Petersen ready to sack Kosovo deputy prime minister

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (ITALY) 25-Jul-05 15:18

Pristina, 25 July (AKI) - The head of the United Nations administration in Kosovo (Unmik) Soren Jessen Petersen is about to sack the deputy prime minister Adem Salihaj and two of his ministers - Melihata Termokli and Astrit Haraci - Albanian language daily Koha Ditore, said on Monday. Over three months ago the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK) accused Salihaj and the two ministers of corruption, saying that Salihaj was also heading an illegal organisation called Security of Motherland, which was responsible for several political murders.

After the accusations DPK leader Hasim Taci demanded Salihaj's resignation, but the call went unheeded.

According to DPK, Salihaj was behind the killing of several members of President Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic Alliance of Kosovo.

Koha ditore said that Petersen, who as UN head has wide powers in Kosovo after the withdrawal of the Serbian army in 1999, was losing patience and would sack Salihaj and two ministers "for abuse of power" by September, if president Kosumi didn't act by then.

The paper said that Petersen wanted Salihaj to leave his post before talks start on the final status of Kosovo, whose majority ethnic Albanians demand independence. According to Koha Ditore, Security of Motherland has threatened to kill its editor and several prominent politicians for making public Salihaj's illegal activities.