Prishtina, Oct 7, 2004 – New ministries, the capacity
building of local institutions and the extension of the mandate of institutions from three to four years will be done through regulations promulgated by the UNMIK chief, right after elections. Kosovar Daily “Zëri” claims to have received this information from unnamed sources that referred to the meeting, which the UNMIK chief Søren Jessen-Petersen had with local leaders this week.
The same sources told “Zëri” that a gentlemen agreement was reached according to which three months after the parliamentary elections Jessen-Petersen would announce all the new ministries. Before this, the UNMIK chief will sign the regulation to extend the mandate of Kosovar institutions and to increase their capacities in areas of economy and administration. Jessen-Petersen is also expected to make a decision about the request to form new governmental posts, such as deputy prime minister and deputy ministers.
Local leaders reportedly prefer the decision about the ministries to be made before the forming of the new government, as this would facilitate the forming of the new executive and negotiations between political entities.
International sources said that UNMIK’s decision to create new ministries through regulations rather than through changing of the Constitutional Framework was done for practical reasons, because according to them, the Assembly’s proposal to change the Constitutional Framework consisted in its complete revision, which would cause further delays. The sources also said that the Assembly would have acted better if it had proposed the amendments one by one rather than a package of changes.
Local sources on the other hand claim that it was made clear to UNMIK that the endorsement of regulations would be followed with the assembly’s decision to make additional changes in the Constitution, “because the regulations cannot be more powerful than the highest legal document.”
The paper also claims that Kosovar leaders who attended the meeting have stated that the next Government of Kosovo would be formed some 20-30 days after the elections.
The leaders however have also emphasized that this would depend from on the election results.
ECIKS