Kosovo Transitional Council

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The Kosovo Transitional Council, (Albanian: Këshilli Tranzitor i Kosovës, Serbian: Прелазни савет Косово, Prelazni savet Kosovo), was an advisory body that existed in Kosovo between July 1999 and November 2001 during the period that the United Nations was directly responsible for the governance of Kosovo. The council was replaced by the Assembly of Kosovo following elections held in November 2001.

First transitional council (July 1999 to January 2000)[edit]

First Kosovo Transitional Council
Type
Type
Unicamaral
Leadership
Chair
Seats12
Elections
Appointed
Meeting place
Pristina

A twelve member transitional council was formed on 16 July 1999. Chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the council was the described as being the highest political consultative body within the United Nations administration. Its purpose was to offer the main political parties and ethnic communities in Kosovo an opportunity for direct input into the decision-making process of UNMIK.[1] The first meeting of the council was at the former MUP headquarters in Pristina and subsequent meetings were held at UNMIK headquarters.[2]

Membership[edit]

The membership of the first transitional council was as follows:

Name Role
Bernard Kouchner Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo
Ex-officio chairman of the council
Ibrahim Rugova[3][4] Representative of the Democratic League of Kosovo (Albanian)
Vacant Representative of the Democratic League of Kosovo (Albanian)
Hashim Thaçi Representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (Albanian)
Xhavit Haliti Representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (Albanian)
Rexhep Qosja Representative of the United Democratic Movement (Albanian)
Mehmet Hajrizi Representative of the United Democratic Movement (Albanian)
Veton Surroi Independent representative of the Albanian community
Blerim Shala Independent representative of the Albanian community
Bishop Artemije Representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church (Serb)
Momcilo Trajkovic Representative of the Serbian Resistance Movement (Serb)
Numan Balic Representative of the Party of Democratic Action (Bosniak)
Sezair Shaipi Representative of Turkish People's Party (Turk)
Mike Jackson
Klaus Reinhardt
Commander of the Kosovo Force
Observer

Second transitional council (January 2000 to November 2001)[edit]

Second Kosovo Transitional Council
Type
Type
Unicamaral
Seats36
Elections
Appointed
Meeting place
Pristina

In January 2000, Joint Interim Administrative Structure was established.[5] The membership of the transitional council was expanded to 35 and it assumed the role of a deliberative assembly. A transitional cabinet, known as the Interim Administrative Council, with eight members, four of which were appointed by UNMIK and four by political parties represented in the transitional council was also established at this time.[6][7]

Structure[edit]

The council had 36 members[8] and would meet on a bi-weekly basis. It had four committees, each made up of 15 members; Tolerance and Protection of Local Communities, Detainees and Missing Persons, Economic Affairs and Education.[9]

Membership[edit]

The membership of the second transitional council was as follows:[10]

Members of the Interim Administrative Council
Representatives of ethnic Albanian political parties
Representatives of ethnic minority communities
Representatives of religious communities
Representatives of civil society
  • Shukrie Rexha - Association of Political Prisoners
  • Iak Mita - Mother Teresa Society
  • Hajrullahu Gorani - Association of Trade Unions
  • Pajazit Nushi - Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms
  • Sevdije Ahmeti - Centre for the Protection of Women and Children
  • Blerim Shala - Zeri newspaper (representing publishers)
  • Sonja Nikolic - Civic House/Radio Contact
  • Feriz Krasniqi - Former Rector of Pristina University
  • Ylber Hysa - Kosova Action for Civic Initiatives
  • Ismail Kastrati - Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "UNMIK convenes first meeting of Kosovo Transitional Council - Serbia | ReliefWeb". 16 July 1999.
  2. ^ "UN administrator, Bernard Kouschner (R) and Ibrahim Rugova (L), a leader of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, enter the UNMIK building in Pristina, where a Transitional Council meeting took place August 21. Serb leaders on Saturday proposed dividing Kosovo along ethnic lines to protect their people from attacks by Albanians. SHB/JRE Stock Photo - Alamy".[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "A delegation of Albanians led by KLA leader Hacim Thaqi (L) and moderate leader Ibrahim Rugova (2nd L) faces the Serb delegation across the table of the United Nations transitional council in Kosovo August 25. The meeting, the third since the entry of NATO troops into the Serb province last June, was expected to discuss Serb calls for 'cantonisation' - the grouping of Serbs into special areas for their own protection. YT/CLH Stock Photo - Alamy".[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Kosovo Liberation Army leader Hacim Thaqi sits next to moderate Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova at a meeting of the Transitional Council in Pristina August 25. The meeting was the first time that the rival Albanian political leaders sat on the United Nations council together. YT/JDP Stock Photo - Alamy".[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "United Nations - Unmik".
  6. ^ "UNMIK at 18 — Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS)". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-23. [dead link]
  7. ^ "United Nations - Unmik".
  8. ^ "UNMIK at 18 Months". Archived from the original on 28 December 2007.
  9. ^ "UNMIK at 18 - Interim Administrative Council (IAC)". Archived from the original on 22 December 2007.
  10. ^ "UNMIK at 18 - Interim Administrative Council (IAC)". Archived from the original on 22 December 2007.