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RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPS #0363 1181413
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281413Z APR 06
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6062
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0667
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFIUU/CDR TF FALCON
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BBRAUN, 
USUN FOR DSCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR SSTEGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: CEKU LAYS OUT STANDARDS PROGRAM TO AN 
OBSTINATE OPPOSITION 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  In an address to the Kosovo Assembly, 
Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku laid out the government's 
progress on standards implementation.  The opposition 
vociferously accused the government of non-fulfillment of 
standards and accused the government of endemic corruption. 
Still indignant at being left out of the governing coalition, 
Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) President Hashim Thaci 
offered to overcome the "crisis" with a Quixotic "creation of 
a government of broad political and civic unity" -- i.e., one 
which would include the PDK.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a 20-minute speech on the implementation of 
standards to the Kosovo Assembly on April 20, Prime Minister 
Agim Ceku said the process of standards fulfillment is on the 
right track and stressed much hard work lies ahead for the 
people and institutions of Kosovo to meet the objectives set 
by the international community.  Ceku said that since taking 
office in March, his government has undertaken actions aimed 
at accelerating standards implementation, citing the 
establishment of the ministries of justice and internal 
affairs and the establishment of the Kosovar-led Kosovo 
Property Agency, which he said, "will bring the usurpation of 
socially-owned and agricultural properties to an end."  He 
added that he implemented structural changes to his 
government's three-month work plan to include bi-weekly 
standards working group meetings and required reporting to 
the Office of the Prime Minister every three weeks as well as 
monthly meetings with municipal presidents, all with a view 
to completing the majority of outstanding standards-related 
action items by May 30. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Emphasizing that special attention will be given to 
the realization of minority-focused standards, he said he 
established an inter-governmental task force to address 
church reconstruction and called on the assembly to pass laws 
on languages and freedom of religion, both stuck for months 
in parliamentary committees. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Opposition party Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) 
leader Hashim Thaci took up an old refrain against the 
government: the government is corrupt and therefore unfit to 
lead. "The international community has made it clear that 
unless Kosovo improves democratic criteria, in particular the 
rule of law and a war on corruption and organized crime...the 
misgovernment of the current coalition endangers the 
realization of Kosovo's independence."  Thaci and 20 other 
PDK members took turns accusing Ceku's government of 
incompetence and a systemic inability to handle the demands 
of standards fulfillment.  Obviously still indignant at being 
left out of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and 
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) coalition struck in 
2004 between late President Ibrahim Rugova and ICTY-indictee 
Ramush Haradinaj, Thaci offered to overcome the "crisis" with 
a Quixotic "creation of a government of broad political and 
civic unity" -- i.e., one which would include the PDK.  "In 
these decisive moments for Kosovo's history," he said, 
"Kosovo needs a broad-based coalition government." 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT.  Ceku has put all his ministers on notice 
that he will not hesitate to fire any cabinet member who 
flunks his/her performance evaluation.  He has no such stick 
to use on the legislative branch.  His April 20 address to 
the Assembly, however, served well as a means to put the 
Assembly on public notice that the government expects the 
Assembly to fulfill its unique purpose by passing 
much-needed, standards-required legislation.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Post clears this message in its entirety for release 
to Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. 
GOLDBERG