UNMIK/PR/490
At today’s meeting of the Interim Administrative Council, SRSG Hans Haekkerup introduced a draft regulation which would increase penalties for possession of illegal weapons.
The SRSG asked the IAC membership to study the draft of the joint KFOR-UNMIK initiative and produce their comments at next Tuesday’s meeting.
The aim of the proposed regulation is to reduce the numbers of weapons in circulation in Kosovo and to enhance anti-crime efforts, Mr. Haekkerup said.
The draft describes the authorization procedure for those persons who would be permitted to possess weapons, as well as punitive measures for those found with illegal weapons.
UNMIK and KFOR will launch a public information campaign to explain the policy well ahead of an amnesty period, which would precede implementation of the regulation.
In other business, the IAC was briefed on the current state of the interim municipal structures by Ms. Blanca Antonini, co-head of the Department of Local Administration.
“The process of establishing the Municipal Assemblies and related structures has seen considerable progress in the three and a half months since the municipal elections,” she told the IAC. “The setting up of these bodies is a prerequisite for having a functional first level of self-government in Kosovo.”
Assemblies are working in all 27 municipalities where the electoral process was certified, she said, and as well as in the three northern Kosovo municipalities where too few residents participated for the elections to be certified and where assemblies have been appointed.
Presidents have been elected in all but one municipality, and 27 Assemblies have elected Deputy Presidents. Ms. Antonini noted that in Zubin Potok, a largely Serb-inhabited municipality, a Kosovo Albanian representative of the LDK has been appointed second Deputy President.
Most assemblies have established Policy and Finance Committees, and many have set up Communities Committees and Mediation Committees to ensure the promotion and protection of all communities in the municipality.
Administrative structures are in the process of being set up with the goal of developing a professional municipal civil service. So far, Chief Executive Officers have been appointed in 23 municipalities. Fifteen Boards of Directors have been named, and several municipalities are adopting municipal statutes and rules of procedure.
The goal of incorporating minority communities has had a mixed progress, Ms. Antonini said. For the most part, representatives of non-Serb minority communities, including Turks, Bosniacs, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians have accepted their appointments.
However, a significant gap still exists regarding the participation of the Serb community, she said, although Serbs have accepted appointments to the municipal assemblies of Rahovec, Novo Brdo, Skenderaj, Vitina and Kamenica. Additionally, the SRSG has signed letters of appointment for Serbs to the Assembly in Gnjilane.
IAC member Rada Trajkovic stated that the Serb National Council has appealed to Serbs to participate fully in the assemblies.
Ibrahim Rugova approved the progress made in establishing municipal structures, but expressed concern that too many municipal appointments were made in Pristina. IAC member Hashim Thaci, while welcoming the participation of Serbs, charged that a single-party system had been created to the exclusion of other parties, particularly his PDK.
Ms. Antonini responded that discussions on decentralization were ongoing with the central authorities, and principles regarding the respective roles had been agreed to with the municipalities.
Regarding the selection of people for administrative posts, she such jobs were advertised publicly and candidates were interviewed by panels and recommended to the Municipal Assemblies for approval. Candidates had to meet professional criteria, based on the job description, she said.
COMKFOR General Carlo Cabigiosu briefed the IAC on the security situation in Mitrovica, saying that “trying to find a resolution to the problems of Mitrovica is a process, which will only work if the proper foundation for a durable solution has been put in place.”
The Joint Declaration of last week was part of that foundation, he said, but an agreement with the Kosovo Serb community on how to move forward was needed before further steps could be taken. Meanwhile several avenues were being explored to establish a meaningful dialogue with the Kosovo Serb community.
Following the IAC meeting, SRSG Haekkerup said further contacts with Kosovo Serbs on Mitrovica would be made and that he would also encourage Belgrade authorities to “express their views on what the future should be for the Kosovo Serbs.”