KOSOVA (draft and mediation - Prishtina)

The recent American draft - major topic of discussion

Prishtina, 9 December (ARTA0 1600CET --

The American mediator in Kosova, Christopher Hill, and the European Union special envoy to Kosova, Wolfgang Petritch, met several Albanian representatives in Kosova today.

The meeting took place at the USIS premises in Prishtina. Members of the negotiating team - the editor-in-chief of Albanian weekly "Zëri", Blerim Shala, and the vice-chairmen of LBD, Mehmet Hajrizi, and Hydajet Hyseni, participated in the meeting. A press conference has been scheduled to take place in the evening hours, as the American mediator will be meeting the KLA political representative, Adem Demaçi, as well.

The Albanian negotiating team and the KLA political representative refused the most recent plan of the US mediator Hill, for the interim settlement of the Kosova problem, considering it unacceptable. They evaluated this proposal, as a step back, announcing that they will make their own version of the proposal for the solution of the Kosova issue. It seems that the West was not surprised that the Albanian rejected the draft.

The head of the negotiating team, Fehmi Agani, stressed that Hill's recent plan marked a step backward, compared to the previous version. This proposal clearly defines that "Kosova should remain within the framework of Serbia and `Yugoslavia'", evaluated Agani. According to him, this proposal does not foresee a government for Kosova. Instead of a President, it foresees a presidency, in which all ethnic communities would be included.

Ambassador Hill is expected to travel to Belgrade, tomorrow. On Thursday, he is expected to attend the Contact Group meeting, in Paris.

KOSOVA (KD analysis - draft)

Albanians are "for" the draft - same as they were for the government

Prishtina, 9 December (ARTA) 1900CET --

After not accepting the recent American plan, the Albanian negotiating group announced it will draft a project of its own, for the solution of the Kosova status, hoping that other representatives of political and military forces of Kosova will participate in this process.

In this regard, the head of the Albanian negotiators, Fehmi Agani, stated that, "initially the Albanian side gave an incomplete project, in which the major demands of Albanians were presented. In ten points, it explained how the issue of Kosova could be solved". However, Agani stressed that even though Albanians drafted the project as means to achieving independence, it became clear that their demands could not be realized without a gradual process.

The new proposal should be drafted by a broader group of representatives of Albanian political and military forces, as it is not complete without at least consulting all major political subjects.

The KLA complies with the stand of the negotiating group in this aspect. In a press conference, the KLA political representative stated that "it is time, that after Serbs, Albanians too, come out with a proposal of their own for solving the problem. Albanians are united in major standpoints and it should not be hard to draft such a document", stated Demaçi adding that the only difficulty would be to protect that project.

According to him, the KLA is also willing to follow go step-by-step toward realizing their goals of the independence of Kosova.

On the other hand, the steering board of the Kosovar leading party, the LDK, also thinks that the joint compilation of an Albanian project would contribute to the completion of the negotiating group.

The LDK leadership evaluated that "disputes regarding the negotiating team would ease with the inclusion of the entire political and military spectrum of Kosova", minding that such a broad spectrum would also justify its determination to defend its stand before the mediator and the other side.

However, the LBD general secretary, Mehmet Hajrizi, stressed that the negotiating team, as it is, "cannot speak in the name of Kosova. The first mistake was made by forming such a team without consulting with the political and national subjects, and without including them in the team. A great mistake was particularly made by not including the KLA and other relevant factors of the national movement". The second mistake, according to the LBD is the fact that this team drafted a project, according to which Kosova would temporarily remain a third unit within the "Yugoslav" federation. "Same as the team itself, this was a project drafted by close circles, without consulting, the approval or the participation of the relevant factors of the Albanian political and national movement", said Hajrizi. The third mistake, according to him "was made when Fehmi Agani said that the negotiating group will consult the political subjects and draft a new plan to hand over to the mediating side, without changing the team's struct

ure". LBD thinks, "the team should include representatives of relevant subjects of the national movement (LDK, LBD, KLA and students' movement). Therefore, the group should have the structure of the Government of Kosova, which with good will, could be formed in three hours. And only as such, could it form an Albanian project-proposal", said at the end Mehmet Hajrizi.

Nevertheless, political analysts see the proposal for drafting a joint project-proposal as a chance to get engaged together, at least to complete the negotiating team. Such a possibility was also noted in the recent speculations among political circles, for their readiness to form a unified Government of Kosova. This Government was planned to come out with a broader group of negotiators, which would have the blessing of all the political and military forces in Kosova. However, even after a series of inter-party consultations, the structure of the future government remains a disputable issue, just like the present structure of the negotiating team. Both sides call for the establishment of the government and the completion of the negotiating team, but neither is ready to give up their aspirations, whichever they may be. Analysts believe that the drafting of a joint plan, which is esteemed only as a counter reply to the Serb and American one, if nothing else, could urge the process of talks among Albanians.