On the day before the November 19th demonstration, its organizers held a press conference. Many journalists, both local and outside Kosovo attended. A similar press conference was also held prior to the December 2nd demonstration. Once again the room was also full of journalists from local and international TVs, radio stations and newspapers. The invitation to protest against the Ban Ki-moon plan was not the only thing that these two press conferences had in common. There was one other element and that was the absence of Kosovo Radio Television (RTK) team. Despite the fact that 20 different associations came together for demonstrations (which later gathered tens of thousands of people) RTK found no reason to attend.

 

However, during the evening news edition of December 2, RTK prepared a short report from the press conference. The voice of a reporter can be heard, but its views were pre-recorded. RTK was using an archive footage from a press conference that took place a kilometer away. This is by all means self-denigrating for a TV station with hundreds of employees with the latest television technology. RTK did not attend the press conference in order to not show it at all in the evening. However, it is not very difficult to imagine why RTK showed the report with the archive footage. Some of the local newspapers which are usually advertized in RTK right before 19:30hrs announced the next day’s demonstration. Even if RTK would not have shown the report at all it would have turned out to be a really bad exposure. Covering up the truth as RTK had prepared would have revealed the same result about RTK.

The report from the December 2nd demonstration was bizarre. While in RTV21 and KTV the demonstration was the breaking news, in RTK it was the fourth. The first news was the meeting for Kosovo feasibility studies for EU integration. The following news was an interview with Lamberto Zannier and the third news was regarding the EULEX special anti-protest police force. Only seven minutes later came the report on the demonstration which was about three and a half minutes long; however, not all of the report had to do with the protest. The journalist, Rozafë Metaj found 2 citizens to interview (she had to chase one of them because he was running away) who were against the demonstration. She confronted 2 people against around 40000 others!

It is very indicative that in the same exact day when the demonstration was held and where Lamberto Zannier was symbolically declared as persona non-grata, RTK made an interview with him. Lamberto Zannier was generally and rightfully considered as an international official who is pro-Serb because he is the chief of UNMIK (which does not recognize Kosovo independence), because his mission is based upon Resolution 1244, because for several months he orchestrated the negotiations with Belgrade regarding this harmful six-point plan and because of his very unfavorable recent report on Kosovo before the UN SC. If we had a real government this man should be arrested or deported from our country; however, RTK interviewed him for the main news edition in an attempt to revive him politically. During his interview to RTK (where you could also see Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj nodding) Zannier said that UNMIK is going to leave four months later although this is not certain. However, during the introduction to this interview, anchorwoman Fadile Kryeziu, editor Mentor Shala, and editor in chief Sylejman Shaqiri removed the part where Zannier said that UNMIK departure after four months is not certain. Of course, the intention was to relax the citizens and make them swallow the lie. The news that followed Zannier’s interview was also against the demonstration. Prior to the report on the demonstration, they promoted the EULEX special unit which is supposed to act against future demonstrations. It is known that around 70,000 people attended the November 19 and December 2 demonstrations together and there were no incidents from the demonstrators or from the Kosovo Police. This is not possible in any of the Western Europe countries. If only 3000 (as opposed to 30,000) people would gather in any Western Europe city there would definitely be incidents and injured or killed people. There were no incidents in Kosovo, whose people are the most peaceful in Europe. And now they want to press EULEX upon these people! However, RTK is not willing to broadcast the truth of the people to the people. RTK; however, broadcasts the ironed fist of the regime to intimidate the people. RTK showed the EULEX anti-protest special unit. RTK intimidates the citizens whom it is supposed to serve.

With its main news edition, RTK has become just like Jakup Krasniqi. They both are dedicated to service their citizens; however, they are both a Government hand working against the people. Jakup Krasniqi practically represents the government (as an executive structure) in the Kosovo Assembly sessions and does not head the Assembly (as representative structure). From setting up the Assembly discussion agenda to the way of heading the Assembly sessions, it is obvious that Jakup Krasniqi acts against delegates and he is the Government’s man in the Assembly. Instead of being an event of the citizens and for the citizens, the RTK main news editions rather show official opinions: from any unknown ministry advisor to Lamberto Zannier and Daniel Fried.

RTK and Jakup are directly connected not only because RTK broadcasts the Assembly sessions live. During Thursday’s broadcast of the Kosovo Assembly session (on December 4th), right after approving the day agenda, one of the delegates was insisting in holding a speech. For more than 5 minutes of confrontation between this delegate and Jakup Krasniqi, the RTK cameras never showed who the delegate was. You could only listen to his voice behind the camera while Jakup Krasniqi and the Assembly presidency were shown on TV. RTK censures the opposing voices outside institutions, as well as its internal opponents. RTK censures opposition because opposition means dissatisfaction.

If you oppose the government regime, then RTK will eventually make an interview with you for their morning show. One of my friends jokes saying that VETËVENDOSJE! Movement should count on middle school kids because their mothers watch me in the RTK morning show while getting their kids ready for school.

With the current RTK that we have and in a political and economical climate that is worsening every day, the voices stating that the people must first clean up their yards before facing the government will be heard more every time more.

 

Albin Kurti leads the Vetëvendosje! Movement, which opposes the international administration in Kosovo.