Harri Holkeri leaves Kosovo post for health reasons

Former Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri announced on Tuesday that he would leave his post as head of the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) for health reasons.
      At a press conference in Helsinki, the 67-year-old Holkeri said that he had been in touch with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to ask to be relieved of his duties as his special representative in Kosovo. Holkeri said that Annan had expressed "understanding" at Holkeri's decision.
     
Holkeri’s position at the head of UNMIK has been the topic of international speculation ever since he was hospitalised for exhaustion during a visit to France two weeks ago.
      At the end of last week Holkeri arrived in Finland for a thorough medical checkup. He says that nothing very serious was found.
      He nevertheless decided to heed the warning signal given by his body, and his doctor’s advice to give up the strenuous task. He characterised his present state of health as moderate.
      The British news magazine The Economist noted after Holkeri first fell ill that Holkeri’s medical problems might give him an honourable exit out of a task that he has been under pressure to give up.
      Holkeri stressed on Tuesday that his decision was made for health reasons alone.
     
The UN and the European Union have emphasised their support for Holkeri in all of their public statements, even though UNMIK has come under heavy criticism after widespread ethnic violence broke out in the province in March. In the clashes, 19 people were killed and nearly 1,000 were injured. About 4,000 minority ethnic Serbs living in predominantly Albanian communities were pushed out by rioting mobs who burned down hundreds of Serb houses and numerous Orthodox churches.
      The UN administration and the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo were slow in their reactions, and the peacekeeping forces failed to protect Serb homes.
      Mimoza Kusari, spokesperson for Kosovo’s Albanian Prime Minister Bajram Rexhep, said that the Prime Minister regrets Holkeri’s departure.
      According to Kusari, Prime Minister Rexhep greatly appreciated Holkeri’s efforts on behalf of Kosovo.
      Serbia has taken a more hostile view of Holkeri ever since the events in March. Serbia’s Kosovo envoy Nebojsa Kovic noted that he had demanded Holkeri’s resignation, and suspected that health concerns may not have been the real reason for his decision.
     
Holkeri conceded on Tuesday that some things should perhaps have been done differently. "Everyone knows that there is always room for improvement, but could those events have been prevented? I don’t know."
      After the events in March Holkeri said that he worked harder than before, and did not imagine that his body might not withstand the strain.
     
The UN mission was originally to have lasted until August. Holkeri said that he would return to Pristina to make arrangements so that the transition would be as easy as possible for his successor.
      Reuters News Agency said that Holkeri might be replaced by Pieter Feith, a Dutch citizen who currently works as the Balkan affairs advisor of the European Union foreign affairs envoy Javier Solana.
      Whoever the successor is, the task will not be an easy one. Holkeri noted that the interim administration faces a difficult balancing act involving the different sectors of the international community.
      He added that the worst scenario would be if no reforms can be made. "Especially the extremely difficult economic situation of Kosovo will require new measures", Holkeri said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  UN envoy Harri Holkeri hospitalised in France (14.5.2004)
  Holkeri reiterates faith in Kosovo process (15.4.2004)
  New policy being sought for Holkeri in Kosovo (27.3.2004)
  Finnish soldiers arrest suspected leader of Kosovo rioting (25.3.2004)
  Serbia condemns Holkeri's comments as unacceptable (24.3.2004)
  Holkeri demands that Kosovo leaders condemn violence (23.3.2004)