______________________________________________________________ 1. New chief administrator Michael Steiner arrives today (all dailies) 2. Rugova and Menzies drink coffee of “normality” in Iliria Hotel (all dailies) 3. KFOR officer says UNMIK staff are “lazybones and amateurs” (Zëri) 4. Palmer: UNMIK is interested in status quo in Kosovo (Epoka e Re) 5. Bota Sot must distance itself from article accusing PDK leader of murder (all dailies) 1. All daily papers carry reports on the arrival of new SRSG Michael Steiner. Koha Ditore reports under the headline “New chief administrator doesn’t foresee quick success in Kosovo” that Steiner will be communicative and open with media representatives. In an interview for WDR, Steiner said that one of his priorities would be to assure a safe future for all ethnic communities in Kosovo and to help form the new government in Prishtina. “The political parties must…cooperate, because only in that way will they respect the elections and the democratic process,” Steiner was quoted as saying. Upon arrival, Steiner will meet with Kosovar political leaders and the Kosovo Assembly president, and will launch efforts to form Kosovo institutions, Koha Ditore reports. Deputy SRSG Tom Koenigs said that a quality that might make Steiner pleasing among the Kosovars is that he is very communicative. Koha Ditore added that Steiner would join the efforts of US Office head John Menzies and German Office head Michael Schmunk, who are meeting with Kosovar leaders to find a way out of the governmental dead-end. Koenigs said the new administrator had already had faced difficult times and has a lot of experience. “UNMIK is a big vessel and it is difficult to steer it,” he added. Koenigs said that the executive order, according to which a person can be held under arrest even after release by the court, would remain. “I don’t believe Steiner will remove the executive order,” said Koenigs. In another report related to the arrival of the new SRSG, Koha Ditore said that Steiner doesn’t foresee a quick normalization of the political situation in Kosovo. In an interview given to Deutsche Rundfunk, he said the process of rapprochement between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo would require time. “However, the United Nations will offer the people of Kosovo a safe future,” said Steiner. Zëri carries a report titled “Steiner will focus on the economy of Kosovo and the fight against crime”. The paper quoted UNMIK press officer Eleanor Beardsley as saying, “Steiner will not solve the problems. However, through his ideas he will help the leaders find a solution”. Zëri also carried quotes from Kosovar politicians on their expectations of the new administrator. Naim Jerliu, deputy chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) says that his party welcomes Steiner’s arrival and expects the German administrator to improve Kosovo’s political and economic development. “We believe that during his mandate, Michael Steiner will have concrete and clear policies even though we know that he will face a lot of difficulties in the very beginning,” said Jerliu. He added that the institutional crisis would be one of Steiner’s main priorities. Ramadan Avdiu, member of the chairmanship of Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK), says that his party expects Steiner to have a serious approach and to cooperate with all relevant Kosovar entities. “Above all, we hope he will not follow the example of his predecessor Hans Haekkerup, who was very indifferent toward Albanian politicians and made biased agreements with Belgrade,” said Avdiu. Bujar Dugolli, an official of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), has asked Steiner to give up on all the controversial agreements Haekkerup made with Belgrade. “We expect him not to be involved in the documents signed by Haekkerup, because if he keeps doing so it will aggravate relations between locals and UNMIK officials,” Dugolli was cited as saying. “We expect a lot in solving the problem of Kosovo self-governing institutions and the adequate interpretation of the Constitutional Framework.” 2. All daily papers report on yesterday’s meeting at the Iliria Hotel in Prishtina between LDK leader Ibrahim Rugova and head of US Office John Menzies. “Ibrahim Rugova, for the first time in ten years, had his morning coffee on the terrace of a bar in Prishtina center,” Koha Ditore reports. According to Koha Ditore, the message was that the US Ambassador and Rugova could drink coffee in a place that is often the center of public protest in Kosovo. “We are here today to show the people that we both believe that they can have their coffees in ‘Iliria’…without wearing a bulletproof vest or a helmet. We are here because we believe in the rule of law,” said Menzies. Rugova said that the recent arrest of former KLA soldiers wasn’t an attack on Kosovo. “The state will be assisted by the courts and the police and no one can be above the law. We should learn to respect this, because this is the future of Kosovo,” Rugova was quoted as saying. All other dailies carried front-page reports on the meeting. 3. An unnamed KFOR officer told Zëri that UNMIK staff members and their methods of work deserve a lot of criticism. “Team work is of utmost importance,” said the KFOR officer. He reportedly didn’t hide his skepticism of Steiner’s ability to inspire teamwork within the international administration in Kosovo. Another KFOR officer expressed dissatisfaction that civil administration staff left on vacation over Christmas, while peacekeepers had to guard their positions. “The UNMIK administration is comprised of amateurs and mission junkies,” said the officer, adding that until now UNMIK has lacked leadership. 4. “In order to find a solution that would guarantee stability for Kosovo, Serbia and the region, we must turn to reality and understand that Kosovo will never again be a part of Serbia or Yugoslavia. Until we stop approaching the problem in this manner, we will not have a proper solution for Kosovo and the region,” said Peter Palmer, director of International Crisis Group’s (ICG) project for Kosovo, during an interview for Epoka e Re. Commenting on the recent arrest of former KLA soldiers, Palmer said, “All people should support and respect the law. I don’t want to interfere in the work of the courts, and it wouldn’t be my right to do so. I wouldn’t like to comment on the arrest of these men, if they have done nothing wrong justice will prevail.” Palmer agreed that the people consider the arrests to be an attack against the former Kosovo Liberation Army. “This of course is not true. The arrests are related to the investigation and punishment of individual crimes and individuals who perpetrated these crimes.” Commenting on the demonstrations that followed the arrests, Palmer said that it was the right of every citizen to protest peacefully. “However, there is no room for demonstrations such as those of last week in a democratic society,” he added. Asked about UNMIK’s work, Palmer said that the international administration was interested in maintaining the status quo in Kosovo. “UNMIK shouldn’t be criticized for this. The criticism should be leveled at western capitols. UNMIK is receiving directives from western decision-making centres.” 5. Bota Sot editorial staff met for the second time with the Media Hearing Board to discuss a possible violation of the Code of Conduct by an article by Rexhep Kastrati. The article accused PDK leader Hashim Thaçi of the murder of Bota Sot journalist Bekim Kastrati. The paper was not fined, but in the coming days it has to publish an article accepting editorial responsibility and accountability for Kastrati’s commentary, all dailies report. The MHB was chaired by Gjakova administrator Martin Dvorzak, Kosovar media analyst Astrit Salihu, and Selajdin Selimi, secretary of the Constitutional Court. Bota Sot was represented by its two editors, Abdullah Bytyçi and Bajrush Morina. __________________________________________________ 1. New chief administrator Michael Steiner arrives today (all dailies) 2. Rugova and Menzies drink coffee of ”normality” in Iliria Hotel (all dailies) 3. KFOR officer says UNMIK staff are lazybones and amateurs (Zëri) 4. Kelmendi: I have asked to testify against Milosevic (Zëri) 5. Palmer: UNMIK is interested in status quo in Kosovo (Epoka e Re) 6. Zeqiri: UNMIK should apologize for rigged judicial process (Epoka e Re) 7. Bota Sot should distance itself from article accusing PDK leader of murder (all dailies) 8. Former international dept. co-heads will advise Kosovar ministers (Zëri) Analysis: 1. All daily papers carry reports on the arrival of new SRSG Michael Steiner. Koha Ditore reports under the headline “New chief administrator doesn’t foresee quick success in Kosovo” that Steiner will try to be communicative and open with media representatives. In an interview for WDR, Steiner said that one of his priorities would be to assure a safe future for all ethnic communities in Kosovo, and to help form the new government in Prishtina. “The political parties should understand that they must cooperate, because only in that way will they respect the elections and the democratic process,” Steiner was quoted as saying. Zëri carries a report titled “Steiner will focus on the economy of Kosovo and the fight against crime”. The paper quoted UNMIK press officer Eleanor Beardsley as saying, “Steiner will not solve the problems. However, through his ideas he will help the leaders find a solution”. Zëri also carried quotes from Kosovar politicians on their expectations of the new administrator. 2. All daily papers report on yesterday’s meeting at the Iliria Hotel in Prishtina between LDK leader Ibrahim Rugova and US Head of Office John Menzies. “Ibrahim Rugova, for the first time in the last ten years, had his morning coffee on the terrace of a bar in Prishtina center,” Koha Ditore reports. According to Koha Ditore, the message was that the US Ambassador and Rugova could drink coffee in the place most often the center of public protests. “We are here today to show the people that we both believe that they can have their coffees in ‘Iliria’…without wearing a bulletproof vest or a helmet. We are here because we believe in the rule of law,” said Menzies. All other dailies carried front-page reports on the meeting. 3. Zëri quotes an unnamed KFOR officer as saying that UNMIK staff members are “lazybones and amateurs”. The officer expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that during Christmas, the staff members of the civil administration left on vacation, whereas the peacekeepers had to guard their positions. “The UNMIK administration is comprised of amateurs and mission junkies,” said the officer and added that until now UNMIK had lacked leadership. 4. LDK secretary general Nekibe Kelmendi has asked to testify before The Hague Tribunal against Slobodan Milosevic, Zëri reports. Kelmendi’s husband and two sons were murdered by armed Yugoslav forces on the first night of NATO bombing. Immediately after the establishment of The Hague, Kelmendi’s husband, Bajram, a renowned Kosovar lawyer, handed over files to the tribunal accussing Milosevic and his associates of crimes committed in Kosovo. 5. “In order to find a solution that would guarantee stability for Kosovo, Serbia and the region, we must turn to reality and understand that Kosovo will never again be a part of Serbia or Yugoslavia. Until we stop approaching the problem in this manner, we will not have a proper solution for Kosovo and the region,” said Peter Palmer, director of International Crisis Group’s project for Kosovo, during an interview for Epoka e Re. Palmer also commented on the arrest of former KLA soldiers, the demonstrations, UNMIK’s governance, the Kosovar political scene, the establishment of democratic institutions and Kosovo’s final status. 6. Epoka e Re carries an interview with Afrim Zeqiri, recently released from detention. Zeqiri told the paper that UNMIK should apologize to him for the rigged judicial process that saw him in detention for some two. 7. Bota Sot editorial office members met for the second time with the Media Hearing Board to discuss violation of the Code of Conduct by an article by Rexhep Kastrati. The article accused PDK leader Hashim Thaçi of the murder of Bekim Kastrati, a Bota Sot journalist. The paper was not fined, but in the coming days it has to publish an article that would distance it from Kastrati’s commentary, all dailies report. 8. Zëri reports that the international co-heads of Kosovar departments will be the future advisors to the nine Kosovar ministers. According to UNMIK officials, they will not be able to block the decisions and initiatives of the ministers, but will only serve in an advisory capacity. Serbian media highlights Radio Belgrade 1/Le Mond: Indictments against the KLA members will be raised this year, says del Ponte ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte has said in an interview with Le Mond that she does not doubt that the responsibility of Slobodan Milosevic for the crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia will be established. “We will do everything to determine Milosevic’s guilt for the crimes he is charged with. Even if it is not the case, which I do not believe, the process will contribute to the promotion of the international justice” Radio Belgrade 1 cited Le Mond’s interview with Carla del Ponte. She added that three investigations were conducted against the former members of the KLA and that she hoped she would publish the indictment against them by the end of this year. RTS: Rugova to testify against Milosevic Ibrahim Rugova announced that he would gladly testify against the former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, “I will be honored to testify in the name of my people and in the name of Kosovo” RTS quoted Rugova. He has assessed that Milosevic’s trial is a very important event, “It will be a lesson to all potentates in the world not to break the law” Two Belgrade lawyers attending Milosevic’s trial have said that they are not surprised by Ibrahim Rugova’s announcement that he is going to testify against the former Yugoslav President. “We welcome Rugova’s decision to testify” Dragoslav Ognjanovic told AFP. “This comes as no surprise to us. We knew that he would like to testify,” Zdenko Tomanovic added. During the second day of the Milosevic’s trial the ICTY Deputy Prosecutor Dirk Rienweld charged the former Yugoslav President with forcible expulsion of around 800.000 and death of 900 Kosovo Albanians in 1999. BKTV/Corriere della Sera: Wesley Clark summoned to testify at the ICTY The former Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, General Wesley Clark told the Italian daily “Corriere della Sera” that he was already summoned by the ICTY to testify against Slobodan Milosevic in Hague, “I will testify, but I can not assess whether Milosevic is guilty or not. It is up to the ICTY to decide” BKTV quoted Clark. He said that he knew Milosevic as a very intelligent individual, “but he did tragic things to his own people and even to himself.” Blic: Albanian parties will not agree on the election of president of Kosovo The Albanian political parties in the Kosovo Assembly will not reach an agreement on the election of the president of Kosovo, KP member to the Kosovo Assembly Presidency Oliver Ivanovic told Blic. He points out that KP is open to all talks but that none of the Albanian political parties made a serious offer. Radio B92: Protests continue in Kosovska Mitrovica Several hundred Serbs continued their protest in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica over UNMIK’s decision to close the Municipal Assembly in northern Mitrovica. Today’s protest was larger than those over the past ten days, because employees of Kosovska Mitrovica Health Center, schools and residents of the northern part of the town joined the Municipal Assembly employees. UNMIK plans to open Community Offices in both the northern and southern part of the town but to recognise only one Municipal Assembly, that in the southern, Albanian section of Mitrovica. Radio B92 reports that protests in northern Mitrovica will continue. Tanjug: US-Yugoslav military cooperation in sight, assesses Montogomery During a meeting with US Ambassador to Yugoslavia William Montgomery and US Defence and Army Attaché John Sadler, Yugoslav Defence Minister Velimir Radojevic said that Yugoslavia was ready to join regional and European initiatives and systems of collective security, the Yugoslav Defence Ministry said in a statement. US Ambassador William Montgomery assessed that a new perspective for the US-Yugoslav military cooperation was created, Tanjug reported.