Mulhall: OSCE Verification Mission had a secret character

(KTV)

Canadian officer, Paul Mulhall, who served in Kosovo as an OSCE verifier, says that his Mission had a secret character. Talking to KTV Rubicon show, Mulhall spoke about his Mission during the fragile peace in pre-NATO bombardment Kosovo.

Mulhall said that he found it hard to understand hostile behavior of Serbian police and military against them, while he underlined that different from the situation in Bosnia, Serbs had a hidden agenda to annihilate Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

He also said that on certain occasions they as verifiers were also used as a shield for fighting KLA, while, only after the war, he realized that Russian verifiers that worked with them were in fact playing a double-game by also reporting to Serbs.

For the first time ever, he also admitted publically that KLA was informing NATO into details about location of Serb targets.

“We wanted to help, and now that we were no longer in Kosovo, there were some envelopes that came under the door with information from Ramush (Haradinaj) and his people, who needed support, and then this information was quickly passed on to NATO. Afterwards, the targets were fired at by NATO. We supported as best as we could. I was talking to Ramush’s brother, Daut, the other day about that, and I did not think that people here knew that much, because we kept it very quiet, because we knew who we wanted to support, and it was pretty obvious – a person with a rifle has a hard time to fight against a tank, so we helped,” Mulhall said.

Mulhall said that Special Court was necessary, as EULEX failed; however, he considers war crime allegations against KLA as unjust.

“I think it is as an example, Ramush was twice in The Hague and he has never been convicted for anything. The Prime Minister Thaçi, now they are going to be accusing him. I was never around him, as I was in the West, KLA fought the Serbs, but they did not fight against the Serbian people, they rather fought against the soldiers. I am feeling concerned when I am hearing allegations that these persons have been involved in trafficking in human organs and in murders. I do not like this. I do not think it is true. I was there. Nobody has asked us about this, and I find this amazing,” the former OSCE verifier Mulhall stated.

Asked what should the role of international community in Kosovo, Mulhall said: “Give the country back to the people completely. I think you had international organizations here too long. Some of them were performing needed requirements, healthcare and improvements and different facets, but do you really need an UNMIK still here? Do you need an EULEX here, IOM, OSCE? I do not know. Do they need to be that big? I know they have scaled back, but if I was a Kosovar I would like to have the authority to run my own country. Advisors are nice, but that is separate thing maybe for the Kosovo budget.”

The former Canadian officer served in Kosovo for nine more years after the conflict, giving his contribution in education and Kosovo Security Force (KSF).

Assembly MPs accuse each other

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

After two weeks of recess, Kosovo Assembly MPs returned to plenary sessions, and together with this they also returned to accusations and counteraccusations.

Vetëvendosje started with accusations against the Prime Minister, saying that the power is dealing with Vetëvendosje through police. He explained the arrest of Vetëvendosje members Dardan Molliqaj, Etleva Malushaj and Frashër Krasniqi into details.

After a long time, the PDK MP Azem Syla also took the floor. He responded to accusations of LDK MP Melihate Tërmkolli. The Former Head of Kosovo Liberation Army Headquarters, Azem Syla, consider statements that he owns many luxurious hotels and other companies as slander, while he said that he support Special Court’s establishment. On 5 February this year, Melihate Tërmkolli asked the dismissal of Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli and other PDK members, including Azem Syla, connecting them with the political assassinations.

The second part of the session also went on with accusations and verbal clashes. Furthermore, verbal clashed between the Deputy Prime Minister Kujtim Shala and AAK MP Donika Kadaj-Bujupi reached the point when the latter called DPM Shala a hooligan.

The opposition insisted on second reading of the bill on prevention of conflict of interest, while it did not want to tolerate removal of the bill on heritage from the agenda, considering at as a request of Sprska List.

LDK caucus leader, Ismet Beqiri, requested from Speaker Veseli not to tolerate insults at the Assembly, be them against the ministers, or the MPs.

Berisha: Ashkali community is a political invention

(Klan Kosova)

An MP of the Assembly of Kosovo denies the existence of the Ashkali community. Veton Berisha, the Egyptian community MP said in Klan Kosova’s show “Zona B” that the division between Egyptians and Ashkalis was done by Albanians for political interests.

Veton Berisha said that the treatment of the Egyptian community in Kosovo is not satisfactory at all. Berisha considers that the Egyptian community has been neglected from all political systems, since the end of the conflict. Moreover, he said that only fourteen members of the Egyptian community are employed in the in local or central public administration.

Nonetheless, he does not blame only the Albanians for this situation. According to him, the division of this community into Egyptians and Ashkalis, for political interests, resulted with this situation.

According to him, the Ashkali community is a simple political invention. Whereas, he considers the term RAE as totally inadequate, as the difference between Roma and Egyptian community is big.

To change this situation, Berisha has joined LDK. According to him LDK was the only political party that guaranteed that they will change the situation of the Egyptian community. He categorically denied that the Egyptians, as a community, endorsed Serbian politics in Kosovo, adding that many Egyptians joined Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Bosch: Kosovo does not win anything by refusing the Special Court

(Klan Kosova)

The Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kosovo said that Kosovo should take a positive decision for the establishment of the Special Court for War Crimes, or according to him this issue might be transferred to the competency of the UN Security Council which might be harmful for the image of Kosovo.

During a lecture to students of ‘ISPE’ College, Bosch said that a delegation from Brussels will arrive in Prishtinë/Pristina shortly to negotiate the content of the documents which need to be adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo about the establishment of the Special Court

According to Bosch only international judges and prosecutors will be engaged in the Special Court and the entire staff will be located in Netherlands.

Government approves a package of bills

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1& Klan Kosova)

The Government has approved a package of judiciary related bills. Government approved the bills on Kosovo Prosecutorial Council; on Kosovo Judicial Council; State Prosecution; on courts of law, as well as the one on compensation of crime victims.

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said that approval of these bills fulfils one of the visa liberalisation criteria.

Meanwhile, the Government retracted from the Assembly three bills, namely the draft on Criminal Code, bill on amending and supplementing of the Law on prevention of the conflict of interest, and the bill on cultural heritage.

KTV quoted Liburn Aliu of Vetëvendosje saying that the Government has retracted the bill on cultural heritage because Srpska Lista has requested so.

On the other hand Klan Kosova reported that the current Minister of Justice Hajredin Kuçi will no longer be part of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council if the Assembly adopts the amendments of the bill on Kosovo Prosecutorial Council.

According to him, the Council will have 14 members – 10 will be prosecutors and four members from the civil society. Moreover, Kuçi said that that they have stipulated a budgetary independence for KPC, too.

Assembly to discuss amendment of the Law on management of public finances

(KTV)

Amendment of the Law on management of public finances has been postponed for the second time on the row, KTV reports. It foresees amendment of the article 69 with this. This Article forbids compensation of non-material damages, including pain and suffering of citizens, whose rights are violated by the state.

Over 13,000 citizens have requested the amendment of this provision, while lawyers and legal experts say that this disposition contradicts the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ministry of Finance has continuously attempted to turn back the initiative of the campaign ‘Justice and Citizens’, saying that it entails budgetary costs. Kohavision asked the Ministry about this issue, but it did not get a response.

The Assembly will discuss this issue on Thursday’s session.