Kosovo united against six-point plan

New Kosova Report

15 Novembre 2008

All Kosovo leadership, political parties, civic groups, think tanks, cultural associations, war veterans and academic institutions including Academy of Arts and Sciences have spoken with a united voice against the proposal of the six-point plan, emphatically stating that it does violate the sovereign territory and the Constitution, meanwhile, opposition leader Haradinaj, well-known politician Surroi and Movement for Self-Determination propose that Kosovo should have its own plan to integrate the north in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.

President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi reiterated yesterday that the points of the plan are in contradiction with the independence, the constitution and the Ahtisaari plan, and as such, cannot be accepted.

The two Kosovo leaders denied that they are under pressure to accept the plan. According to them, discussions are being held with international friends to find a solution for deploying the EULEX mission in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

According to Sejdiu, "Kosovo has its constitution and does not need new documents."

Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said that the stance of the Kosovo leaders has been very clear and based on state documents adopted in coordination with the international community. "We are in favor of the EULEX deployment, but it should be done in accordance with the state documents of the country," said Thaçi.

"The six point document is not a document of Prishtina, but it is a document that has been reached between Belgrade and United Nations authorities," said Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi at the government meeting.

Calling the talks on this plan constructive, Thaçi said that the position of the Kosovo institutions will not shift. However, he explained that rejecting the EULEX deployment plan does not mean the country is being partitioned, but the current form of the plan poses risk to the country.

"There is not and there will be no confrontation with the international community, rejecting EULEX does not mean that the territory of Kosovo will be partitioned, this is a deceit. Rejecting the six points does not mean the partition of Kosovo. On the contrary, accepting it in its current form means danger for Kosovo's sovereign territorial integrity," Prime Minister Thaçi said.

President Sejdiu said that they have expressed their stance on the six points. As a whole, it is unacceptable for Kosovo. We will reconfirm again before you, as we have done it before the Quint representatives and Peter Feith, that we welcome the EULEX deployment in Kosovo. The basis for its deployment exists - it is the Ahtisaari plan, the declaration of independence.

Ramush Haradinaj, the opposition leader of AAK, said that "this plan is very dangerous for Kosovo. The People of Kosovo should be informed and the international community should understand that the six-point plan will ruin all their efforts they made in Kosovo. This plan threatens the sovereignty, independence and security of the Republic of Kosovo."

He added that Kosovo needs to have its plan on integrating the north of Kosovo and pursuing Serb minority to integrate in the political and legal the state of Kosovo.

"Kosovo should have its own plan to reach an agreement with solely with the EU in full accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo within the Ahtisaari Plan"

Veton Surroi, a renown Kosovar politician and publicist, also a chairman of the Kosovo Foreign Policy Club stressed that "the six-point plan not only violates the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo but it is also in violation with UN Resolution 1244 because it lets Serbia to interfere in Kosovo's sovereign interior affairs, customs, police, transportation and others. In fact, Serbia has lost its sovereignty over Kosovo in 1999 and it's seeking to reassert it by going to pre-1244 Resolution. This plan, not only partitions the country, but it opens the back door for further possible negotiations over the status and territory of Kosovo. The UN's 6 point plan, which it's made in Belgrade, is a direct attempt to subvert Kosovo's independence," asserted Surroi.

Agim Ceku, former Prime Minister of Kosovo, stated that "this is plan is unacceptable for Kosovo. We must not negotiate this six-point plan. Kosovo must use all institutional powers to integrate the north."

Former Kosovar leader during Tito's Yugoslavia, Azem Vllasi said that "the plan cannot be accepted by Kosovo. The six-point plan is fundamentally against Kosovo constitution and directly destroys the sovereignty and integrity of the state of Kosovo."

The other opposition part, the Democratic League of Dardania, its leaded Nexhat Daci also issued a statement demanding to not participate in these talks anymore.

"The plan is a Belgrade product to destroy the sovereignty of Kosovo and bury the Ahtisaari plan just like Jeremic admitted a few days ago," said Daci.

Also, Bexhet Pacolli, leader of ARK, stated that "if this plan is accepted, we will bring down the government. The plan is unacceptable for Kosovo. The talks are worthless. We support the full deployment of EULEX mission only in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo."

In a press conference held today, the Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSHDK) said that it supports the institutional leaders of Kosovo for the rejection of the six-point-plan proposed by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon which is an agreement reached between the international community and Belgrade.

For centuries, the people of Kosovo have been waiting for a sovereign state; therefore, the Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo (PShDK) fully supports the decision made by the Kosovo institutional leaders for rejection of Ban Ki-moon's six-point-plan, said the leader of the PShDK leader Ton Marku. "Our stance is to reject those 6 points in order to prevent the violation of Kosovo's sovereignty," Marku said.

The leader of this political party Ton Marku said that EULEX [is supposed to] be deployed all over the territory of Kosovo, not in Serbia; therefore, the international community should talk to Kosovo concerning the deployment of this mission. "This political party also supports the deployment of EULEX all over the territory of Kosovo," Marku stressed.

PSHDK considers that the current situation can not be considered as obstructive; therefore, Prishtina can not be considered the one that is obstructing the process, said Marku.

Kosovo Liberal Party, lead by Gjergj Dedaj issued a statement stressing that "the six-point plan incites ethnic war, violence, partition, threanening the security of the Republic of Kosovo, its sovereign territory and will destablize the entire Balkans."

Leader of the Self-Determination! Movement, Albin Kurti stated on Thursday that that the people of Kosovo should show their rejection to the UN plan.

"Apart from exercising resistance against international pressure, apart from the need for a plan to integrate north Kosovo and take over sovereignty, apart from the situation that Kosovo should not enter into negotiations with Serbia; in the meantime there is another decisive factor which is a condition for success and this is that the people of Kosovo must wake up and see that there is danger that history will be repeated just like 20 years ago when the Milosevic did the same exact thing to Kosovo," stated Kurti for Express on Thursday. He said that if the political leaders are separated from the people, and the international players notice that the political leaders are separated from the people, then the resistance of the leaders will slowly fade away," stressed Kurti.

"Only if these leaders understand that the strength of politicians in decisive moments comes from people who stand up, only then is success possible," said Kurti.

"It is very important to understand that there should be no further negotiations with Serbia that sovereignty should be gained. When the people accept this, then it is certain that a massive turnout of people against UNMIK and EULEX and for a sovereign Kosovo without compromise with Serbia would really help Kosovo," added Kurti Meanwhile, the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Kosovo issued a statement expressing their strong support for the Government of the Republic of Kosovo "in their resolute position of refusing the six-point plan which is very dangerous for the independence and statehood of Kosovo."

Academicians stress their confusion for "EU's backing away from the Ahtisaari Plan for which initially it was put a lot of pressure on the institutions of Kosovo to accept as the main condition for independence of Kosovo."

Moreover they add that "this six-point plan will subvert the independence and soveregnity of Kosovo and open dangerous paths for the legalization of Serbia's intrusions in the internal affairs of the state of Kosovo, concluding that Kosovo must say 'NO' to this plan at any cost."

The leaders of the UÇK War Invalids' Association during a press conference supported Kosovo's institutions for opposing the six points presented in the document by United Nations Security General Ban Ki Moon regarding the accepting of Belgrade's conditions for the EULEX deployment in Kosovo.

They evaluated that this proposal or agreement should not be negotiated. The declaration of the UÇK War Invalid Association was made two days after President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi refused the current proposal made by the International Community for the EULEX deployment in Kosovo which foresees a few additional responsibilities for the Serbian minority in Kosovo, which are not foreseen by the Constitution or by Martti Ahtisaari's plan.

The representative of the UÇK War Invalid Association Xhavit Shurdhaj said during a press conference that such proposals or agreements should not be negotiated.