STATEMENT OF SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA DECISIVELY AGAINST ALBANIAN DECLARATIONS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA PARLIAMENT
ERP KIM Info Service - February 28, 2003

Two latest declarations further undermine the process of building a democratic and multiethnic society in Kosovo and Metohija

Gracanica, February 28, 2003 - At yesterday's session of the Kosovo and Metohija parliament two declarations were adopted after being proposed by leading Albanian caucuses which resulted in those members of the Serb Return Coalition (Povratak) who were present again walking out of the parliament as a sign of protest. The first declaration is in connection with the Hague tribunal indictment against Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Fatmir Limaj which demands that "deputy Limaj be treated as if he had voluntarily surrendered and permitted to defend himself from freedom". The second declaration rejects the formation of the Union of Serb municipalities as "a parallel institution" in violation of the Kosovo constitutional framework and UNSCR 1244.

In the opinion of officials of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija these two latest declarations by the Kosovo and Metohija parliament further undermine the process of building a democratic and multiethnic society in Kosovo and Metohija, and further widen the gap between the Albanian and Serb communities. Like last week, when support for the declaration on independent Kosovo was read [in the parliament], the Albanian deputies have overstepped their competencies and clearly demonstrated they are not for adherence to Resolution 1244. It is incomprehensible that the UNMIK chief has failed to react to these most recent provocations, although he did not fail to condemn the Serb declaration on sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and the Union of Serbia and Montenegro in Kosovo and Metohija, which was in fact in response to the increasingly stronger Albanian pretensions to independence, very harshly and unjustly. Unfortunately, this response by Mr. Steiner only serves to encourage the separatist attempts of the Albanians and enable them to continue to use the Kosovo and Metohija parliament as a testing ground for the promotion of their nationalist and ethnically exclusively political goals, stated representatives in the SNC KIM headquarters.

The SNC KIM most strongly condemns these two Albanian declarations and demands that the UNMIK chief immediately undertake measures to bring the process of building institutions in the Province back in line with UNSCR 1244.

Return Coalition (Povratak) deputy Rada Trajkovic stated yesterday that it is "unacceptable" for Albanian deputies in the Kosovo parliament "to impose a declaration on the Serbs for the second time without their being prepared for what is being imposed on them". An agenda for yesterday's meeting was adopted at the previous session of the Kosovo parliament presidency and it was agreed that there would be no discussion regarding cooperation with the Hague tribunal and extradition of the former KLA to The Hague but only regarding draft laws. "The Albanian members of the presidency probably outmaneuvered Oliver Ivanovic and Gojko Savic once again," said Rada Trajkovic. Further participation of Serbs in a parliament "functioning in this way and imposing declarations without consultation with the Serb deputies" would be, in her opinion, "pointless".