Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRISTINA363
2006-04-28 14:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO: CEKU LAYS OUT STANDARDS PROGRAM TO AN

Tags:  KDEM PGOV PREL UNMIK YI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8229
OO RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPS #0363 1181413
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281413Z APR 06
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6062
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0667
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFIUU/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
UNCLAS PRISTINA 000363 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BBRAUN,
USUN FOR DSCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR SSTEGER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: CEKU LAYS OUT STANDARDS PROGRAM TO AN
OBSTINATE OPPOSITION


Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly.

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000363

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BBRAUN,
USUN FOR DSCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR SSTEGER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: CEKU LAYS OUT STANDARDS PROGRAM TO AN
OBSTINATE OPPOSITION


Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In an address to the Kosovo Assembly,
Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku laid out the government's
progress on standards implementation. The opposition
vociferously accused the government of non-fulfillment of
standards and accused the government of endemic corruption.
Still indignant at being left out of the governing coalition,
Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) President Hashim Thaci
offered to overcome the "crisis" with a Quixotic "creation of
a government of broad political and civic unity" -- i.e., one
which would include the PDK. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) In a 20-minute speech on the implementation of
standards to the Kosovo Assembly on April 20, Prime Minister
Agim Ceku said the process of standards fulfillment is on the
right track and stressed much hard work lies ahead for the
people and institutions of Kosovo to meet the objectives set
by the international community. Ceku said that since taking
office in March, his government has undertaken actions aimed
at accelerating standards implementation, citing the
establishment of the ministries of justice and internal
affairs and the establishment of the Kosovar-led Kosovo
Property Agency, which he said, "will bring the usurpation of
socially-owned and agricultural properties to an end." He
added that he implemented structural changes to his
government's three-month work plan to include bi-weekly
standards working group meetings and required reporting to
the Office of the Prime Minister every three weeks as well as
monthly meetings with municipal presidents, all with a view
to completing the majority of outstanding standards-related
action items by May 30.


3. (SBU) Emphasizing that special attention will be given to
the realization of minority-focused standards, he said he
established an inter-governmental task force to address
church reconstruction and called on the assembly to pass laws
on languages and freedom of religion, both stuck for months
in parliamentary committees.


4. (SBU) Opposition party Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK)
leader Hashim Thaci took up an old refrain against the
government: the government is corrupt and therefore unfit to
lead. "The international community has made it clear that
unless Kosovo improves democratic criteria, in particular the
rule of law and a war on corruption and organized crime...the
misgovernment of the current coalition endangers the
realization of Kosovo's independence." Thaci and 20 other
PDK members took turns accusing Ceku's government of
incompetence and a systemic inability to handle the demands
of standards fulfillment. Obviously still indignant at being
left out of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) coalition struck in
2004 between late President Ibrahim Rugova and ICTY-indictee
Ramush Haradinaj, Thaci offered to overcome the "crisis" with
a Quixotic "creation of a government of broad political and
civic unity" -- i.e., one which would include the PDK. "In
these decisive moments for Kosovo's history," he said,
"Kosovo needs a broad-based coalition government."


5. (SBU) COMMENT. Ceku has put all his ministers on notice
that he will not hesitate to fire any cabinet member who
flunks his/her performance evaluation. He has no such stick
to use on the legislative branch. His April 20 address to
the Assembly, however, served well as a means to put the
Assembly on public notice that the government expects the
Assembly to fulfill its unique purpose by passing
much-needed, standards-required legislation. END COMMENT.


6. (SBU) Post clears this message in its entirety for release
to Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
GOLDBERG