Kosovo President Says He Has Lung Cancer

06/09/2005| IslamWeb

Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, a veteran leader of ethnic Albanians, said he was suffering from lung cancer, just months ahead of long-awaited talks on the future status of UN-administered province, expected to start by the end of this year.

"On Saturday, I returned from Germany, where doctors have established that I have lung cancer," Rugova said Monday in a message broadcast by Kosovo television stations.

"I will continue performing my presidential duties," he added.

The 61-year-old president returned home on Saturday after a week of medical tests at a US military hospital in Germany.

Rugova, a long-time smoker whose health has in the past been fragile, said the cancer "is localized," with "doctors prescribing intensive therapy."

"The doctors also established that, for now, my health condition is improving and they are optimistic regarding my future treatment," he said.

A long-time advocate of Kosovo independence, Rugova was elected president for the second time last year after his Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) party won elections in October 2004. In his address to the nation, he insisted his main goal would not change.

Kosovo, technically a southern province of Serbia, has been administered by the United Nations since a NATO-led bombing campaign ousted Belgrade troops in 1999 to end a Serbian crackdown on rebels.

"I am convinced that, with God's help, I will overcome this battle and that we will continue working together, for even faster recognition of Kosovo's independence by our American and European friends," Rugova said, adding that, "as always," he expected "support from the people of Kosovo."

His LDK party said in a statement that it was "sure that president Rugova will overcome this challenge, as he has done with many challenges until now, leading us sucesfuly towards the formal recognition of Kosovo indepedency."

UN administrator of the province, Soren Jessen-Petersen, said in a statement he was "very saddened to learn that President Rugova is suffering from lung cancer," expressing hopes for his "speedy recovery."

"I am confident that the president will continue showing the spirit with which he has confronted many difficult situations in the past," Petersen said.

He appealed to Kosovo citizens "to stay united" and "remain dignified in their solidarity with the president" in order to achieve "a peaceful, stable, democratic, multi-ethnic and prosperous society" in the province.

Rugova's admission of his fragile health came in a difficult time for Kosovo, amid ongoing and often disputed preparations for the talks of its future status, expected to start later this year.

The internationally-sponsored talks have already been slowed down by the totally opposed stances of Belgrade and Kosovo minority Serbs -- who consider the province as a cradle of their nation -- and Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanian population which has for years been demanding independence from Serbia.

Inter-ethnic tensions have remained high in the province. Just last month, two Kosovo Serbs were killed and two other injured when unknown attackers opened fire on their vehicle in the center of the province.

The incident aroused fears that anti-Serb violence in March 2004, when 19 people -- 11 Albanians and 8 Serbs -- were killed in violent unrest in which numerous Serb homes and monasteries were burnt and destroyed, might be repeated.

The international community has insisted that the talks over Kosovo's future could begin only when Kosovo Albanian authorities have satisfied UN-set democratic standards, particularly focused on respect of human rights and security for minority ethnic communities in the province.

Although Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs have insisted that none of the standards have been met, the visiting UN Secretary General special envoy for Kosovo, Kai Eide, was expected to give his evaluation of the situation in the province in the coming weeks.

Analysts fear that Rugova's illness could also provoke continuing mutual distrust between the two leading parties, his LDK and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) of former guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci, at odds ever since Belgrade lost its control over the province.

PHOTO CAPTION

President Ibrahim Rugova in October 2004. (AFP)