and features 11 original plays and over tradition in Kosovo, and of increasing a 100 films written and performed by artistic partnerships and ties between film and theater students from all over Kosovo and the rest of the world. The the world. The festival also offers these function of SKENA UP is to “motivate students the chance to participate in a students not only to have sight, but also series of workshops on topics including a strong vision,” said the festival’s man- script development and film scoring, ager, Hana Qena. led by professionals including the ac- In addition to its important role tor and producer Brendan Ward, and in developing Kosovo’s art scene, the pianist and composer Stephan Graf festival’s week of events are of interest Von Bothmer. even to those who aren’t necessarily in- SKENA UP aims to “overcome the vested in these developments. SKENA weak institutional support offered to UP offers a week packed with series of film and theater students across the films in the afternoons, theater perfor- too numerous to list here, but ones of from all countries in the former Yugo- Balkans” by providing students with mances in the evenings, and the notori- particular interest include: the Nation- slavia; and “Starring James Franco”, an a forum to present their work to and ous SKENA UP after parties at Hamam, al Film Competition (December 8, 6pm, English-language theater performance receive feedback from the public. The Zanzi Bar, and Megahertz. Oda Theater ); the ExYU Generation from the UK (December 7, 6pm, Nation- festival also facilitates “access to an The individual festival events are Next Film competition, featuring films al Theater).

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