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Prishtina, 27 April 2004 – Citing information provided by reliable sources in the international administration, Zëri reports that the second letter that SRSG Harri Holkeri sent to UNMIK Pillar IV Nikolaus Lambsdorff has put an end to misunderstandings in interpreting the decision to dismiss KTA executive manager Marie Fucci.
The first letter Holkeri sent to Lambsdorff, dated 9 April 2004, lead to contradictory interpretations of Holkeri’s intent. According to the same sources, while Holkeri thought that the first letter made it clear that Fucci should immediately leave her position as number one person in KTA, Pillar IV assumed that because the letter did not contain an explicit order for her immediate dismissal, then Fucci should be removed only after her replacement was appointed, respectively that Fucci could continue exercising her duties until the new managing director was appointed.
Zëri further reports that due to Easter holidays and travels of Holkeri and Lambsdorff outside Kosovo, the issue was not clarified until 20 April.
Fucci’s immediate removal will not create a vacuum in KTA management since the existing legislation foresees that in the absence of the managing director, KTA is lead by the two deputy directors, in this case Ahmet Shala and Szabolcs Szekeres.
The main question imposed in this case is whether privatization can continue, respectively whether the third round of tenders can be announced, or should everything be put on hold until the new manager is appointed and until an agreement on the changed operational policies is reached at the KTA Board of Directors.
According to one interpretation, Shala and Szekeres can announce the third wave of tenders next week if they refer to the conclusions reached at the KTA Board meeting held on 16 December 2003, which point out that the third round of tenders can be announced without changing the operational policies. This interpretation is also based on the political importance privatization continuation has, the blocking of which was created tensions in Pillar IV of UNMIK and PISG relations.
However, based on the other interpretation, privatization cannot continue unless privatization operational policies are harmonized. This means that privatization will remain blocked for some more weeks.
Lambsdorff finally dismisses Marie Fucci
Meanwhile “Koha Ditore” reported that as of Friday afternoon, Marie Fucci is no longer the executive manager of the Kosovo Trust Agency. Citing international sources, the paper notes that UNMIK Pillar IV Nikolaus Lambsdorff has informed his staff on Friday that he had dismissed Fucci from her post.
According to the same sources, Lambsdorff said that with this he has respected the decision of UNMIK chief Harri Holkeri to dismiss Fucci, with the aim of moving forward the process of privatization more decisively.
ECIKS