Contradictory Assessments

The Kosovo media somewhat timidly registered the Albanian delegation's departure to Geneva to the continuation of the London conference. In both the Albanian, and the Serbian press there were no commentaries - as was the earlier practice. After returning from Geneva, the leader of the Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, gave a short statement saying that in his numerous meetings with statesmen he requested that Kosovo be demilitarized, that schools for Albanian children be unblocked, that the arrival of Serbian refugees, that is their permanent settlement, be prevented since, through this, the Serbian authorities' idea about changing the population's ethnic structure is, in fact, being carried out, and that UN forces arrive in order to prevent a possible conflict. However, unlike the Kosovo and the Albanian delegations in London, everyone here is not thrilled. Here and there one could here sharply worded opinions. Academician Redzep Tyosya went the furthest, considering that due to the bad diplomatic activity and an unified strategy the scenario from 1913, when other determined the fate of the Albanians', was repeated. Anyway, everyone has his arguments, but, in fact, at this moment no one can predict the final outcome. The Albanians are still "waging a battle " in order for the question of their education to finally be resolved. High-school students no longer gather in front of their schools, university students take exams in private facilities, and dozens of first year university students will continue their education at Tirana University. There is no more hope that even prime minister Panic can do anything in a short period of time. His statements and the program proposed for resolving the question of education in the Albanian language are as different as "black and white". The 14 points proposed by his cabinet are full of sentences like - yes schools, yes the university, but...The proposed program, say the Albanians, can in no way be accepted. "Apart from the fact that it is written down and nicely wrapped it, in no way differs from the Serbian authorities' program and options". Especially insulting is the point saying that there should be made "a program for preparing the entire Kosovo population for living in a democratic and pluralistic society". The Social democratic Party of Kosovo considers it to be racist with the explanation that one can conclude from this point that the entire Kosovo population is responsible for the present state of affairs, and not those who have, who knows how many times, introduced a state of emergency and abolished all political and civil rights and all democratic institutions. "This program prejudices a totally uncertain constitutional and legal status for Kosovo and promotes the fait accompli policy and the policy of brutally undermining Kosovo's historical, constitutional, legal, territorial and political subjectivity. "For this reason , said Skelzen Malici, we propose to this party's vice-president the abolition of all discriminatory and repressive measures regardless of the way and the dynamics in which the question of Kosovo's status will be resolved". The Kosovo Serbs and Montenegrins are also not satisfied with the proposed program. Thus the Pristina paper "Jedinstvo" does not agree with the used terminology, especially with the notion of "three partners", since "the Kosovo Albanians are usually represented by separatists", then there is also the disputed word "negotiations" which the commentator considers to "raise the separatists to an equal level with the legitimate governments". The word "unblock" was interpreted as a threat, with the "argument" that "those who had drawn up the mentioned proposal should have known that the media in the Albanian language are not blocked, but that the state of Serbia has prevented the spreading of misinformation", etc. While everyday writings, statements and other means keep trying to prove that the Albanians have been denied no rights, the latest UN General Assembly's decision to suspend Yugoslavia from the United Nations is used for a new, tighter homogenization of the Kosovo Serbs and Montenegrins. Thus, Misa Albijanic, the president of the "Home land" association, says that "the aim of the world powers is to throw Serbia on its knees, but their appetites wouldn't be satisfied even if we gave them Kosmet, Vojvodina, Prevlaka and Belgrade". Sonja Scepanovic from the leadership of the Socialist Party of Serbia wonders: "What will be with Kosmet, Sandzak and Vojvodina tomorrow" and concludes that "no concessions must be agreed on which would bring into question Serbia's territorial integrity". The Party of Democratic Action for Kosovo see the solution for peace in a confederate community composed of five members - Montenegro, Sandzak, Kosovo, Serbia and Vojvodina. The party's leader, Numan Palic is convinced that any other solution would lead to a bloody war which would suit neither the Serbs, nor the Muslims, nor the Albanians.