Ruecker accused of “twisting facts” over elections

Dusan Prorokovic accused UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker of “twisting facts“ regarding the situation in Kosovo. Ruecker had previously accused Proprokovic, a state secretary in the Kosovo Ministry, of “warning Serbs that they will be left without pay and jobs if they participate in the coming elections.“ Ruecker accused of “twisting facts” over elections Prorokovic said that he had merely stated that “there were a number of Serbs in Kosovo that received wages from the temporary institutions in Pristina from the Serbian budget, and that this must be regulated.“ “The Labor Law states that one cannot have two employers and that Serbs in Kosovo need to decide on one employer, which represents the norm for labor legislature in most countries throughout the world,“ Prorokovic said. He said that he “expects“ Ruecker to respond to statements from Albanian officials concerning unilateral proclamation of independence. “Such threats are a grave violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and the UNMIK chief has the authority and mechanisms to take action against anyone responsible for such outbursts,“ Prorokovic said. Meanwhile, official Russia expects that the parliamentary elections in Kosovo awill not have a negative effect on the Kosovo issue, official Moscow said on Wednesday. "We expect that the elections will be held without any difficulties and that they will not have a negative effect on seeking ways for the resolution of the Kosovo issue," special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kamynin said. Itar-Tass reported on Tuesday that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Bishop of Raska and Prizren Artemije called on Serbs not take part in the forthcoming parliamentary and local elections, reminding that a similar stand had already been presented by officials in Belgrade and most Serb parties in the province. In Vienna, Ruecker will today address the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where, according to the announcement, he will discuss the current situation in Kosovo, as well as the course of preparation of the upcoming elections, scheduled for November 17. The head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo will also briefly discuss the cooperation between UNMIK and OSCE, as well as the future role of the international community in Kosovo. The OSCE is leading a so-called "third pillar" of the international efforts in Kosovo, which deals with democratization and institutions building. Dusan Prorokovic (FoNet, archive)

Ruecker accused of “twisting facts” over elections

Proroković said that he had merely stated that “there were a number of Serbs in Kosovo that received wages from the temporary institutions in Priština from the Serbian budget, and that this must be regulated.“

“The Labor Law states that one cannot have two employers and that Serbs in Kosovo need to decide on one employer, which represents the norm for labor legislature in most countries throughout the world,“ Proroković said.

He said that he “expects“ Ruecker to respond to statements from Albanian officials concerning unilateral proclamation of independence.

“Such threats are a grave violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and the UNMIK chief has the authority and mechanisms to take action against anyone responsible for such outbursts,“ Proroković said.

Meanwhile, official Russia expects that the parliamentary elections in Kosovo awill not have a negative effect on the Kosovo issue, official Moscow said on Wednesday.

"We expect that the elections will be held without any difficulties and that they will not have a negative effect on seeking ways for the resolution of the Kosovo issue," special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kamynin said.

Itar-Tass reported on Tuesday that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Bishop of Raška and Prizren Artemije called on Serbs not take part in the forthcoming parliamentary and local elections, reminding that a similar stand had already been presented by officials in Belgrade and most Serb parties in the province.

In Vienna, Ruecker will today address the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where, according to the announcement, he will discuss the current situation in Kosovo, as well as the course of preparation of the upcoming elections, scheduled for November 17.

The head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo will also briefly discuss the cooperation between UNMIK and OSCE, as well as the future role of the international community in Kosovo.

The OSCE is leading a so-called "third pillar" of the international efforts in Kosovo, which deals with democratization and institutions building.