Kosova Daily Report #1477, 98-07-01

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1477
Prishtina, 1 July 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Meets with Leaders of the Political Parties in Kosova

[02] Three Party Leaders on Today's Meeting

[03] Albanian Sources Dispute Serb Claims on Recapture of Bardh i Madh

[04] Highly Tense Situation in Fush& Kosova

[05] Drenoc Village of Klina Under Repeated Serb Forces Fire

[06] Wounded Albanian Being Kept Tied to Hospital Room Radiator

[07] Serbs Supplied with Weapons and Ammunition in Lipjan

[01] President Rugova Meets with Leaders of the Political Parties in Kosova

Participating in the meeting were Kol& Berisha, Naim Jerliu and Nekibe Kelmendi (LDK); Mark Krasniqi and Veli Byty^i (PSHDK); Adem Dema^i and Bajram Kosumi (PPK); Rexhep Qosja, Hydajet Hyseni and Mehmet Hajrizi (LDSH); Ka^usha Jashari (PSDK); Luljeta Pula-Beqiri (PSDK); Gjergj Dedaj (PLK); Rexhep Abdullahu (PNDSH); Qerim Ujkani (PNDSH); and Hilmo Kandiq (PAD), as well as the coordinator of the G-15, Dr. Fehmi Agani, and Blerim Shala, spokesman of the Group.

President Rugova's Office said the leaders of the political parties described the situation in Kosova, especially in the areas under attack by Serb military and police forces, as dramatic and with potentials for further escalation.

"The institutional organization of political and state life in Kosova with the participation of all political forces, the convening of the Parliament and the formation of Government, as well as the armed Albanian resistance forces in the face of Serbian aggression were discussed in the meeting today", a statement from Rugova's office said.

The President's Office said there will be another meeting of the political party leaders with Ibrahim Rugova on the same issues.

[02] Three Party Leaders on Today's Meeting

PRISHTINA, July 1 (KIC) - Three party leaders, Rexhep Abdullahu, Luljeta Pula-Beqiri and Gjergj Dedaj, spoke to the press about their meeting earlier today with the President of the Republic of Kosova.

Rexhep Abdullahu, chairman of the Albanian National Democratic Party (PNDSH), who leads a small party that is represented in the newly elected Parliament of the Republic of Kosova, said all the parties claim they want to work for the benefit of the nation.

"However, when we went to the polls, the others did not dare do so, because they knew they would lose. They who feared the verdict of the people in elections are now on their downslide", Abdullahu said.

Luljeta Pula-Beqiri, chairwoman of one of the two Social Democratic Parties of Kosova (PSDK), which boycotted the March 22 election, said there were two proposals in the meeting today: to convene the Parliament of Kosova, "in which a considerable part of the political body os not represented", or to form a National Council, in which representatives of all political parties would be represented.

She made it clear she stood for the latter position, adding that the National Council would be the political representative of the U^K.

Asked by the BBC to say why create a National Council to supersede the institutions of the Republic of Kosova, Mrs Beqiri said the Parliament would not be accepted by the block of parties that have boycotted the election, "a significant part of the political body", as she put it, adding that there would be a split on the ground.

"The only acceptable compromise is the formation of the National Council", she concluded.

Meanwhile, Gjergj Dedaj, leader of the Liberal Party of Kosova (PLK), said today's meeting of the political representatives with the President of the Republic of Kosova was an important opportunity to reach the necessary consensus in the face of this situation in Kosova, both in terms of the situation on the ground an the political scene.

The PLK stands for an early meeting of the Parliament of the Republic and the formation of the Government, which should operate in Kosova, Mr. Dedaj said.

"President Rugova was kind enough to discuss issues with the non- parliamentarian parties too, although their position is not critical because that have not taken part in the election".

It was these parties which restated their position on the non- recognition of the 22 March election and the institutions chosen by the popular vote, the PLK leader said. "This is a direct attack on the will of the people and the electoral body itself, which voted on a massive scale to elect the President and the deputies to the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova".

Gjergj Dedaj slammed the idea of non-parliamentarian parties to form a National Council. "The question of the mandate of individuals and political groupings arises", he said, adding that you have to have a popular mandate earned through a free vote."

The U^K should be incorporated within the legally elected institutions of the Republic of Kosova, the PLK leader said, adding that in this way the "sick appetites of individuals and political groupings to constitute themselves as the political wing of the U^K would be done away".

It was those very individuals and groupings who spoke about unity that have effectively worked against it, Gjergj Dedaj concluded, chastising efforts to come to positions of power without having sought and got the vote of the Kosovar electorate.

It has been failure to convene the new Parliament and choose a new Government, blamed partly on President Rugova, that have given a new momentum to calls for an unelected and unrepresentative body such as the talked about National Council, which has been the idea fixe of Rexhep Qosja and others for eight years now, observers here in Prishtina say.

[03] Albanian Sources Dispute Serb Claims on Recapture of Bardh i Madh

It is expected the U^K spokesman will come up later in the day with an account on the fighting of the past few days, sources close to the U^K said.

Serbian sources have claimed the Serb regime forces have re- captured the mine and the village itself.

For the third straight day, Serbian forces have been attacking the villages of Bardh i Madh (800 households), Hade (300 households, Palaj ('Vodica), Lajthisht& (Leskosic'), Sibofc and Lismir ('Dobri Dub').

During the Serbian attacks three U^K fighters were killed and two others wounded at Hade. In addition, five villagers have been wounded. At Lismir an Albanian child was killed and a man wounded.

At Lajthisht& a man was killed while on his way home back from work.

Reports said the population has fled the villages of Pomozotin, Bardh i Madh, Graboc i Ul&t and Graboc i Ep&rm, Hade, Lajthisht&, Sibofc, Shipitull&, Lismir.

Earlier the population fled the villages of Hamidi and Plemetin.

There has been a partial movement of population out of several other villages of the municipalities of Obiliq and Fush& Kosov& as well as the respective small towns.

Houses have been reported destroyed in the villages of Bardh i Madh, Hade and Sibofc.

Sources close to the U^K told the KIC Serb paramiliatries joined forces with regular forces in their attack on the village of Hade.

A number of Serb paramilitaries were said to have been killed and wounded.

Today the situation in the area has not been reported as dramatic as in the past two days.

[04] Highly Tense Situation in Fush& Kosova

The town has been packed with armed Serbs - police, military and paramilitary gangs - the LDK chapter said. Armed Serb civilians have been seen constantly coming in and out the local primary school in downtown Fush&-Kosova. Serbs have been guarding in front of the school, they said.

Fush&-Kosova is a town with both Albanian and Serb communities lying only a few miles far from the open-cast coal mines in Bardh i Madh ('Belacevac') which has been the scene of fierce fighting between Serb and Albanian resistance forces over the past three days.

Firearm shootings have been heard in the town almost every night, local residents told the KIC, who said they were afraid of possible crackdown on their homes by Serbs.

Ymer Sfarqa, secretary of the LDK branch in Fush&-Kosova, had his home raided by Serb police on Tuesday. Mr. Sfarqa said the police had raided his place at a time no one was there, turning everything upside down. There were Serb civilians as well involved in the raid of his apartment, witnesses said.

[05] Drenoc Village of Klina Under Repeated Serb Forces Fire

The LDK Information Commission in Klina said the Serb forces launched a heavy attack against Drenoc village on Sunday. Three other villagers, Fidan Agushi (12), Arben Fejza (17) and Labinot Fejza (10) sustained grave injuries during the Serb attack in the village, the Commission said.

Meanwhile, sources in Klina said the Drenoc village came under fierce Serb fire again on Tuesday. The village was intermittently fired upon with machine gun and artillery during the whole course of afternoon and evening. The echo of detonations could be heard in the town of Klina itself, witnesses said.

Drenoc is still being held sealed off by Serb forces. Therefore it is impossible to speak about the precise extent of yesterday's attack, LDK branch sources in Klina said.

Witnesses told the KIC that mobilization of local Serbs in Klina and some of the villages has been continuing. Armed Serbs from the villages of Krusheva e Madhe, Jagod& and Videj, have been seen positioning yesterday in the hills above Drenoc village.

Gangs of armed Serbs roaming the streets of Klina have been harassing and provoking routinely Albanians in the streets, the local market and shops. Tuesday is a market-day in Klina but one could see only a few people there yesterday.

Sources in Klina said that the Klina-Peja roadway has been closed since yesterday's Serb forces' attack at Drenovc. It was the only rout connecting Klina with Peja.

The main Kosova axis connecting Prishtina in central and Peja in west of Kosova has been closed for two months now.

[06] Wounded Albanian Being Kept Tied to Hospital Room Radiator

Ylber Topalli, resident of Greme village of Ferizaj ('Urosevac'), was wounded Tuesday at around midday near the Serbian-run District Court in Prishtina, capital of Kosova.

Eye-witnesses said he broke free and run away while being taken by police into the court premises. He was shot while running only a short distance from the Court. A passer-bye, whose identity could not be established still, was reported wounded too.

Sources in the Prishtina hospital said today that Ylber Topalli's life condition is not critical. He was hit with two bullets, in his stomach and his arm.

Two Serb policemen have been see on guard in front of his room, while Ylber is being tied to a radiator, a witness said.

Ylber Topalli was arrested at his home a week ago.

[07] Serbs Supplied with Weapons and Ammunition in Lipjan

The LDK chapter in Lipjan, a town 15 km south of Prishtina, said Serbs were supplied with armament in Suhadoll, Livagj, Radev& and a couple of other villages. The Serbs were seen as having been given automatic rifles and huge amounts of ammunition, witnesses told the LDK chapter in Lipjan.

Reports from most of the towns in which there is a Serb community speak of everyday occurrences of Serbs being supplied with additional arms and ammunition.

Over the past years the Serbs in Kosova have been provides with weapons half-openly in the premises of the Serb-run administation, including school buildings. The Serb now want heavier armament and more ammunition, reports say.

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