Life in Kosovo discusses about emergency situations
Tonight, Life in Kosovo will broadcast a debate on the emergency situations in our country.
Read more
Every Thursday starting from 20:30, Radio Television Kosovo, RTK, broadcasts the TV debate show "Life in Kosovo", a joint production of BIRN and RTK.
Read more
Life in Kosovo discusses the security situation in Mitrovica
08 July 2010 Life in Kosovo broadcast a debate about the latest occurrences relating to security in Mitrovica and the implementation of the strategy for north Kosovo.
Among the questions discussed in the debate were: How do the most recent incidents in Mitrovica reflect the overall security situation in Kosovo? How could a citizen be killed and several others injured? Why was the deputy of the Assembly, Petar Milletiq, shot? Will the strategy for the north be implemented, and what concrete measures are being undertaken by the government of Kosovo?
Participants in this debate, led by Muhamet Hajrullahu, were:
Avni Kastrati - Mayor of Mitrovica municipality
Bardhyl Jashari - Ministry of Internal Affairs
Valdete Idrizi - Community Building Mitrovica
Nexhmedin Spahiu - Analyst
The debate began with a discussion of the situation in Mitrovica and the recent violent incidents. Mr. Kastrati said that the situation is complicated in every possible aspect, but that “while we have a very worrisome and complicated situation in Mitrovica, Serb extremists are trying to do the impossible – to disturb the citizens of [northern Kosovo], and citizens in general.”
Mr. Jashari, asked whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs have information about the recent events in Mitrovica, said that the ministry has taken every possible step, and that investigations are ongoing so “for the sake of the integrity of the professional investigations, it is not possible to give information on this matter yet.”
He said that the police in the north are providing as much information as possible to the government.
When asked for his reflections, Mrs. Idrizi said that everyone in general, and the citizens in the north in particular, are worried about what has happened – and what will happen next.
Mr. Spahiu, on the other hand, said that the situation in Mitrovica has been left behind politically and by the media, as these groups frequently focus on other matters that may not be as pressing as events in Mitrovica.
“The problem of Mitrovica was inevitable and hard to manage, but not hard to understand,” he said. He also claimed that the issue is not a matter of Serb extremism, but rather the official politics of Belgrade, which he characterized as “extremist politics”.
“Unfortunately, it does not appear that such is the evaluation of the internationalcommunity, otherwise they would have dealt differently with Belgrade’s politics,” Mr.Spahiu concluded.
When it came to a strategy for north Kosovo, Mrs. Idrizi said that part of the problem is that the consultation process for creating a strategy – which included political and civil representatives – did not actually involve individuals from Mitrovica. She added that the strategy has not been presented appropriately because, “if you ask a citizen of Mitrovica about the details, he or she will not be able to answer”.
In response, Mr. Jashari said that the strategy was developed with the full consent of Kosovo’s government and its international partners.
This was met by a repeat of the criticism that local actors had not been consulted, leading to a likely ineffective strategy.
Mr. Kastrati, replying to such criticism, said that Mitrovica’s problems have been around for a long time, and due to their complexity, the solution cannot come only from consulting with local parties.
Talking about the understanding of the strategy, Mr. Jashari said that its basic principles are very clear to everyone, and went on to mention some of those principles, to show “that there is nothing simpler to understand than those”.
When talking about the funds allocated for Mitrovica, Mr. Spahiu said that the amount is “ridiculous”.
Mr. Kastrati replied that projects take some time to complete, and that the money will be spent over the period.
Mrs. Idrizi, after saying that she did not want to talk about the prime minister’s promises of money, stated that cooperation at all levels is crucial for the integration of Mitrovica.
Speaking about her organisation’s proactive approach to the issue, she said: “We…have knocked on every door and offered cooperation; we are not asking for money…”
When discussing the government institutions’ approach to implementing a strategy for the integration of Mitrovica, Mr. Kastrati spoke about municipal responses: “I go there every week and it is very hard to talk with those that do not go there often. Those that have not been there cannot imagine the situation.”
He went on to say that patience is needed before freedom of movement can be assured.
Asked whether the proposed strategy is a final document of just a draft, Mr. Jashari said that the strategy has started being implemented.
“The most sensitive and important issue is fighting organised criminal gangs, who are people who have committed crimes not only in Kosovo but in all the territory of the former Yugoslavia”, he said, continuing by saying that they are the individuals who are, in a nutshell, in control of the situation.
Mr. Spahiu disagreed, saying that it is the government of Serbia that is in charge, with the government of Kosovo incapable to be in charge. According to him, this makes for a situation harder to control than the “handful of criminals” Mr. Jashari spoke of.
Mrs. Idrizi said that there is something wrong if a strategy has been prepared for a long time without anyone knowing anything about it, and that when it came out it scared people. Mr. Jashari replied that “Kosovo’s citizens know that the government works for them and no-one else, and so there is nothing to be scared about”.
Mr. Spahiu insisted that the government of Kosovo must set aside a larger budget: “If we agree that Mitrovica is a problem for Kosovo, and has been causing trouble to Kosovo and is related to [Kosovo’s] status and future talks, then the government…must set aside ten times the amount than it has already.”
Mr. Jashari did not agree: “The budget has not caused the problem in Mitrovica.”
Mr. Kastrati stated his belief that the situation in Mitrovica has been the same for eleven years, and that “the political problems in Mitrovica cannot be resolved through the budget”. He added that the situation in north Mitrovica is miserable.
Asked what the role of the municipality of Mitrovica is in the implementation of the government strategy, Mr. Kastrati said that it is his duty to give all the citizens of Mitrovica the opportunity for a calmer life, for the development of infrastructural projects, but, “it is true that the north does not want to cooperate, and we do not have such requests from there.”
He said that he has had many visits from the Serb community for various matters, which he believes shows that they are gradually starting to understand that Belgrade will not be responsible for Mitrovica for much longer.
The last question posed to the debate guests was how optimistic they feel that the strategy for the north will be implemented and for its outcome.
Mr. Spahiu answered that, even if the strategy is implemented, he thinks it will result in the partition of Kosovo. “This strategy does not serve the integration of the north as we think of it, but asks for a change in the constitution,” he said.
Mrs. Idrizi said that a change in the approach to make it more pragmatic and less political, would help. “If it continues like this, I will be very concerned,” she said.
Mr. Jashari said that, in order to effectively approach a problem, it must first be treated as such. Therefore, “there need to be written documents on how to approach the problem; concrete plans and strategies are needed, and not words of mouth,” he concluded.
Mr. Kastrati said that he is convinced that the implementation of the strategy will bring results, though “they must not be expected within days”. He concluded thathe is optimistic that north Mitrovica will see free elections by the end of 2010.
Interview with Sejdullah Hoxha, acting head of the UCCK
After the debate, Alban Selimi interviewed the acting head of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK), Sejdullah Hoxha.
Mr. Hoxha was asked why he agreed to take up the position as acting director, and whether there were any pressures on him from others, and whether he thinks he will be able to rescue UCCK from its current managerial crisis. He explained that he took up his position because he believed he could help. Even though he deems himself undeserving of such a position, he expressed his belief that his long service at UCCK has given him an understanding of its problems and, hopefully, a capability to help.
Other reports
A report by journalist Edona Musa, in which she investigated how directors at primary and secondary schools are appointed, and an investigative report by journalist Alban Selimi, on infections in Kosovo hospitals, were also broadcast. Faton Ademi, a researcher, then presented a report about the risk faced by Mitrovica’s children due to the lack of pavements in the city.
Justice in Kosovo
In the Justice in Kosovo section, Florent Spahija spoke about the issue of providing free legal aid.
Highlight of the week
The highlight of the week was dedicated to the resurgence of comic strips in Kosovo, presented by Petrit Çollaku.
Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.
THE PROCESS OF JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS OF JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS
The report on the process of judicial appointments and reappointments analysis the flow of this process, specifically focusing on the bright and dark sides that have marred the process to its final stages.
COURT MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2010 - FEBRUARY 2011
Court monitoring report is published as a result of a continuous monitoring of all municipal and districts courts of Kosovo. The findings of this report are based on the monitoring of 2,147 court hearings, by BIRN monitors.
THE PROCESS OF JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
This report presents the results of part of BIRN's court monitoring project, specifically on the process for the appointment and reappointment of judges and prosecutors.
Follow the Paper Trail
\"Follow the Paper Trail\", a guide to document-based journalism in Kosovo, explains relevant laws, access to public documents, how to publish safely, where to find databases on investigative journalism, and how to locate documents online through various search engines.
Courts Monitoring Report 2010
A detailed analytical report about the work and administration of the courts in Prishtina, Peja, Prizren, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Decan, Vushtrri, Poduleva, Lipjan, Klina and Istog. The report contains important information, collected by the network of monitors, placed in the major municipalities of Kosovo and aims to identify the key problems and issues that the justice system in Kosovo is facing.
REPORT: Monitoring the Courts 2009
Monitoring the work and administration of courts in Prishtina, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Vushtrri and Skenderaj.
DIRECTLY ELECTED MAYOR SYSTEM IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The report on Directly Elected mayor System in Local Governance aims to provide a critical overview of the rationale and feasibility of the implementation of a municipal governance system that places the mayor as the central executive figure, during the third year of its application. The efficiency of this system was assessed based on the following pillars: the relationship between local government bodies, accountability of the municipal executive, respect for the law, the link between the mayor and the citizens, provision of public services (water supply and waste management, capital investments (in school and road projects)), level of transparency, public consultation and citizen participation in decision-making.
BIRN Report on Monitoring the Education System
Report on monitoring the elementary and high schools in Prishtina: Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Peja and Gjilan
Analytical report of the situation and the problems in the University of Prishtina
Report on Kosovo`s Healthcare System
Monitoring report on all primary, secondary and tertiary (University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK) healthcare institutions in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Decan, Istog and Vushtrri.
Situation and the Problems at the University of Prishtina
Analytical report of research into the standards and problems at the University of Prishtina. Ten years since the end of the war in Kosovo, the University of Prishtina (UP) continues to suffer from a variety of problems, resulting in persistently low quality courses being offered. For this reason, BIRN conducted research into the problems faced by UP students. The data gathered suggests that, out of the many issues reported, the most significant are: the non-implementation of contemporary teaching and assessment methods, the lack of practical work for students, the lack of appropriate academic literature, arbitrary assessments by
professors and generally poor relationships between students and their professors.
Download Here
Buy DVD
Click here to buy a copy of 'Does Anyone Have a Plan?,' BIRN's feature-length documentary on Kosovo's final status.
"Life in Kosovo" debates also available on DVDs now!
Read more
Post Your Comments
Write your comment on BIRN debates and other activities.With the new web-site BIRN looks forward to receive direct opinions from our readers via comment section.
Read more
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
Comments:
No comments have been posted.