LOCAL PRESS

 

Serbia and EULEX mission to strengthen police cooperation (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic received today the new EULEX Head Gabriele Meucci and voiced expectation that cooperation between Serbia and EULEX would be correct during Meucci’s mandate as well. Vucic and Meucci stressed the need for stronger police cooperation, especially in the fight against organized crime and prevention of smuggling, the Serbian government Media Relations Office announced. The EULEX Head promised that he would offer support to the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

 

Stefanovic: For full security of Serbs and discovering murderers (Tanjug)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic has conveyed to EULEX Head in Kosovo Gabriele Meucci that Serbia’s interest was to achieve full security of the Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija. Stefanovic voiced expectation that the suspects in the murder of the Serbian gendarme Stevan Sindjelic would be discovered, and he submitted to Meucci evidence that the Serbian side had gathered in this case. Meucci stated that the investigation in the case of the murder of gendarme Sindjelic would be intensified. He added that exchange of information between EULEX and Serbian institutions will be intensified in the following period in order to prevent attempts to trade in excisable products and drugs.

 

Djuric meets with new EULEX Head (Danas)

Gabriele Meucci commenced yesterday the first visit to Belgrade since he assumed the post of the EULEX Head with the meeting with the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric. “EULEX’s neutral status is an imperative of the Serbian government. EULEX will always have support for such treatment and establishment and strengthening of the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Djuric following the meeting with Meucci. He announced, among other things, that he discussed with the new EULEX Head the problem of imprisoned Serbs, suspected of serious crimes, whom EULEX doesn’t permit to be released pending trial, despite the Serbian government guarantees. According to him, one of the topics was also the establishment of a court for KLA crimes. Djuric advocated the establishment of courts in Serb municipalities where Serb judges and prosecutors will be working. According to the Brussels agreement, they will be part of the Kosovo judicial system. Meucci assumed the post of the EULEX Head on 15 October, before the affair on corruption in this mission. Even though the media speculate that the selling of Serbian property and the trial to the Drenica group are among the disputable corruption cases, there was no confirmation yesterday that Meucci and Djuric discussed the scandals in EULEX, despite the fact that this mission has been deployed in Kosovo and Metohija with the consent of official Belgrade. Belgrade has not so far reacted to the fact that Brussels has been extending, for years now, EULEX’s mandate, officially “a mission neutral in status” that calls for UNSCR 1244, only based on the exchange of letters of the Kosovo president and the EU High Representative.

 

EP passes resolution on Seselj (Tanjug)

The European Parliament passed on Thursday a resolution on leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Vojislav Seselj after a one-hour debate, calling on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to re-examine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances, and urging the Serbian authorities to distance themselves from his statements. Eduard Kukan, chairman of the EP delegation for relations with EU aspirants in the Balkans, said at the beginning of the debate that the draft resolution will increase the tensions in the region, instead of easing them, so he will not back it. I understand fully the evil of wartime rhetoric and hate speech, especially in the Western Balkans, Kukan said, noting that the resolution attaches to Seselj the importance he does not deserve. Because of that, and because of the fact that the resolution criticizes the independent court established by the United Nations Security Council, I will not support this resolution, Kukan said. However, a majority of MEPs backed the resolution proposal, Croatia’s MEPs being the most vocal, as the resolution was tabled for discussion on their initiative. Croatian MEP Ruza Tomasevic said that this topic would not be discussed if the Serbian authorities had distanced themselves right away, and expressed her disappointment with the Tribunal’s operations, qualifying them as inefficient and biased.

 

ICTY published appendix on conditions of Seselj’s release (RTS)

The Hague Tribunal has made public the confidential appendix document about the conditions of the temporary release of Vojislav Seselj. According to that document, he has the obligation of appearing before the trail chamber when asked to. The document envisages that Seselj has to turn over his passport to the Serbian authorities in Belgrade, he is forbidden from trying to contact or in any way exerting influence on the witnesses in the process against him in the ICTY, and from obstructing justice. In the document, the hearing chamber of the ICTY calls upon the Serbian state bodies to not issue a new passport to the defendant without the prior consent of that chamber.

 

Vucic: EP resolution insulting for Serbia (RTS)

The European Parliament resolution on Seselj is insulting for Serbia, disturbing for its citizens and disappointing, said Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, noting that it is not easy for him to address these hard words to European parliamentarians. Serbia will be devoted to reconciliation and regional stability and it will never agree “to lies, hypocrisy and imposed collective responsibility”, Vucic told a press conference at the Serbian government. He at the same time thanked the MEP from Bulgaria, Eduard Kukan and Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon who tried “to bring to reason” European MEPs. “Serbia was condemned today for having not reacted politically and legally adequately to the arrival of Mr. Seselj. Who has released him from The Hague, we or you? Have you asked us something on this? You haven’t,” said Vucic, adding that The Hague hasn’t informed Serbia on the conditions under which they will release him. “This should have represented something as a lesson for our citizens to see how they treat us, what they really think about us and how they see us and how much objective difficulties, but also some that we haven’t hoped for, will we yet face on our EU path and certainly in the near future,” said Vucic. “I will not speak about him (Seselj), I will not even go into the matrix imposed by Croatia and the EP,” said Vucic. “Serbia is not so insignificant anymore and small as it used to be and a punching bag. It is not so weak in the economy as it used to be,” assessed Vucic.

 

Seselj denies he was presented with conditions during release and says he signed nothing (Tanjug/Srna)

The SRS leader Vojislav Seselj has stated that he is very proud of the declaration that was passed on him by the Croatian parliament and stressed that he will be even more proud when the EP also passes the resolution that concerns him, and which was initiated by the Croatian parliamentarians. Seselj stressed that the declaration and resolution mean that he had broken the media blackout that the government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic imposed on him immediately upon return from The Hague, and that his strategy of throwing the bait to the Croats has achieved full effect. At today’s press conference Seselj denied that he was presented with certain conditions during the temporary release and stressed that he signed nothing nor discussed conditions with anybody in the ICTY. He reiterated that he certainly would not voluntarily respond to ICTY’s eventual invitation to return to detention. He also said that no conditions were posed to him in The Hague and that he was simply told that he needs to pack and go, that he signed nothing and that nobody from the ICTY talked with him.

 

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Vukicevic: Political stability precondition to a stable region (Oslobodjenje)

Mladen Ivanic, chair of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency, and Stanimir Vukicevic, Serbia’s ambassador to B&H, stated today in Sarajevo that B&H’s political stability represents a significant precondition to the general political stability of the region. During the discussion, they recognized the common priority issues that should be tackled in the near future, which primarily relate to intensified regional cooperation, infrastructural development, and mutual support on the path to European integrations, the B&H Presidency said in a statement.They note the need to launch concrete activities connected with implementing earlier signed bilateral agreements, like the memorandum on joint approach to third markets, which should be realized by cooperation between B&H and Serbian business associations. Ivanic and Vukicevic also discussed the current political situation in B&H, the process of forming governments at all levels, which is in progress, and expressed the expectation that in the near future previously successful bilateral cooperation will continue. Vukicevic congratulated Ivanic on his election to the B&H Presidency from Republika Srpska (RS) and wished him success in performing his new duties.

 

Dodik: There are indications that more parties will support the election of the RS Government (Dnevni avaz)

President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik confirmed that there are indications of more political parties joining the coalition around the SNSD or being a part of the majority for the election of the new Government of RS, as he didn’t want to specify which parties. He stated that the primary objective is achieved, and that is to have political parties which are based in the RS consist the parliamentary majority for the election of Parliament and the Government of the RS, but, as he says, is not a problem if others join too. The RS president said that the third coalition partner, the Socialists, are going to receive an adequate number of ministerial positions, while the President of DNS Marko Pavic reminded that the DNS got the position of the RS parliament speaker.

 

Dodik forming government, opposition throwing accusations (Dnevni avaz)

The President of the Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik announced that he will begin consultations with the representatives of parliamentary political parties on the appointment of candidate for the prime minister designate who would form the new RS Government. His name will be proposed by the end of the week. However, the opposition in the smaller entity is still not at peace with the fact that Dodik gathered enough votes for a majority in the RS parliament, and claims that it is the “corrupt purchase of MP’s”. Dodik said that he will first talk with representatives of the SNSD and then with the SDS, DNS and the other political parties.

The president of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), Mladen Bosic notified the President of RS Milorad Dodik that the SDS will not respond to the invitation for proposing the appointment of a candidate for the mandate holder, because he believes that “SNSD achieved an illegitimate entity majority in parliament.” “The SDS does not have a parliamentary majority, and therefore there is no need for a proposal of the prime minister designate. The corrupt process of buying MPs, and assembling of the parliamentary majority in such a way, is not only anti-democratic but it is a criminal act that should be investigated and sanctioned by the state institutions,” said yesterday Bosic. Ruling parties in the RS manifested a narrow parliamentary majority of 42 MP’s, compared to 41 MP from the opposition. The majority was achieved by transitioning of Ilija Stevancevic (Party of United Pensioners - PUP) from the opposition bloc, and of Vojin Mitrovic from the NDP, at the time of the session. However, the majority of 44 votes Dodik ensured by gaining the support of NS and Adam Sukalo.

 

The accomplice suspected of war crimes in Grbavica, arrested in Rogatica (Oslobodjenje)

By the order of the B&H Prosecutor’s Office, police officers (SIPA) apprehended in Rogatica, the suspect with initials G.M. born in 1966. The suspect is under investigation by the B&H Prosecutor’s Office and is suspected of having committed war crimes against Bosniaks in the Grbavica district of Sarajevo, as an accomplice to Veselin Vlahovic Batko. Through long and thorough investigation led by prosecutor and by the field operational work, the Prosecutor’s Office came to a finding that the suspect G.M, who after the war resided in the municipality of Rogatica, participated in war crimes, together with Veselin Vlahovic, who was sentenced to 42 years of imprisonment. G.M. is suspected of having committed a rape and sexual abuse of Bosniak women, thus committing a criminal offense - war crimes against civilians. The suspect will be, to be handed over to the prosecutor, who will examine the suspect and then make a decision on a motion for custody. The Prosecutor’s Office continues intensive investigation with the aim of identifying, detecting and prosecuting perpetrators of war crimes in B&H, announced the Office.

 

Meron expressing condolences (Fena)

President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Theodor Meron laid flowers and paid tribute at the Memorial to the Murdered Children of Sarajevo, the children who were killed during the conflicts in B&H, and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the killed. Further he visited Monument erected to victims of cruel and atrocious crimes that were committed in Uzdol, Prozor municipality on 14^th of September 1993. President of the ICTY honored the victims and delivered his sincere condolences to their families. This visit happened day after Meron together with the members of the Association of War Camp Detainees of Republika Srpska (RS) visited Celebici, the location of the former war camp at which the Serbs were detained.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Letter from Kosovo: disarray in the heart of the Balkans (New Statesman, by Melanie McDonagh, 27 November 2014)

The small nation state has not had a government for six months and corruption and cynicism still rule.

Kosovo has been without a government since the inconclusive general election six months ago; yet the remarkable thing is how little difference this has made. The other remarkable thing is that the foreigners who exercise real influence here – the Americans, but also the EU – have held off from telling local people what to do, though that is starting to change.

The constitutional crisis hasn’t dented the realities: rampant corruption, a broken economy, plus an unsettling new factor, the rise of Islamic extremism. Not a happy record, 15 years after Kosovo broke away from Slobodan Milosevic’s Serbia and six years since independence.

The election left the previous ruling party, the PDK, with the most votes. It is led by Hashim Thaçi, a former head of the paramilitary Kosovo Liberation Army, often derided as a man from the villages who made good when the Americans made him their protégé after independence.

The PDK was outnumbered by a coalition of opposition parties, with another former army commander, Ramush Haradinaj, who leads the small AAK, emerging as their most likely prime ministerial candidate. Kosovo’s president, Atifete Jahjaga, was unable to resolve the impasse and referred it to the constitutional court. Now the US and British ambassadors are hinting that parliament should be reconvened; this could send Thaçi into opposition.

Jahjaga, Kosovo’s first female president, hasn’t come out of the crisis well but her standing was already compromised. When the US ambassador announced her appointment at a gathering of party leaders, no one had heard of her. But then, most people assumed the US and the EU would intervene. As Ardian Arifaj, Thaçi’s spokesman, told me: “Kosovars expect internationals to get involved . . . we interpret it as support and friendship.”

The question is, whether a new government could change things. Unemployment stands at 40 per cent. Cynicism is the default mode. When the son of the Speaker of parliament beat up a couple of policemen earlier this year because they had stopped him for speeding, he wasn’t arrested, but it made a mordantly funny sketch by the satirical TV production company Stupcat.

Corruption is rampant. A friend who works with an aid agency asked an official for help; she asked what was in it for her. “Lunch?” he volunteered. The privatisation programme, which began in 2002, is a scandal; it conspicuously benefited Thaçi’s friend Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Islamist president: his son-in-law’s company won the electricity distribution contract for the knockdown price of €26m. The US company Bechtel has done rather well, too. As a result of its deal to build the nation’s roads, a kilometre of motorway costs way more in Kosovo than in France. As one insider observed, “I don’t mind Americans looking after their interests; I just wish we got a bit more out of it.” As for politicians, Arbana Xharra, editor-in-chief of the dailyZeri newspaper, says bluntly: “They have millions and only their salary. It’s so easy to read: they give government tenders to the companies that support them.”

Then there is Shik, a Mafia-style shadowy organisation, formerly the intelligence arm of the Kosovo Liberation Army, run by a deputy leader of the PDK. The US declared it defunct but Xharra says it is still powerful, using blackmail and manipulating contracts.

Naturally, the man who would be prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, wants change. “We have a derailed society,” he told me when we met at his offices in Pristina. Haradinaj is a physically active man, affable but tough-looking, which may be no bad thing. “We need to bring back a sense of direction and build a society that is based on the rule of law and the credibility of institutions. We should have a functioning state, a functioning society.” Trouble is, his party was found guilty of corruption in the local authorities it runs and a member of his party on the privatisation board was alleged to have taken bribes.

Haradinaj points out that this happened while he was at The Hague – where he faced, and was cleared of, war crimes. He argues that a change of government matters. “There’ll be change even if we don’t do as good as we think we will; we’ll disrupt the continuity.”

Eulex, the EU’s law-enforcement agency, oversees administration of law in Kosovo but this, too, is problematic. Eulex is being investigated by the EU for corruption and, more hair-raisingly, colluding in criminal activities (including assassinations) by Shik. Thaçi’s adviser Ardian Arifaj told me, “For the US, Kosovo is a success.” It makes you wonder: what does failure look like?

 

Kosovo Veterans Demand University Privileges for Children (BIRN, by Petrit Collaku, 27 November 2014)

Kosovo war veterans staged a protest calling for the restoration of privileges allowing their children to go to the University of Pristina without having to pass examinations.

Some 200 former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas rallied outside the university on Thursday to demand that 1,000 children of war veterans and invalids be registered as students after the rector recently withdrew the privilege. The acting head of the KLA veterans’ association, Smajl Elezaj, heavily criticised rector Ramadan Zejnullahu for stopping the practice, which had been in operation for ten years. “Does the rector and those advising him have the information that there was a liberation war in Kosovo?” Elezaj asked the protesters, who chanted “KLA, KLA!” The veterans’ association accuses the rector of breaching the terms of a memorandum of understanding that it signed in 2004 with the university, which allows the automatic registration of 1,000 children of war veterans, invalids and people killed in the conflict. He said that the rector must respect the memorandum otherwise protests could transform into larger demonstrations. But rector Zejnullahu said that he decided to annul the memorandum because it was against the university’s rules. “We consider that our actions have been according to the law and academic norms and as such they will continue to be,” his office said in a statement after the protest. The statement said that the university was helping the children of fighters killed in the 1998-99 conflict by allowing them to register after fulfilling only the minimum academic criteria for entry. But one young protester said that he should have the right to register to go to university automatically because his father fought for Kosovo. “The rector is anti-KLA,” said the protester, who asked to remain anonymous.

 

EU Lawmakers Condemn Seselj, Pakistan's Blasphemy Law, IS (Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, 27 November 2014)

STRASBOURG, France -- A European Parliament resolution backed by all the main political groups has slammed the recent activities of accused Serbian war criminal Vojislav Seselj.

The text, passed on November 27, condemns "Seselj's warmongering, incitement to hatred and encouragement of territorial claims and his attempts to derail Serbia from its European path" and adds that his rhetoric "has reopened the victims' psychological wounds" from the war and the atrocities of the early 1990s.

The resolution also calls on the International Crime Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to "take measures to reexamine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances."

The UN war crimes court released Seselj earlier this month on grounds of ill-health before reaching a verdict in his trial.

Since his return, Seselj, who suffers from cancer, has vowed revenge against ex-allies now in power, praised the 2003 assassination of reformist Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, and said he still believes in the Greater Serbia ideology that fuelled war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo.

Pakistan 'Must Respect Rights'

Also, the European Parliament slammed a decision by a Pakistani court last month to confirm the death sentence for a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy four years ago.

The Lahore High Court last month dismissed Asia Bibi's appeal. Bibi, a mother of five, was found guilty in 2010 of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.

Her lawyer has vowed to appeal in the Supreme Court.

The parliament's resolution, passed with an overwhelming majority, calls on the Pakistani Supreme Court "to start its proceedings on the case swiftly and without delay and to uphold the rule of law and full respect for human rights in its ruling."

EU lawmakers also expressed concern that Pakistan's blasphemy laws are open to misuse and can affect all faiths in the country, and urged Islamabad to review the current application of the laws.

Islamic State Crimes

And finally, the European Parliament condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the systematic human rights violations committed by the Islamic State (IS) group and other associated terrorist groups.

The November 27 resolution, supported by all the main political groups in the parliament, highlighted the numerous violations by IS such as abduction, rape, and forced marriages, specifically targeting women.

The parliament also called on the Iraqi government to ratify the Rome Statute -- the document under which the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been established -- in order to allow the ICC to prosecute the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by IS.

The text also calls on "all regional actors to do everything within their power to stop all activities by official or private bodies aimed at propagating and spreading extreme Islamist ideologies in words and acts."

 

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Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ. The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.