RUGOVA DIVIDES THE ALBANIANS

AIM TIRANA, APRIL 8, 1999

"Rugova appears suddenly as a ghost in Albanian politics". This is how a daily newspaper in Tirana comments about the first reaction to the news from Belgrade, according to which, the political leader of Kosovo Albanians met Milosevic.

When everybody thought that all the differences of opinions between various political groups were left aside for the sake of Kosovo, the picture of Rugova shaking hands with Milosevic and the images of the meeting broadcasted by the TV chanels in Tirana, were a great shock, especially for the common people. For almost a decade, Rugova has been a symbol for many Albanians. Attacking this symbol in these moments, can only deepen the crisis and deteriorate the consequences of the war.

Despite the strong initial suspicions that all this has been an invention of Serbian propaganda, the impact of this event has been negative. It diverted the attention of the public opinion and the media from the extraordinary difficult situation that Albanians are facing from both sides of the border.

The drama of the Kosova refugees is full of painful episodes, increasing its proportions every hour, especially in North of Albania and can not permit to shift the focus of the attention to other issues. That's why the editorial of the daily newspaper "Shekulli", commenting on this meeting stressed that "This is a wonder that should not last longer than three days!". "In these days, where 2,000 kosovars enter every hour the Albanian territory, there is no time to loose."

The Albanian Government reacted immediately to the news. The Prime Minister's Spokesman, referring to the meeting Rugova-Milosevic, issued only a brief statement for the public: "This action, if committed with a free will, is an irresponsible one". This statement underlines the somehow suspicious circumstances of the meeting, but at the same time reflects the distant and friendless relations of the actual Albanian Government with Mr. Rugova, who has not visited Albania since the left wing Coalitions came into power. The only contact Rugova has had with the Albanian authorities was a meeting with President Mejdani during a brief stop of the French airplane in Tirana in its way to bring to Prishtina the Albanian delegation who signed the Rambouillet Agreement.

The leaders of KLA, as expected, had a very tough and aggressive reaction. Mr. Hashim Thaci, the political leader of KLA and chairman of the Albanian delegation in Rambouillet, in a phone interview given to the Albanian State Television declared that: "Whereas the meeting is done under a free will or not, it is a shame. There is no justifiable reason to meet with the Murderer of the Balkans". The spokesman of the KLA, Jakup Krasniqi, in a press conference at the "Rogner" Hotel in Tirana, defined Mr.Rugova as the "Traitor of the Nation", if the meeting was true. This reaction of the representatives of the KLA, brings back their old disagreements with the Democratic League represented by Mr. Rugova.

The news from Belgrade have in a way shaken the unity shown in Rambouillet by all the members of the Albanian delegation. Sign of this unity was the statement of Mr. Thaci in one private Albanian television, immediately after his return from Rambouillet, when asked on the relations of KLA with Rugova. He said: "Now is time to look towards the future, not back to the past".

The opposition leader, Sali Berisha, was the one who raised the major suspicions on the meeting Rugova -Milosevic. He stressed that he "does not believe declarations of people who are arrested and live under pressure". Mr. Berisha appeared doubtful on the accuracy of the news, emphasizing that only a few days ago, Mr. Rugova, interviewed by the German magazine Der Spiegel, had requested the intervention of NATO in Kosovo with ground military troops. The relations of Mr. Berisha and Mr. Rugova have always been very close.

Different statements have been issued by politicians of different parties. The well known writer, Dritero Agolli, one of the most outspoken representatives of Socialist Party, does not believe in the news from Belgrade. "I think that an authority such as Rugova, with a broad cultural background and also with a deep political culture, can't make such declarations under normal circumstances"

• he said. The same suspicions were expressed by Prec Zogaj, Political Advisor of the President of Albania. The republican Sabri Godo , Chairman of the External Affairs Commission of the Albanian Parliament, considers it as a shame, no matter the circumstances of the meeting were.

If the meeting Rugova - Milosevich at first was received with composure somehow, the appearance of Rugova meeting the Vice Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and the Russian Ambassador have caused a strong political debate. This debate has become hoter after the proclamation by Mr Thaci of the Temporary Government of Kosovo were the representatives of KDL are absent.

Now the poles are clear: The Albanian Government and the Kosovo Liberation Army on one hand and the oposition leaded by Mr. Berisha, Rugova and the Government of Bukoshi on the other. Both parts attack each other with unnecessary energy expenditure.

Nothing can be predicted as what would be the future the Albanian Gandhy of Kosovo. Albanians have been divided even before about his position. Now everybody is expecting him to be released and to talk freely. Independently of the fact that he may not recupere his image anymore after shaking hands with Milosevic.

Bardhyl Minxhozi (AIM)