Four Non-Governmental Institutes Present Report on March Events in Kosovo

Based on the analyses made to all the reports on riots before and after 17th March, and on the analyses made on the public field, many problems were identified; they deal with UNMIK, PISG, media, and general level in Kosovo. This research includes recommendations of the organization researchers on what should actually be changed in the decision-making factors in Kosovo, namely UNMIK and the local institutions. From the Conference Anton Berisha, researcher, said, "The newest initiative, which sets the deadline for beginning of negotiations on the final status by middle of 2005, after fulfillment of the standards for Kosovo, is a time setting of beginning of the last stage of this international administration. At the same time, it is an exit strategy for UNMIK from Kosovo. The ICG report is more punctual than the report of PM's Office, which puts responsibility to the lack of powers. Fatmir Selimi researcher, says that recommendations such as transfer of powers, economic development, privatization process and establishment of joint working groups, not as it has been so far when each ministry is a Prime Ministry in its own, should be accomplished in practice, too. The most necessary recommendation is, according to them, that the local institutions must implement the adopted laws. At the recommendations of the Kosovo Institute for Investigation and Documentation states that the decentralization issue, both by UNMIK and by PISG has not been seen as it is in the European countries, where decentralization brings central government closer to the people. At UNMIK, decentralization was seen as more security for the Serbs; decentralization as a process has been politicized by UNMIK and by the Kosovo Serbs, and this loses sense to this process, which is necessary for every government. Meanwhile, in this meeting detailed discussions took place by NGO officials on the situation before and after the March riots.

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