[ALBSA-Info] STATEMENT OF NAAC DELEGATION TO KOSOVA

[National Albanian American Council - NAAC]

National Albanian American Council
1700 K Street, N.W., Suite 1201, Washington, DC  20006
481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001
Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova
Telephone: (202) 466-6900   Fax: (202) 466-5593
Web: www.naac.org   Email: naac at naac.org
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For Immediate Release: November 15, 2001    Contact: Sokol Shtylla (202) 466-6900
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
STATEMENT OF NAAC DELEGATION TO KOSOVA
 
Prishtina, Kosova, November 15, 2001: The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) issued the following statement upon the arrival of its delegation to Prishtina to observe the first free general elections of November 17, 2001:
 
We are overjoyed to be in Kosova to observe this wonderful and historic day: the first free national elections ever.
 
The Albanian people of Kosova have suffered greatly over the last hundred years.  Serbia annexed Kosova by force and held on to it through terror and repression, and ultimately tried to cleanse Kosova of its entire Albanian population.  Throughout these years, Kosovars never surrendered their desire to be free.  They resisted Serb domination through frequent acts of civil disobedience and armed rebellion.  Finally, in 1999 their efforts paid off when the United States and its allies ended Serbia's rule.  Today, in Kosova freedom reigns.
 
The country has gone through a great transformation over the last two years, and the national elections will mark a significant step forward.  Many problems remain in Kosova, including a crumbling infrastructure and a weak economy.  To address these and other problems, all the people of Kosova must show greater tolerance toward one another, understand that a representative democracy works only when the people respect the law and the political process, and embrace a shared mission. We call on all the people of Kosova, whether Albanians, Bosnians, Serbs, Roma, or others, to share responsibility for Kosova's future and to show their support for democracy by voting on November 17th.  Our policy is one of neutrality.  We will respect and work with the elected officials and institutions of Kosova with regard to who wins the election, and we call on all Diaspora organizations to do the same.
 
The people of Kosova are forever indebted to the countries of the world and their representatives in the United Nations for their assistance in governing Kosova during this transition period.  But the time has come for the people to govern themselves.  Unfortunately, while the elections will assign responsibility for administering Kosova to elected officials, these officials will not have the requisite authority to do so. We, therefore, call on the United Nations to move swiftly after the elections to transfer full governing authority to the newly elected public servants.
 
At the dawn of the 21st Century, everything is possible in Kosova as long as the people maintain their optimism and dedication.  For our part, we will continue to work within the United States to maintain America's involvement in and assistance to the Balkans.  
 
Members of the NAAC delegation: US Ambassador William Walker, Dino Erbeli, Musa Dakaj, Gjevalin Gegaj, Nua Ivezaj, Richard Lukaj, Halil Mula, Aferdita Rakipi, Rezart Spahia, and Ilir Zherka.
 
The National Albanian American Council ("NAAC") is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs.
 
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