Political violence in run-up to Kosovo vote

Thaci's party potentially has much to lose in the elections, which are for municipal offices only. After Serb forces withdrew last year, the KLA occupied town halls and public institutions across Kosovo and set up its own provincial government.

Although the UN has gradually asserted its own authority and placed representatives of other political groups in local governments, in places like Srbica ex-KLA members affiliated with Thaci's party still exercise virtual complete control.

"These guys are not going to give up power that easily," says Dardan Gashi, a political analyst with the International Crisis Group, a US-based research organization with an office in Pristina.

UN police also suspect organized crime is involved in some of the violence. They say that criminal groups engaged in racketeering, smuggling, and prostitution rely on close links to some people in power. The prospect of losing these connections - and the income they generate - may make them ill-disposed toward the LDK.

Officials say the problem is the worst in the Drenica region of Kosovo, the KLA's heartland and a stronghold of Thaci's party. Srbica, where Koci is the local LDK president, is one of the main towns in Drenica.

Local LDK vice president Fadil Gecaj says threats and attacks have prevented local activists from opening party offices. "Someone tells my friends to get away from me, otherwise they will be threatened, too," he says. "We are working quietly," he adds.

But the leader of the Democratic Party in Srbica, Ramadan Gashi, denies that its supporters engage in political violence. "These are lies and propaganda," he says. "We don't need to threaten any other parties."

Privately, international officials and UN police say some of the violence can be traced to officials high in Thaci's party, which has already disaffected many Kosovars for what they perceive as arrogant and thuggish behavior. "There are direct links right down," says a member of the UN police force, who asked not to be identified.

Some members of the Kosovo Protection Corps, set up by NATO to respond to civil emergencies and help with reconstruction, have been implicated in attacks. The organization, known as the TMK, is largely made up of former KLA fighters. "It's very clear that the TMK is totally behind Thaci and is involved in intimidation," says Mr. Gashi of the International Crisis Group.

More peacekeepers wanted

The NATO-led peacekeeping force has asked for 2,000 reinforcements for the campaign season. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is organizing the vote, says it will tolerate no political violence. But few people believe that either the peacekeepers or UN police can stop it.

"There are a lot of elements who are spoiling for a fight," says a senior official in the UN administration. "I haven't seen anything in how we deal with ethnic violence that shows we have the tools to address it. That does not bode well."

For his part, Koci declines to speculate about his attackers. But he is emphatic that he will not give up his political activities.

"It doesn't matter about myself," he says. "I care about the future. And these events are destroying the future of Kosovo."

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society

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