Description
UNMIK: No, I think the reverse is the case. We have basically taken the issue to them rather then them to us, as a way of describing it.
Q: What coordination is going to be between two UNMIK municipalities - administrative centers - we have now, one in the north and one in the south and when is UNMIK going to take over responsibility over hospital and other public services in the north side?
UNMIK: First of all, you had a slip of the tongue in the way you asked the question in the fist place suggesting that there were two municipalities. There is not and that is the whole point. There is not and will not be two municipalities in Mitrovica. This is an UNMIK administration on the north side of the river under direct supervision of municipal administrator for Mitrovica. The office on the north side, which is an extension of the office that was there anyway, in terms of having representation on the north side, is led by a deputy of the municipal administrator of Mitrovica. Is not a question of coordination, there doesn't need to be no coordination in the sense that there are two separate centers, this is the same organization and he works for the municipal administrator, so coordination is implied in the fact that he is there, he just happens to be in the office on the other side of the river. There are other municipalities where there are more then one office controlled by the municipal administration, so it is not the question of coordination, it is the question of who is in charge and who works for whom, and is very clearly the deputy to the municipal administrator working for him directly. As far as the education and health is concerned we have said quite clearly that parallel structures need to cease. Certain things will happen more quickly then others but at some stage in a not to distant future we will be in control of all the functions on the other side of the river. But these things had to be done in a way that the services continue to be provided. We had to make sure that services for the health, for the education are provided and therefore anything that is done need to be organized and delivered in such way to make sure that there is no break in service. So I can't give you a timing because I don't know, but this is something that will have to be done gradually rather than like chopping it with the knife.
Q: Does that mean that these two centers, offices of UNMIK administration that are 200 meters air distance from each other will not be coordinated?
UNMIK: No, it is quite reverse. What I am saying is that when you are talking about coordination you imply that there are two separate things that need to be coordinated, two heads of the same organization that need to be coordinated. These aren't two heads; the office on the north side is subordinated to the office on the south side controlled by the municipal administrator of UNMIK, so it is not the question of coordination. You don't coordinate with your subordinates, you tell them what to do, and they tell you what they are doing. That is essentially what the situation is.
Q: Simon, can people from the south go to the north, if not today, when is this going to start?
UNMIK: That is a loaded question, and you know the answer before you ask the question. If you expect you are going to draw some statement out of me you are wrong. The situation is as well as you know it, very difficult, we want people to go across to the north side of the river and given the right circumstances they should. This is a step forward; we are getting to a point where people will be able to move more freely across the bridge. I think that situation on the bridge is much more relaxed that has been, but we will have to wait and see how things develop in not to distant future.
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