Post by Fender on Jun 16, 2009 20:45:09 GMT -5
Surroi Snubs Kosovo President in Protest
Pristina | 16 June 2009 |
Veton Surroi, head of the Club for Foreign PolicyVeton Surroi, former newspaper editor and ex-party leader, has snubbed Kosovo President’s invitation to mark the anniversary of the constitution because of his failure to react to threats against journalists.
"There has been an increase in threats to the freedom speech of the media," wrote Surroi, leader of the Club for Foreign Policy, in a letter sent to President Sejdiu. Surroi added that international organisations had asked Sejdiu to back the right to freedom of speech.
Referring to the latest attacks launched against BIRN Kosovo and its Life in Kosovo show, Surroi said the President 'should have raised his voice to protect a long list of people in the media who are facing direct physical and economic threats'.
The former leader of Reformist Party ORA chose to ignore the special lunch organised on Monday, marking the first anniversary of Kosovo’s constitution, saying that he had moral qualms about attending.
"During the first 12 months of the existence of the constitution, you (Sejdiu) have been the first to breach the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, as you didn’t respect the very explicit request not to hold two public functions,” Surroi wrote, referring to Sejdiu’s post as country’s President and leader of Kosovo’s Democratic League, LDK.
According to Surroi, anniversaries of the constitution and Kosovo’s independence should not merely be days for festivities, but also used to look at obligations.
Officials from President’s office refused to comment on the letter.
A Life in Kosovo report, in which BIRN Kosovo’s news team was shown being expelled from the Skenderaj municipality's Office for Public Information and forced to leave town by an armed man, sparked a press campaign, led by the Infopress newspaper, against its presenter Jeta Xharra and staff. Read more: BIRN Show Triggers Row on Freedom of Speech in Kosovo
Journalists, foreign embassies and non-governmental organisations have defended the show’s right to examine controversial topics in Kosovo. They have also called on the government to distance itself from the accusations.
In a statement, the government said: "All isolated occasions when the freedom of expression is threatened are punishable by the government." When its spokesman was asked whether the statement referred to articles published in Infopress, which included accusations that Xharra was a Serbian spy, he said that the statement was general and was not directed at any particular incident.
(Reporting by Vjosa Musliu)
And the implosion of the KLA begins.
Pristina | 16 June 2009 |
Veton Surroi, head of the Club for Foreign PolicyVeton Surroi, former newspaper editor and ex-party leader, has snubbed Kosovo President’s invitation to mark the anniversary of the constitution because of his failure to react to threats against journalists.
"There has been an increase in threats to the freedom speech of the media," wrote Surroi, leader of the Club for Foreign Policy, in a letter sent to President Sejdiu. Surroi added that international organisations had asked Sejdiu to back the right to freedom of speech.
Referring to the latest attacks launched against BIRN Kosovo and its Life in Kosovo show, Surroi said the President 'should have raised his voice to protect a long list of people in the media who are facing direct physical and economic threats'.
The former leader of Reformist Party ORA chose to ignore the special lunch organised on Monday, marking the first anniversary of Kosovo’s constitution, saying that he had moral qualms about attending.
"During the first 12 months of the existence of the constitution, you (Sejdiu) have been the first to breach the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, as you didn’t respect the very explicit request not to hold two public functions,” Surroi wrote, referring to Sejdiu’s post as country’s President and leader of Kosovo’s Democratic League, LDK.
According to Surroi, anniversaries of the constitution and Kosovo’s independence should not merely be days for festivities, but also used to look at obligations.
Officials from President’s office refused to comment on the letter.
A Life in Kosovo report, in which BIRN Kosovo’s news team was shown being expelled from the Skenderaj municipality's Office for Public Information and forced to leave town by an armed man, sparked a press campaign, led by the Infopress newspaper, against its presenter Jeta Xharra and staff. Read more: BIRN Show Triggers Row on Freedom of Speech in Kosovo
Journalists, foreign embassies and non-governmental organisations have defended the show’s right to examine controversial topics in Kosovo. They have also called on the government to distance itself from the accusations.
In a statement, the government said: "All isolated occasions when the freedom of expression is threatened are punishable by the government." When its spokesman was asked whether the statement referred to articles published in Infopress, which included accusations that Xharra was a Serbian spy, he said that the statement was general and was not directed at any particular incident.
(Reporting by Vjosa Musliu)
And the implosion of the KLA begins.