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CIVIC ALLIANCE OF SERBIA
PROPOSAL TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE KOSOVO CRISIS
The crisis in Kosovo and Metohija is one of the most difficult, if not
the crucial problem, Serbia is confronted with at this point in time.
The Civic Alliance of Serbia is of the view that it is essential to
begin, as soon as possible, a process of resolution of this issue,
since it is one of the requirements to overcome the overall crisis in
our country and for its re-integration in the world. Therefore, the
CAS is offering to the public its proposal to commence serious dialog
and negotiations on Kosovo.
For the last ten years authorities of Serbia and Yugoslavia have
ignored the problem of Kosovo and used repression to deal with the
issue, a method that as such cannot bring any results whatsoever. At
the same time, the regime is deceiving Serbian public by suppressing
the facts about the extent and seriousness of the crisis. Kosovo is
being used only for immediate political and propaganda purposes of the
regime. In the process, however, the issue of Kosovo has developed
into an important international problem which is being discussed by
many international institutions and which became a pre-condition for
re-integration of Serbia and Yugoslavia into international community.
However, without the initiative of state authorities, it is impossible
to break present stalemate.
On the other hand, the Kosovo Albanians, as citizens of Serbia,
completely ceased to participate in the economic, political,
educational and cultural activities in the country. They are
developing a parallel life, parallel economy, educational
institutions, including the parallel political system. While the
crisis in Kosovo is escalating, Albanians are more and more moving
away from Serbia and Yugoslavia as their country. They are looking for
the new identity, either through integration with Albania as their
"Piedmont", or through the establishment of a new independent state.
Terrorism started to emerge recently, necessitating immediate steps to
resolve the crisis.
If we look into the recent history of Kosovo, we will find that
political elite of both nations were trying to establish their own
supremacy – positions were only changing at different points in
time, at one period Albanians were on top, in another Serbs.
Prerequisites for Negotiations
The Civic Alliance of Serbia is convinced that negotiations on Kosovo
must begin without further delay. A solution should be based on
realistic premis and should satisfy legitimate aspirations of all
nations there to live in freedom and equality. Obviously there are
values shared by both Albanians and Serbs: peace and stability in the
region; rule of law and respect of fundamental human and civil rights;
economic cooperation with neighbors and in the Balkans; integration
into regional and other international organizations (Council of
Europe, OSCE, European Union, United Nations, IMF, etc.). However, to
begin dialog and negotiations it is necessary, as an expression of
good will and of a desire to establish mutual confidence, to
meet the following prerequisites:
1. To respect equal rights of all participants in a dialog to present
freely, without preconditions and prejudices, their proposals for the
solution of the Kosovo crisis;
2. To condemn in strongest terms all acts of terrorism and all
attempts to resolve the crisis through violence;
3. To abolish all repressive measures and all forms of discrimination,
in particular discriminatory laws. Human rights and freedoms
guaranteed by the Constitutions of Serbia and Yugoslavia and by
international covenants ratified by Yugoslavia must be fully respected
in practice;
4. To reopen trials against Albanian political activists in case of
doubt that their fundamental rights were violated, including the
prohibition of torture and the right to fair trial;
5. To agree on mediator who would facilitate dialog. OSCE could, for
example, suggest suitable personality.
6. To create appropriate atmosphere in public and raise the awareness,
in particular through RTS, of the urgency of the matter. Any attempt
to use Kosovo for renewed nationalistic and ideological public
campaign would certainly block all rational initiatives for the
solution of this paramount national problem.
Negotiations
Participants in negotiations on both sides must have full legitimacy.
All parties concerned and political groups should be represented.
Negotiations should be transparent.
Two sets of issues should be discussed. On the one hand, the status of
Kosovo, on the other specific problems – education, health care,
public information and human rights.
Clearly, the outcome cannot be neither of the extremes – maintenance
of the status quo on one side and independent Kosovo on the other. All
other options should be carefully examined, without prejudices. The
solution must be based on compromise. The Civic Alliance of Serbia,
therefore, does not want to offer concrete solutions. However, the CAS
supports all proposals envisaging substantial autonomy for Kosovo and
full respect of human rights for all, as well as appropriate
mechanisms for the protection of rights and interests of Serbian and
other non-Albanian population.
Participants in negotiations themselves would guarantee implementation
of an agreement. They would also agree on mechanisms for its
implementation and for genuine confirmation of the will of the
citizens of FR Yugoslavia.
The Civic Alliance of Serbia is suggesting that, at the very beginning
of negotiations, a commission be established to monitor human rights
situation in Kosovo. This commission should be composed of most
prominent lawyers and other public personalities.
Agreement reached in a dialog between legitimate representatives of
Serbs and Albanians should be for a period of at least ten years. Both
sides would make commitment not to reopen the issue of the status of
Kosovo during that time, if such an agreement is honored. The
objective is to prevent that extremists, individuals and groups, harm
the agreement. That period should be utilized to re-integrate
Yugoslavia into regional and other international organizations
and to embark on a path to democratization and reform of our political
and economic system.
Belgrade, January 1998.
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