Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRISTINA1100
2006-12-22 17:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO: PISG CLOSER TO COMPLETING REMAINING CG

Tags:  PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI 
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VZCZCXRO2852
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHPS #1100/01 3561730
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221730Z DEC 06
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6866
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0971
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHFMISS/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 001100 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, AND EUR/SCE, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR
DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: PISG CLOSER TO COMPLETING REMAINING CG
PRIORITY STANDARDS, BUT UNMIK NOT HELPING MATTERS


Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 001100

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, AND EUR/SCE, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR
DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: PISG CLOSER TO COMPLETING REMAINING CG
PRIORITY STANDARDS, BUT UNMIK NOT HELPING MATTERS


Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of
Self-Government (PISG) are very close to finishing the five
remaining priorities for Standards implementation tasked by
the Contact Group (CG) in June 2006. Two more standards --
reconstruction of the Serb village of Svinjare in south
Mitrovica and establishment of police sub-stations in
Serb-majority enclaves -- will likely be completed by the end
of the year. Standards on property and prosecution of
perpetrators of the March 2004 riots will take longer to
complete, but are well underway. Local CG representatives
met December 15 with officials from UNMIK, the Kosovo
Property Agency (KPA) and UNMIK CIVPOL -- which oversees the
Kosovo Police Service (KPS) -- to press them to do more on
those priorities in which they play a key role. Indeed,
deficiencies in the remaining Standards appear to be more a
result of UNMIK foot-dragging than PISG recalcitrance. END
SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) USOP and other Pristina-based representatives of the
Contact Group (U.S., U.K., Russia, Germany, France and Italy)
consider all but five of the CG's 13 priorities for Standards
implementation to be completed. Several of the five require
the direct involvement of entities under the control of
UNMIK, including the Kosovo Property Agency (KPA) and the
Kosovo Police Service (KPS). After an initial brainstorming
session at USOP on December 7, CG representatives met with
UNMIK, KPA and UNMIK CIVPOL officials December 15 to discuss
what more they and the Kosovo government can do to fulfill
these remaining priorities.

UNMIK-PISG consider Svinjare reconstruction complete


3. (SBU) On December 15 the UNMIK-PISG Svinjare Decision
Making Board met and formally determined that the task of
repairing and reconstructing properties in Svinjare, damaged

in the March 2004 unrest, has been fulfilled. An UNMIK press
release announcing the decision noted that the original task
outlined by the CG in June 2006 increased by 50 percent after
completion of a property survey. According to the statement,
the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) and five other construction
companies assigned to complete the repairs and reconstruction
undertook additional work to create a better atmosphere for
returns and an economically viable and multi-ethnic
community. (NOTE: After the initial repairs to Svinjare in
2005, residents refused to return, citing shoddy workmanship
and concerns about their security. As a result, many of the
empty houses were vandalized and had to be repaired again.
According to an UNMIK CIVPOL representative at the meeting,
the KPS will open its proposed substation in Svinjare before
the end of December. Until then, the KPS will patrol the
village 24/7. END NOTE). Pristina-based CG representatives,
including USOP, will visit Svinjare in January 2007 to
confirm that the work is completed and engage with Svinjare
Serbs now living in Zvecan municipality to urge them to
return.

Property Issues


4. (SBU) According to PM Ceku advisor Avni Arifi, there were
20 claims for damages to commercial property throughout
Kosovo resulting from the March 2004 riots. On August 21 the
PISG established a panel for resolving these claims. UNMIK's
Office of the KPC Coordinator estimates the PISG will need to
transfer an additional 300,000 euros in 2007 to finish paying
outstanding individual claims from beneficiaries and
contractors involved in this effort.

Rental scheme still has growing pains


5. (SBU) On September 1, the PISG and KPA agreed on a rental
scheme for the properties under KPA administration; the first
phase of the scheme began in October. KPA Director Knut
Rosandhaug told CG representatives December 15 that the KPA
had received 832 consents from property rights owners to have
their properties entered into the scheme and that a majority

PRISTINA 00001100 002 OF 003


of occupants had agreed to become tenants under the scheme.
When asked why property rights owners are reluctant to
participate in the scheme and start receiving rent payments,
Rosandhaug said he believes that owners are not coming
forward because they fear that if they do, local
municipalities will ask them to pay current and back property
taxes. Rosandhaug also noted that based on the decision by
the PISG (brokered by USOP) to include in the rental scheme
over 1,800 properties where the owners are not known, the KPA
is currently conducting a survey of these properties by going
door-to-door.


6. (SBU) Enforcement of KPA decisions is another area in
which KPA, UNMIK CIVPOL and KPS play an important role.
During the December 15 meeting at UNMIK it became clear that,
despite assertions for many months to the contrary, the KPA,
UNMIK CIVPOL and KPS have still not agreed upon standard
operating procedures for enforcement (evictions and
prevention of reoccupations) of KPA decisions on property
rights. Rosandhaug admitted there are still over 800 cases
not yet implemented, including over 300 from KPA's
predecessor, the Housing and Property Claims Commission
(HPCC),that still need decisions rendered. KPA will
reconvene in 2007 and expects these remaining cases to be
decided by March 2007. According to an UNMIK CIVPOL
representative at the meeting, the KPS has not evicted anyone
whose appeals were denied by the HPCC during its
September-December 2006 sessions.

March 2004 riot cases continue with little end in sight


7. (SBU) One KPS representative at the meeting said that the
number of investigations arising out of the March 2004
violence are actually increasing as police files are
reviewed. Participants at the meeting lauded the Kosovo
government for statements by Minister of Justice Jonus
Salihaj encouraging witnesses to cooperate with law
enforcement authorities investigating and prosecuting cases
from the March 2004 riots. The head of the British Liaison
Office asked whether creation of an anonymous hotline might
be one way around the reluctance of Kosovo Albanians to come
forward with information on all crimes, not just those
related to the March 2004 violence. All present agreed that
this was worth taking up with the PISG. We have raised it
with PM adviser Avni Arifi and await his response.

KPS to establish remaining police substations by the end of
2006


8. (SBU) UNMIK CIVPOL was upbeat on the establishment of the
remaining police substations in minority communities where
UNMIK and the PISG have deemed it necessary. UNMIK CIVPOL
reported on December 15 that 11 of the 17 are already
established and are fully operational. UNMIK CIVPOL promised
that five of the remaining six, including one in the recently
reconstructed village of Svinjare in southern Mitrovica, will
be completed by the end of December 2006. An UNMIK CIVPOL
representative said that due to opposition from the community
leaders in the Serb enclave of Ranilug in Kamenica
municipality, the police substation slated to be built there
will instead be set up in the neighboring village of
Ropotovo, from which the KPS could easily respond to
incidents in Ranilug.


9. (C) COMMENT: With the exception of reconstruction of or
compensation for commercial properties damaged during the
March 2004 violence, the Kosovo government has largely
responded to those standards that are under its control.
Deficiencies in completing the other four appear to rest
mainly with UNMIK, the KPA and the KPS. We will,
nevertheless, continue to press the PISG to do whatever it
can to assist UNMIK in the completion of the remaining four
and keep up the pressure on UNMIK to do its part, as well.
END COMMENT.


10. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina does not clear this cable for
release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.

PRISTINA 00001100 003 OF 003


KAIDANOW