Global Policy Forum

By Lulzim Cota

Bernard Kouchner, head of the UN administration in Kosovo, supports the Kosovo autonomy which existed from 1974 until 1989 in Kosovo and fixed in the former Yugoslav Federation constitution compiled by Marshall Tito, an Albania's newspaper reports on Wednesday.

"On the behalf of the international community, I am in charged to set up a substantial autonomy in Kosovo which existed, and if Mr Milosevic would not destroyed it we will not be here, in Kosovo," Kouchner said in an interview published by Shekulli, an Albania's daily paper on Wednesday. "Remember that in 1974 constitution Marshall Tito had set up a substantial autonomy in Kosovo to stop any fight or rivalry between the ethnic groups in former Yugoslavia," Kouchner said.

Kosovo Albanian leaders earlier had considered this autonomy a base to discuss the future Kosovo status, but now, after the end of conflict and NATO troops patrolling Kosovo, they say the autonomy of 1974 belongs to the past. Ibrahim Rugova, a moderate Albanian leader and self-proclaimed the President of Kosovo, wants a quick independence, warning that any other model of federation or confederation would spark another war in Kosovo. Rexhep Qosja another influential Albanian leader predicts after three-four years Kosovo would be independent.

Hashim Thaci, considered the most radical Kosovo Albanian leader and ex-KLA leader, says an interim status of Kosovo would be better before the independence. All the Albanian leaders in Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia rule categorically out any kind of autonomy which keep Kosovo in Serbia and Yugoslavia.

Albanian members in the Kosovo Administrative Council strongly opposed a UN administration draft for opening special UNMIK offices in Serb enclaves in Kosovo, considering that a kind of Kosovo cantonization, which is against the Rambouilet agreement of March 1999. Ram Buja, a co-chair of the local government department in Kosovo Administrative Council warned he would resign if this draft takes place.

The former Yugoslav constitution gave Kosovo broad autonomy, its own parliament and government. Kosovo had seats in Serbian and Yugoslav parliaments, even a representative on the eight-member Presidential Council. After Tito's death in May 1981, a Kosovo Albanian representative was officially the President of Yugoslavia, but in fact the power in the communist system of former Yugoslavia was in the hands of Communist League of Yugoslavia, where Serbs had a majority. On March 28, 1989 Serbia's parliament took off the autonomy of Vojvodina and Kosovo.

There were no protests in Vojvodina, but in Kosovo Belgrade sent tanks and army and quashed the mass Albanian protests. Media reported in that time for thousands Albanian victims. In that time Milosevic, was Serbia Communist Party chief, but in fact the number one who dominated the political life in Serbia and in Yugoslavia. For this reason Kosovo Albanians do not believe any more in any kind of autonomy under Serbia and further more under Milosevic.