UNMIK/PR/274
PRISTINA---SRSG Bernard Kouchner, COMKFOR Lieutenant General Juan Ortuno, along with all the members of the Kosovo Transitional Council and the Chief Prosecutor of the ICTY, Ms. Carla del Ponte , today laid a wreath at the spot on Mother Teresa Street, where two Kosovo Serbs were shot at and seriously injured last evening.
Dr.Kouchner, who led the KTC members through Mother Teresa Street, told the people gathered there that “all of us, members of the KTC, are here to express our outrage and our determined opposition to the continued violence in Kosovo. All the communities, together with General Ortuno, Madame del Ponte, Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaci, all other leaders representing political, religious and civil society groups, are here to say: ‘Stop the violence. Let us work towards a Kosovo based on justice, tolerance, freedom and democracy’”.
Earlier in the KTC meeting, Dr. Kouchner, expressed strong revulsion and condemned the cowardly act. He expressed his sympathy for the victims of the brutal attack. He told the KTC members that such incidents reflected very badly on Kosovo and it was not the best of things to happen a day before his visit to Brussels to discuss, among others, issues related to funding for the Kosovo Consolidated Budget.
SRSG Kouchner also announced that the KTC would be expanded in the near future after the OSCE certifies the political parties.
Taking into account the apprehensions of the members, Dr. Kouchner said that the KTC Secretariat would prepare clearer rules of procedures for the various working groups. Besides, he said, they would try to improve the interaction of the working groups with the departments and the KTC.
He announced that from July a compensation scheme would be started for the KTC members so that they can receive payment for participation in future sessions.
The KTC gave a farewell to DSRSG, Mr Joly Dixon, who attended his last KTC meeting. Mr.Dixon is leaving at the end of June. Dr Kouchner expressed his appreciation for the work done by Mr Dixon and his team, for the economic progress achieved in Kosovo.
COMKFOR Lieutenant General Juan Ortuno briefed the KTC about the huge arms cache discovered by KFOR in the Drenica area. He said KFOR was investigating the case and would deal with those responsible. Lt. Gen. Ortuno also said that close co-operation had been established between the armed forces in Macedonia and KFOR which would improve border surveillance and help prevent smuggling activities.
UNMIK Police Deputy commissioner Stefan Feller, also briefed the members about recent crime.
DSRSG Daan Everts briefed the KTC on the latest discussions in the Central Election Commission, including the issue of proportionality versus majority. He told the members that the CEC and the OSCE technical experts favoured the proportional system to be used for the forthcoming municipal elections with a review of the system before the next elections. This is because a majority system would need accurate division into wards. This would take time to organize and would delay the elections.
Expressing satisfaction on the progress of civil registration Mr Everts said that 700,000 people had registered so far though the registration process in Pristina was still lagging behind the rest of Kosovo.
Ms. Carla del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor of ICTY also addressed the KTC saying that the work of the tribunal would contribute to giving a clearer picture of the war crimes perpetrated in Kosovo.