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April 11-24, 2014 l #132 l Price 1€. Prishtina Say cheese: Just cause? Hashim Thaci Planned embraces the tribunal puts Kosovo Insight selfie. PAGE 2 in bind. PAGE 4 UKRaine’S ALBANIANS They came to fight the Ottomans 200 years ago. Today, they face a fading culture and division over their country’s future. PAGE 8 Culture: l Nation: Why PTK still Book takes Medicus case to doesn’t have 3G. PAGE 6 court of public opinion. l PI Guide: A new destination for PAGE 20 Albanian homecooking. PAGE 16 2 n April 11-24, 2014 n Prishtina Insight THAci’S TOP 5 SOCIAL MEDIA PageTwoMOMENTS Discussing fashion and textiles with fashion designer Krenare Rugova. We assume he’s ask- #HashimThaci: Great things happen ing about the latest in prime minister chic: “I 1 made an official visit to Krenare Rugova’s. She returned from America and opened a store and small when a PM discovers social media fashion factory. We discussed the way entrepreneurs Hashim Thaci isn’t known for his warmth or affability. But in recent months a different version of Kosovo like Krenare can be assisted to export ‘Made in Kosova’ prime minister has emerged on social media: the selfie taker. Almost daily, Kosovars through the country brands and to grow the textile industry in Kosovo.” have been sharing and posting their selfies with Thaci. “It’s a new trend, Hashim Thaci selfies. I think he enjoys it,” said Diora Binxhiu, who had a photo taken with Thaci recently. It’s a remarkable - and rapid - Scootaxi is a taxi service in Prishtina that is transformation for a politician who only started using Facebook in 2011. “It was time to me to use these run entirely by motorbikes. We very much social networks, since my son Endrit, at one point was angry that I was not present on social networks. enjoy Thaci’s closeness and longing for this I hope we will have a conversation on this platform,” Thaci said in his first post. Now, you can see the 2 motorbike: “I met with Alban Hasani, a prime minister doing everything from buying carrots to playing with elementary school children. young entrepreneur who left an impression on me. He has a business, Scootaxi.eu, that offers taxi services with motorbikes. He’s employed 39 people up until now. We discussed the new Employment Fund, which from the editor is meant to support entrepreneurs such as him. I wanted to take a Scootaxi home with me but my staff Drawing a line on wouldn’t let me.” Hashim Thaci visits chocolate shop Leonidas government surveillance - the details are what make the photo. Thaci Almost nobody sounded alarm tion. People like Arianit Dobroshi, is beaming while looking at a box of exported when Kosovo mobile phone cus- a stalwart of the tech community, 3 chocolates, and the caption reads: “Amazed tomers were forced to register their spoke up against the proposed law at the chocolate products of young Kosovar women.” SIM cards — and fork over sensitive because it lacks clear rules for how information — without any mech- such interceptions are governed, At the end of the day, Thaci’s just an anism to protect personal data in opening the door for abuses by the ordinary guy, trying to balance work and place. Even when Prishtina Insight likes of the Kosovo Intelligence family the best he can. We really like this reported on the registration man- Agency. There’s now a hashtag on 4 rare insider’s look of Thaci at a parent- date, it took a positive angle, noting Twitter, #StopSurveillanceinKS. At teacher meeting: “After a long day at work, I went to that the police would have an eas- BIRN, this newspaper’s publisher, a parent-teacher meeting in the afternoon at Endrit’s ier time identifying the pranksters legal adviser Flutura Kusari sent school. I had a great time, but I won’t get into the who kept calling into the emergen- a scathing critique to the Ministry teacher’s comments in detail.” cy services line. That was back in of European Integration, which has 2011— before Edward Snowden been pushing for the law. It’s great to see Thaci letting his hair down, leaked the NSA’s dirty secrets — a Ironically, the latest draft of so to speak. This photo is an “outtake” of a time when few appreciated the this law was supposed to remedy shoot for the “Write to Thaci” application, extent to which governments were problems in the initial version in 5 which allows citizens to put questions direct- engaging in widespread electronic 2012. The first draft did not meet EU ly to the prime minister online. The man on the right is eavesdrop- standards because it consolidated deputy minister of foreign affairs Petrit Selimi. “It’s my ping. eavesdropping for law enforce- pleasure to respond via video to citizens who’ve used When I re- ment and intelligence within the the “Write to Thaci” application to ask me different ported on the same hub, controlled by the KIA. kinds of questions directly. Soon we’ll start posting registrations The revised draft technically rem- the answers to your questions! Direct communication for Deutsche edied this problem, while introduc- with you helps me to understand your priorities, as Welle radio, I Nate ing even more troubling provisions we initiate a new mission for Kosovo. After achieving was astonished Tabak in the process that, among other freedom and building our independence and the state, Editor-in-Chief to see that not things, create the potential for a our focus will be on rapid economic development and only did most wide range of government institu- Euro-Atlantic integration.” people not tions to monitor communications care, some even welcomed the reg- without a court order. istrations. They were convinced In the short term, the text of that the police and other authori- the law may not have a huge effect Prishtina Balkan Investigative Reporting Network • ties could be trusted not to abuse on the ability of government enti- Insight Mensa e Studenteve, first floor, 10000, Prishtina, Kosovo the information. ties to monitor citizens. A lack of • PHONE: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nate But when the latest draft on In- meaningful oversight eludes the Tabak •STAFF: Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, Edona Peci, Petrit Collaku, terception of electronic commu- Intelligence Agency, in particular. Parim Olluri, Nektar Zogjani and Arijeta Lajka. • DESIGN: Trembelat • Prishtina nication came out recently there But people are starting to ask ques- Insight is supported by the Norwegian Embassy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund was a refreshingly different reac- tions - and that’s a good thing. and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. Prishtina Insight n April 11-24, 2014 n 3 • Coppy / Print / Scan • 20 ppm • ARDF • Coppy / Print / Scan • Duplex • 28 ppm / Color / B&W • Bypass • ARDF • Network • Duplex • Bypass • Network 4 n April 11-24, 2014 n Prishtina Insight Nation DIPLOMACY €23,377 New The annual salary that MP Florin Krasniqi says he will no longer accept. Krasniqi, tribunal of the opposition Levizja Vetevendosje (Self- Determination poses Movement), says he made the move in interest of sparing dilemma the state budget. Some critics have While many in Kosovo resent the idea of yet dismissed it as a political gimmick. another tribunal charged with probing war A successful crimes committed in the late 1990s, pressure Kosovar-American to agree to the court is proving irresistible. businessman, Krasniqi likely can afford the cut. By Marija Ristic The letter further said that The Netherlands would provide assis- The European Union has asked tance requested by the EU, “given Iraq bomber’s the Dutch government to assist the the unique Dutch experience in EU’s special task force in possible the field of international jurispru- deeds shake Ferizaj criminal proceedings once an in- dence”. vestigation into organ-trafficking However, Dutch support re- Residents are grappling with reports allegation is complete. mained conditional on the court that a well bought up local carried out a Dutch Foreign Minister Frans meeting ”the highest internation- horrific suicide attack in Baghdad. Timmermans informed parlia- al criminal law standards and the ment last week about the request standards enshrined in the Euro- for assistance that will take place pean Court of Human Rights. after the EU’s Special Investigative “These two conditions have By Petrit Collaku gan circulating on Islam- Task Force, SITF, finishes its inves- to be achieved by the Kosovo au- and Arijeta Lajka ist websites in late March. tigation into alleged war crimes thorities, in cooperation with the This showed a steely- and other allegations contained in EU,” the minister noted. Sami Musa, director of eyed young man with the January 2011 Council of Europe the elementary school thick beard. Identified as report compiled by Dick Marty. Special court in EULEX in Varosh, outside Feri- Abu Al Khabab Kosovo, The ministerial letter, ob- mandate zaj, looks down at an old he was credited with tained by Prishtina Insight, says The European Union and the class photo on his desk. carrying out a March 25 the EU is still negotiating with Ko- United States are currently negoti- The sixth graders in the suicide bombing in Bagh- sovo about the modalities of the ating with Kosovo on the mandate picture have long since dad that killed dozens of criminal proceedings. of the court, which Prishtina Insight graduated. innocent people. Timmermans further said that sources within the EU said would “Here he is,” he says, Neither Heta’s death “the exact role of The Netherland is be integrated into Kosovo’s own le- pointing at Blerim Heta, nor his role in the bomb- still unclear,” but what is known is gal system, with special status.
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