KOSOVO: CEKU LAYS OUT STANDARDS PROGRAM TO AN

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