Kosova Daily Report #1492, 98-07-16

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1492
Prishtina, 16 July 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament of the Republic of Kosova Holds Inaugural Session Today

[02] Idriz Ajeti, President of the Parliament of Kosova

[03] Serb Police/Security Intervenes after Close of Historic Meeting for Kosova

[04] Serb Forces Attack Three Villages in Prizen Municipality Thursday Afternoon

[05] Lower-Intensity Fighting in Border Zone Villages Overnight

[06] Serb Media Claim 20 Serb Policemen Were Wounded near Mitrovica Wednesday

[07] Albanians Face Criminal Charges for Delivering Relief to People in Drenica

[01] Parliament of the Republic of Kosova Holds Inaugural Session Today

The meeting was held in the seat of the Presidency of Kosova.

The President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, who was re- elected on 22 March, the day the Kosovar legislature was elected, opened the inaugural meeting.

The national anthem was sung at the outset. Then a two-minute silence was observed for Albanians who have died in the Serbian military and police aggression of this year.

President Rugova asked the deputies, and they agreed, that the Parliament has three vice-chairmen.

The Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), the ruling party, put forward as its candidate for the President of the Parliament of Kosova, Idriz Ajeti. The deputies chose him by acclamation.

The three vice-presidents of the Parliament were elected from the opposition parties, Ilaz Kurteshi (PSDK), Zef Morina (PSHDK), and Gjergj Dedaj (PLK). They, too, were elected by acclamation.

Secretary-General of the Parliament was elected Fatmir Sejdiu.

At 12:40 the President of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, made this swearing-in declaration: "I swear that I will dedicate all my power to the attainment and preservation of the independence of the Republic of Kosova and its territorial integrity, the implementation of the liberties and human and civic rights, the respecting and defending of the Constitution and the laws, the maintaining of peace and well-being of all the citizens of the Republic of Kosova, and that I, with consciousness and accountability, will discharge all my duties. I swear!".

The swearing-in declaration of the President was applauded by all the MPs.

Naip Zeka, an MP of the LDK, proposed that the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova adopted an Declaration on the situation in Kosova. The MPs asked the leaders of parliamentary groups that they draft the text of the Declaration.

The Parliament then proceeded with the verification of the mandates of the deputies to the Parliament of the Republic.

Naim Jerliu, the youngest of the MPs, read out and others followed in the swearing-in ceremony of the MPs.

The text of the swearing-in declaration of the MPs was as follows: "I swear that I will engage with responsibility and consciousness for the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Kosova, for the realization and protection of the freedoms and human and national rights of its citizens, in full accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Kosova".

The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr. Ibrahim Rugova declared the first session of the Parliament closed.

He expressed his conviction in the work of the Parliament.

Participating in the first meeting of the Parliament was the majority of MPs elected on 22 March. A number of MPs, mostly those from the war-torn areas, have failed to attend today's meeting.

In the 22 March 1998 election 118 deputies, out of 130, were elected. In some municipalities of Kosova elections were put off because of the grave situation, as Serb aggression had started in parts of Kosova.

[02] Idriz Ajeti, President of the Parliament of Kosova

A Professor Emeritus of the History of Albanian Language, Ajeti was rector of the University of Prishtina; director of the Institute of Albanian Studies; director of the International Seminar of Albanian Studies.

Since 1995, Professor Idriz Ajeti has been President of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Kosova, the top intellectual research institution in Kosova.

[03] Serb Police/Security Intervenes after Close of Historic Meeting for Kosova

Armed Serb policemen asked the MPs and many journalists disperse.

Many policemen rushed to the entry of the KWA building, whereas the guards asked the police/security not to get in.

An armed policemen entered the premises of the Kosova Information Center (KIC), in an adjacent small building, asking the people in what they were doing.

At 13:05 Nicholas Hill, the First Secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, arrived to the Kosova Presidency/KWA building. After him were a number of Serb security officers in plain clothes.

Mr. Hill entered the building where a number of MPs, LDK and other party officials, as well as President Ibrahim Rugova of Kosova, were in.

A number of Serb security officers entered the Presidency/KWA building, too.

At 13:08 a number of policemen walked away from the area. At 13:10 hrs, a number of citizens arrived in front of the building, disturbed by the police presence there.

At 13:13, Serb security officers in plain clothes walked out of the Presidency/KWA building with amounts of written material that they confiscated.

An employee with the administration said Serb security had seized material of today assuming that it belonged to the newly- inaugurated Parliament.

In front of the Presidency/KWA building, MPs, journalists and citizens remained.

Before 14:00 hrs, the U.S, diplomat, Nicholas Hill, left the building.

The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr. Ibrahim Rugova left at 14:00 hrs. The crowd of people, MPs and citizens, gave Rugova a long and loudly applaud.

The MPs to the Parliament had one common thing to say to journalists: This is an historic day for Kosova.

[04] Serb Forces Attack Three Villages in Prizen Municipality Thursday Afternoon

Reports said the villages of Billush&, Ho^& e Qytetit and Jeshkov& came under heavy fire at around 14:00. The villages are being attacked with all kinds of weapons, including machine guns and cannons, an LDK activist in Prizren said, who noted that the echo of detonation could be heard in the town itself.

The village of Billush&, Ho^& e Qytetit and Jeshkov& are about ten kilometers west of Prizren.

Only a few people could be seen in the streets of Prizren this afternoon and virtually all the shops were closed in the town, local LDK sources said.

No report has been yet available about possible casualties.

[05] Lower-Intensity Fighting in Border Zone Villages Overnight

Local sources said the skirmishes during the last night were of a lower intensity compared to the fighting over the past couple of days.

The villages of Nec, Ramoc, Stub&ll, Berjah, Smolic&, and the area stretching as far as the outskirts of Junik have been continuously shelled by Serb forces over the past days.

The LDK Information Commission in Gjakova said immense damage was caused in the Reka e Keqe villages as a result of continued shelling. Scores of Albanian houses were levelled to the ground, including the local school at Duzhaja village.

Reports from Gjakova speak of stepped up movement of Serb forces in the town as well as in the direction of the border zone villages.

A large number of political and human rights activists in Gjakova have had their homes raided on and were arrested.

The body of an Albanian, Vllaznim Avdyl Jetishi (20), taken earlier by the Serb police to the town morgue, has not been collected by anyone yet. Whereas two wounded Albanians, one of them named as Qerim I. Jetishi, are being strictly guarded by the Serb police in the town hospital in Gjakova. LDK sources in Gjakova could not still learn the identity of the second man.

[06] Serb Media Claim 20 Serb Policemen Were Wounded near Mitrovica Wednesday

According to the Serb press, groups of armed Albanians opened mortar fire on a bus with Serb police on board yesterday at about 4 p.m. The incident occurred near the Ternac village on the Mitrovica- Skenderaj roadway, reports said.

Four Serb policemen received life-threatening wounds, whereas the rest were injured slightly. The wounded policemen were transferred to Belgrade for treatment, the Serb media said.

[07] Albanians Face Criminal Charges for Delivering Relief to People in Drenica

The Serb press said the Serb court named the Albanians as Enver Hashani (48), Halit Sallova (38) and Ahmet Gjinovci (51), who will face Serb charges. The three defendants were involved in "helping the terrorists with food and medical supplies and clothing" in Gllogovc and Skenderaj, the Serb press said, quoting the indictment.

Thousands of Albanians uprooted from villages under constant Serb forces shelling in Drenica region have been sheltered in some of the 'safer' places in Kosova, including villages in Gllogovc and Skenderaj municipalities which have not been directly targeted by Serb attacks so far.

Kosova Information Center

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article